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[Music] welcome to everyone we have just one brief announcement just two congratulations to Carrie Lawson she is now engaged to Ben vandenBosch so we can praise God for His goodness in their lives and we can pray for them that the Lord will bring them together and bless their union in Christ Jesus well for our call to worship this morning you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 8 Psalm 8 I'll begin reading in verse 1 to the chief musician on the instrument of Gath a psalm of David O Lord our Lord how excellent is your name in all the earth who have set your glory above the heavens out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have ordained strength because of your enemies that you may silence the enemy and the Avenger when I consider your heavens the work of your fingers the moon and the stars which you have ordained what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him for you have made him a little lower than the angels and you have crowned him with glory and honor you have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands you have put all things under his feet all sheep and oxen even the beasts of the field the birds of the air and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the Seas Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is your name in all the earth a man well please take your Trinity hymnal and turn to number 56 hymn number 56 will stand as we sing together [Music] ah well let us pray our blessed God and holy father what a joy it is to gather in your house on the Lord's Day we come to you and acknowledge that you are most high to err the God who made the world the God who governs the world and his kindness and His Providence according to his infinite wisdom and goodness and you are the God who has redeemed your people out of the world and we give praise to You Father Son and Holy Spirit for your greatness your majesty your excellence and your glory the psalmist says is the Psalms everywhere testify our God is excellent our God is glorious our god is wondrous and worthy to be praised and we thank you that you've made this day so that we can come from out of the world we can gather together with your people we can call upon the father in the name of the son and in the power of the Holy Spirit and we would pray that our great and our glorious triune God would be all in all in this place we would ask you would frame our heart to write as we gather before you god help us to ponder help us to reflect upon the fact that you are holy holy holy that the whole earth is filled with your glory and may this affect us in a good way and may we respond with reverence and fear and with great joy in the presence of so glorious a God and as we ponder that redemption that is ours in the Lord Jesus Christ may our songs of praise come unto you with glad hearts and may our worship of the Living God be done with joy and Thanksgiving we ask our Father that your Holy Spirit would be at work in our hearts and in our minds we acknowledge that apart from Jesus Christ we can do nothing and so we pray to the end that the the God of heaven would be glorified we know the presence of the spirit in this place that should use the word of God to encourage our weary hearts God use that word to strengthen us with faith in the inner man give us grace to persevere in this lower world and give us help Lord God to be further conformed unto the image of your beloved son we ask now that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions we reflect upon your holiness and we obviously see our unholiness and we see our waywardness and our proneness to wander and we are thankful for those tacks that promise the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ we know that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so we confess those transgressions of your holy law even now we confess our lack of conformity under that law and we pray for cleansing in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we know it's in him in the one alone in whom we have redemption even through his blood and we rejoice in this fact we rejoice in this reality we confess with the Apostles Creed I believe in the forgiveness of sins and this is a great boon and encouragement to us in this world and God for those who've come here this morning that are strangers to to the gospel of Jesus Christ we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts convicting them of their sin showing them their transgression of that law and showing them the sufficiency of Jesus Christ to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through him we thank you that in Christ we have forgiveness and we receive a righteousness that avails with God and we pray that today would be the day of salvation for sinners here and elsewhere in our community and throughout the earth and our God we rest comfortably in the knowledge that your word does not return unto you void but it always accomplishes the purpose for which you sent it and we know that your gathering together from every tribe and tongue and people and nation a great multitude that will worship you in the church triumphant and so we pray for the preaching of the gospel throughout the world today that you would cause your face to shine upon the nations she would let the nation's be glad that your word would run swiftly and be glorified and that many would turn from their useless idols to the true and living God that many would come out of darkness into marvelous light to proclaim the excellencies of Jesus Christ that one whom the bride describes as all together lovely in chief among 10,000 Oh father we pray that your spirit would attend the preaching of the word and that it would go forth and it would conquer and that it would indeed bring many sinners unto the Lord Christ we ask in our own congregation that you would bless each and every one here God we all have spiritual needs we all face various trials and temptations and sins in this world we pray that you would fortify and strengthen us by your word and spirit so that we may resist those things and that we may pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of a holy God that our lives would in fact adorn that gospel by which we've been called and that father we would bring glory to you in this world and we also pray for the temporal needs there are many sick among us many with severe trials and afflictions and hardships and we commit them to you and to the word of your grace we pray for Linda that you would continue to sustain her that her body would heal and repair subsequent to the chemotherapy we do pray God in heaven that you would continue to smile upon our dear sister we also pray for our brother dawn that you would watch over him and just give him that strength daily that he needs in order to operate we also pray for Bev that you would watch over our dear sister and and just strengthen her physically God we thank you for her her love for Christ her her zeal for Christ and we pray that you would just come to her aid and to her rescue at this time and for all those that are in our myths that have things going on we know nothing off or those things known only by a sovereign God we pray that today the Word of God would be a source of great comfort and strength to us help us to think your thoughts after you God as we see the Bible's application outside even of the church we pray that we would consider these things that we would have that that that lens of Scripture by which to judge things around us that we would have that lens of Scripture as that that reference point for us as believers that God we would indeed shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation and that we would indeed hold forth the word of truth we pray for the Brethren and Surrey thanking you for the work there asking you to bless Mike Kirkpatrick help him as he preaches the word give him the grace to handle accurately your truth and may the Holy Spirit save sinners there and sanctify Saints we pray for the work in Vernon and we thank you for that that group of people that desire a sound Church and we pray that you would provide that God these are good things and we know they are consistent with the revealed will of God in Scripture we pray that you'd send a man to them that would be able to labor in the word and doctrine and that father there would be a gospel testimony and witness in that community we also pray for the persecuted church we know there are many that suffer for the cause of Jesus Christ our Lord we read the continuing reports concerning China we asked you'd bless our missionaries protect them and grant them grace and and help and strength be with others that are unknown to us God and may the word continue to go forth in that nation and may many many more come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior bless the effort in North Korea and the part of the authorities to read the Bible so they can try and defeat Christianity God we've seen many in the past do that very thing only to get converted by a sovereign God and we pray this would take place in that nation and that more and more people would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior there and God finally we pray for the governing authorities in our country we ask Lord in