WAR? - 20

Excerpts from today at KFA ... the whole message can be listened to at http://www.kenoshafirst.com/ starting Monday each week.

I'm at TARGET not that long ago and I'm listening to a dad getting an explanation from the guy at the video game counter about the new X-BOX game that's coming out. The dad is considering getting it for his kid. The game is all about slaughtering people. SERIOUSLY! The TARGET employee is explaining how they’ll be sold out of the item within 24 hours of getting in a new shipment. You can't believe the excitement people have for a game in which you shoot, maim and kill people. Does anybody see a problem with this?

Man is the most highly developed 'animal' out there. He is the smartest, most complex, most feeling of God’s creations. But that isn’t ALL we are. We are also made in God's image. Man is unique because he alone is capable of conceptual thought and ideas – he alone is equipped with imagination and creativity – he alone is capable of cooperating with God's Divine creative purpose - he alone is placed here with a vast degree of responsibility for the care and well-being of creation.

Man has a moral sensitivity.
Man has a sense of right and wrong – fair and unfair.
Mark Twain: “Man is the only animal that blushes … and has reason to.”
Man has the ability to be communicated to BY God and communicate WITH God.

So when we think about destroying out of vengeance or anger what is made in the image of God, we realize we’re dealing with something of tremendous concern. If God makes man for eternity and gives him the ability to function in relationship with Him … for someone ELSE to destroy that is to destroy God’s Divine intention for that person – almost as if to shake our fist in the face of the Creator God. If God brings someone into being – breathes into his nostrils the breath of life – for man to step in and terminate that existence … I’m just saying that has profound significance and can NOT be entered into lightly.

That is just ONE side of an extremely complicated matter, of course.

But no matter what your view is on war in the 21st century, remember that Scripture calls for the use and discretion of personal conscience in all matters. "Each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12)

Sometimes we immaturely lock our positions in. We don’t do any more SUBMITTING it to God. We … just … KNOW. But even when you come to a place of conviction one way or the other on something like war, you must be mature enough to respect people who hold different convictions. The Bible suggests that you stay open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You stay open to future learning. That is very IMPORTANT in these matters. And instead of arguing and judging and devaluing others, we could say, “Would you help me understand how you arrived at your position? What in Scripture has brought you to the place you are? Because as a person with a deep faith in Christ, I want to be someone who can be led and taught by others.”

And then … LISTEN.

And be blessed.