“FOR AMERICANS, THIS WEEKEND SIGNALS A COVETED CELEBRATION CALLED MEMORIAL DAY. ITS MEANING WILL NEVER BE MORE CLEAR THAN TO THOSE FAMILIES WHO HAVE RECENTLY LOST LOVED ONE’S IN AMERICA’S ELEVENTH WAR”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about America’s eleventh war that brought the conquest of the nation of Iraq…

…War is a terrible thing! But nonetheless, at times it is inevitable, as conflicts between nations and people drive them to battle for either their rights among men, or their insatiable goals to conquer and enslave others. Officially in America, we’ve set aside the last Monday of May, as a national holiday called Memorial Day. This day officially began on May 5^th 1868, following the Civil War. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers who valiantly gave their lives in battle to preserve the freedom and ways of life so dear to those on both sides of the issue.  This holiday is now celebrated in almost every State of the Union to honor Americans who died fighting in all of America’s wars in our past history. Unfortunately, for most Americans, this day simply means a three-day weekend off from work, and little more. However, as America has just finished fighting its “Eleventh” War, for many families it has a great and powerful meaning, and should for all who proudly salute America’s flag of freedom. In a moment after another musical pause, I’ll return to talk about war, its place in history, and more important its place in bible and with the God who gave it to us. So don’t go away, I’ll be right back with some words of challenge and truth that may give you a new perspective on the call to war so often faced by nations of the world…

…Before and during American’s eleventh war, the War with Iraq, a goodly number of protesters arose to condemn America’s interference as they called it, with the sovereignty of another nation. For Christians, this issue became very muddled, as the “Just” War theories of the past were no longer as clear as before. Now, America is essentially a peace-loving nation, but when its present and future freedoms, and sovereignty are challenged by any nation and or people, America has always rose to the occasion to defend itself and other nations of the world from tyrannical oppressors and conquerors. The issue today I want to talk about is the justness of our modern war just fought with the rulership of the nation of Iraq. Never before have we been faced with such a choice that our great President, George Bush valiantly took, to call forth the armed forces of America to rise up and defeat, not a nation of people, but a tyrannical, blood-thirsty, terrorist government poised to enter the atomic age of war. Having accomplished this would greatly threaten the peace of the world, not to mention America as well. Now not everyone agreed with that thinking, and even Christians were perplexed and some strongly opposed the recent War with Iraq. Why? Well the answers were not as clear as one would like them to be. So I thought I’d take this special Memorial weekend, to talk about them from a biblical perspective.

Basically, there are but three views of war, Christians have taken since the Church began over 2000 years ago. The first is called,

I. ACTIVISM – Those who follow this view of war believe it is always right to participate in war when necessary. Activism holds that Christians and all members of our nation are duty bound to obey their government and to participate in every war for which it enlists our support. The will of a government in power is always right. Secondly, there exists an opposite view which is called,

II. PACIFISM – followers of this view believe it is never right to participate in war. For them the New Testament teaches killing is always wrong and resisting evil with force is also wrong. Therefore, followers of this view cannot and will not support or participate in any war our nation wages under nay circumstance. In the 2^nd Gulf War with Iraq, we have seen many take this stand. However, is there no middle ground between these two opposites? The answer is yes, for there is a third position, which I feel, is the biblical one. It is called,

III. SELECTIVISM – in between these other two, are those which includes me, who believe it is right to participate in some wars, as long as they can be judged as a “just war.” Not all people especially Christians are content with the blind patriotism of activism that would kill upon their government’s request. Neither is everyone satisfied with the naively passive attitude that would permit the megalomaniacs of the world like Hitler, Stalin and others including modern day terrorist dictators like Saddam Hussein to enslave the peoples of their nations, and brutalize and kill all who would resist, and further threaten the peace and tranquility of the world.

However here are the three positions one can take, especially as a Christian. Now the question is who is right? My answer can only be what the God of the Bible says is right. So let’s examine war from a biblical perspective.

First of all, I believe Scripture teaches us that total activism is an unbiblical position, for the Bible teaches us believers in Jesus Christ should not always support one’s government in everything it commands, especially when called to disobey God’s higher commands given to us in God’s Word. New Testament Scripture gives us this right of resistance when Peter the apostle exercised it before his government’s command to be silent in witnessing for Christ. We read in,

Acts 5:29 (NIV)  Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men!

