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Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church

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with a moment of truth where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and

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faith. Today, how can we believe that the right to bear arms is an unalienable right endowed by God,

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as the Declaration of Independence so confidently asserts? Is there really a biblical defense for

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the average citizen to own and use a firearm? This question has grown in urgency over the years

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and is reaching a crescendo with the proliferation of mass shootings in the last year. Whatever their

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genesis, these shootings are being used by progressives to hysterically call for greater

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gun control and even the elimination of the Second Amendment altogether. However, there are

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many practical and constitutional reasons why we need an armed populace to defend us against an

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ever-burgeoning criminal class and a tyrannical central government. I will leave these reasons

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to others who have more experience with them, but what I would like to do is bring forward some

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arguments from the Bible as to why every Christian is not only permitted to bear arms but required to do

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so. Instead of throwing up our hands in the air in exasperation or copping out by using the cheeky

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cheek argument that is turning the other cheek, we as a church need to take responsibility for defending

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our lives, homes, and communities. With the increasing breakdown of law and order in our cities and counties

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across the country, it is the individual citizen and local neighborhoods that must organize and defend

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themselves with arms. And we have biblical and historical precedent to follow. First, though, we must give a

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brief response to the pacifist who may object that we must follow the example of Jesus and turn the other

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cheek when someone strikes us or not to resist one who is evil. All of these things were promulgated in

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the Sermon on the Mount, of course. Now, this is a true principle when we as believers are presenting the

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gospel and being persecuted for it. Jesus declared such in the context of the Sermon on the Mount when he was

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describing the new community of believers as it propagated the gospel. So, it must be kept in this

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context. As with so much of Scripture, it was not meant to be an infinite rubber band, that is, this text

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wrapped around every possible circumstance of life. This text, that is, turn the other cheek and do not

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resist those who are evil. These are not proof texts for pacifism. No, a text without a context is just a

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pretext for a proof text, dear listener. We, as those same believers, we also exist in families and in

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communities, one with another. And as such, we must think of the larger good of those families and

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communities, which includes their safety and well-being. Paul tells Timothy, if anyone does not provide for

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and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an

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unbeliever, unquote. So, an argument can be made that part of that provision for families and relatives

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is protecting them from harm. And that entails self-defense with a weapon. It was true in the

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Old Testament, and it's equally pertinent in the New Testament. And the Bible is not shy about

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personal self-defense. Every Israelite was expected to be armed and know how to use that weapon.

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In 1 Samuel chapter 25, we find this, David said to his men, every man strap on his sword,

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and every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about 400 men went up

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after David, while 200 remained with the baggage, unquote. From 1 Samuel 25, verse 13, Israel practiced

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the militia principle, the militia principle, that is, that the defense of the tribe and people was the

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responsibility of the men of that tribe and people. And in order to do this, those men had to be armed

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and trained to use those weapons. The more training and skills that were developed, the better the

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defense of the people. Nehemiah understood this when rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem under threat of a

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conspiracy by local enemies on the settlers, right? And Nehemiah says, and I quote, from that day on,

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half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows, and armor.

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The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried

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materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other. And each of the builders wore his sword

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at his side as he worked, unquote. Oh, no arms, no defense, no defense, no wall, and no resistance against

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an enemy, no resistance against tyranny, and there is no life and liberty and property. So it would have

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been with Israel under Nehemiah if they had surrendered their arms. And so it will be with us if we surrender

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our arms. Human nature has not changed over the millennia, dear listener. If you think your

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government is a benign parent who only has your best interest at heart and only wants to disarm you

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to keep you safe, then you are exhibit A of a naive, brainwashed Pollyanna. The militia principle. The

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militia principle has worked very well throughout history, dear listener. Always remember, the

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militia principle is a people's principle. That is, it is a perpetually armed citizenry that is free.

