War: What Is It Good For?
Various Passages
The front page of Sunday’s Cincinnati Enquirer carried a story about 7 boys from the village of Cleves (which is just down the road from our church building) who graduated from Taylor High School last year and joined the military and will all be fighting in Iraq if the United States goes to war. Cleves has about 2,000 people in its city limits, but it has seven young men, all age 19 who possibly will be giving their lives in war. The article said that war will certainly hit home for the tiny village of Cleves.
For the majority of us, however, a war in Iraq doesn’t really hit home. I have yet to hear any of you bring up the issue of war with me. No one has approached me about preaching a sermon on war or doing a Bible Study. Why is that? Perhaps the reason for the lack of concern about the war, is because each of us have so many personal struggles we are dealing with that we just don’t have time to worry about a war that will take place so far away. It’s hard to be concerned about war in Iraq when you have battles of your own to fight.
Perhaps the reason a lot of us don’t seem so concerned is because we’ve become so accustomed to American military action overseas that we’re numb to it. Since 1990 we have fought wars in Iraq, in Bosnia, in Yugoslavia, in Afghanistan and none of those battles have truly turned out to be successful for the United States and have not affected our way of life. Even though Sept. 11th was a great tragedy, we have seemed to become numb to threat of violence and war in our community.
But as followers of Christ we should be relatively concerned about the affairs of our nation and the affairs of the world.
Jesus was very concerned with sociological issues of his day. He addressed prejudice in Jewish society. He talked about paying taxes to the government. He challenged the political leaders like Herod. He called Herod a fox. In Matthew 24 Jesus told his disciples to discern the political climate of his days to know his coming. The apostle Paul instructs in the book of Titus that as followers of Christ we are be good citizens. I think being good citizens involves knowing what is going on in our nation.
Have you seen Jay Leno when he walks around the streets of L.A. and holds up pictures of politicians and government leaders and people don’t know who George Bush is or who Collin Powell is or Dick Cheney. I think we should be more concerned about our leaders. We need to know what is going on in the world.
It is my desire tonight to preach on the topic of war for two reasons. One is because war is a relevant issue today. The great theologian Karl Barth once said that we should read with the Bible in one hand, while holding the newspaper in the other. As a preacher I should relate the topics of the day to the Bible and vice versa. And the subject of war is about as relevant to the news as you can get. A second reason, I want to talk about war is because the Bible talks about war. The apostle Paul wrote, "For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God." (Acts 20:27). It is my duty as a preacher to talk about war because war is an issue that Scripture concerns itself with.
I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WAR?
I want you to understand that the Bible does not glorify war. War in the Bible is always a last resort for any nation. Psalm 68:30 teaches that we are to never take pleasure in or desire war. It reads, "The Lord will scatter the nations that delight in war."
Even though war is to be a last resort for a nation Ecclesiastes 3:8 says, “There is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." There comes an occasion when it is a must that a nation go to war. In Exodus 22 we read that it is appropriate for a person or a group of people to take necessary action to defend themselves. Even if that means having to kill someone in self defense. Psalm 144, reads, "Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle.”
The Bible teaches clearly that the government is to protect its citizens and restrain evildoers by law and with force if necessary. Romans 13 tells us that the “government ruler is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer." (Romans 13:4b NIV). Did you hear that? The government is primarily to be the agent of wrath. It bears the sword. The church is to be an agent of grace. Often government action is warranted to protect citizens from criminal behavior within and without. Such action includes war.
II. THREE VIEWS ON WAR
There are basically three positions held by Christians throughout the centuries concerning war.
The first is the idea of HOLY WAR. There are not a lot of Christians who hold to this position. The holy war is typically prompted by religious conviction. The Bible does describe a holy war in the OT. In Deuteronomy 20 the Israelites warred against the Canaanites because the Lord told them to. But as they waged the Holy War God gave them certain things they were not allowed to do. For example, if a besieged city surrendered to them the occupants were to be sparred, though they would become servants of the Israelites and the natural environment of the battlefield was to be preserved as much as possible allowing for the easy rebuilding of the community.
The reason for the holy war against the Canaanites was because they were terrible enemies and had committed such harsh atrocities against other people. They were also known for their idolatry and their sacrifice of humans to false gods. They stood under God’s judgment. The Canaanites were not innocent bystanders who the Israelites trounced. They probably would have attacked the Israelites eventually. It was either the Israelites or the Canaanites. That is why God instructed his people to be on the offensive in this case.
