Concealed Carry or Christ

Concealed Carry or Christ

 

 This is an article I wrote a while back but in light of recent conversations I've had with several people I thought it would be good to post. Jerry is gone now from Liberty but his spirit is still among us and we should repent of it...

 

Recently, I was stunned by Jerry Falwell Jr.’s advice, in light of a mass shooting, to his students to arm themselves in order to “end those Muslims”.  For those who don’t know him — he is the president of the largest Christian university in the USA — Liberty University.  I’d heard his statement from others with growing concern so I googled him myself.  The video footage is extensive, not only his original statements but of his defense of those statements as well.  This is a man whose university’s motto is “training champions for Christ” — yet he boasts, they also offer free concealed carry classes for any student to be trained to conceal a gun.

 

 This makes me wonder — is Liberty training their champions to trust Jesus or their pistols?  At one point, in Jerry’s talk to his students he questions whether he should pull out his little pistol to show the crowd.  He is a proud concealer, as I know a number of people are, even in the church.  Jerry believes every Christian should be armed to protect themselves, but I believe we already are.  You see, guns are too small and weak to protect my family and I.  Many may respond to that by getting bigger and more powerful guns — and begin a personal arms race against fear — a race you will never win.  In fact, when you begin the race with fear you have already lost.  That’s what I see driving all of this.  Fear of enemies and of death.

 

What does Jesus teach us about our fears?  You can open your Bible to Luke 6:27 or Matthew 5:38 and start reading .  We are not to fear our enemies — but LOVE them!  Even in the face of violence!  But some will exclaim, “but these enemies with KILL US’!  I must ask you a hard question.  If you are a Christian why do you fear death?  Read John 12:24-26 — Jesus calls us to die in his service as we follow him — WHENEVER OUR TIME COMES.

 

 Yet I hear Christians, so fearful of death that they will even prepare to kill others to preserve their own life?  Hasn’t God preserved your life well so far?  Doesn’t he protect you as drive your car?  Driving is the most life threating activity out there — about 1000 times more people are killed every year in cars than all the mass shootings in America — so do you buy a tank to drive to work?  Cancer kills thousands every year — your pistol won’t protect you from that will it?  Your guns are too small.

 Don’t be deceived into believing, “I can trust God and my guns”.  Fear of death won’t be eliminated by carrying a gun — only trusting Jesus in and for life and death do we overcome those fears.

 

 At the moment of truth you will reach for God or your gun, prayer or your pistol.  All I’m asking is you deeply consider in the light of Jesus’ life and words — which is the more powerful protector — your God or your gun?  I welcome your responses to this question.