Kill Them?

So, here we are at a crossroads in our faith. Well, not really. But it IS a time to reflect on what we truly believe, and just how far we are willing to go to apply those beliefs in our lives. Open your Bibles to Deuteronomy 13.

Deuteronomy is the book most often quoted by Jesus. One could easily say it is foundational to the life of any Christian. Yeah? Well, chew on this:

“⁶If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, ⁷some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, ⁸you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. ⁹But you shall kill him." - Deuteronomy 13:6-9

Okay . . . so, do we go out and start killing people who don't believe like we do? It's right there in the Bible. One word - context.

In this text, God was giving instructions to the Israelites. They were about the enter The Promised Land. God also tells the Israelites later in Deuteronomy WHY He wants them to do this.

"Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God." - Deuteronomy 20:18

God hates sin. Remember the flood? That was because of sin. Paul tells us in Romans that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23

Time and time again God told Moses, "you must purge the evil from among you." - Deuteronomy 17:7

So, why isn't this done today? In some U.S. states the punishment for killing someone IS death. But in other places it is not.

Look at the world we live in today. Sin is everywhere! Look at Jerusalem. There are people who "serve other gods" living there. The Al Aqsa Mosque is right there on the Temple Mount!

So, what am I saying? That we should go out and kill every non-Christian? No. But what I AM saying is this . . .

God will.

"⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 13:41-42

That was Jesus speaking.