The holy war against the Canaanites is unique in that God never ordered the Israelites to do this again. Now throughout history many followers of God have used Holy War as a means of justifying attacking other nations. For instance, the Crusades in the Dark Ages were an attempt by the Church to retake the Holy Land by force. It was bloody and violent and the church was guilty of being war mongers. Throughout the years many other religious fanatics have called for Holy Wars.
This past week I visited Oklahoma City and my dad and I went to the Oklahoma City Memorial where nearly 300 people were killed in that bombing. Timothy McVeigh was affiliated with a religiously based militia that believed it was their job to declare war on the government of the United States. A Holy War in a sense.
The church of the New Testament is not commanded to use Holy War anywhere in the Bible. The church is not in the business of stocking up guns and fighting the government or declaring holy war on Muslims or other denominations. Holy war is not the option of God’s people nor is it necessary. In the Old Testament God dealt with a physical nation that had kings and boundaries and sometime for the nation war was inevitable. But in the New Testament God deals with a spiritual nation, the church, that has no boundaries, no kings, no political power. It is not the churches’ obligation to wage physical war against people to accomplish its purpose. In the New Testament God gives the power to wage war not to the church but to the government.
As Christians we should not love war. And we should not applaud those who wage Holy War in God’s name. In Africa Christians are waging war to exterminate Muslims and vice versa. That is evil. Hitler used religion and the name of God to justify the Holocaust. That is not condonable.
There is actually a T-Shirt that reads, "Kill them all. God will know which are His." That attitude is terrible. The slaughter of people is never something Christians should associate with God’s will. The war in Iraq will not be a holy war. The reasons for us fighting are not based on religious grounds. As Christians we should endorse peaceful resolutions to conflict if possible. Psalm 122 says, “There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.”
Another view of war some Christians hold to besides the holy war is PACIFISIM. Pacifism is the opposite of Holy War. Pacifism is the belief of some Christians that the use of force is always evil even in times of self defense. The pacifist believes that evil is not controlled through punishment, but rather through the sterling example of genuine goodness that radiates from people. Pacifism is peace at any price. Pacifism is absolute non-resistance. Pacifism is the view held by most liberal denominations, the Mennonite church and the Quakers. The pacifists goals are noble and there is an extent to which all Christians are called to forms of pacifism.
The pacifist uses Jesus’ example in Matthew 5:39 of turning the other check as the proof text for his or her views. Their contention is that Jesus never condoned defending yourself. While it might seem that Jesus is calling for pacifism at first glance, a simple analysis of it will help you see that people who use this verse fail to mention that this is a situation involving individuals and does not apply to governmental affairs. The Bible makes a distinction between the actions of government and the actions of individuals.
In fact in that very passage in Matthew 5 Jesus instructs us to settle matters with our enemy or we may be forced to go to a judge of the state who will enforce justice. Jesus makes the distinction between how the individual is to react and how the government is to react.
Further justifications for pacifism are given based on the Lord’s Prayer. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:10-12). But this argument fails. Because forgiveness does not equal pardoning the offense. When God forgives us He doesn’t necessarily remove the consequences of our sins. Forgiveness is always balanced with justice.
I will make this clear: Jesus was not a pacifist. In fact, if you remember in Matt. 8 Jesus met a Roman centurion--an army officer who most likely achieved his rank because he was skilled at battle. After talking with this soldier for a few minutes, Jesus did not tell him to put down his sword, nor did he tell him to retire from the military. Instead, he praised the man’s faith, saying that he had more faith than anyone He had met (Matthew 8:5-13). Pacifism, in my opinion, is not the biblical view on war.
The third and final view Christians hold to is the view of JUST WAR. I personally think this is the biblical view. This view states that there are times when the government must be an agent of wrath and justice and protect its citizens from other nations and leaders who threaten her. This is in fulfillment of Romans 13 which I read earlier and stated that the government exists to bear the sword.
The idea of just war insists that war is a last resort that should be avoided at all costs but at the same time admits that war is sometimes necessary.