heaven that you'd put the fear of God in their hearts we know that it's not righteous to legislate immorality it's not righteous to legislate abortion and euthanasia and and pro homosexuality and the various things that the Bible describes are are abominable in the sight of God Almighty we cry to you and your wrath you would remember mercy and you would cause people all over this land to pray to you and to to live in light of Holy Scripture with reference to the to the value of life and the the beauty of life created in the image of God and we ask these things for your glory and for your honor and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me in your Psalter that's the red smaller book to Psalm 11 Psalm 11 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel according to John we're in John chapter 7 for our consecutive scripture reading on the Lord's Day mornings John chapter 7 we'll read the first half of the chapter beginning in verse 1 after these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he did not want to walk in Judea because the Jews sought to kill him now the Jews Feast of Tabernacles was at hand his brothers therefore said to him depart from here and go into Judea the true disciples also may see the works that you are doing for no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly if you do these things show yourself to the world for even as brothers did not believe in him then jesus said to them my time has not yet come but your time is always ready the world cannot hate you but it hates me because I testify of it that its works are evil you go up to this feast I am not yet going up to this feast for my time has not yet fully come when he had said these things to them he remained in Galilee but when his brothers had gone up then he also went up to the feast not openly but as it were in secret then the Jews sought him at the feast and said where is he and there was much complaining among the people concerning him some said he is good others said no on the contrary he deceives the people however no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught and the Jews marveled saying how does this man know letters having never studied jesus answered them and said my doctrine is not mine but his who sent me if anyone wills to do his will he shall know concerning the doctrine whether it is from God or whether I speak on my own authority he who speaks from himself seeks his own glory but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true and no unrighteousness is in him did not Moses give you the law yet none you keeps the law why do you seek to kill me the people answered and said you have a demon who is seeking to kill you jesus answered and said to them I did one work in you all Marvel Moses therefore gave you circumcision not that it is from Moses but from the father's and you Serkis circumcised a man on the Sabbath if a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses should not be broken are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath do not judge according to appearance but Judge with righteous judgment amen a couple of observations in the passage we see first of all that Jesus earthly brothers did not believe in him at this particular time now thankfully James one of his brothers Jude I think the other one a half-brother were converted were saved James goes on to be a leader in the early church at Jerusalem but at this particular time they are basically chiding the Lord Jesus Christ they are operating according to unbelief and they are essentially asserting that he go and show himself if that's the purpose for which he came now thankfully the grace of God was able to conquer those men and go on to use James as I said in the early church but we we ought to appreciate something he came to his own and his own received him not even those most intimately connected with him it must be Grace it's not race it's not ethnicity it's not some physical connection by which we enter in to the kingdom of God it's the grace of God the operation of the Holy Spirit in line with what we see in John 3 unless a man is born again he shall not see the kingdom of heaven these men were as close to him as they could have possibly be a been by a physicality but that didn't make them believers it's the power of the Holy Spirit it's grace it's looking to Jesus in faith that means one is saved and then the other thing that I think we ought to appreciate is what Jesus says in verse 24 I think if you were to ask most non-christians what they know about the Bible they probably say John 3:16 I think everybody out there knows John 3:16 but fundamentally man knows as well judge not lest you be judged I mean aren't Christians constantly lambasted with that taxed oh you Christians you're not supposed to judge lest you be judged well here Jesus tells us we are to judge so whatever he means in Matthew 7 it is not the perverted interpretation that yields the idea that we are never ever ever able to engage in judgment Jesus says in verse 24 do not judge according to appearance but Judge with righteous judgment that's necessary obviously for the world I mean we get a little bit of a video clip and we rush to judgment that person is horrible that person is terrible down with that person only to find out the larger context evidences that the person really isn't the criminal we thought he was it's easy to see that with reference to the world I would argue it's not so easy within our own context within the church how many times do we jump to conclusions how many times do we violate Solomon when Solomon says the first to plead his cause seems right until his neighbor comes in examines him or Solomon also says a man who answers a matter before he hears it it's folly and shame to him and yet the Christian Church is literally riddled with that sort of thing we need to be people that think through issues we need to be people that hear both sides of a story we need to be a people that do not rush in judgment to condemn the innocent or to justify the wicked Jesus says do not judge according to appearance but Judge with righteous judgment in other words the Bible is the frame of reference for all matters of judgment we oftentimes condemn others because we think they're in sin well if God doesn't say they're in sin who do we think we are to say they're in sin sin is a lack of conformity unto God's law and it's a transgression of that law if his law has not been violated and our preference as we have no right to claim that somebody's in sin and yet this happens constantly among the professing people of God again it's easy to see it in the world it's easy to see it in politics it's easier to see it out there but it's not always so easy to see it in here we need to make sure we don't violate those fundamental principles set bore a set forth by Solomon and highlighted here by our Lord don't judge according to appearance you don't know everything based on the naked eye touch with righteous judgment the scripture is to be the authoritative guide in all matters of faith and practice for the people of God well let us pray our Father we thank you for our Lord's teaching and God help us to receive it properly help us to interpret it accurately and help us to live in light of it and we see these sorts of rash judgments all over the world today we see it with social media we see it with the media the political arm of the of the mass media today but we often don't see it in our own lives and we don't see it in our own experience so help us God to reflect upon Scripture help us to have that judgment of charity when it comes to brothers and sisters in Jesus and help us to operate according to the Word of God then we pray this in Jesus name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to 451 in your Trinity hymnal 451 we'll use a different tune but one I think is familiar to us so four five one will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] we could turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Genesis Genesis chapter 9 God willing we'll return to our studies in the book of Acts next week we will find ourselves the Lord willing in Acts chapter 7 but I wanted to extend what we considered last Sunday last Sunday I mentioned it was called sanctity of life Sunday and I preached on the sin of abortion well this morning as I said I want to extend that theme and argue for capital punishment as a proof of the sanctity of life in Genesis chapter 9 and Romans 13 of the foundational texts for this study so I'll read Genesis chapter 9 beginning in verse 1 so God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth on every bird of the air on all that move on the earth and on all the fish of the sea they are given into your hand every moving thing that lives shall be food for you I have given you all things even as the green herbs but you shall not eat flesh with its life that is its blood surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning from the hand of every beast I will require it and from the hand of man from the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed for in the image of God he made man and as for you be fruitful and multiply bring forth abundantly in the earth and multiply in it then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him saying and as for me behold I establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you the birds the cattle and every beast of the earth with you of all that go out of the ark every beast of the earth thus I establish my covenant with you never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth and God said this is the sign of the Covenant which I make between and every living creature that is with you for perpetual generations I set my rainbow in the cloud and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth it shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh the water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh the rainbow shall be in the cloud and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth and God said to Noah this is the sign of the Covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth amen let us pray father we thank you for the written word of the Living God we thank you that as was mentioned its sufficient for all matters of faith and practice we know it's profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work we know that things outside the church are also good works so help us to think in terms of your word with reference to things connected to the body politic help us God to have a proper understanding of the value of human life we see that attack in abortion and euthanasia we see as well and attack with reference to the the allowance of murderers to continue to live god help us to see what scripture says concerning these things and to that end we pray again for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to forgive us for our sins and it's darkening influence in our hearts and lives and help us God to have clarity and help us to judge with righteous judgment those things affecting us in this world and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well a few months ago August 2nd 2018 the governor of New York the state of New York Andrew Cuomo tweeted the death penalty is morally indefensible and has no place in the 21st century today in solidarity with the Pope and in honor of my father I will be advancing legislation to remove the death penalty from state law once and for all he cites the Pope there as his authority while the Pope is piratical when it comes to this matter and I don't believe that all Roman Catholics would agree with the Pope on this matter in fact there are some writing presently that argue in defense of the death penalty Rome would trace their theological heritage back to Thomas Aquinas he was certainly Pro death penalty he was not against the death penalty so the Pope is wrong on this fundamental principle but Andrew Cuomo just recently within the time of our last sermon which was on abortion was responsible for enacting bylaw protection for mothers and fathers and doctors against murder with reference to babies born right up until the time they are born other words there's no law prohibiting the abortion of a child up until the time it's actually coming out of the mother's womb in the state of New York Matt Walsh made the observation again it was via Twitter but I think it's powerful he says crimes that can earn you a lethal injection in New York rape no child abduction no serial murder no mass shooting no being conceived in the wrong room yes brother and I mentioned last week that in some senses we've lost our collective minds when it comes to this issue of life we are to protect the image bearer of God animals do not bear the image of God it is not murder to kill an animal again we shouldn't senselessly kill animals we should be responsible stewards of God's earth and not club baby whales to death but we ought to be primarily concerned with not clubbing baby humans to death we ought to be primarily concerned with protecting the most vulnerable in society and as mentioned I want to argue that the death penalty itself or what some have called capital punishment is not only not inconsistent with pro but it's absolutely consistent with pro-life because God attaches the penalty of execution to anybody who would murder an image-bearer the Bible authorizes three instances of lawful killing not all killing is murder killing is justifiable when it comes to self-defense killing is justifiable when it comes to legitimate war and killing is justifiable when it comes to capital punishment by the part of the civil authority so I want to do two things this morning first I want to look at the Bible and capital punishment and then secondly the common objections to capital punishment this is repetitious of course for the people who attend the Wednesday night Bible study it wasn't a long time ago that we were in Genesis chapter 9 but it is an important subject it is an important matter and the fact that life is so little regarded in our own generation ought to cause the people of God to really want to have biblical arguments when it comes to these fundamental issues so first the Bible and capital punishment we'll start here with the Old Testament in Genesis chapter 9 and verse 6 now the context it's the post-flood situation it's after Noah and his sons exit the ark it is in a sense a new era in the existence of the world in fact Noah functions similarly to Adam Noah is given instructions to be fruitful and multiply Adam or Noah is given instructions that are very similar to what Adam was given and remember the conditions of the earth prior to the flood back in Genesis chapter 6 it says the earth was exceedingly corrupt and filled with violence so now in this post flood situation God is going to seek to remedy that problem where the earth is filled with violence and the way that God remedies that problem is by handing the civil government the sword and the power to execute murderers so that's the context and specifically what you find here in Genesis 9 some have called it the no way at covenant what you find is the propagation of life was told to be fruitful and multiply we see the protection of life from animals and from other men and then we see the sustenance of life increases their diets he increases the ability for them to feed themselves he gives them meat he gives them all those good things and resources so that life will be sustained now note the particular offense that is addressed in Genesis 9:6 it says whoever sheds man's blood now later in the law of God we will see a bit of discrimination or definition or explanation we will see there's a difference between murder and murder always implies malice aforethought it implies premeditation it implies motive it implies that somebody is angry with somebody else and wants to see Sir in their life and then the Bible highlights what we call manslaughter manslaughter is involuntary manslaughter isn't predicated on the anger of one toward another manslaughter more often than not is due to carelessness and irresponsibility now there were penalties to be imposed even in the case of manslaughter but with reference to murder there's one penalty that can be imposed and the Bible makes that clear so that's the offense whoever sheds man's blood the taking the unlawful taking of another person's life now note the punishment that is to be inflicted whoever sheds man's blood notice by man his blood shall be shed so it's not that God will directly intervene and exterminate people no he says by man there's a human agency involved there's a particular group of people that are tasked with this activity by man his blood will be shed so he sheds the blood of one and it's unlawful and wicked he is tried he is found guilty and therefore by man his blood will be shed fact Martin Luther said this was the first command having reference to the temple sword by these words temple government was established and the sword placed in its hand by God John Calvin said God so threatens and denounces vengeance against the murderer that he even arms the magistrate with the sword for the avenging of slaughter in order that the blood of man may not be shed with impunity those are accurate comments that's legit that's good interpretation that's what's happening and there are some that will say well that's in the Old Testament again we're gonna move into the New Testament to see how it's confirmed there but even if it is the Old Testament you need to appreciate something about the noahic covenant it applies to man is creature the Mosaic Covenant or what we call the Old Covenant applies to man as Israelite it was a covenant made with the nation of Israel certainly there are things for us in that covenant 'el arrangement but the language of the noahic covenant and that is that it's universal that it's comprehensive that it obtains for every one of God's creatures and that it's eternal in terms of its of its application we're all under the noahic covenant still some have called it a common grace covenant it protects the the social order so that the preaching of special grace can go forth it's not a redemptive covenant in the sense that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ but it provides for the protection of that arena where that special grace can be preached now notice the theological rationale or the reason given for the command whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shut again you need to appreciate this isn't suggestive this isn't if you'd like to if you think this is the best possible arrangement this is the way to sort