Two more shootings, African American victims at the hands of the police. No matter if the cops are exonerated or not, this is still a tragedy. People have died, and it is sad. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.
Police officers who were guarding the right to assemble and speak freely in Dallas were assaulted in a sniper attack in Dallas. Again, a tragedy. People have died at the hands of hate. One of the snipers said his goal was to kill as many white cops as possible. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.
Meanwhile, across this nation of ours, three thousand babies are murdered daily at the hands of doctors who are sworn to 'do no harm'. In the urban areas, violence is rampant. Race seems to be an issue there, with black on black crime dwarfing the amount of white on black crime. These statistics are lost behind the media reporting that there is an open season of sorts on black youth. This further enhances the problem creating more of an atmosphere of distrust.
As the Practical Theologian, there are many ways to answer the question "what is the problem here?" However there is only one right way to answer, and that is through the lens of scripture. According to the scripture, the clear problem is sin, the enemy is Satan, and the only solution is salvation.
The Problem: Sin I know, it sounds way too simplistic, but SIN is the problem. Where there is racism that is the result of hatred, and that is rooted in the sin nature. Where does this come from? It comes from the first man Adam (Romans 5:12), Adam's son Cain committed the first murder with an unlicensed rock. The murder was rooted in covetousness for Cain wanted the same blessing that his brother had received. Throughout history, murders have occurred for many different reasons, but all are ultimately crimes of hate. And while it is easy to look at others, we are guilty of the same things (James 4:1-2) and though we may not kill somebody, When we hate, we murder (1 John 3:15) and Jesus said that even anger towards a brother is murder in the heart (Matthew 5:21-22).
Murder is not a societal problem, it is not a gun problem, it is a sin problem that is rooted in the individual. We are born in our natural beings as sinners. (Romans 3:10-18) We are not good people who do bad things, we are wicked, God-hating rebels who do exactly what our nature dictates (Ephesians 3:1-3). When a human being kills another human being with intent and hatred towards that person, he is doing what is in his or her nature to do (Matthew 15:19). Without the restraining grace of God, we would see a lot more murders, because this world is filled with hate. The hate is rooted in selfish desires (James 4:1-2). When we do not get what we want as wicked reprobates, we do whatever it takes to get it- even murder.
The Enemy: Satan Satan is a murderer and a liar (John 8:44) he is roaming about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). When you are a child of Satan, which all humans are from birth (John 8:45. Ephesians 2:1-3) you naturally do what your nature tells you to do. We have a nature to sin. Satan, the enemy of our souls, takes advantage of that reality and exploits that nature. In the hands of a murderer, a gun is a tool (as is a rock, a crock pot filled with bb's, a candlestick, or a knife). In the hands of Satan, a sinner is a tool by which he accomplishes his evil. Satan hates you, and will use you(like a tool) to harm others whom he also hates.
There is an important distinction that Christians must remember. Our enemies are not the homosexuals, the (insert the race here), the (insert denomination here), the Muslims, the democrats, the republicans, or the Police. Our enemy is Satan. He hates non-believers, and he hates believers even more. He is our enemy, and our battle is against him and his demons, principalities, and powers (Ephesians 6:12). We are commanded to put on the whole armor of God (which is Christ) to do battle against these powers and principalities.
Any "Christian" who hates people is not a Christian at all. So the KKK? not Christians. Westboro Baptist Church? Not Christians. The Catholics who ran the Crusades and the Inquisition? Not Christians. It is not me who says this, it is God's word. (1 John 3:15, John 8:44-45) By the fruit (actions) we can recognize who is a child of God and who is a child of the devil. (For those who say the radical jihadists are not Muslims, I challenge you to find the same support in the Quran)
The Solution? Salvation. You may be thinking at this point that I have a pretty low view of man (I do) and there is no hope for the human race (there is, Ephesians 2:4) It is true that by nature we are sinners, falling far short of the glory and moral perfection of God (Romans 3:9-18, 23) We are from birth and by nature children of the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3), and under the wrath and condemnation of God (John 3:18-20, 36) This is why the clarion call of Jesus is to be BORN AGAIN (John 3:3,5).
We must repent. What this means is that we must turn from our sin and our own righteousness. We must also turn to (believe, place trust in) Jesus Christ for salvation. When we do this, Jesus makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:8-10). Our sins are washed clean (1 Corinthians 6:11) because Jesus took the penalty of our sin on Himself, taking our unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) and giving us the benefit of His righteousness. Because we sin, we deserve to die, but the free gift of Christ is eternal life (Romans 6:23). God is no respecter of persons. Whomever you are, you must be born again, or you will not see the Kingdom of God
The only answer to sin is Christ, for by His perfect life - (He was tempted in every way, yet he did not sin Hebrews 4:15) -For those who believe, he paid the penalty of sin (death/wrath of God). For those who believe, the penalty for sin has been paid. Also, for those who believe, the power of sin no longer has power over us- we can obey God and do His will. It is called walking by the Spirit, and it is a process called sanctification. Finally, one day, Christians (those who have repented and accepted the free grace of God in salvation) will be free from the very presence of sin.
In closing, the scripture exhorts us to weep with those who weep. I am right there with those who are in mourning. I weep for our nation. I weep for those who have been killed and their families. Most of all, I weep for the lost who are on their way to a place called hell. I urge you to consider you standing before God today. Turn to Christ and live.
