Through God we will do valiantly, and it is He who shall tread down our adversaries. Psalm 60:12
If anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 2 Timothy 2:5
We, the church, are under the New Covenant, paid for by the blood of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ). The New Covenant is the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Covenant. Where there are any differences to how the original Covenant law was practiced - we are to follow the ways taught by Yeshua HaMashiach. And He clearly and thoroughly taught the meaning of “Thou shall not kill.”
Yeshua directly says that the greatest commandment is LOVE: LOVE GOD. LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.
These things I command you, that you love one another. John 15:17
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:27
He says in John 14:21, whoever keeps His commands are the ones who love Him and to whom He reveals Himself.
LOVE ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
Yeshua does not distinguish loving others to just those that are innocent or those that don’t cause harm but rather JUST THE OPPOSITE. He says that those who are part of His Kingdom should love even their enemies and do NO harm. He says we should NEVER avenge ourselves but leave that to God.
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also…But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:27-29, 32-33, 35-36
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10
Beloved, NEVER avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” Romans 12:19
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:38-39
ENDURE HARDSHIPS & PERIL
We are told that many of us will suffer because Him, some even to the point of death. But that we shouldn’t fear what other humans can do to us if we are His children and put our FULL trust in Him. Those who are willing to suffer for Him and turn from sin are vessels useful to Him.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”… Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 35-39
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13: 5-6
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things…. Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2
Yeshua is quite clear that any violence towards another, even for self-defense, is a direct contradiction to the love that His people are to live by. We are commanded to pray for our enemies and leave vengeance to God. We are to put our trust in HIM not in weapons. People that want a back-up plan or the ability to protect themselves in case God doesn’t are NOT putting their complete trust in God and turning from iniquity.
Ezra along with several families put their trust in God, not in soldiers, on their journey to Jerusalem:
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.... Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days. Ezra 8:21-23...31-32
MORE MIRACLES
The Bible tells us that we should be doing more miracles and greater miracles than Yeshua did but we don’t see this happening throughout most of the church.
Is it possible that the reason for this is because so many believers do not trust God 100% fully? Can we hold weapons of destruction in one hand and expect our other hand to bring healing? Can we condemn people to death one day and the next expect to speak life into others? Do we fight wars, then say we love our enemies? Do we fast and pray for protection or go buy a weapon? Do we fear the enemy more than we fear God? Imagine if we took away guns - how much more time would believers spend praying for their enemies, their cities and the leaders of our countries?
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and EVEN GREATER WORKS THEN THESE HE WILL DO >>> He who has My commandments and keeps them, IT IS HE WHO LOVES ME. John 14:12, 21
WEAPONS
I’ve heard many say that Yeshua told the disciples to “pick up their swords” so it’s ok to have weapons. But this would be a perfect example of taking something COMPLETELY out of context (only pulling certain lines from a conversation). Let’s take a look…
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied. Luke 22:35-38
Yeshua told His disciples to buy swords for that specific journey to the Mount of Olives so the prophecy in the scriptures would be fulfilled about being arrested and numbered with SINNERS. THE DISCIPLES ONLY NEEDED 2 SWORDS TO BE CONSIDERED SINNERS/TRANSGRESSORS.
THE PROPHECY: He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:7-12
HIS WORD SAYS LOVE
It doesn’t matter what people might say is acceptable - it only matters what The Word, Yeshua HaMashiach, says is right. And loving Him and ALL others is HIS NUMBER 1 COMMAND - and He tells us exactly what that love looks like.
I believe He’ll part the sea, close the lions mouths, open up the ground, crush down walls, send His angels before me and heal up my wounds in the face of the enemy. And should a time come when my end is determined, then I will happily lay down my life for Him, knowing that He awaits me on the other side. I only fear that which could separate me from Him.
Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:27-28
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
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