of possibly know God is commanding Noah on how life must now look post-flood if the problem prior to the flood was that the earth was exceedingly corrupt and it was filled with violence then we see the wisdom the goodness and the kindness of God employing something for society so that the earth won't be filled with violence God knows that creatures don't flourish in an environment that that is flourishing with violence it cannot be so God and His goodness gives this so it's a command and then note the reason for the command he says for in the image of God he made man now commentators go one of two ways with this particular clause on the one hand they say well this highlights the dignity of the agency of man in executing criminals in other words the fact that a man or a group of men have to have the wherewithal and the ability and the lawful calling by God to execute criminal offenders that's because they are image bearers of the Living God that's how some interpret the passage others say no this is the reason for the execution the reason why you punished with death somebody that murders another person is because that person murdered is an image bearer of God those babies in New York those babies in Canada those older people are sick people in Canada even that are being euthanized they are image bearers of God they possess dignity they possess worth they reflect something concerning the creator and therefore to assault them is to assault the divine majesty and God says no it is a proof and evidence a powerful affirmation of the reality man can't get to God so he'll slay God's images he'll slay God's image bearers and we see it all around us in abortion in euthanasia in drugs in drive-by shootings whatever the particular way of men dispatching other men from this world see God says you cannot do this for in the image of God he made man your hardest voss reasons this is the reason why you don't murder people in life slain it is the image of God ie the divine Majesty that is assaulted Meredith Klein sort of combines both concepts man carries out execution because man is an image bearer of God but as well you execute murderers because they murdered the image of God Klein says this could explain both the enormity of murder and the dignity of man that justified assigning him so grave a judicial responsibility in other words it's right to to execute somebody that murders an image-bearer and it's right that the state the magistrate the governing authority do this because he bears the image of God in the wielding of this sword to do what God has come and Genesis 9:6 is a most powerful statement concerning the Bible and capital punishment when we move further beyond Genesis to the other books of Moses and we see what I would call the mosaic economy or the Old Covenant that covenant God made with the people of Israel as a body politic we see clarifications I mentioned it's a distinction between murder and manslaughter not all homicide is murder if you accidentally run somebody over and they die you didn't do it with malice aforethought you didn't do it with premeditation you didn't do it with heart a heart of anger toward that particular person it was an accident you should still be fine you should still be punished you should still have your life in convenience so you'll learn to exercise more responsible driver ship in the future but you shouldn't be executed for that murders a different ballgame murder includes breda premeditation murder is trying to snuff out the life of another individual well the Mosaic law makes that conspicuous I've shared many times the specific illustration is the man with the axe the man with the axe whose axe head flies off and lands on his neighbor's head and kills him next door he didn't mean to do that the man who lays in wait the man who knows that his neighbors coming home hides in his bushes and jumps out and whacks him with premeditation with malice aforethought that's murder and the Bible speaks to that brethren so you'll hear at times especially with reference to the Old Testament it's so barbaric it's so offensive it's so primitive you know what's barbaric offensive and pretty primitive is modern humanism you see it Governor Cuomo would certainly condemn this message while skinny on a mass of aborted babies how dare him how dare them call into question the Bible's ethics when it comes to life these people have difficulty managing budgets and they're gonna tell us as the moral arbiters of what's right and wrong concerning life and yet Christians for whatever reason we fall prey to this well I don't know I'm not sure you better be sure because the lines are drawn in the sand and the humanists if you haven't noticed are presently winning and we need to make sure that that doesn't happen I'm not advocating overthrow I'm not advocating arming up I'm not advocating see for vests telling people will see them on the same on the others I'm not advocating that do you know what we need to think God's thoughts after him we need to shine his lights in a crooked and perverse generation holding forth the word of truth yes gospel Pharisees acceptance by God through the blood of Jesus Christ but what about civil ethics what about abortion what about the death penalty it is unacceptable for the people of God to say well I don't know I'm not sure why don't you know and why aren't you sure it's not a lack of information in the scriptures it's a lack of attention on the part of God's people not not you guys of course now notice with reference to the mosaic economy have the distinction between accidental homicide and murder you have the identification of additional capital crimes in Genesis 9:6 the specific crime prohibited is the crime of murder you get to the law of Moses you'll see there's additional crimes that have as their penalty capital punishment and then another intriguing fact with reference to the mosaic economy it's found in numbers 35 and essentially what numbers 35 tells us after making a distinction between Hamas Occidental homicide and murder after all that the the law of God says that he will not accept a ransom payment with reference to murder other words there are some lesser crimes where payments are made remember last week the case law Exodus 21 if two men fight and they harm a woman who's pregnant and her children come out but no harm follows then they'll pay a fine that was certainly an agreed-upon principle according to biblical law but in the case that there was harm than eye for eye tooth for tooth wound for wound life for life see the baby and the mother are protected with that Lex talionis or that law of retaliation but there are certainly lesser crimes where he can make a monetary payment where you could run to the city of refuge if you engaged in an accidental homicide that's the context in numbers 35 but with reference to murder God says I will not accept any ransom payment there's only one payment there's only one price there's only one penalty that attaches to the crime of murder and that is the execution of the murderer now again we're not Israel we're not under all of the stipulations with reference to the mosaic economy I would argue that I would agree with that but the fact is it is consistent with the noway economy or the no way a covenant this comprehensive Universal for all times that creatures are it's consistent with that God doesn't change when it comes to the execution of murderers turn to the New Testament for a few lines of proof the the very crucifixion of Jesus notice what Jesus does not do when he stands before Pilate Oh horror of Horrors you're going to enact on me the the death penalty don't you know that's wrong he doesn't do that except that he realizes he knows that this is how you deal with criminals in the body politic in the Roman Empire now he wouldn't concede that he was a criminal obviously but he didn't protest he didn't boycott he didn't stay capital punishment is immoral we have the practice of the example of the Apostle Paul turn to acts 25 Acts chapter 25 we'll see his writing specifically commanding it in Romans 13 but notice is experienced in acts 25 he's appearing here before fastest after felix comes fastest they're all passing the buck paul's a hot potato he's a lightning rod they don't want anything to do with them and so Felix passes him on to fastest and now fastest comes and Festus says to him let's just drop down to verse 7 when he had come the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul which they could not prove while he answered for himself neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all so he maintains his innocence his judicial innocence with reference to Jewish crime and with reference to Gentile or Roman crime I'm an offended them in their sensitivities I haven't done anything untoward with reference to the law of God and I certainly have an offended Caesar I'm innocent now I wouldn't say I'm innocent terms of no sin Paul knew that he had sinned but he's judicially innocent he doesn't deserve to be treated like a criminal and so he's making his defense at this particular time now notice in verse nine but fastest wanting to do the Jews a favor answered Paul and said are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things so Paul said I stand at Cesar's judgment seat we ought to be judged to the Jews I