The Nature of Judgment - Part 2

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 1:30

30 For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades,
And as a garden that has no water.

The second thing we need to remember, as noted last time, is that horrible thing, like that in view in this verse, are necessary – from God’s point of view and according to His purposes.  War is sometimes a necessary thing.  Horrible as it is, and terrible as its manifestation and results might be, it is sometimes needful to accomplish the purposes of God in the world.  When the war is a just war, and there is such a thing, then the war is an acceptable, though undesirable thing.

A third thing for us to remember is that war can sometimes be a required thing.  We need to remember that it is incumbent on nations that have power, whether godly or not, to exercise that power in the defense of those who are oppressed and who are being taken undue and unjust advantage of by others.  We have a responsibility to defend the weak, by any and every means, including force if that is necessary.  God will hold us responsible for that charge.  It does not matter of we are a “Christian Nation” or not – we are accountable and must answer, and will answer to God for our stewardship of the power that God has given our nation.  There are times when war is a required thing.

A last thing to remember is that war must be a controlled thing.  Should we go to war, it must be for the right reasons and must be waged in the right fashion.  It is not acceptable to go to war purely for revenge.  Nor is it acceptable to go to war for purely mercenary reasons or because of personal likes and dislikes.  War is to be waged purely for just and definable, defendable reasons.  This is not to say that these other things are not a factor, but they cannot be the primary reason for action.  Further, once war has been entered into, it must be waged in a proper and using as humane a ways and means as is possible.  All steps must be taken to avoid, if possible, the prosecution of the innocent, only humane weapons must be utilized, quarter must be given when required, etc.  War must never be waged in an uncontrolled manner, and the forces of war must always be under the control of those in authority over them.  All steps must be taken to avoid (and punish them should they occur) any atrocities that take place.  In short, war must be waged in as godly and humane a fashion as is possible.

War is terrible and must be abhorred and avoided, even a tremendous cost to the individuals and nations in question.  It is a hateful thing as well as a horrible thing. However, there are times when war is required thing – necessary for a variety of reasons and that, when waged, it must be entered into thoughtfully and carefully, and waged speedily and justly, as well as humanely.  It is only then that we can hope that God might bless and not hold us as another of those in history who are a part of the list of the ungodly aggressors who were, in turn, judged for their sin.