A recent favorite passage of mine comes from Revelation 3:

“7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:7-8 NKJV

The key of David is an allusion to Eliakim, who held Read More | Comments

The Apostles did in Luke 17:5. Look at the somewhat astonishing answer Jesus gave in verses 6-10! He starts out by saying that it is not the size of your faith but the substance of your faith. Jesus used an agrarian and husbandry illustration. Think how hard it would be to plow a field with an ox and a plow? Think of the hours of rigorous effort and broken blades. You would have to remove large rocks, break up the hard ground, and work in the elements…all while keeping the rows straight! Or what about being a sheepherder? Sheep are independent creatures with below average intelligence. They require extraordinary attention and consistent vigilance in order for them to keep them safe. It would not be an easy task to say the least! Farming and sheepherding were then, as they are now, lifestyle jobs. They demanded an all-out effort 10-12 hours a day, 7-days a week.

When a farmer or sheepherder came home at night, he was fortunate if he had a family member who would help with preparing meals, cleaning up, or doing chores. In the story Jesus tells, the servant who had been working all day in the fields would come home from a long day only to be required to serve all the more. The master had no obligation to thank the servant, nor would the servant have expected thanks. The servant was simply doing his duty. Notice how Jesus ends his story: “So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’” Now, I don’t know about you but this strikes me as strange. If someone asked me how to increase a person’s faith, I would say things like, “Dream big! Expect God to do mighty things! Live on the edges! Take risks and go for the impossible! Trust God to accomplish the unthinkable! He desires to do big and grandiose accomplishments in your life as you trust Him in faith!”

Jesus says just the opposite. Role up you sleeves. Be willing to function in obscurity. Do your job. Keep a strong work ethic. Be humble enough to live with a sense of duty… not glory. Keep working without recognition, and never give up simply because the job is always there. Have you noticed that the word “duty” is almost completely non-existent in our modern expression of Christianity? Yet here Jesus is, giving us a practical lesson in regards to the development of our faith. In the last weeks I have mentioned to you the website www.wallbuilders.org. David Barton has a fantastic CD titled “Reformation”. I bought several of them and you can borrow them if you wish. He tells the story of George Whitfield who the Holy Spirit used to bring revival in the 1800’s here in America. George Whitfield gave over 32,000 sermons in 34 years of ministry. Imagine the sense of duty that he had by giving over 3 sermons a day for 34 years! He did it all from horse back with a portible pulpit traveling through adverse weather, battling physical sickness, as well as harsh treatment from other pastors. Yet it is said that at the end of his ministry, 80% of all Americans had personally heard George Whitfield preach. The great Awaking took place in large part because of the dutiful, and committed faith of workers like Whitfield.

Would you stop for a moment and pray with me? Oh LORD, forgive us of our laziness. We ask that you would cleanse us from our desire for glory and for our lack of humility. We repent and surrender to You. We confess our lack of effort for Your Kingdom purposes. Oh Holy Father, we give you permission empower us to the duty of obeying. In Christ Name, we pray. Amen.

Tonight I arrived home after a long day of discipling men. The best way for me to summarize my experience is found in Jeremiah 15:16: “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.” (NKJV) There is something truly magnetic about God’s Word and I count it pure joy to open the Scriptures with men and learn from the Lord together.

Sitting across the table from me tonight was one gentleman who said, “You know Dale, you ought to attempt to answer the challenging questions I hear every day from my ‘not-yet-Christian’ friends.”

I am discovering that the men I associate with ask incredible questions that are scientifically inquisitive, culturally challenging, and investigative in nature.

Here are a couple of questions this gentleman asked me tonight:

Tony, (a police officer) told us of the tragic case where a mother and her boyfriend were accused of murdering their three year old daughter. John asked, “Dale, do you believe in capital punishment?  If God is truly a God of love and grace why would he desire to put anyone to death? Suppose it was your son or daughter that committed a crime that deserved death. Would you sentence them to death? I just don’t know if I could do that.”

I proceeded to lead these guys to the Scriptures where we examined God’s Word together.  More and more I’m trying to allow a process of self-discovery, as the Spirit of God prompts me to ask specific questions? Would you know what passages to take them to if asked about capitol punishment?

Here are a few that we looked at:

Genesis 9:6 (NIV) “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”

This was the establishment of capital punishment, administered judicially by man representing the civic authority to maintain order in a given society. It has never been changed or withdrawn. It is still God’s law today, and forms the basic authorization of the institution of human government.

Exodus 20:13 (NIV) “You shall not murder (premeditated and intentional slaying).” Personal revenge carried out in murder is never justified but killing is allowed when carried out by the authority of government, in war or in self-defense.

Leviticus 24:17&19&20 “If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.  If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” This powerful principle is simply this; the punishment should fit the crime, but not go beyond it.  The false notion going around today is, “If ‘eye for and eye’ and ‘tooth for tooth’ is true, then we all will be eyeless and toothless.  This is one of many phrases used by people that wish to minimize Christian truths.

In Matthew 5:38 Jesus made no alteration to the true meaning of the law in Leviticus. Christ was referring to our response to personal retaliation when confronted because of our witness by those outside of Christ. Jesus taught his disciples to personally return good for evil.

Romans 13:1-5 reveals the New Testament’s affirmation of the authority of government to carry out justice. “For he (government) is God’s servant to do good.  But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” Romans 13:4. The primary role of government is to protect the people so they can live productive lives without the fear of evil.

In Acts 25:11a, the Apostle Paul affirmed capital punishment for himself when he was on trial before Festus, “If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die….”

Once again the New Testament and the Old Testament are in harmony when it comes to the principles and practices for followers of Christ and for societies.

So would I send my child to death for the crime of murder? Well God is completely loving and altogether just. He has given authority to the rulers and our children are to be in submission to the rules and authority of the land. It really is not my choice and I personally don’t have the power or authority to sentence someone to death.

God’s DESIRE, of course, is never to see someone be punished. He would rather us live free of sin and it’s consequences, but He also will not intervene with our choices. We are free to choose but we are not free to choose the consequences of our choices.

You will find this article archived after this week under “Topical Articles” in the blog, “The Truth about the World.”