have done no wrong as you very well know for if I am an offender or have committed none of the language anything deserving of death so I think this is something that I would argue with reference to the Mosaic economy there are still some additional crimes that deserve capital punishment I would not be the kind of guy that only sees capital punishment for the crime of murder I would think it's a bit broader notice Paul seems to resonate that way - if I've done anything not murder he doesn't say if I have murdered then I'm not a hesitant to be executed if I've done anything you see that plurality there's more crimes than one that Paul acknowledges that he might be done in four with reference to capital punishment but notice verse 11 for if I am an offender or have committed anything deserving of death I do not object to dying very strange isn't it if Francis is right and you know capital punishment is reprehensible and morally indefensible and and Cuomo is parroting him then strange language from the Apostle the man under God's service the man employed by Jesus Christ he doesn't say you know I'm principled I deny the legitimacy of the death penalty we're not under law were under grace we have no more dealings what no he doesn't say that acknowledges that this is legit acknowledges that this is lawful he acknowledges that this is an option his point is I haven't done anything worthy of the death penalty you get that right see if he was an anti-death penalty guy his rhetoric would be well the death penalty is immoral how dare you Festus I don't understand we're we're not in a barbaric age anymore we're not in this antiquated primitive age anymore not about warring factions and tribes and whatnot we we're a civilized people and you need to you need to reach Ange your thinking or change your thinking with reference to this whole idea he doesn't do that later Christians do that but not Paul later Christians boycott things that God commands but not Baal later Christians say foolish things like well it's indefensible but not Paul now notice Paul's language in Romans chapter 13 very important passage with reference to the death penalty I don't think I'll answer every one of your questions but that's not my job this morning it's simply to present to you the biblical case for capital punishment and we'll get that in the large swath of a bit of interpretation or examination of Romans 13 which actually begins in Romans 12 if you look at Romans chapter 12 at verse 17 repay no one evil for evil have regard for good things in the sight of all men if it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord therefore if your enemy is hungry feed him if he is thirsty give him a drink for in so doing will heap coals of fire on his head do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good now close your bibles and forget everything that he just said and then in a week read Romans 13 that's not how it's supposed to go chapter divisions and versification all that stuff came way later if you notice how Romans 13:1 starts there's no adverse that they have bought I'm starting a brand new subject but I'm doing a whole new topic but I want you to forget everything I just said no beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath what's one of the means by which the God of heaven executes his wrath well according to Romans 13:1 2:4 it's the civil government who's been handed the sword as a minister of God's vengeance to execute God's wrath you you have to appreciate the flow of thought don't avenge yourself give place to wrath that's one of the reasons why we sang song 11 one of the reasons why someday when I have the guts enough will sing Psalm 94 I think sometimes believers get a little bit freaked out when they're singing about God's wrath and judgment that God's gonna give them burning coals is their portion if we really sing that as New Covenant Christians it's one of the means by which we give place to wrath by singing the songs of Zion by singing the imprecatory psalms Lewis was wrong the imprecatory psalms are legitimate and consistent for christian use and this is what paul is doing give place to rap how do we give place to wrath recognize the civil authority recognize that they bear the sword and they don't bear it in vain their task is to serve God in society by executing criminal offenders that's the flow of the context if you neglect that you're gonna have problems with this passage notice all believers have a duty to subject themselves to governing authorities let every soul be subject to the governing authorities why for there is no authority except from God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God Christ speaking his wisdom and in proverbs 8 says by me king's reign paul tells us here there's no authority except from God we're studying at least tonight we're gonna finish our little glimpse at the life of eight a hub and first Kings chapter 22 he was God's a.ab he didn't ascend that throne autonomously he didn't send that throne by virtue of was a charismatic gift he ascended that throne because every authority is from God that's not just in biblical times God's not just responsible for Manasseh God is responsible for the current regime as well we studied that in the last hour of divine providence in our confession of faith chapter five there's nothing outside the Providence of God there's nothing that obtains outside of God's purpose and plan there's nothing that happens that catches God and Aware's and he says wait a minute I didn't think that was gonna happen I didn't I didn't know he was gonna send the throne I didn't realize that he would be vote no everything is according to God and that's what Paul says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities why there's no authority except from God God appoints them we have a responsibility as believers to be the best citizens we can possibly be the best the best caught your lawn keep your house clean be nice to your neighbors do good things in society pay your taxes Paul's gonna argue for that you know they call people they don't pay their taxes at least in America sure it's the same way in Canada they call them prisoners you can't escape Paul says you're not supposed to try to escape you're supposed to pay your taxes you're supposed to be good citizens now this isn't universal this ought not to be seen as well if they command us to sin we're going to say no there's there's qualification the Bible makes with reference to this whole issue notice he speaks to the sin of resistance in verse 2 he says therefore whoever resists the Authority resists the ordinance of God and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves now this is a reality we're not supposed to resist however there are instances and we've seen them in our study in the book of Acts when the highest political and religious council in Israel at the time told the disciples or told the Apostles that they were not supposed to preach in the name of Jesus what did they do did they stop preaching they say wow good because I I find it very uncomfortable to go out there and preach I'm so glad that they made this law I wonder if sometimes as believers we we'd like that if they outlawed Bible reading oh great now my pastor won't nag me about reading my Bible I'd have to say well you'll be a good citizen there are times and instances where the people of God resists the civil authority what a Daniel do when Daniel was told to pray to the image and not pray to Yahweh what's he do oh well you know it's just really hard to be it he opens his window and he does it just like he always did what do you apostles say in acts 5 we must obey God rather than man that's just our marching order that's just what we are supposed to be John Gill I think explains this well he says this is not to be understood this resisting the ordinance of God this is not to be understood as if magistrates were above the laws and at a lawless power to do as they will without opposition for they are under the law and liable to the penalty of it in case of disco as others and when they make their own will a law or exercise a lawless tyrannical power in defiance of the laws of God and of the land or the in to the endangering of the lives liberties and properties of subjects they may be resisted again brethren be subject to the governing authorities don't resist the governing authorities and last they tell you to sin then you must resist them everybody's with me yes this is a basic principle of biblical ethics you do what God says always well you know they said we have to bro you know practice abortion God says don't do it your duty bound to obey God now notice he highlights the purpose of the government under God in verses 3 and 4 for rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil so I always tell everybody when we work our way through this passage add at least in your head works after evil rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil works Paul's not Orwellian Paul is not advocating punishing thought crime Paul is about evil works that's what's punishable by the civil government we're not talking about the punishment of sin we're not talking about punishing covetousness we're talking about punishing evil works those things which are an offense to God and which are a danger to others and which are