How Should a Christian View the Gun Control Debate?

We’re tackling another controversial topic in the men’s podcast today.  A topic that has become highly politicized, and is sure to turn up the intensity of a conversation at the next family get together or company outing.  We’re talking about gun control.  How should Christians view the gun control debate?  As with any other issue, what does God’s Word say about it?  Does it say anything about it?  I think we’re going to see today that it does offer wisdom on this topic.  

Our conversation today is really going to have three movements:

1. Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of others?  How we answer that question is going to have a big impact on how we view the gun control debate.  If we do believe there are times when that is justified, that leads to the question- is there a limit as to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others?  In other words, are we saying it’s OK to use a baseball bat to defend your family as a Christian, but it is not ok to use a gun.  If it is OK to use a gun, should we put a limit on the types of guns you can use?  
2. Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths?  Regardless of the answer to the preceding question, if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them if they feel a moral obligation to protect those around them?  
3. Lastly, as believers, what is our ultimate source of protection?  Where do we place our trust – in our arsenal or in Almighty God?  

So that’s where we’re headed.  Let’s get into this first point of conversation.  

Defense and Protection

Is a Christian justified in taking someone’s life in self defense or in the defense of someone else? If this is justified, is there a limit to what extent a Christian is able to defend themselves or others? 

Exodus 22:2 – “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. 

• Breaking and entering a home in the night could expose the intruder to the loss of his life (justifiable homicide), in which case the householder would not be held responsible – Expositor’s Bible Commentary 
• The next verse goes on to say, “If it happens in the daytime, he would be guilty of murder.” A man’s possessions are not worth another man’s life.  However, at night, without witnesses, there is no way to know the intentions of the man breaking in.  Is he just trying to steal good or does he have other intentions?  
• In the Ten Commandments, commandment number 6 is “Thou shall not murder.” It isn’t though shall not kill. 
  • Expositor’s bible commentary: The sixth commandment forbids murder. The ethical theology that lies behind this prohibition is that all humans have been created in the image of God (Ge 1:26-27; 9:6). While Hebrew possesses seven words for killing, the word used here (rasah; ) appears only forty-seven times in the OT. This is the one word that could signify “murder” where premeditation and intentionality are present. Thus this prohibition does not apply to beasts (Ge 9:3), to defending one’s home from night-time burglars (Ex 22:2), to accidental killings (Dt 19:5), to the execution of murderers by the state (Ge 9:6), or to involvement with one’s nation in certain types of war. It does apply, however, to self-murder (i.e., suicide), to all accessories to murder (2Sa 12:9), and to those who have authority but fail to use it to punish known murderers (1Ki 21:19).

Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

• This may be the argument used by Christian pacifists who would say it is never OK to kill someone because the new covenant replaced the law. 
• Most people are right handed.  A slap on the right cheek is a backhanded slap.  It is primarily an insult.  It is not indicative of someone who is trying to kill you or cause you serious bodily harm. 
• Jesus also commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. This creates a moral obligation for us to protect our neighbors, in addition to ourselves.  
• As a believer, there may be a time when God calls me to simply lay down my life.  I think of Christians in the middle east who have been lined up by religious terrorists and beheaded. They didn’t fight.  They knew God was in control.  But what about our neighbors that don’t know Jesus? It’s one thing for me to lay down my life knowing I’m going to meet my Savior and spend eternity with him.  It’s quite another to stand by and watch someone who doesn’t know Jesus head into eternal separation from God. 

Leviticus 19:16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord” 

• This is another commandment to protect those around us.  I believe there is a pattern we see in scripture where we are called to protect the most vulnerable.  
• There doesn’t seem to be limitations placed on how we are to protect.  There’s nothing expressly communicated in scripture that says we can only use our bare hands or that 
• Even most “pro-gun” citizens acknowledge there is some limit to the types of weapons a private citizen should have.  You don’t find many folks arguing for hand grenades and RPGs in the home.  
• Our ability to protect ourselves and others needs to be on par with the level of the threat against our safety.

Is it possible to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us and still carry a firearm for personal protection?  Could we justifiably kill someone we’re supposed to love?  

• Sodom and Gomorrah 
• Korah – earth swallowed and fire devoured 

 Government Control 

Would stricter gun laws reduce gun deaths, and if stricter gun laws are enacted, are Christians obligated to obey them?  

• U.S. owns more guns than any other nation – ranked 22nd in gun deaths per capita, remove suicides and it ranks even lower
• I’m old enough to remember pulling into my high school parking lot and seeing more trucks than not that had rifles in the gun rack of the back windshield.  We never had any shootings in high school  
• Cities in the U.S. with the strictest gun control legislation regularly lead the nation in gun related deaths. 
• Certainly it seems that data from other countries like Australia suggests that the total number of gun deaths would decrease if gun buy-back programs were mandated and the total number of guns was reduced.  But, are we protecting the most vulnerable if law abiding citizens agree to sell their guns, but the criminals don’t? 

We have a greater sin issue than we do a gun issue

Mark 7:21-22 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

What if stricter gun laws are enacted?  What is the Christian response? 

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.

• Expositor’s Bible Commentary: The teaching in this section is addressed to “everyone,” i.e., every believer. What Paul requires is to “submit” to those who ruled from Rome. Submission means placing oneself under someone else. Paul seems to avoid using the stronger word “obey” (cf. also v.5), probably because believers may find it impossible to comply with every demand of the government. A circumstance may arise in which they must choose between obeying God and obeying people (Ac 5:29). But even then they must be submissive in that, if their Christian convictions do not permit their compliance, they will accept the consequences of such refusal.

1 Peter 2:13-14  For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

Acts 5:29  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.

• Context of religious leaders telling them not to speak in the name of Jesus. This would be direct disobedience to the command Jesus gave them in the Great commission.  

In our democratic republic, what is the highest authority?  Is it the constitution?  If a law is unconstitutional are we still required to obey?  What if the constitution was amended?  Do we view scripture through the lens of the constitution instead of the other way around?  

Ultimate Protection 

As believers, what is our ultimate source of protection and where do we place our trust? Is it in our arsenal or Almighty God?  

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

• Horses and chariots were the weapons of war at the time.  
• Preparation is Biblical, but our hope and trust are misplaced if they are in anything other than God.
• Are we spending as much or more time praying as we are on the range? 

Close

Wherever you end up landing on this debate, I hope the primary force motivating you is what you believe God’s Word says- not how you “feel about it” or just what you grew up with.  We don’t need to allow a difference of opinion on this issue to cause us to break fellowship with other bel