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Yes, this is so true. It is a perpetually armed citizenry that is free. It is not, as the tyrants

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of today try to characterize it, that is the militia. And they say things like, well, the militia is the

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equivalent of the contemporary National Guard, with arms conveniently stowed in armories safely out of

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the hands of the people, only accessed when government feels threatened. Yes, your deep state

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managers have turned the militia principle on its head by taking arms from the people and sequestering

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them for access only when that deep state feels threatened by the people. Then they will call on

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some of the people, that is the National Guard, to shoot others of the people. Oh, this promulgated by

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the deep state is not the true militia principle. History does provide us some good examples, however.

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For example, during one period of the Dark Ages, when the Roman Empire was collapsing, as America is

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collapsing today, by the way, well, in those days, Rome was a very dangerous place to live. Law and order

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had broken down. The Roman legions were scattered throughout the empire without a leader, but they

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were not in Rome. And much like our chaotic major cities, no one wanted to be a cop in Rome, because there

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was no support and the criminal gangs ran the city of Rome. No one was safe and no one was stepping

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forward to bring law and order. People were fleeing Rome to other places, and the ones who stayed lived in

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constant fear. But there was one man who did do something, and that was Pope Gregory the Great, who was

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pope from the late 6th to the early 7th century, when Rome had effectively collapsed. Gregory organized local

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militias to police the streets of Rome, and they were composed primarily of monks from the local monasteries.

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Yes, and so it was that the church brought law and order back to Rome, because in those days, no one knew how to

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organize better than a monk. Law and order was brought back to Rome via the militia principle. That is,

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it is a perpetually armed citizenry that is free. Another good example is contemporary one of the

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Swiss army. The Swiss have long practiced the militia principle. In that, every fit male is required to

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serve a term in the army, and then after this, he stands in reserve as a militia man, and he is required

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to own and operate and train with a weapon in his constant possession. He keeps it in his closet or on his

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mantle, always at the ready. The Swiss male is always ready to fight, and there are no mass shootings in

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Switzerland either, or rampant crime, or Chicago-style body counts every weekend of the people murdered in

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the streets. And it's not because there are no guns in Switzerland. In fact, almost every household has

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one. No, Switzerland is largely free of gun crime because her citizens are civilized and patriotic

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and cultured and disciplined, unlike most Americans. And the Swiss have a government which largely has the

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best interest of her citizens at heart, unlike the deep state in America. The Swiss practice the

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militia principle, that is, it is a perpetually armed citizenry that is free. So, while the weapons may

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change over time, human nature does not. Free men strive to remain armed throughout history, and their

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oppressors strive to see them disarmed. And make no mistake, dear listener, gun control was prevalent in

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biblical times too. Tyranny always seizes a free people's weapons, seeing it as integral to stripping

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the people of their ability to defend themselves. In Israel's early days, the Philistines made sure

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to remove or eliminate all of the skilled weapons makers from the land of Israel. I quote now from

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1 Samuel chapter 13, verse 19. Now, there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of

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Israel. For the Philistines said, lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears. Unquote. Yes, the

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Hebrews, if they had a blacksmith, would make swords and spears. And so, the Philistines made sure that

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they had no means for arming themselves. And your tyrannical deep state could care less about your

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safety, dear listener. Like the Philistines of old, they merely want a disarmed and docile flock of sheep

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over which they may tyrannize at will. That is your modern deep state America. And they will use fear.

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Fear of random gunfire seemingly out of nowhere. Fear of a mysterious and unfamiliar instrument like a

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gun. Or fear of an evil and dictatorial state that searches relentlessly for your guns. And they will use

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fear to disarm you. And once they have done this, well, then, the chains of your tyranny will tighten

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as never before. And what remains of the slipping sheep's clothing will fall. And the ravenous wolf of

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tyranny will be revealed for who he truly is. The citizen in the Bible, the true citizen in the Bible,

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at least, was expected to defend his home and family. In fact, no punishment was meted out if an intruder

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was killed in the process of defending a citizen's home. Exodus chapter 22, verse 2 says this,

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if a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process,

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the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder, unquote, from Exodus 22. This is, in brief,

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a castle doctrine. That is, a man's home is his castle, and he has every right to defend it against

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intruders. This is a principle, the castle doctrine, taken directly from the Bible and applied in modern

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circumstances. We are expected to be protectors of the innocent and the vulnerable as well. And it

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takes weapons to do this. Proverbs 24, 11 says this, rescue those who are being taken away to death.

