Murder was present with
man’s first sin
Jesus says Satan was a liar and murderer from the beginning (Jo 8:44) telling us that murder and sin are intimately connected, forever inseparable.
The world has always been a dangerous place since the Garden. Abel found out the hard way that being harmless and different was as dangerous as being mean and dangerous (Ge 4). The descendants of Cain also relied on violence as depicted by Lamech’s boast in the same chapter. Thus, the answer as to why there is murder is because there is sin. The solution to murder is to eradicate sin which is impossible while we inhabit these bodies of sin since each new child brings into the world another lost soul willing to murder.
What murders have occurred this week? Well, in America there were at least two shootings by police that resulted in mass protests and the shootings of police in Dallas, TX. There have been the usual “religion of peace” killings (Click here), usually against other adherents to the “religion of peace”. I would suppose that there have been the usual litany of mundane murders in nearly every country around the globe. If one includes war, of various flavors then the figures go ever higher (Here is a link for this statistic). The numbers become so mind staggering that they become meaningless as noted by one of the best murderers of his day.
However, I would ask you to consider another set of state-sanctioned murders that benefits people and thus has gone largely unnoticed by most news agencies though it is no secret. This is the organ harvesting conducted by Communist China of its political prisoners, usually the Falun Gong (Organ harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China: An Update). Who are the Falun Gong? They are a wide-spread Buddhist-like cult that practices meditation and promotes the three virtues of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance (Wikipedia). There is also a documentary discussing this horrendous crime (YouTube). A conservative figure of approximately 1,500,000 deaths have occurred to make organs available for those who can pay. The hosts are only compensated with death especially when their hearts and lungs are removed while they are still alive! What can we do to stop this madness? Nothing!
Man and his governments, those that appear to care (usually of the Judeo-Christian philosophical persuasion) only pass resolutions and continue to do nothing. Yet, what can they do? The people comprising these governments are usually not demonstrating a grasp o true Christianity nor are they promoting Christianity amongst their own populations. In other words, they are part of the problem in this escalating culture of murder. Is the problem guns; violent games, movies, and music; or is the answer more subtle? I believe the answer lies at the heart of man – sin.
Christ came to speak directly to the issue of sin when He made the statement, “the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mt 11:12). The only solution to violence is salvation, becoming a new creation and growing in Christ-likeness. But this is being rejected en mass not only by those countries that do not have the Judeo-Christian background but also by those countries that did have this background. This rise of the various flavors of Gnosticism with its promise of freedom from religion, though itself a religion, claims peace but gives violence. This is the fundamental cause and it finds expression in modern man’s obsession with freedom.
What is freedom? Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint… Herein is the problem and Americans lead in this problem taking this philosophy around the world who then use it for their own ends (Read: furthering their own power). All people need restraint, if they did not then governments would not pass laws legislating morality, forcing its citizens to act according to these or face punishment. The Bible discusses the need for restraint; in fact, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is self-control (restraint) (Ga 5:22-23). America has fostered a contradiction: freedom to act without restraint while seeking to restrain its people through ever more restrictive laws.
People who have been taught that they have the “right” to act without restraint will not willingly act with restraint. The more people perceived they are being restrained the more they react with violence. If you say that reasoned people understand the need for some restraint they will ask you on what do you base this restraint? In other words, what is the source of your morality to determine the type of restraint necessary. The evolution of America in my lifetime has been the rejection of the absolute values of the Bible in favor of the relative morality of whatever one decide to follow at the moment. Couple this with the belief that there is no truth then you can have no morality that everyone can agree with. Now you have a toxic mixture of “freedom” based on sin without the restraints of Godly morality running amok throughout the globe.
This is nothing more than sinful man giving expression to his sinful nature, excusing himself while accusing others (Ro 2:1-4). Is there no hope? There is not even help for the Christian who seeks to depend on his own strength for living the successful Christian life (Ro 7:14-20). There is no solution apart from God and God’s Spirit working through us accomplishing what we in our flesh cannot obtain – peace. Sin brings murder and violence. If your religion requires you to be violent, it is not of God. If your morality requires you to be violent to prove it is the true morality, it is not of God. The only violence allowed by God is self-defense and even that is limited.
There is no earthly solution to violence as evidenced by the rising tide of violence. The more man promotes his own philosophy, no matter what philosophy it happens to be, the more violence the world experiences. Yet, man refuses to acknowledge God’s truth and seek His salvation which would bring real peace. Thus, the more violence the world will witness and we will experience. For the lost this means they will be ushered into Hell without an opportunity to reconsider Christ as Savior. For the Christian, this means you get to be with Christ and experience the joy and peace of His salvation to its fullest. One path knows only fear. The other path should know true peace. Which path are you on?
