KBM Standing Against False Immorality

I hope everyone is doing well. Today, we will be finishing up our series on being a “Defender of the Faith” by looking at our topic for this episode, “Standing Against False Immorality.” Sometimes, people get it in their heads that they are fighting a “spiritual fight” against something that they feel is immoral but in reality is not. The two “false immoral” battles I want us to focus on is the “death penalty” and “illegal immigration.” Both those inside the church and outside the church struggle with the morality of putting a person to death for a crime and sending a person back to their home country. Let’s begin with the death penalty. The argument goes something like this, “it is wrong to “kill someone” and if you have the death penalty you might accidentally kill an innocent person who was found guilty.”

Let’s take the first part of this first, as it stems from a misunderstanding of God’s word in Exodus 20:13. Older translations have “Thou shalt not kill.” This seems straight forward until you realize that there is a difference explained in scripture between “killing someone” and “murdering someone.” God makes previsions for governments to kill someone who has committed crimes that are deemed worthy of taking the like of the criminal. God himself legislated several crimes that when committed would mean that criminal’s life was to be taken.

If a person murdered another human they were to be killed (Exodus 21:12-14).

If a person kidnapped and stole a person they were to be killed (Deuteronomy 24:7).

If a child struck his parents, cursed his parents, or was continually rebellious against his parents that son or daughter was to be killed (Exodus 21:15-17; Deuteronomy 21:18-21).

If a person profaned the Sabbath they were to be killed (Exodus 31:14-15).

If a person committed sexual sins such as adultery, incest, homosexuality, and many more they were to be killed for their crime (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:10-18).

These are just a sample size of that which the Israelite government were expected to hand out the punishment of death upon committing and being found guilty of such crimes.

Why, because God has authorized governments to do so, even in the New Testament, in order for governments to strive to “keep law and order” and “peace” in their country.

Romans 13:1–4 ESV

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Ok, so now let’s take a look at “illegal immigration.” This goes, in many ways, hand-in-hand, with the previous topic of the death penalty.

The argument goes something like this, “deporting illegal immigrants is unethical and unusually cruel, especially when they have lived in their current country for a long time. As Christians we cannot support unethical or unusually cruel (immoral) treatment of other humans.”

Now that last part is correct, Christians cannot support unethical or immoral treatment of other humans. However, deporting a criminal is neither unethical nor immoral because they are simply reaping what they sowed. When a person breaks the law by entering into a country they are not authorized to enter into, the government has the right to morally enforce their laws and remove that person. Again remember what we just read in Romans 13:1-4.

All humans are expected to obey God’s word, the Law of Christ today (Galatians 6:2), and if they don’t do so, they sin (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23). This means, if Christians do not support the government enforcing their laws that do not break God’s law (Acts 5:29), then those Christians are actually sinning themselves according to Romans 13:1-4).

Christians must Stand Against False Immorality just as strongly as we stand against true immorality.