In seeking to resolve critical issues in the Church and in the country, what should be our Rules of Engagement?
Should our engagement be pacifist or militant?
To answer these questions we should consider two things:
1. What does the Lord say?
2. What is the opposite side doing?
2. What is the opposite side doing?
To answer the first question, the Lord wants peaceful resolution to every conflict depending of course on the willingness of the opposite side to accept peace. It is written "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Rom. 12: 18
If other men are obstinate and incorrigible, then:
"Resist evil",
"Contend for the faith,"
"Fight the good fight of faith"
"Rebuke with all authority."
"Put on the whole armor of God"
"Having done all, stand"
"Resist evil",
"Contend for the faith,"
"Fight the good fight of faith"
"Rebuke with all authority."
"Put on the whole armor of God"
"Having done all, stand"
The Lord does not want His people to be permissive and passive when faced with unrighteousness. He wants them to be zealous for truth and righteousness.
To answer the second question what is the opposite side doing?
Is it pacifist or is it obstinate?
There's no use adopting a pacifist approach in responding to people who know they are doing what is wrong and they insist that it should be accepted. In such a situation confrontation becomes inevitable.
We have a generation of Christians who do wrong and believe they should be loved and accepted as "brethren", yet they refuse to repent and forsake wrong doing.
Should we pacify them or "rebuke them sharply"? Titus 1: 13
Is it pacifist or is it obstinate?
There's no use adopting a pacifist approach in responding to people who know they are doing what is wrong and they insist that it should be accepted. In such a situation confrontation becomes inevitable.
We have a generation of Christians who do wrong and believe they should be loved and accepted as "brethren", yet they refuse to repent and forsake wrong doing.
Should we pacify them or "rebuke them sharply"? Titus 1: 13
We want peace but when people insist on wrongdoing conflict cannot be avoided. It would be naive to assume that pacifism will placate people stubborn in unrighteousness. If we do not take a stand and resist evil, evil will overcome all of us because man naturally finds it easier to follow what is wrong than what is right.
A MILITANT CHURCH OR A PACIFIST CHURCH?
"Christ established His church as an institution of spiritual violence to battle the gates of hell." (Emeka Nwakpa - Redeeming the Land)
"Christ established His church as an institution of spiritual violence to battle the gates of hell." (Emeka Nwakpa - Redeeming the Land)
The Church is only triumphant to the extent that it is willing to be militant. If the Church is not militant, it cannot be triumphant. A militant Church is a triumphant Church.
Therefore in approaching the twin evils of compromise in the Church and attacks of Jihadists, a pacifist agenda will be defeatist for the Church. Both groups will interpret it to mean weakness and cowardice. The spirit working in both groups is the same. It is the spirit of the anti-Christ. If it is not resisted it will destroy Christianity.
We should not assume that evil only operates outside the Church while everyone inside the Church is "brethren". Far from it; enemies of Christ are within and outside the Church. "By their fruits ye shall know them."
We have to decide if we are soldiers of Christ or bread and butter Christians.
We have to decide if we are soldiers of Christ or bread and butter Christians.
The first battle we must win is the battle INSIDE the Church for righteousness. If we don't win the battle for righteousness inside the Church, we can NEVER win the war against unrighteousness outside the Church.
WHERE ARE THE MEN?
Any generation in which the men are unwilling to fight ends up in captivity. Their wives are raped and their children are sold as slaves.
If we do not confront and overcome the compromising and treacherous "brethren" within the Church, we can never overcome the Jihadists. As of this moment, Christian men are unwilling to fight.
I see a generation of men unwilling to confront evil and unrighteousness. They appear timid, easy to be intimidated, unable to defend their values, unable to defend their land, cannot stand in defense of their faith, always conscious of what they will lose. They are too bothered about their reputation and what people will say about them therefore, they will rather talk, talk, and rationalize. They have elevated pacifism to the realm of cowardice.
They want peace, but they are not prepared for war. Even unrighteousness inside the Church, they cannot confront it. Therefore, evil celebrates in the sanctuary and iniquity sets up its image in the temple. They are unwilling to engage in any form of confrontation. Rather than stand as men and resist unrighteousness, they resort to constant petition for God to come and do what is expected of them. Next, they appeal to a malevolent foe who is not hiding morbid hatred towards them to allow them live in peace.
It is a generation that has made mammon its god, therefore it cannot stand up to the enemy neither can it "be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."
True, Islam will not prevail, because God is the covenant keeping God. He will keep His promise to saints of old, but Islam will unleash maximum damage on Christians before God will contain it. We can avoid the looming distress.
Arise men, and do what men should do.
Start from inside the Church. Confront and defeat corruption and unrighteousness in the sanctuary. Purify the temple so that the Glory of the Lord can return.
OUR RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
1. We condemn in totality anyone practising unrighteousness in the Church.
2. We refuse to accept any standard that is lower than Scriptural Standards of Righteouness and demand same from those entrusted with leadership positions in the Church.
3. We separate ourselves from anyone who, overtly or covertly, supports or holds brief for anyone in the Church who engages in unrighteousness without any move towards repentance. Such individuals should leave our fold.
4. We will do everything within our power to defend Scriptural Standards of Righteousness in the Church and in the country based on the Word of God that "righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people."
5. We shall be gentle, forgiving and tolerant with brethren who do wrong and are willing to repent and forsake wrongdoing. But we shall resist and fight anyone that still engages in unrighteousness yet unwilling to repent and forsake evil.
1. We condemn in totality anyone practising unrighteousness in the Church.
2. We refuse to accept any standard that is lower than Scriptural Standards of Righteouness and demand same from those entrusted with leadership positions in the Church.
3. We separate ourselves from anyone who, overtly or covertly, supports or holds brief for anyone in the Church who engages in unrighteousness without any move towards repentance. Such individuals should leave our fold.
4. We will do everything within our power to defend Scriptural Standards of Righteousness in the Church and in the country based on the Word of God that "righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people."
5. We shall be gentle, forgiving and tolerant with brethren who do wrong and are willing to repent and forsake wrongdoing. But we shall resist and fight anyone that still engages in unrighteousness yet unwilling to repent and forsake evil.
Onward, Christian soldiers!
Bosun
23rd July, 2019