Defining violence
Deuteronomy 19:16-20Exodus 20:16 – Do not bear false witness. Bearing false witness is an attempt to do violence to another.Exodus 23:1-2I Kings 21:9-10 – Ahab and Jezebel did violence in taking Naboth’s vineyard.Psalm 97:12Psalms 35:11-15Psalms 55:9-11Isaiah 59:3-8God’s attitude toward violence
Violence is punished!Genesis 6:11-13Psalms 7:14Psalms 11:5-7John 18:36How do we prevent violence in our lives?
On earth, we will be faced with violence.Proverbs 1:10-14 – We can be enticed to violence by others.Psalms 73:3 – Envy can lure us to violence.We may have a strong emotional desire to right wrongs. This tests the righteous man (Psalms 11:5). The righteous man fails the test when he is violent himself (James 1:12-15).Examples of violence
Religious Violence and Abortion: The Gideon ProjectMen blew up an abortion clinic and were convicted for it.They saw an evil and decided to correct it through violent means, which was not right.The men belonged to a denominational church that practiced tongue-speaking. This might have contributed somewhat in that false, modern-day tongue-speaking can lead people to believe God said things He did not say.“Hatchet Granny” tearing up bars to fight against alcohol.Dinah was violated, so Simeon and Levi committed violence to avenge her (Genesis 34; 49:4-7).Current events may cause otherwise good people to be tempted to violence.With so many wrongs surrounding us, what can we do?
Jesus was cruelly treated with great violence, but responding with violence was not the answer. Acts 2:38
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