you know hostile to the body politic they're not a terror to good works but rather to evil notice what he says in verse 3 do you want to be unafraid of the Authority do what is good and you will have praise for the same now the praise from the same there isn't you know accolades and parking lots and you know parades and your honor down the city street I think the praise from the government is that they leave you alone that's the praise I want from my government just leave me alone let me pursue life liberty and the pursuit of happiness just let me do that I don't want you to provide life liberty and the pursuit of happy just want you to get out of my way so that I can pursue that and you protect me so that others aren't killing me to try to keep me from pursuing that that's the praise it's not oh we're gonna have an honor in your favor because you did everything right last that's not it the praise from the same in the context is that they're not putting you on the chopping block they're not putting you in prison they're not feeding you to lions that's the praise that you should want from these people so so do the right thing is what Paul is saying now notice he underscores this in verse four for he is God's minister to you for good but if you do evil be afraid think about Paul's words right there and the argument against capital punishment capital punishment doesn't deter anybody from committing crime it always determines a hundred percent successfully the criminal executed he'll never go out and murder again it's an effective deterrent isn't it if I commit murder and they execute me there's a deterrent factor there that is a hundred percent I'm not going to ever go kill again but Paul says be afraid do we believe humanists who tell us that that the death penalty doesn't deter crime or do we do believe Paul it says look if you don't want problems then do what you're supposed to do if you don't do what you're supposed to do then be afraid you should fear see I think the problem is we don't consistently carry out punishment and in Solomon says because the execution against a sentence isn't quickly passed the the hearts of men are fully given over to do evil parents when you just keep telling your kids okay if you keep stealing cookies I'm gonna count to ten I'm what is counting to ten do gives them ten more seconds to to snatch more cookies you see it in the family level why don't we see it at the macro level when people commit murder and they're out in seven years and then you want to blame the death penalty I'm sorry you're not any moral authority on these things whatsoever Paul the Apostle says be afraid we should fear going out and murdering someone we should fear going out and drug trafficking we should fear going out and raping we should fear going out and engaging in any sort of crime because the magistrate will come down on us as God's representative history we should fear it do we fear it I don't think so I mean it used to be we'd get vandalized here and I'd call the police I don't even bother anymore I know that may sound terrible and you're a horrible pastor and you should call the book nothing happens nothing at all the other day that little stairwell we're candles they're gonna burn our building down they had candles to light that little stairwell so they could shoot up I Drive down Yale I see people shooting up I say I tend to think that if I stood on a corner and yell and I was shooting up the RCMP would probably arrest me why doesn't it happen to everybody else there's no fear we don't know what it is to actually have jurisprudence we don't know what it is to actually see the hand of God operative in civil society because after all we don't think God belongs in civil society we've taken an out of schools we've taken him out of society we've taken him out of everything and now it's not safe to walk outside our front door I mean come on when some of us were kids you'd get up in the morning during the the summer break and be gone till till night nobody ever thought you were going to get abducted or raped and molested or whatever now and and rightly so parents you've got an eye on your kid always what's happened well we don't want God in our society he's barbaric it's vicious it's a it's a primitive law code for a primitive people Paul says if you do something wrong in society you should be afraid you should be afraid to cheat on your taxes you should be afraid to embezzle from your employer you should be afraid to engage in theft you should be afraid to be the kind of person that the Bible condemns the Bible says don't be now note Paul's argument as we continue verse 4 for he is God's minister to you for good for if you do evil be afraid now notice for he does not bear the sword in vain for his gods Minister an Avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil keep that in your with your finger and go back to Romans 12 notice in Romans 12:18 if it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay says the Lord back to Romans 13 for but if you do evil be afraid for you does not bear the sword in vain for his gods minister an Avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil people always point in a larger context don't avenge ourselves don't go buy a gun and be a vigilante on your streets get a cape and a mask and go foil crime but rather give place to God's wrath through the lawful authority of God's wrath or dispenser of God's wrath which is the civil government the magistrate he's been given the sword in consistency with Genesis chapter 9 and I love what Paul says here with reference to verse 4 if you bear or if you do evil be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for you is God's Minister an Avenger to execute wrath on him ooh again practices evil works Paul's not advocating thoughtcrime Paul's not advocating punish people who have different ideas but evil works those things that are menacing a threat to society they need to be dealt with severely by the governing authority because God gave them the sword to enact his vengeance in society it's the argument now sword means sword sword means sword sword doesn't always mean the power to execute it can be lesser punishment but certainly it involves execution Calvin says magistrates may hence learn what their vocation is for they're not to rule for their own interests but for the public good nor are they endued with unbridled power but what is restricted restricted to the well-being of their subjects in short they are responsible to God and to man in the exercise of their power and commenting on the sword John Murray says the sword which the magistrate carries as the most significant part of his equipment is not merely the sign of his authority but of his right to wield it in the infliction of that which a sword does it can be wielded to execute punishment that falls short of death but to exclude the right of the death penalty when the nature of the crime calls for such is totally contrary to that which the sword signifies and execute so Genesis 9 the Mosaic economy and Romans 13 all prevail when it comes to the issue does the Bible teach capital punishment yes it does now what are some common objections I've put them in two categories first the biblical objections I know we got to deal with that you'd never think that there'd be Christians that would deny the death penalty but they're out there and then we put them into pragmatic objections in the first place a biblical objection hinges on a bad interpretation or translation of Exodus 20:13 King James Bible says thou shalt not kill therefore the argument goes neither shall the silho govern man that's just a bad translation I mean the word can be translated kill but in the context is what Kaiser points out there's several words that are utilized for this idea of ending someone's life and it's murder that's in view in Exodus 20 the word that's used is the best word used to involve the elements of premeditation and malice aforethought so it's you shall not murder and if as I've said earlier and I could show you this the Bible authorizes killing with reference to capital punishment as we've just seen with reference to self-defense Exodus 22 or 21 and then with reference to war I mean brethren again I don't know how anybody can be a pacifist how do you be a pacifist in light of Israel's history how do you be a pacifist in light of Romans 13 the magistrate has a sword I think that means to protect people within the body politic from other criminal offenders but it certainly might mean or extend to protecting the body politic from foreign invading armies we kind of like that to happen too don't we I not only want to not be gunned down in the city streets by a by a murderer but I'd like to be protected from Isis I'd like to be protected from somebody coming from another country to do me you know harm and and mischief and all sorts of bad things the government has that authority the civil magistrate bears that authority secondly Matthew 5 we're not going to spend a lot of time here I'm sorry Matthew 5 you can there this is another passage that is that is utilized to try and teach that no no death penalty Matthew chapter five verses 38 to 42 you have heard that it was said an eye for an eye on a tooth for tooth but I tell you not to resist an evil person but whoever slaps you on