Actually, the Bible is full of examples of godly ones, who broke the laws of their countries, by resisting edicts that violated their right of faith. Men and women of old disobeyed their country’s edicts when they challenged their call to obey God’s commands. For instance, during the Egyptian period of Israel’s slavery, the Hebrew midwives refused to kill the male babies born to the Jews in captivity (Exo. 1:17,20-21); then men arose like Daniel who broke civil law commanding him not to pray to God (Daniel 3,6); the early apostles as we noted above continued to publicly preach the Gospel in defiance of their governing rules to the contrary (Acts 4,5). All these did so with God’s blessings, yet as a whole they supported and obeyed their country’s civil laws.

But the issue before us in this recent war with Iraq was not so simple. Never before in human history has our world been challenged by what are called weapons of mass destruction. These are chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons that unlike any ordinance of the past, can quickly annihilate and destroy thousands, if not millions of people with the unleashing of just one bomb. America, since September 11, 2001, has never been the same when we saw the effects of terrorist attacking innocent civilians as the only goal. Militant and historic Islam has declared war upon all people groups who defy the right for their god Allah, to rule and subjugate their lives. Indeed, we must not be so naïve, to think we are not still at war, not with an extremist group of terrorists, but in actuality with followers of the historic faith of Islam, that calls for subjugation of the entire world to the principles of worship and life found in the writing of their terrorist founder, Muhammad. 

Admittedly, and thankfully not all who were born into the faith of Islam are terrorists or evil corrupt people. The vast majority of Muslims today want to live in peace with their neighbors. However, they and we need to realize those who do, are not true followers of Islam although they claim to be. But let’s get back to this “Just War,” theory which is as old as war itself. What constitutes a just war, that is, a war that can be fought with God’s approval?

 Let me list some principles that have helped Christians and law abiding citizens to follow in the position of “Selectivism” which espouses the right to participate in some wars their country may engage in. These principles have been around for thousands of years. Here then are eight of them often cataloged.

PRINCIPLES THAT MAKES SOME WARS JUST

1. A just war may only be waged by a legitimate legal authority. People, vigilantes, terrorists do not wage just wars; only a legitimate government of people is permitted to wage a war that can be considered justified.

2.  A just war must be waged only as a last resort, and only after repeated attempts to bring justice have been exhausted by every other means.

3. A just war can only be fought to redress wrongs that have been committed. A first strike attack on a nation that has committed no atrocities, and threatens no one outside its borders, cannot be considered justice; that's aggression.

4. A just war can only be fought with "right" intentions. War is not justified to gain control of another nation, it's assets or it's people. If the right intention for going to war is not present, justice is not present.

5. A just war can only be fought if there is the will to win the war with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in hopeless uncommitted causes are not morally justifiable.

6. A just war can only be fought if the ultimate goal is to re-establish peace. More specifically, war is not justified if the situation in a country cannot be reasonably expected to be better after the war than before.

7. A just war must never allow the force used to be disproportional to the need. Nations must be prohibited from using excessive force not necessary to attain the limited objective of addressing the wrongs that have been committed.

8. A just war must employ weapons and tactics that discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Innocent civilians are never permissible targets of war, and war can only be just if every effort is made to avoid civilian casualties.

Now these eight principles taken form Thomas Aquinas and later writers summarize how to determine whether it is right or wrong to wage war against another nation. Our President and nation had to face these concepts in deciding whether to invade Iraq and depose its terrorist dictator, Saddam Hussein. We chose to do so, on the basis that our preemptive strike was justified, especially in light of the power and persecution Iraq’s dictator used to fuel and continue to fund Islamic suicide bombers, terrorists groups and countries.

Was President Bush right? Were we right to follow him? Remember, “Might doesn’t make right,” neither does “majority opinion” although America had both in its favor. Now that this evil dictator and blood-thirsty ruler has been deposed, it’s time to rebuild Iraq and allow the peoples of that nation to have their sovereignty back again, without the power to threaten and ruin other nations around it as well as the peace of the United States of America. We must never forget the price one has to pay for waging war. Memorial Day is remembrance of that, to honor those valiant men and women who rose to the occasion, to give their lives for us to maintain the continued freedoms we so wonderfully enjoy.

