Let’s just get this out of the way: I don’t believe it’s
wrong to own a gun or to protect yourself with it. But there seems to be a
segment of Christianity who seems to have adopted a new mantra: “Preach never,
and if possible, use guns.” Sure, I’ve not read or heard anyone say this
exactly, but if you summarized the bumper stickers on many of the trucks I’ve
seen lately, this is what you would get. It’s as if Jesus said, “Go therefore
& make gun rights in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the NRA,
the 2nd Amendment, & Charlton Heston”.
Am I missing something? Did Jesus come to institute personal
freedoms or to command that we lay down our personal freedoms, like He did, for
a bigger cause? Wasn’t it Jesus who said
"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their
cross and follow me.”? Why yes it was. Look it up, it’s Matthew 16:24. Its
Jesus saying that we must die to ourselves if we are to live with Him.
Identifying with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection through faith, is what
makes us Christians. Either many so-called Christians never did this, or
somewhere along they way, they laid down their cross, stopped following Jesus,
and along with their personal freedoms, picked up a gun.
Have you confused “The American Dream” with God’s
dream that all people be saved??[1]
Or have you simply chosen to go for the latter? Don’t you understand that
“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” are only found in Jesus and in
following Him?
So then, what is the
greater cause we should be concerned with? The Great Commission.[2]
Making disciples. Being a disciple-making disciple. Of Jesus! We must be adamant about this.
And here’s something so
important that many Christians don’t seem to understand: When we are more or
just as adamant about other things as we are about Jesus, it confuses the heck
out of the world. And rightly so. Why should they think that Jesus is far and
away most valuable & worthy to be the Lord of their lives, when your life
and passion seem to say that other things are just as important, if not more
important.
But it’s especially
confusing when it’s guns. Guns bring death, Jesus brings life. Jesus taught
mercy and love. Guns are used for justice and often hate. People often say
“Gun’s don’t kill people. People kill people.” That may be true, but guns don’t
save people, Jesus saves people. Guns may protect and prolong life on this
earth but that’s it.
“Preach always, and if
necessary, use words”[3],
is the actual quote that I referenced at the start. This is good but I’d go one
step further. Preach always, and if possible, use words. Because whether
or not we realize it, we’re always preaching something by how we live our lives
and what we stand up for. Think about it. Everything you do says to the world
what is important to you. And look for opportunities to use words that exult
Jesus and show others their need for Him, and only Him. Because it’s so much
more necessary to use words than we realize. “Faith comes from hearing, and
hearing through the word of Christ”.[4]
So whether you’re speaking or simply
going about your daily business, preach Jesus, not a confusing message of Jesus
+ guns.
Listen, we only have one witness. Let’s not muddle it by forcing Jesus to share the spotlight with guns or anything else. Because He won’t. And I wouldn’t want to be you when He calls you to account for trying to force Him to.
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