your right cheek turn the other to him also if anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic let him have your cloak also and whoever compels you to go one mile go with him to give to him who asks you and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away now just briefly I'd like to suggest that the parallel passage here is Romans 12 do not avenge yourselves but give place to the wrath of God this isn't dealing with civil ethics it's dealing with a personal attitude it's not dealing with whether or not we lock our doors it's not dealing with whether or not we have alarms it's not dealing with whether or not we have guard dogs it's dealing with the way that we rub rub shoulders with people in society or we like the Pharisees vindictive or we like the Pharisees retaliatory are we like the Pharisees the kinds of people that that they have to be right over everything basically Jesus is saying your personal dealings with men be long-suffering don't be insufferable don't be an irritant in society be somebody that people want to be around it's not a call to never oppose evil in the church because later on in Matthew 18 Jesus is going to say we need to treat us heathen and tax collectors unrepentant sinners what do you mean Jesus we just said we're not supposed to ever do anything mean or untoward it's not a call to never resist evil in terms of you know self-defense somebody breaks into my home they want to they want to rape my people I said well they're right right down in that that right down the hallway you'll find my wife and and across the room there you'll find my dog no that's not it the heretics were wrong with Matthew 5 we wouldn't have locks we would tell everybody go ahead take it you know whatever you want to do whatever it is you want and it certainly can't be mitigated mitigating against civil ethics in terms of the government's responsibility to wield the sword it's just not there it's private it's not civil that brings us to John eight the woman caught in adultery you can turn there John chapter 8 the one caught in adultery some of the Bible's don't even include it as if it were in the text I understand that but even those that don't put it in there John chapter 8 the woman caught in adultery that's the offense according to Leviticus and Deuteronomy it was in fact capital imagine that and this godless Lee sinfully sexually immoral age imagine if we actually operated under the principle of capital crime when it comes to adultery there wouldn't be many people left would they're clean it's so commonplace today isn't it everybody's fooling around everybody's messing around and there's apps for that oh but but we've graduated to a place of wisdom and maturity no we're a bunch of fools that can't control their glands but that's the problem they can't control themselves I don't see that as a sign of maturity when your kids immature you tell them control yourself the idea is is that they grow up learning how to control themselves we've abandoned all thought of controlling ourselves and somehow word wera were the the wise ones the Bible is the primitive lock oh that that nobody should ever have any truck with but notice the offense the woman is caught in adultery you also need to notice the specific situation John alerts us to what's really happening verse 6 this day said testing him that they might have something of which to accuse him their their goal their endgame their purpose their zeal their desire here he's not for the law it's not for right and wrong if they were concerned about this woman's crime they would have had a man there too if she was caught in the very act of adultery that would necessitate a man's presence as well they bring a woman but not the man last time I checked it took two to when it comes to the sin of adultery and if she was caught in the very act they underscore that she was caught in the very act well where's the fellow you're not interested in justice you don't care one whit about the application of Mosaic law you're trying to trip up Jesus who by the way is not a civil authority nor an ecclesiastical Authority now we know he's Messiah he's prophet priest thinking we know all that to be sure but in terms of his station in life at this particular time he had been a carpenter and now he's on this public ministry but he doesn't have an official title with the church and he doesn't have an official title with the magistrate he's not somebody you would take a criminal to would you unless you were trying to trip him up and John alerts us that that's the issue John 6 this they said testing em that they might have something of which to accuse him now again we're just treating this briefly notice the response of Jesus verse 7 this this is really what's called the horns of a dilemma if we could back up just a little bit it's when your opponent gives you two equally bad situations it's just to like I don't even know what to do you beat your wife or you beat your kids that's a tough law how do I answer that or have you stopped beating your wife that's sort of the classic question have you stopped beating your wife what do you say yes no I feel what do you say that but but the the horns of a dilemma have you stopped beating your wife or have you stopped beating your children how do you answer that that's what they're doing they want to show Jesus as a man who has problems with the law of Moses they want to show Jesus as one they've come to know we'll probably let this woman go and in that was her look he softened the law of Moses he he let this adulteress go how can he be trusted how in the world could he be the guy that he's claiming to be you see it's a it's a lose-lose situation the way they've constructed it how does Jesus deal with this it's called going through the horns of a dilemma and this is precisely what Jesus does on the one hand he up holds the law of Moses and on the other hand he lets the woman go right it's beautiful that's what he means when he says he who is without sin among you let him throw a stone at her I don't think Jesus means sin lasts because Jesus knows the heart of man he can't mean that because if sinlessness is the requirement for all matters of jurisprudence we'd have no jurisprudence because there's not a judge alive who doesn't have sin probably means without this particular sin because he tells this woman go and sin no more again Jesus is not into Wesley and perfectionism Jesus tells this woman don't go out and commit adultery again don't go out and engage in this practice again but as well there's a particular passage that Jesus seems to be echoing in his response he who is without sin among you let him throw a stone at her first Deuteronomy 17 6 and 7 whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness so that is the primary emphasis he knows what's gonna happen and it does happen they all leave don't they don't they that means he can't carry out execution means nobody can carry out execution see the opponents of the death penalty and we'll see this well now we won't have to but a pragmatic objection is that innocent people die sometimes with reference to the death penalty yeah I would concede that but the biblical requirement does two or three witnesses and with DNA for you know fingerprinting and all that sort of thing need the the ability to ascertain a person's guilt today it's a pretty pretty slim margin but also whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness the hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death and afterward the hands of all the people so you shall put away the evil from among you so Christ when he says this in verse seven is simply echoing what Moses has already said in other words you need to be without this sin and you need to have credible evidence and a credible testimony and that will be man fasted in your participation in throwing the first stone again opponents of the death penalty think that well then the the streets will run red with blood no they won't because there's responsibility on the part of the plaintiff as well Deuteronomy 19 if I charge that you committed a crime and it's found that I'm lying I will get the punishment for the crime that I accused you of I think that's brilliant I think that would reduce the litigiousness of modern society that wants to sue or persons that want to sue everybody you see what it does it's discriminating there's responsibility imposed and in this instance if you're not sure of this you got to realize you're one of the first to pick up a stone and send this woman to the afterlife what happened they all bail they all leave now Jesus exercise is that compassion that kindness verse 10 when Jesus had raised himself up and saw no one but the woman he said to her woman where are those accusers of yours as no one condemned you she said no one no one Lord and jesus said to her neither do i condemn you go and sin no more see he manages to to navigate his way through that horns of a dilemma by maintaining the law of Moses but as well by exercising mercy justice and kindness to this particular woman really really brilliant on his part but this is not an argument against the death penalty pragmatically that means non Bible arguments capital punishment is not consistent with the Christians attitude of forgiveness capital punishment is not consistent with