What Does The Bible Say About Owning Guns?

Do Not Resist an Evil Person

[Mat 5:38 ESV] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

 (Civil Justice, with the temptation for revenge.)

Civil Justice Examples of neighborly disputes.  Things that make us say, “That’s not fair”. 

[Mat 5:39 ESV] But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

[Mat 5:40 ESV] And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

[Mat 5:41 ESV] And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

[Mat 5:42 ESV] Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Do not resist the one who is evil. Slap, stealing, forcing, and begging. 

These are not examples of life threatening situations.  

These are examples of “unfair or unjust” experiences we have with our neighbors. 

But what about life-threatening situations?

Breaking and entering? Hurting your neighbor? 

Justice for a thief (not a murderer or rapist)

[Exo 22:2 ESV]  If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him,

[Exo 22:3 ESV] but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. 

He (The Thief) shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

This is not an issue of endangerment to personal-self or family. This is an issue of stealing. 

The Westminster Catechism uses a term called General Equity. 

What overarching moral law is governing the situation?

And what clear commands has God Given us? 

Command of God for men to LOVE for their wife and family. 

[Eph 5:25 ESV] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

[Eph 5:26 ESV] that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

[Eph 5:27 ESV] so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

[Eph 5:28 ESV] In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

[Eph 5:29 ESV] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,

[Eph 5:30 ESV] because we are members of his body.

The Bible doesn’t say anywhere you can’t own a weapon. 

Jesus command to be prepared, during the last supper mentions owning a sword. 

[Luk 22:35 ESV] And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?" They said, "Nothing."

[Luk 22:36 ESV] He said to them, "But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.

[Luk 22:37 ESV] For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors.' For what is written about me has its fulfillment."

[Luk 22:38 ESV] And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough."

Example:  Mission Trip training. 

Prepping for a trip. 

Governing laws

Cultural norms. 

Why: as Christians we don’t want to do anything that is perceived Offensive or Sinful. 

Be Subject to Governing Authorities.

[Rom 13:1 ESV] Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

[Rom 13:2 ESV] Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

[Rom 13:3 ESV] For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

[Rom 13:4 ESV] for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

[Rom 13:5 ESV] Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

You are a Christians in US of America.  

Over our church door as you are leaving, says you are now entering the mission field. 

Does our governing authorities restrict its citizens from owning a weapon?

On the contraire, the founding fathers (Christians & Deists) made sure it was a right and duty to keep the citizens armed. 

Encouraging its citizens to a higher calling of responsibility. 

Concerning Lethal Self-Defense VS Pacifism.

Lethal Self-Defense is implied, because that is the purpose of weapon; sword or gun. 

Why spend time talking about this? 

What does it look like to be a Christian living in America?

God has an answer for us from the Bible.  

A few weeks ago I was critical of a sermon given by John Piper concerning Christians owning weapons. 

However the first part of that very sermon gave me great hope. 

John quotes from Ed Stetzer, President of LifeWay Research.

The statistics from the 2012 survey by the Pew Research Center for Religion and Public Life. 

People claiming to have no religious affiliation has grown.

What we see from Pew is not the death-knell of Christianity, but another indication that Christianity in America is being refined.

From 2007 to 2014, the number of evangelicals in America rose from 59.8 million to 62.2 million.

Christianity isn’t dying and no research says it is; the statistics about Christians in America are simply starting to show a clearer picture of what American Christianity is becoming — less nominal, more defined, and more outside of the mainstream of American culture.

Stetzer puts it like this:

The cultural cost of calling yourself “Christian” is starting to outweigh the cultural benefit, so those who do not identify as a “Christian” according to their convictions are starting to identify as “nones” because it’s more culturally savvy.

Christianity is losing, and will continue to lose, its home field advantage; no one can (or should) deny this. However, the numerical decline of self-identified American Christianity is more of a purifying bloodletting than it is an arrow to the heart of the church.

My bigger concern.  

It’s important to know as much Bible as possible that is why I don’t mean digging into Biblical Truth for any topic. 

However, if when Christians have 101 reasons to miss church. A clear open act of rebellion to Jesus. I am very scared for you.  No Christian should be comfortable habitually missing church. 

WE all need to ask ourselves, do we love Jesus and will be obey Jesus our LORD?

Because Jesus our Lord Commands us to meet on a regular basis. 

[Heb 10:24 ESV] And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

[Heb 10:25 ESV] not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

[Heb 10:26 ESV] For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Freedom to bear arms

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