SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:1-13:14 (Page 1351); 2 Samuel 8:1-18 (Page 381)
SERMON: War Doctrine								 23 September 2001

  INTRODUCTION: WAR

  I. CHRISTIANS & WAR: SOME PREVAILING VIEWS (see War: Four Christian Views, Robert G. Clouse, ed.; H.Hoyt; M.Augsburger, A. Holmes, H.O.J. Brown, InterVarsity Press, 1991)

A. BIBLICAL NONRESISTANCE (Mt.5:39; some Dispensationalists)
1. the state is a kingdom of this world; not yet under rule of Christ (millenium); govrnmnt service a lessr callng
2. war is morally evil; state allowed by God to do this evil for peace (see Acts 14:16)
3. Christians must love enemy, not resist evil, not kill (Mt.5:38; see 39f; 1Pt.2:21f)
4. Christian may be in military as long as not kill; government service is a lesser calling
5. Old Testament revealed an inferior moral ethic (Mt.5:22,etc.)

B. CHRISTIAN PACIFICISM (Mt.5:43f; Anabaptists; Mennonites)
1. state is a kingdom of this world; under the permissive rule of God; government service a lesser calling
2. war is morally evil; state not allowed by God to do this evil
3. Christians must love enemy, not resist evil, not kill (Mt.5:38; see 39f; 1Pt.2:21f)
4. Christian must resist a war effort
5. Old Testament revealed an inferior moral ethic (Mt.5:22,etc.)

C. JUST WAR (Rom.13:1f; Greek philosophers; Roman Catholics; Protestants; natural law, Rom.1:18f; 2:14,15; 12:17,18)
1. state is under the rule of Christ and is good (Rom.13:1f; 1Pt.2:13,14; Ps.2&Acts 2; Rev.3:21; 5:1f)
2. war is calamitous, sometimes necessary; necessity must be proved (Mt.24:6)
3. defensive only; limited as much as possible in cause, means, ends (Mt.5:38; Ex.21:24/ Is.10:6,7; “Infinite Justice”)
4. Christians must support and may participate in a just war (Rom.13:1f)
5. Old Testament revealed the same moral ethic a New (Mt.5:17f; Rom.13:8f)

D. PREVENTIVE WAR (Rom.13:1f; Protestants)
1. state is under the rule of Christ and is good (Rom.13:1f; 1Pt.2:13,14; Ps.2&Acts 2)
2. war is often necessary for many reasons, remedial and preventative (Mt.24:6; Rev.6:16,17; 12:7; 19:11f; 2Th.2:8)
3. love and justice are complementary principles (see Mic.6:8; Mt.23:23)
4. Christians must support and may participate in a just war (Rom.13:1f)
5. Old Testament revealed the same moral ethic as New (Mt.5:17f; Rom.13:8f)

II. THE CHRISTIAN WAR AGAINST SIN IN THE FLESH
A. THE CHRISTIAN UNDER ATTACK (Rom.7:23; Jms.4:1; 1Pt.2:11; see Eph.6:16; 1Pt.5:8)

B. THE CHRISTIAN ON THE ATTACK (Rom.8:13; Jms.4:7,8; 1Pt.2:12f; see Mk.9:43; Col.3:5; see Eph.6:10-20)

III. THE CHRISTIAN WAR AGAINST SIN IN THE WORLD
A. ROLE OF CHRISTIAN AS AN INDIVIDUAL: LOVE YOUR ENEMY (Mt.5:38-48; Rom.12:17-21; 13:8-10)

B. ROLE OF CHRISTIAN IN CHURCH: SPIRITUAL WEAPONS (Eph.6:12f; 2Cor.10:3-6; see Mt.28:18-20)

C. ROLE OF CHRISTIAN IN STATE: PHYSICAL WEAPONS (Rom.13:1-7; 1Pt.2:13,14; see 2Kngs.11:20 & Ps.46:9 with 1Tm.2:1; see 2Sam.8; see 1Sam.16:13 & 1Kngs.19:15,16 and Ex.40:13 & Heb.5:4)

IV. SOME CONCLUSIONS
A. GOD ORDAINS THE SWORD TO END SIN AND RESTORE PEACE (Rom.13:4; see Ps.72; 2Sam.8)

B. ENTER THE MILITARY IF YOU ARE GIFTED AND CALLED BY GOD (Rom.13:1f; 1Pt.2:13f; Ps.72:1)

C. SWORD: WHATEVER TAKES TO PRESERVE & RESTORE PEACE (Rom13:4/ Ps.45:3; 1Sam17:51)

D. JUST MEN & A JUST WAR (Jer.23:5f; 33:15f; see Ps.101; Rev.15:3)

E. THE PENALTY FOR UNJUST WAR (Is.10:5f,12f; Jer.50:17f; 51:20f,24; see Mt.26:52)