the Christians attitude of forgiveness well then no punishment is ever to be meted out why should we want somebody to go to prison we should just forgive them do you know it's actually possible to forgive somebody and demand that they're punished it's an amazing thing that creatures are able to do we can forgive somebody and then watch them go to whatever is they're gonna be punished for just because we want them to be punished or the law demands that they be punished doesn't we can't forgive them of course we can forgive them another one is capital punishment is not an expression of mercy this is the one where the humanists the atheist and inconsistent Christian wants to be more merciful than God our confession describes God well when it talks about his perfections and it says that he's most merciful and this most merciful God says to Moses or says to Noah through Moses in Genesis chapter 9 I know Moses came later Moses is writing down what God said to Noah whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood will be shed so is it possible that somebody can be merciful and still demand capital punishment yes because God exemplifies that all over the Bible capital punishment does not deter crime already dealt with that Romans 13:4 you should be afraid you should slow down when you see the RCMP if you're going too fast you should shake a little bit because you know that you may get in trouble if you do bad things and then the worst of them all from the non are from the Christian is that capital punishment will prohibit salvation if a guy is executed then he won't have time to believe the gospel and repent this is just bad theology this is Pelagianism and Arminianism if God has purposed I don't want to sound like a hyper-calvinist and undo what we did in the last session and the confession study but if God has purposed to save a sinner he has elected them before the foundation of the world then he will do so before they are executed by the civil magistrate so this idea that we let murderers live in the in the hope that in 30 40 80 years they'll they'll come to know Jesus no we do what God commands us and let God deal with who he's gonna save and who he's not that's just bad bad theology well in conclusion I want to suggest first we ought to think concerning capital punishment and the civil government I was talking to my son Josh this morning on the phone and he told me two things one it's minus 45 and dryden their power steering fluid froze today and we've got sunshine and beauty the other thing is I was talking to him about this particular sermon and he said doesn't it you that some people in civil government don't seem to be that sharp in other words when you suggest or argue that the Bible demands the civil government wield the sword what do we do with the net civil government so that's a concern the thought of handing a sword to some of these people terrifies me but that doesn't mean we don't argue for what God's Word says we have this idea there's an abuse of something and so the response is get rid of it altogether just get rid of no use it properly use it responsibly right I think we could probably fill in the blanks this is bad this is bad this is bad let's get written no let's use it properly now I would suggest that if this was a part of the body politic voters might actually be more responsible when they know that matters of life and death hang in the balance things like he's handsome or he's charismatic or we need a change might not be what motivates them in the voting booth maybe the gravity of the situation needs to be appreciated anew and that will affect how persons go about choosing their elected officials maybe that capital punishment in the believer the believer must embrace the entirety of God's Word even those things that unbelievers find offensive this is kind of a battleground for us as God's people nowadays we see them all over churches professing churches sort of you know relaxing on homosexuality our argument has never been we hate homosexuals we despise them they're terrible they're sinners who stand in need of the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord hear us the homophobe no I'm a thief oh but I want homosexuals to flee to Jesus for salvation through his blind man that's it see when it comes to the death penalty I think we're afraid to offend the delicate sensitivities of the people around us when has that ever been a concern for the people of God when did John Knox ever say oh I don't want to offend you know the the Virgin Mary or I don't want to offend the Pope of Rome he didn't want to offend the Virgin Mary but when people wanted to you know extol her and worship her I think there was a time where he added somebody showed him a statue of the Virgin Mary and using it as a bit of an idol to protect them on the ship and he threw it into the water and said well let's see if she can protect herself or something like that again not offensive not against the Virgin Mary but against the idea or the concept of showing religious worship to her when have the people of God ever been those who kowtow to the prevailing opinions of men it is unfortunate that some of the modern pundits are more accurate than some of the Protestant Christians when it comes to these things the believer as well must recognize the enormity of the problem of evil maybe this is why the church is so anemic because we don't see the gravity of this of the situation we don't see how God sees life God says whoever sheds man's blood by man his blood shall be shed god says in numbers 35 I will not accept a payment price when it comes to murder I demand blood the blood of the offender as that which requites this situation we don't have that concept of justice by and large thirdly the believer must realize the consistency of God's holy character civil government and the the enactment of the sword of the governing authorities is a reflection of who God is it's a reflection of his justice and of his righteousness see brethren has New Covenant believers we preach grace we preach we preach goodness we preach mercy but we don't ever stop preaching justice holiness righteousness we don't ever stop preaching that God abominates unjust scales it'll stop preaching that God abominates hands it innocent blood we're not supposed to kowtow to the prevailing notions of humanists who can't even function at the most simple level and as well I would suggest a believer I have must but I won't go that that's strong I'll take it easy the believer should appreciate the wisdom of biblical ethics the believer should appreciate the wisdom of biblical ethics read the laws concerning the goring ox in Exodus 21 and ask yourself isn't this something that might be enacted today with great profit and help to all people and a civil in a civil society read some of those statutes read some of those applications of the Ten Commandments and in Exodus 21 to 23 and just say is this barbaric is this a horrific primitive code or or is it something that that actually reflects the the genius of God is it something that actually actually reveals the wisdom of God the goodness of God the fact that God is Pro victim anymore that's just not the case the victim loses all over the place in modern civil juris prudence and then finally capital punishment and those of you who perhaps are not Christians the doctrine of capital punishment is not the gospel I'm not suggesting that if you embrace the Bible's teaching on capital punishment you're gonna go to heaven no that's not the case at all but I think and I hope and I pray that capital punishment will tell you this one thing God hates sin God despises sin God loves sin because it's contrary to his only character and God will step it up must punish sin so while capital punishment is not the gospel hopefully it will illustrate to you why you need the gospel because you have offended this holy God you have sinned against this God you have transgressed as law perhaps you've not been a murderer perhaps you've not been a rapist perhaps you've not been an embezzler perhaps you've not done horribly dastardly things but all of us have sinned against God all we like sheep have gone astray there is none righteous no not one and that includes you the only hope the only remedy not through the civil state not through this church it's through Jesus Christ the Lord he is able to save to the uttermost all that draw nigh unto God through him that's the encouragement today see what God thinks of sin and see what God has purposed to save sinners namely his son Jesus Christ our Lord and by grace believe in him and you will be forgiven well let us pray father we thank you for your word and we thank you for its sufficiency in our lives we thank you that it speaks not only the matters concerning the church but matters concerning state and I pray again that we would think your thoughts after you that we would be consistent when it comes to our ability to reason and in what really seems to be an unreasonable age give us wisdom Lord God and give us the grace to glorify in to honor and to praise you again we do pray for civil authority in our own generation our own country God grant them wisdom grant them commitment to do that which is right right as you define it in your word and we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed