Christians Packing Heat

The phrase “packing heat” references carrying a gun.

Here’s the scenario:

A Christian church is attacked by an intruder and no one has a gun. Therefore, many individuals die. The lone surviving member feels incredible guilt and says, “I should have had a gun. I could have stopped this.”

According to the way of the world, this is an agreeable answer. However, according to Christ, this is a terrible conclusion.

The problem of the lone survivor is that he has forgotten all the things he has been taught about Christ in God.

1. Every Christian who died in that scenario actually lives on forever with the Lord. However, the gunman is under condemnation. If he lives, he still has an opportunity to repent and be saved. This is our ultimate hope. We are saved, he is not. When Jesus says “Pray for your enemies and love your enemies,” it connects to the idea that we hope for the gunman’s salvation.
2. God is the avenger of His people and He specifically commands several times, and shows examples, for His people to not retaliate. We are His sheep and doves, yet we are wise.
3. Jesus tells us if you live by the sword, you will die by the sword in Matthew 26:51-52 KJV. 1 [51] And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. [52] Then said Jesus unto him, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”
4. Jesus says, “Don’t fear man, fear God.” Luke 12:4-5 KJV
5. Finally, the law of the Spirit keeps you in the grace of God, but the law of sin and death is activated when you choose the lusts of the flesh. Therefore, you are no longer under grace if you choose the lusts of the flesh (e.g. killing)

It’s easy to see that this person feels that the righteous course of action is to “save more lives” by killing or harming the gunman. However, let’s examine this deeper:

Please understand, there is a point where righteousness ends and carnality begins.

1. When a person violates God’s law, that’s called sin.
2. When a person doubts God’s promises and His commands, that person becomes an unbeliever.
3. If a person chooses to take a life by carnal means, that person becomes a judge of someone’s soul. Only by the power of Christ can a Christian deliver the death judgment such as in the case of Ananias and Saphira. Paul talks about rulers who bear the power of God in Romans 13.

If the lone survivor desires to take matters into his own hands by wishing he had a gun, he has forgotten his faith and does not believe in God’s promises. Neither does he realize that God desires all men to be saved and is often patient with the ungodly. Moreover, we all know that being good (according to the world’s view of good) doesn’t save your soul, but rather living righteously in holiness and godliness obeying God’s will.

Furthermore, one might ask why God did not protect the church because “He protects the righteous.”

Three reasons:

1. Maybe they weren’t righteous.
2. Or maybe they weren’t praying always and asking for deliverance from evil and to be kept from temptation. This is a part of wearing the armour of God.
3. Or perhaps these individuals died with great honor and the lone survivor was left with his trial of faith. Remember, every Christian must go through trials to prove their faith.

The Bible talks about all of these things.

You can avoid falling into this “feeling-guilty-you-didn’t-have-a-gun” trap by simply planting the commands of God deeply inside of you.

It is easy to know if God’s Word has grown strong roots in you. Just look at your reaction when a difficult situation occurs. This tells you exactly whether or not the roots of the Word of God have grown deeply into you.

So, the lone survivor’s course of action was retaliation. The roots of God’s Word were not deep.

[20] But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word, and anon with joy receiveth it; [21] Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he is offended [scandalizo: stumbles into sin]. ~Matthew 13:20-21 KJV

This is the problem of the retaliatory, lone survivor.

[3] And [Jesus] said, “Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ~Matthew 18:3-4 KJV

[13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. [14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. ~John 15:13-14 KJV (For the record, Jesus gave us an example of that through His death on the cross.)

[38] Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ~ Matthew 5:38-39 KJV

[43] Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:43-44 KJV

[21] He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. ~John 14:21 KJV

Disobeying God’s Word means disobedience. Jesus is the Word of God and He is the Messiah who made all things new and brought conviction to our flesh if we are born-again. Christ brought the heat because God is the heat. If they’re not that hot spiritually, then they’re going in the wrong direction.