UI – Part 312 – Prophets and Swords (4)

This is the last of the series – Prophets and Swords. It began with The Sword of Muhammad.

Separation of God’s Laws and Government’s Laws

Jesus said this, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight.”[i] “The weapons of our (Christ followers) warfare are not worldly.”[ii] From Wayne Gruden’s book, Systematic Theology, “The church has the power of the keys, which is spiritual power. It is to carry out spiritual battles using spiritual weapons, but is not to use the power of the sword to accomplish its purposes.”[iii]

Civil authorities enact laws and can use punishment against evil for the common good. This God permits. The Bible (thus God) does not call for a theocracy where the government and the church are essentially the same, overlapping in their conduct of business. Separation from the rule of law for every one (of all persuasions, religions and preferences) and the laws of God are called for. God grants that authorities, governing bodies, are independent, yet there is an expectation that the moral and ethical practices employed are of a Biblical nature – as expressed and outlined as a guide in the Word. Just “do what is right and you will be commended.”[iv] We are all servants of God, whether that is what we desire or not. We will be used for his purposes, but not to carry out his wrath – that will be his on Judgment Day. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”[v] We must prepare ourselves for that Day as we choose, not as dictated to us by our President or Military Commander. Recall what Jesus also said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”[vi]

Know this. God does not expect everyone to have a life eternal with him. Believers yes, others, no. God does not call for earthly governments to pre-determine those who would be His. They are to maintain peace and provide a safe and secure environment for all. God never asked authorities to take the life of a non-believer, making such judgments on his behalf.

Voluntary Followers; Required Followers

Allegiance to Christ, to the church, is voluntary. Allegiance to Allah, to Muhammad and the Quran is required. Beware the sword of the Prophet Muhammad. Does that make Muhammad a false prophet? Certainly he is not Biblical.

The Bible does not force followers to follow, thus we have the source for ‘freedom of religion.’ This is not what Islam means when it considers other religions. In fact the ‘No compulsion in religion’ clause in the Quran was abrogated, thus not in effect. Muhammad changed the rules. Thus ‘no compulsion in religion’ is called for or only if it applies to Islam.

The Prophet’s Sword

The nature of Muhammad to bear arms to grow his ideology or religion is evidence that he is not godly or a servant of the Lord. He is but a false prophet, possibly a servant of Satan. “Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ This is what the sovereign Lord says, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!…Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, ‘The Lord declares,’ though I (the Lord) have not spoken.”[vii]

Many swords used by the Prophet Muhammad  

Deception – Convinced/Converted by Sword

The Quran refers to Allah as ‘the best of deceivers.’ Read this, from 2 Peter and 2 John. “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord.”[viii] “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”[ix] From the Quran, 3:54, “And they deceived and Allah deceived, and Allah is the best of the deceivers.”[x] The Arabic term is ‘Makr’, used in the referenced passages as an attribute of Allah, applies to someone sly and dishonest.

Who Should Fight?

The Bible, the spokesperson being Paul, tells Christ followers not to take revenge on those who abuse them. Instead they are to rely on God’s wrath to deal with the enemy. Feed your enemy. He effectively rescinded the principal, an eye for an eye, by commanding those who read his letters not to take revenge, but to overcome evil with good. Live at peace with everyone, be the peacemaker. There is a ‘but’ in all of this. When all else fails fight and defend your rights. When the battle is won, the enemy yields, then be kind and caring. From The Bible Knowledge Commentary – New Testament, “Harmony with others may not always be possible, but believers should not be responsible for that lack of peace.”[xi] “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”[xii]

It is God’s Sword to bear, not Muhammad’s – not the Christian and not the Muslim.

The verse in Deuteronomy[xiii] 18:15 spoken by Moses foretells of the coming of Christ. Muslims falsely portray Muhammad as the one referenced. Note that the one forecast was to come from the ‘Brethren’ (NKJV), the ‘Israelites’(NIV), ‘brothers’ (ESV), ‘countrymen’ (NASB), or the Jews – all the same. The one forecast did not come from the Arabs.

Grace and Peace

[i] John 18:36 NIV

[ii] 2 Corinthians 10:4

[iii] Systematic Theology, by Wayne Gruden, Zondervan publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, 1994, pg 862

[iv] Romans 13:3 NIV

[v] Romans 12:19

[vi] Matthew 22:21

[vii] Ezekiel 13:2-6

[viii] 2 Peter 2:1-2

[ix] 2 John 1:7

[x] Similar language, telling Allah is the Best of Deceivers, is in Quran 3:54, 7:99, 8:30, 10:21, 13:42.

[xi] Bible Knowledge Commentary – New Testament, editors John F. Walvoord & Roy B. Zuck, David C. Cook publishers, Colorado Springs, CO, 1983, pg.490.

[xii] Matthew 5:9

[xiii] Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell address to his people, the people of Israel.