God bless their families left behind! Yes, America indeed is a blessed nation. God has given us the power to rule the world, but we choose to rule ourselves. God has given us the role of being not only the lovers of peace, but the keepers of peace as well. That unfortunately comes with the territory of being the most mighty and powerful nation on the face of the earth. Therefore, when national or international peace is threatened by thugs, terrorists and nations who gain access to weapons of mass destruction, or are working feverishly to gain them for such purposes, we are duty bound to act to preserve world peace. Paul the apostle stated God’s command for government,

Rom 13:1-6 (NIV)  “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you 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. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. “

Note the Bible says a government’s purpose is to be, “an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer…” Yes, governments’ that God approves of are those who bring peace and maintain it. Unfortunately, we now live in the 21^st century where we indeed are a global village. We are no longer separated by multitudes of miles and seas. One nation can attack another within an hour with devastating destruction. As such America, having the role of the greatest power on the earth must be a nation that keeps the peace of the world, whether we like it or not. Thank God the most powerful nation in the world was not Japan or Germany in the middle of the last century, not Russia in the later quarter of it. I believe without a doubt God raised up this righteous nation, based on God’s Word and His principles of life and living to preserve the world for its greater purpose – to be ruled one day by God Himself and to have peace, tranquility and purpose centered in glorifying and following our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Yes are you aware, everything is moving down to that moment in history where all the nations of the world, will one day be under the control and leadership of the Creator God Himself, who visited our planet thousands of years ago? It was in the first century AD, while another abusive government ruled the world that God chose to enter in the form of His highest creation, a human being.  The Bible tells us,

John 1:1-3,14 (NIV)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made…. 14.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Although wars will unfortunately continue, we are promised the greatest peacemaker the world ever knew will one day return to bring world peace, and fulfill what the United Nations once thought it was destined to do. Unfortunately in the blindness of sin, the UN placed a monument with these words inscribed upon it, taken out of context.

“They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

 What they forgot or purposely rejected is what preceded this for the Bible records these words more correctly,

Isa 2:4 (NIV)  He [LORD]  will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

You see, it is only when God Himself rules the world, will true justice be seen; will true peace be realized; and will nations be able to live in peace with one another. Friend, that day is coming and it will only be shared with those who in this life prior to His return, have surrendered their personal sovereignty and rights to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. All who do so, will be a part of this great world kingdom coming. I trust you’ve given your heart to Jesus Christ, and turned away from the false religions, philosophies and powers of this fallen world of men. It matters not how good you are, or what righteous things you have done. What matters alone, is have you crowned Jesus Christ as your God, your King and received Him as your Savior from your sins? True war will be waged again soon, but it will not begin by any nation’s aggression. It will begin with God and His wrath that will rise up again a world that is in rebellion to His right to rule His creation.

Isa 13:9 (NIV)  “See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it.”

Col 3:4-6 (NIV)  “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”

I say to you then, be sure you are on the winning side! Be sure you have joined forces with the God who maintains the mightiest power in the universe. He is the keeper of all peace, and one day will preemptively strike the world, following the removal of His children when the great Rapture of the Church occurs.

While we wait and prepare for evacuation, the Christian is to be a seeker of peace. He or she is not to wage war outside of these just principles shared today. Although the time for action against aggressive nations has been upped due to the massive power of weapons of destruction, one today cannot wait for an attack anymore, for fear of annihilation. Yet, one still needs to exercise as much restraint as possible before going to war. I believe without a shadow of doubt America did this, and I commend our government, our president and or valiant troops for winning this “just” war. May the purposes behind it to seek world peace and protection from those who want the opposite ever prevail, till Jesus comes again and peace for those who seek Him will be their reward for all eternity…

…This weekend we pause to remember all the war dead in the eleven wars America has fought. From the American Revolution; the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, World Wars I, II; the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War; and the latest War with Iraq  -- we honor the more than 1,300,000 Americans who gave their lives to bring peace to the world and protect it right here for all Americans to enjoy. This weekend be sure to spend time giving thanks to God for the sacrifice of human lives so that we might live. But then give thanks to God for His greatest sacrifice, the life of Jesus Christ, so that we might live eternally with Him. The Bible says,

Rom 5:8 (NIV)  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16 (NIV)  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.