What is a just war? Well in the fifth century, Augustine a theologian developed this criteria for a just war. It should be defensive - a response to an attack like Pearl Harbor or the World Trade Center. It should be proportionate - you don’t drop a nuclear bomb for a terrorist attack that damages a ship in the harbor. It needs to be declared by a legitimate authority - a few militias working separate from government authority have no right to attack another nation. It must minimize civilian casualties - the purpose is not to destroy innocent people, but to subdue an aggressor army. It must take steps to resolve the conflict without war.
The idea of just war is a more balanced view than the views of pacifism or holy war in my view. It states that war is sometimes needed to ensure justice in a sinful world. Justice is something that God is very concerned about and sometimes war is needed to maintain justice. As Christians we are called as Psalm 82 says to "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “It may be true that the government cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important.” Government exists to restrain evil.
The question looming in our nation today is whether the war in Iraq is a just war or if the United States and Britain are overstepping their bounds. Although I have my opinions, I am not going to voice them, simply because I do not want to be mistaken and often when a preacher devolves into these issues he is accused of holding to certain political positions. But I guarantee you that my position on the war in Iraq is based not on my political affiliation but on my view of the Bible.
But what I want for you is for you to use this sermon as a catalyst for forming your own views on the war. As your preacher I am not here to tell you how to think. I want you to pray about it and come to some conclusions on your own.
III. HOW CAN WE REACT TO WAR?
But I do want to conclude tonight with a few suggestions of what we as Christians can do in reaction to the issue of war. All of us can participate in these whether or not we feel that the looming war is just or not.
First, I think we need to SUPPORT OUR TROOPS. Jesus said there is no greater thing a man can do than lay down his life for a friend. Those young men and women who will fight in this war if it happens are brave and are doing something I don’t know I could do. But they must not be the victims here. We must not let what happened in Vietnam to happen now. We should support our troops.
Secondly, I think we need to PARTICIPATE IN THE GOVERNMENT PROCESS. We have an opportunity that not many people throughout the world have and we have a say in our government. We each can voice our opinion to our lawmakers and to our president. We need to do this with respect if we disagree with them. If we agree we must do it with a certain amount of level headedness remembering that no man or government is infallible.
Being involved in the government process also means you must vote. If you disagree with government policies, don’t complain unless you vote. If you protest the government policies I sure hope you voted.
We should also REMEMBER THE WORDS OF CHRIST. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that up until the time he returns to earth there will be wars and rumors of wars, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. In other words, Jesus said, war is inevitable in a sinful world. The battles of man will never end. Peace will never come. That is until Jesus comes. But he tells us in Matthew 24 that we are not to let the horrible things of this world like war keep us from following him. He says when these things happen many will turn away from the faith, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
We can also PRAY. We need to pray for our government leaders that God will give them wisdom to do the right thing. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 says, “I urge, then first of all, that requests, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God.”
We also need to pray for our enemies. That may sound strange. But have you prayed for Sadaam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden? Remember that Jesus required us to pray for our enemies. We need to pray that Iraq will be spared and that we will not have to destroy that nation. We need to pray that Osama Bin Laden and other terrorists stop their evil ways and come to Christ? You might say that that is impossible, that someone like Osama Bin Laden or Sadaam Hussein would come to Christ! But the Bible tells us that a man who was a political terrorist by the name of Saul of Tarsus was converted. He quit killing Christians and turned his life around. I wonder if the first Christians took Jesus’ advice and prayed for their enemy Saul until he became one of them?
I think we also need to REFUSE TO LIVE IN FEAR. There is a lot of anxiety in our nation about this war, but as Christians we are not to fear terrorism or war because we know that God is in control and that all things work together according to his will. We are not to fear terrorists or Osama Bin Laden or Sadaam Hussein. Proverbs 29:25 says, "The fear of man will prove to be a snare. But whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."
As the world seems to be falling apart, Christians need to be confident enough to help put the world back together. What separates us from the rest of the world is our hope that one day Jesus Christ will come to this world and bring the everlasting peace that man will never accomplish. Until that time, we are to go on living life knowing that Christ is there no matter what circumstance may come.
As Paul said in Romans 8, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword. No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
This week FOX 19 NEWS in Cincinnati has been running a commercial about the war in Iraq. It says, “These are days filled with trepidation and anxiety. But turn to FOX 19 and we will keep you up to date with the latest breaking news on the war.” Let me tell you that FOX News is not the place to turn if you are filled with anxiety. Where do you turn? Turn to Jesus. The Bible says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you.”