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Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. We are expected to be protectors of the innocent and

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the vulnerable. And that takes weapons. By the time you make your 911 call and the police get there,

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that is so many minutes off the clock when an evildoer can do his evil. It takes someone right there on the

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spot with a weapon to stop another intruder, to stop another bad deed doer. It takes a good man with a gun

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to stop a bad man with a gun. And even our Lord himself, too, had something to say about self-defense

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in the days before his crucifixion. There's a cryptic saying in the Gospel of Luke that speaks

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obliquely to self-defense, but we must not make too much of it as some have tried to do. That saying

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comes when Jesus is describing to his disciples how the circumstances of their preaching of the Gospel

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will change after his passion, resurrection, and ascension. Before, that is during his earthly

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ministry, Jesus told them not to take a purse or a cloak or sandals, that all would be provided them

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in their journey as they went about Judea and Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. And that's

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precisely what happened. But in the near future, all that will change. And Jesus' charge to them

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changes too. He says, and I quote from Luke 22, 35 to 38. And he said to them, when I sent you out with no

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money bag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything? They said, nothing. He said to them, but now

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let the one who has a money bag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword

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sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me. And he was numbered

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with the transgressors. For what is written about me has its fulfillment. And they said, look, Lord,

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here are two swords. And he said to them, it is enough. Well, once more, we must keep this text in its

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context. Context determines meaning, dear listener. Jesus is telling his disciples that the circumstances

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of their ministry have changed. They are no longer bearing the Gospel locally with Jesus' very person

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present with them. But now they are to bear the Gospel to the larger world with Jesus present with

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them in the power of the Holy Spirit, not there with them bodily. And they will be traveling the highways

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and byways of the entire Roman Empire, preaching the good news. And it will be a long-term ministry too,

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not the brief preaching tour on which Jesus sent the disciples while he was with them. And so,

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consequently, they will need a purse and extra sandals and a cloak. And importantly, they will need

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a sword. Jesus even tells them, if you have a cloak but no sword, sell the cloak and get a sword. That's

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how necessary it will be. That is, they will face robbers and brigands on the roads. And these gains of

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robbers and brigands were notorious in the ancient world. They preyed on caravans and likely subjects

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to beat and rob along the highway. The parable of the Good Samaritan is premised on one of these

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incidents of robbers descending upon a traveler. And that's precisely why one needed a sword in those

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days. That is, for self-defense. And they would face other enemies as well that would presumably kill

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them. And for these circumstances, they'd need a sword for self-defense. Jesus, by referring to a

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sword, is really highlighting the drastic change in circumstances that the disciples face. Well then,

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does this mean that turning the other cheek or not resisting an evil person is no longer valid?

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And I would say hardly. Both of these texts still retain their full force depending upon the context

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in which they are seen and the context in which you live. There will be times. There were times when the

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apostles faced them. And there are times when we will face circumstances in which we turn the other

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cheek. When struck by a person in a fit of anger, perhaps someone hostile to the gospel. There will

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be times when a disciple does not resist a person intent on doing him evil, as when a boss fires you

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because he hates Christians, for example. Or when someone smashes something you value in anger because

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you're a Christian. The context of the situation will determine when one responds like this.

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And conversely, there will also be times when the disciple employs his sword or gun to defend himself or his

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family or friends or community. A sword or a gun might be necessary to ward off thieves on the road or a group

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intent on harming your family or a mass shooter who comes into your church or school or local mall. The context

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of the situation will determine when one responds like this. Do you see what I'm driving at? It is biblical

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wisdom at the end of the day that will dictate the response in each circumstance. And this is admittedly

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far more difficult to sort out, but it is necessary to do. True biblical wisdom is required in our day and age,

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dear listener. It may be easier, right? It may be easier to make one or the other of these texts

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absolute. That is, either no weapons ever and no self-defense ever or using guns always and all the

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time to defend oneself no matter what the context. That would be simpler to make these rubber bands

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stretch over every circumstance. But no, we must use biblical wisdom always to determine the use of arms in one

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context and the submission to evil for the sake of the gospel in another context. Wisdom first, second, and

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always. It is with this understanding that our founding fathers could list the right to bear arms as a God-given

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right. The Declaration famously tells us we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created

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equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life,

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liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And consequently, when it came time to ratify the Constitution, they

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developed a list of particular rights with which God Himself has endowed us. That is the Bill of Rights,

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ten of them, though by no means exhaustive of all the rights which God has endowed us. Famously, the second

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of those God-given rights is the right to bear arms. The founding fathers did not just pick a bunch of

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things they liked from thin air to be unalienable rights. No, they were students of Scripture and history

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and of the science of government, as they called it. They saw that in order to keep tyranny at bay

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and ensure liberty for the people, that things like the freedom to speak and practice one's religion

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in accord with his conscience, and to bear arms to fight tyrants and have a speedy trial by a jury of

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one's peers, and all the other rights guaranteed by the Constitution were of absolute necessity,

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and time, experience, and biblical text guaranteed them all. The inescapable conclusion of the

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Founders' logic is that if these rights are given by God and not by man, then no government can take

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them away, even if they try. Like the windbag fools in Washington, D.C., that district of criminals,

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like those windbag fools, they may bluster and threaten and try to pass common-sense gun laws.

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Oh, my goodness. If you had any common-sense, oh, politician, you wouldn't be trying to pass

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these stupid gun laws. And even some of them trying to abolish the Second Amendment altogether.

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But, like the windbag fools in D.C., they cannot frustrate the will of God himself.

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When he endows his creatures with unalienable rights. Do you believe this, dear listener? Do you

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believe this to your toenails? If so, then no man can take away our guns. The will of man will

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eventually yield to the will of God. We have a right to resist the tyranny of man when he attempts to

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take away our God-given rights. And this includes the right to bear arms. The way to solve gun crime

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is to deal effectively with the criminal, not the instrument he uses to commit his crime.

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A gun is only a tool. It is not evil in and of itself. When used by an evil person, it is destructive.

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But it is the operator that determines the good or evil of the deed performed.

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Your deep state tyrants know this, but they wish to disarm you. And so they focus on banning the tool

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as evil in order to distract you from their true intentions. What is required is a wholesome return

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to a just and moral society under God and the Bible for gun violence to cease. It is the wicked

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operator of the instrument, which must be removed from the equation, not the instrument. The operator

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must be removed either by reforming his character so that he does not misuse the tool, or else he must

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be removed by execution or incarceration if he does not willingly reform his behavior. Remember the example

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of Switzerland. A land can be overflowing with guns, and yet there will be no gun violence because the

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people are just and moral. And that justice and morality is derived from the scriptures and a living

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relationship with Christ. John Adams says, our constitution is made only for a moral and religious

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people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other, unquote. And that includes the bearing

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of arms. They must be wielded by a moral and religious people. If the people are wicked and

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irreligious, then they will bear arms wickedly and without regard to God and his judgment upon them.

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That's the situation in America today. We must preach reform and reformation of the inner man

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through conversion to Jesus Christ in order for us to become moral and religious again. Pray for this,

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dear listener, because it will be then and only then that you will see gun violence decrease and a sense of

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civility return to our land. Peace and law and order will return when the hearts of the people are turned

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back to the living God of the Bible. Pray for this, dear listener. This has been Pastor David Bass at New

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Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. New Geneva meets for Holy Worship on Sunday at 10 a.m.

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at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. I invite you to come and join us for worship on

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Sundays at 10 a.m. You'll find a welcome, a warm welcome, and an opportunity to worship in spirit and

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in truth. Join us for worship on Sunday at 10 a.m. 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard.

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And you can call us for more information or feedback and comment at 208-523-0196. That's 208-523-0196.