Christian Position of Military Service

Driving home: let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of god for the powers that be are ordained of god he that therefore he that resisteth the power withstandeth the ordinance of the power of god and …

Martin describes how some interpret Romans 12:17-21 to mean Christians should never engage in conflict, even suggesting giving sandwiches to enemies instead of fighting, which he then refutes by moving to Romans 13.

don't know God hath a strong point on this she asked she said I am wash your face your heart governmentful to the early days he did and in the Court but not when the judge is το works are observed and thy arms areuped theyữa healed hath in man my death hath done thyself of those having sinned unto God the bible's plain instead of going out on a battlefield with a gun go on out with a lunch bucket and go to your enemy and don't shoot bullets at him put sandwiches under his nose and they would base it on a passage such as this but let's read right on now unless we're prepared to accuse the apost...

9:25 - 10:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of god for the powers that be are ordained of god he that therefore he that resisteth the power withstandeth the ordinance of the power of god and …

He clarifies that the 'sword' in Romans 13:4 was not a decoration but the instrument of execution in the Roman context, emphasizing the government's power to inflict capital punishment.

is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he, that is, the civil governor, the powers that are ordained of God, is the minister of God to thee for good. But is that all he is? No. But if thou doest that which is evil, be afraid. For he beareth not the sword in vain. Now, in the Roman context, what was the sword? Was it something you put up on your wall in your den to decorate it? No? All right, it was the instrument of execution.

10:52 - 11:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: For he is a minister of God, and a venger for wrath to him that doeth evil. Now, in the preceding context, God says, vengeance is mine. Now, according to Romans 13, what is one channel through which God cuts a path for h…

Martin explains that the civil governor acts as a channel through which Almighty God avenges wrath upon evildoers, reconciling God's statement 'vengeance is mine' with the government's role.

And this passage says, he beareth not the sword in vain. Why? Because he has usurped the sword against the director. Are these the instructions of Matthew 5? No. For he is a minister of God, and a venger for wrath to him that doeth evil. Now, in the preceding context, God says, vengeance is mine. Now, according to Romans 13, what is one channel through which God cuts a path for his vengeance to men? Not the only, but what is one of the channels according to Romans 13?

11:29 - 12:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not usurp the rights and prerogatives of the civil government or have a disposition of getting even in one-to-one relationships with other individuals.

He explains how rabbinical teachers wrongly applied Old Testament civil law (e.g., 'eye for an eye') as a basis for personal ethics, which Christ corrected, emphasizing personal non-vindictiveness.

Yes, and this was the error into which these followers of the rabbinical teaching had fallen. This direction quoted from the Old Testament is in the context of the administration of Old Testament civil law. If someone had wronged an Israelite and that wrong could be proven by two or three times, you would be in danger. You would be in danger, you wouldn't be in witnesses before the elders or the judges of Israel, God was giving them direction as to how proper restitution should be made in this, quote, civil suit. And now they were picking it up and applying it as a basis and a framework of per...

13:54 - 15:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now either you've got to say that God was evil in doing that or you've got to back off from the position that war is intrinsically evil that taking human life is intrinsically evil it is not intrinsically evil the circum…

Martin cites God's command to Joshua and His presence in Israel's battles against the Canaanites as evidence that war is not intrinsically evil, but an instrument of God's judgment.

God not only commanded Joshua and his armies to go in and fight but God himself pledged his presence to give them success and in reading Old Testament history again and again you have this language and Jehovah fought for them that there was a peculiar presence and power of God attending the whacking and hacking of the swords of the soldiers of Israel when they went out against Canaanites they became instruments of God to bring judgment upon the Canaanite nations and you remember that was not arbitrary the very timing of the conquest of Canaan was bound up with God's judgment upon the iniquity ...

17:30 - 18:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now either you've got to say that God was evil in doing that or you've got to back off from the position that war is intrinsically evil that taking human life is intrinsically evil it is not intrinsically evil the circum…

He uses the example of God's long-suffering with the Amorites until their iniquity was 'full' to show that God's timing for judgment through war is not arbitrary.

God not only commanded Joshua and his armies to go in and fight but God himself pledged his presence to give them success and in reading Old Testament history again and again you have this language and Jehovah fought for them that there was a peculiar presence and power of God attending the whacking and hacking of the swords of the soldiers of Israel when they went out against Canaanites they became instruments of God to bring judgment upon the Canaanite nations and you remember that was not arbitrary the very timing of the conquest of Canaan was bound up with God's judgment upon the iniquity ...

