Biblical Nonresistance by Dean Taylor -- Discussion

havok20x Oct 25, 2017

I listened to this sermon yesterday (now that I can download sermons in my ipad and listen offline). There are some things I'd like to say:

1) I actually agree with several things that he says. When it comes to persecution, I most certainly do not believe in retaliation. When they come to take us to jail because of our beliefs, we shouldn't resist. I get it, and that's how I have believed for a long time.

2) I have never liked the idea of joining the military and shooting people. Period. I am not a pacifist for sure, but I know that 999/1000 I'd be shooting someone who went straight to hell.

3) If someone broke into my house and tried to steal my stuff, I would not try to kill them. I would try to give them the gospel. But I live alone, and have no family.

...........

So, the thing that I struggle grappling with is what do I do when I see an evil person hurting someone else? What about the innocent? What about when it isn't my life on the line, it isn't persecution, maybe not even believers. Is it biblical to allow that to continue? I don't think so. That is why I find many, many non-resistance doctrines incomplete. It's either completely unaddressed (it wasn't in this sermon, either) or it's tip-toed around because people are being pacifistic and just blanket reject anything that sounds violent.

So let's be real with the situation: When I was 13 years old I witnessed my stepdad beat my mother almost do death and then drag her into the bedroom to rape her. She called MY name to come and rescue her. He came out of the room and threatened me and went back in--and I promptly called the cops, because he was a LOT bigger than I was and there was nothing I could do. So if I were in that situation now, as a grown man, would I say "I am a Christian. I am just going to not resist this evil person and let it happen."

It's a hard situation, I know, but that is where I struggle to accept non-resistance as a whole.

Any thoughts? Am I misunderstanding something?

TMK Oct 25, 2017

Havok-

I think the case for biblical resistance applies when I am affected personally. I have asked this before but no one ever answers: What would Jesus have done if he had walked in on a man sexually abusing a child?

One more point that may or may not be of importance: in Jesus’s examples on non-resistance he does not discuss a situation where someone breaks into your house in order to do harm or to kill. He talks about turning the other cheek if slapped, or carrying someone’s stuff an extra mile.

If you are living alone and someone breaks into your house with intent to kill, I think there is freedom in this area. If you feel compelled to preach the gospel to the drug fiend until he pulls the trigger, you should do so. But I do not think the person who chooses to defend his own life is sinning in any fashion.

However a person who would allow his loved ones to be harmed in this scenario is at best misguided or at worst a coward.

sermonindex Oct 25, 2017

I believe Diane related a story about a pastor who was walking down down a street. The pastor witnessed a young woman who was being dragged into a dark alley by an assailant. The pastor immediately ran down the alley as he heard the woman's screams. He shouted to the assailant don't take her take me. Don't take her take me. The assailant was so startled by the pastor's yelling he let the young woman go and ran.

By the way this happened in Canada so the pastor did not have a conceal and carry. But the pastor saw an evil being perpetrated on somebody else and reacted to it. Perhaps at the expense of his own life.

None of us really knows what we would do if we saw evil being perpetrated on another. But as spiritual believers I do not think that we would stand by and let that person come to harm. Also this would go against the Second Great commandment of loving our neighbor as ourself.

I pray and hope that we are never confronted with what the Canadian Pastor was confronted with. But if so. Let us remember that often such evil perpetrated against others is demonic. We have authority over demons. If we witness what this pastor had witnessed then I'd like to thank that I would run toward the assailant shouting as loudly as I could at the top of my lungs in the name of Jesus Christ let that person go.

I pray I never have to put my words to the test. But I think any of us in any situation faced with evil, we trust the Hply Spirit will give us the wisdom and certainly the grace and the strength to act even at the expense of our own life. Particularly if it means saving the life of another.

Again simply my thoughts.

Bro Blaine