than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:12-15)
It is of scriptural record that some stepped to the fore to defend Jesus, as revealed by Matthew. When the time for his arrest by temple authorities came…
“And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" (Matthew 26:51-54)
Ah, but therein lies the catch. God needs no defense. And those who defend another with the sword by their interaction in the use of armaments participate in the sinful ways of this world. Thus it is that Paul says of us, “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” and follows with “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 3:23 and 6:23)
Thus we humans are often at enmity with one another. Though we often mistakenly consider our cause to be truly righteous, we may find it is not. Additionally, the hidden agenda of self preservation wrestles with our intent to lay down our lives for others. Only agreement with the proclamation of Christ unto our salvation will guide us through as truly the Righteous.
Boldly We Sin...
Like the worlds' courts we must make judgments. From this discourse then, we see that we have two paths that may be taken, both are sinful within a sinful world. Indeed, our Creator God makes wondrous things from chaos. First, I say that we are to collectively stand in the midst of the assembly and watch as our God takes nations, including our own, to task for sinfulness and unbelief. Such a costly stand was recently taken by the
