THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES and CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Christian Military Fellowship
Fred's Facts 4 |
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THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES and CHURCHES OF CHRISTChristian Military Fellowship
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Fred's Facts includes Bible studies, Christian history studies, and hopefully provocative discussion of Bible-based subjects of interest to servicemen and women. This page also includes offers of free Bible study materials and will include many other features, as we develop them in the months ahead. Feedback on these studies from our readers is encouraged! Also, suggestions from readers on subjects to be included in these studies and discusssions are welcome. Messages should be sent to Fred at cmf@cncnet.com! Following is our fourth study: |
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Many years ago while serving in the Air Force overseas, I received a letter from a missionary acquaintance. He was developing a tract on whether a Christian should serve in the military and wanted to know what my thoughts were on the subject. I had really not thought about this subject very seriously before and didn't give him a very intelligent response. But a couple of years ago, I was asked to preach the Memorial Day sermon at our church. I decided to preach on this almost forgotten issue, which required me to do serious Bible study to see what God had to say on the subject. After all, nobody else's opinion on this subject really matters anyway, does it? It of course would have been easy to cite some Old Testament examples where God instructed the Israelites to go to war against one of their pagan neighbors to show that God approved of military service. But that wasn't the question. The question was whether a modern-day Christian can be a soldier, sailor, airman or marine and still be acceptable to our Lord! |
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The centurion had a servant who was paralyzed and he asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus said, "I will go and heal him." But the centurion said, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." Jesus was "astonished" at the centurion's words. This Roman understood authority and knew that Jesus had ultimate authority! He knew that if Jesus had the authority to heal diseases, he could heal this servant without going to him. Jesus responded, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." So Jesus said, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And the servant was healed "that very hour." So what does this passage tell us about Jesus' attitude toward military people? It tells us that he looked at military people the same way he looked at everyone else---he looked at their hearts. And when Jesus looked at this centurion's heart, he found something he really liked---the man's great faith. Jesus also recognized this soldier's humbleness. The centurion recognized his own unworthiness. He knew what kind of life he had led, probably including the killing of men in battle. He felt unworthy to have Jesus even enter his home! But let's also look at what Jesus did NOT say to this centurion. He did NOT say that being a soldier was unacceptable to God. He did NOT say that this centurion would have to agree to change careers before his servant would be healed. He did NOT say that, to be a part of God's Church which would soon be established, he would have to find new employment. He did NOT say that, to be a Christian, you can't be a soldier! |
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John the Baptist preached to the crowds he was baptizing in the Jordan River that they needed to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance." He said, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." Then two soldiers came to him, perhaps thinking about the things they had done as soldiers, and asked John, "What should we do?" John replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely---be content with your pay." Because of John's preaching, these soldiers realized that their lives weren't acceptable to God. And they wanted to know what they needed to do to get right with God. John could have told them to leave the Army and get a more godly job. But he DIDN'T do that. John could have told them to refuse to use their weapons against the enemies of their country. But he DIDN'T do that. Instead, John the Baptist told them not to use their positions of authority to extort money from the people. And he told them not to bear false witness against anyone. And he told them to be content with their pay and not try to supplement it illegally. In other words, John told them to live honorably with their neighbors. So, John the Baptist---led by the Holy Spirit---believed that one COULD be a soldier and still be a follower of God! |
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God used a vision to lead Peter to the home of Cornelius, the Roman centurion. An angel appeared to Cornelius and said, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter." The men traveled to Joppa and, meeting Peter, said, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." When Peter arrived at Cornelius' home, the centurion "fell at his feet in reverence." Peter preached Jesus to Cornelius and the others in his house, and while Peter was still speaking, "the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message" and they spoke in tongues and praised God. Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." And Peter "ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." The conversion of Cornelius and his household took place about ten years after the birth of the church at Pentecost. Peter and the other apostles had been responsible for the conversion of 3000 people at Pentecost (Acts 2:37-41) and many thousands of others during those ten years. But those converted were all Jews or Gentiles who had previously converted to Judaism. Nothing had yet been done by the apostles about carrying out the great commission given them by Jesus in Matt. 28:19 to "make disciples of all nations." God sent Peter to Cornelius to remind Peter that Christianity was for all nations, not just the Jews. But the question for our study is, "Why Cornelius?" Out of all the Gentiles in the world, why did God choose a SOLDIER to be the first Gentile converted directly to Christianity? Who would you and I have chosen? Somehow, I doubt that we would have picked a Roman centurion. Human thinking would say, "We had better pick someone who would be admired by most people and whose occupation would not be offensive to anyone---and certainly we have to stay away from Roman soldiers! The Romans were hated by the Jews, because the Romans had defeated them in battle and occupied their country. And it was Roman soldiers who had accomplished this! But God DOESN'T follow conventional human thinking. He DIDN'T rule out Cornelius because he was a Roman soldier. And he DIDN'T tell him to change careers in order to qualify! God looked at Cornelius' heart and saw that this centurion was "devout and God-fearing," and that "he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." The angel said to him, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God." God evaluated Cornelius and saw that the Roman soldier was, in fact, the ideal person to be the first Gentile convert---because his heart was right! So we see that God DOESN'T have a problem with military people, providing they live godly lives. In fact, He loves them, just like He loves the rest of us! |
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God selected Cornelius just as he was---a committed Roman soldier in an army known for its ruthlessness. God believed He could use a Roman soldier like Cornelius in His Kingdom. If God found Cornelius acceptable---just as he was---would He not also find believing members of the 21st century U.S. Armed Forces to be acceptable, too---just as they are? Of course, He would! Thus, it is acceptable for a Christian to serve in his or her nation's Armed Forces. Christian servicemen and women can be assured that their profession is acceptable to their Heavenly Father. They need not feel themselves inferior in any way to other Christians and do not need to apologize at all for the careers they have chosen. They need only to be---like Cornelius---"devout and God-fearing" people. Christian servicemen and women---like all Christians---need to be people of great commitment to Jesus Christ who strive to be as much like Him as possible! |
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| Fred invites you to send him some feedback about this Bible Study. Did you agree with the conclusion? Is another conclusion more appropriate, in your opinion? Did you find this Bible study useful? Did it provide you information you didn't already possess? What additional information would you have liked to have seen included? Will you continue to read future studies? Comments and questions may be sent to Fred at PO Box 2408, Oroville, CA 95965, or E-mailed to cmf@cncnet.com. |