17:30 - 18:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood

Martin quotes Jeremiah ('Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood') to illustrate that there are times when not taking life is disobedience to God.

there are certain situations when it is positively evil not to take human life when the refusal to take human life is done so in disobedience to the clear teaching of the Word of God and you remember how God judged his people that's why the Prophet Jeremiah could say cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people and slay you remember what he did to King Saul why was he deposed from being a king God had said to go in and do w...

18:56 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood

The story of King Saul being deposed for sparing the Amalekites and their cattle, despite God's command to destroy them utterly, demonstrates God's view on unwillingness to kill at His command.

there are certain situations when it is positively evil not to take human life when the refusal to take human life is done so in disobedience to the clear teaching of the Word of God and you remember how God judged his people that's why the Prophet Jeremiah could say cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people and slay you remember what he did to King Saul why was he deposed from being a king God had said to go in and do w...

18:56 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood

He mentions reading an article about evangelical feminists calling for disarmament, which he finds inconsistent with the God of the Bible who executes vengeance.

there are certain situations when it is positively evil not to take human life when the refusal to take human life is done so in disobedience to the clear teaching of the Word of God and you remember how God judged his people that's why the Prophet Jeremiah could say cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully and keepeth back his sword from blood when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people when God says go in and kill your people and slay you remember what he did to King Saul why was he deposed from being a king God had said to go in and do w...

18:56 - 20:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: the basic problem with the Mennonite position and the so-called Christian pacifist position is that it has its roots in a truncated view of the scriptures. It comes out of the Anabaptist movement, which is basically a On…

Martin characterizes the Anabaptist/Christian pacifist position as a 'One Testament religion' because it effectively disregards the Old Testament's teaching on God's use of war, similar to the liberal thesis.

Well, I think now you're opening up the question into a realm that would demand a much more extensive and logically thought-out thesis than I'd be prepared to give on my feet. I mean, I could talk off the cuff, as it were, to some of the reaction to that, but the basic problem with the Mennonite position and the so-called Christian pacifist position is that it has its roots in a truncated view of the scriptures. It comes out of the Anabaptist movement, which is the Anabaptist movement, which is the Anabaptist movement, which is the Anabaptist movement, which is the Anabaptist movement, which i...

21:33 - 22:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not make a judgment on a matter before hearing it, as it is accounted folly.

Martin recounts his experience in South Africa, stating that media portrayals are often distorted, and direct observation reveals a different reality, cautioning against judging situations solely based on media reports.

No, I'm serious. I'm not being cheeky or being sarcastic. As I told you when I came back from South Africa, if all you know about South Africa is what you read in the papers, you don't know the situation in South Africa.

31:19 - 31:31 Read in full sermon

The point: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, trusting that God will give wisdom to resolve situations according to biblical principles.

He uses the hypothetical question of whether a Christian should lie to protect his family from abuse as an example of complex ethical dilemmas that can be debated endlessly but require God's wisdom in the moment.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God. And in any situation, the believer has God's promises that if he's determined to be obedient to the Lord in the outworkings of the tensions of various lines of biblical practice, principles, God will give him wisdom to resolve that situation according to the principles of the word of God. It's like the question, would I lie if someone came to my house and forcefully tried to abuse my wife and my children? Is there ever justification for a lie?

32:01 - 32:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for the wisdom needed to apply biblical principles in given circumstances, in the confidence that God will both give wisdom and grace.

He compares endless hypothetical ethical questions to the scholastic debate of 'how many angels can fit on the head of a pin,' suggesting they are academic and less practical.

Some of those questions, you can carry them on. It ends up like the questions how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. But in the given situation, the Christian whose conscience is continually being honed by the word of God can cry to God for the wisdom needed to apply the biblical principles in that given circumstance in the confidence that God will both give him wisdom and grace. It's like someone asking the question, do you believe you could take being tortured for Christ for ten years in the prison?

32:34 - 33:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God for the wisdom needed to apply biblical principles in given circumstances, in the confidence that God will both give wisdom and grace.

He uses the question of whether one could endure torture for Christ for ten years as an academic question, emphasizing reliance on God's promises of grace and sufficiency in actual trials.

Some of those questions, you can carry them on. It ends up like the questions how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. But in the given situation, the Christian whose conscience is continually being honed by the word of God can cry to God for the wisdom needed to apply the biblical principles in that given circumstance in the confidence that God will both give him wisdom and grace. It's like someone asking the question, do you believe you could take being tortured for Christ for ten years in the prison?

32:34 - 33:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not identify with any movement that does not derive its perspectives out of the Word of God, as humanism will eventually manifest itself and compromise biblical authority.

Martin shares that he supported his 19-year-old son registering for the draft, demonstrating his personal commitment to the position he is advocating.

And I should add, for someone who may not be aware of it, I'm not just speaking theoretically. When that announcement went out about all 19 to 21 year olds registering in the light of the eventuality of the draft, I was in favor of that proposition and I have a 19 year old son. So I'm not whistling Dixie on this issue. I think I've put my hand, as it were, where my mouth is.

33:52 - 34:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not identify with any movement that does not derive its perspectives out of the Word of God, as humanism will eventually manifest itself and compromise biblical authority.

He recounts a story of a Right to Life leader arguing against capital punishment based on being 'for life in the womb and out of the womb,' which Martin critiques as 'sheer humanism' inconsistent with biblical teaching.

All humanism, left or right or center, stands under the judgment of God. And the Christian church stands outside of the full spectrum of political thought and can have a prophetic utterance to the whole spectrum, wherever it deviates from biblical principles. It can speak to that issue with prophetic authority and with prophetic power. For instance, someone was telling me recently that, some time ago, and they are quite active in the Right to Life movement, they heard one of the past leaders, I guess, of the New Jersey chapter of the Right to Life, make the statement that we pro-lifers, we're ...

34:51 - 35:33 Read in full sermon

The point: When dealing with people who hold positions contrary to biblical truth, generally it's best not to come at the position they hold directly, but to try to get at some of the presuppositions.

Martin points out the 'terrible contradiction' of those who are most militant against the military and the draft also being most militant for abortion on demand, calling it 'moral insanity.'

And it's these presuppositions which give birth to and support that position. Generally speaking, now this would not be true of our Mennonite friends, but generally speaking, those who, and it's a terrible contradiction, but it's just a fact, those who are against, quote, the industrial military complex and want to see no draft in a dismantling of our arms and our army and everything else, are the ones who are most militant for abortion on demand.

37:10 - 37:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Be wise physicians of souls, addressing the real problem (e.g., human depravity) rather than merely the patient's self-diagnosis.

He compares a wise doctor who doesn't treat a patient based on their self-diagnosis but addresses the real need, to Christians being wise physicians of souls, addressing underlying presuppositions rather than just surface issues.

Well, now you have an opportunity to start a basis of presenting the gospel, which is your real concern. You're not just indifferent to their question, but knowing what the real problem is as a wise physician. When the patient comes all convinced that he's diagnosed his problem, a wise doctor doesn't treat him in terms of the self-diagnosis of the patient. Having better and more extensive knowledge of what the patient's needs may be, he then goes to work on what the real need is.

39:45 - 40:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expresses gratitude for the Hyde Amendment upholding the government's right not to fund abortions, refuting arguments of discrimination against the poor with a logical…

Martin uses the analogy of a poor murderer needing government funds to buy a gun to illustrate the illogical nature of arguing that not funding abortions for the poor is 'discrimination.'

And the Hyde Amendment is the amendment which says that the government is not under obligation to fund abortion upon demand. Now, the woolly-headed thinking again cries out, that's discrimination against the poor women that want abortions. That's like saying every murderer that wants to kill if he can't afford a gun, give him the money, or that's discrimination against poor killers.

41:09 - 41:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Unless the government is commanding us to do something that is clearly unscriptural, we have no right to resist the directions given to us by our government.

He highlights the inconsistency of those who loudly protested the Vietnam War but remained silent about the subsequent mass killings and brutal relocations in Cambodia and Vietnam, questioning their motives.

Yeah. Yeah, it's amazing to me again, all those that scream the loudest about the injustice of our presence in Vietnam, how silent they've been about the slaying, literally, and this can be documented, of millions of Cambodians, Vietnamese, and the brutal, heartless relocation, the emptying of the cities, the herding of people like animals into collective farm systems. As I've read some of the accounts not by Christians, not by right-wing politicians, but by ordinary news reporters, it has been absolutely unbelievable. And I wonder, where's all the cry? We don't hear it. Where's Jane Fonda up ...

43:14 - 44:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Unless the government is commanding us to do something that is clearly unscriptural, we have no right to resist the directions given to us by our government.

Martin reflects on the 'arrogance of the ignorance' of those in the anti-war movement of the 60s, who, despite their lack of knowledge about international politics, presumed to tell the government how to run its business.

But when it's a matter of private judgment, God calls us to submission the same way He calls children to submit to their parents. He doesn't say if you in every point are convinced that their judgment is right. It is only at the point where their directions are patently unscriptural that a child is to oppose his parents, that a member of a church is to oppose his elders, that a citizen is to oppose his government. And to me, as a Christian, the great tragedy of the anti-war movement of the 60s was here were young squirts in their early 20s who didn't know nothing about nothing except how to ge...

44:49 - 45:42 Read in full sermon