Why Wait (part 2)
God has not set up his followers to become passive victims of evil aggression.
Jesus said “turn the other cheek,” but before we all march off and make our anti-war demonstration kits, something needs to be clarified. Such a “turn the other cheek” pledge in response to evil is undoubtedly God’s will for the individual Christian. The Bible states clearly, “Bless those who persecute you … do not repay anyone evil for evil … do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath” (Romans 12:14,17,19). In his wisdom, however, God has not set up his followers to become passive victims of evil aggression and wicked violence who let the ungodly have their way with us and the world.
Therefore, the Bible gives the right to the organized government, not to the individual Christian, (in its very next chapter, nonetheless) to “hold terror … for those who do wrong.” God makes the government, and not the individual Christian, “an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:3,4). Consequently, Christians acting in a government role from front line soldier to district attorney may invoke God’s very own “eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth” threat and engage in just wars and punishments as part of government sponsored activity. Christians, serving in dual citizenship to government and also to God, may participate in a war and pray for its success. Meanwhile Christians may also patiently seek and support laws to outlaw wicked activity, and even to punish it. All with a good conscience.
Never, however. Never will individual Christians abandon the faith and give into the ungodliness of wickedness that may attract us for the moment as a one-time taste of what we know is evil. Never will we participate in what is wrong so that good may result. Never will we ruin our good reputation and blameless behavior with a public display of hateful holiness. Psalm 37 gives ten reasons why.
I have a huge, sprawling elm tree at the end of my driveway. Its branches are mostly bare right now because it has been dropping leaves since early summer. This once beautiful shade tree has now taken on an evil look of bare branches grasping for something and howling their disapproval in the wind. I’ve inspected the tree and with my limited ability see no infestation of bugs, but that is very likely the case. So do I cut it down so that it can’t greet me with its wicked glare every time I come home?
I’ve been close, but then I wonder, “What if it comes back fully healthy next spring?” In the mean time, I patiently trust that God will provide shade from other trees, and he has. I patiently trust that God has the ability to command the bugs in that tree to be gone for good. I patiently wonder if God in his wisdom knows some other explanation that, for the moment, is unclear to me. I patiently wait on the Lord. And he patiently watches over me.
PRAYER: You, O Lord, know right from wrong. You know all the wrong, everywhere, right now. What would be wrong in me is made right by your Son, my Savior. I thank you. What is wrong with the wicked people in this world will also be made right by you, some day, some way, either through your reconciliation or revenge. In the mean time, keep me safe, and have mercy on those who do evil, that they may repent and know your true love. Amen.