Eight
innocent people, mostly women, at a spa in Georgia were sadly killed by a gunman
who justified killing them due to a sex-addiction afflicting him. [1] You have probably
heard by now how the gunman hated Asians since most of his victims were Asian
and that he had a passion for guns and God, but even the gunman himself had
admitted that the color and ethnicity of his victims had nothing to do with his
reasons for murdering them. He blamed
the spas he frequented for the temptations that he was beset with but if that
was the case, then why couldn’t he have just stopped frequenting those places where
he would be exposed to what he believed might cause him to sin?
Scripture
says that we are to resist and flee from temptation and from anything that may
lead us into doing that which is sinful and evil in the eyes of the Lord, but
when does scripture ever tell us to kill people in order to escape temptation?
As
it is written, our war is not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high
places. (Eph. 6:12)
If
there are places that consist of things that may cause you stumble, avoid those
places.
Change
the channel on your television if you come across programming containing
content of bad influence and which may defile the mind and heart and if it
comes down to it, cancel your cable or satellite service.
If
you don’t think that what you are listening to on the radio is fit for your ears,
turn the dial.
If
you are surfing the web, use the cursor to turn away from sites that might lure
you into sin or which you might find disagreeable.
Do
not keep for your company those who might lure you into trouble. Surround yourself with those who will be of
an edifying influence and who will not purposely lead you into a wrong way.
Don’t
attempt to justify or rationalize your sin or giving into temptation, turn away
as scripture commands us. It is also
written that when we are tempted, that God will always provide a way of escape.
(1 Cor. 10:13) but when He does, are you willing to take that way of escape? The one who seeks to please and honor his
King will, but the one who does not will just simply continue to make excuses
for why he or she continues to live in their sin; excuses that will not be
accepted on the day of judgment. Unless
they cease to excuse and rationalize their sin and turn away therefrom, they
will not find themselves in a very favorable position when they come to stand before
the One they claim is their Savior and Lord (Mt. 7:21-23, 24:47-51, Heb. 10:26)
because they continued to take more pleasure in sin than in righteousness,
lived more for themselves than for God, and set their heart more on the things
of this present world rather than on the things of the Kingdom.
The
actions of the gunman are certainly not representative of most who profess to
follow Christ and who love their nation, but sadly, the enemies of our God and
America will use this incident to make those who follow our Lord and who hold
to the ideals of liberty to be the threat and danger to society that they are
not in the minds of those who do not know God or His scriptures and who have
been made ignorant of the principles of liberty and how we benefit from them
which is why it is so vitally important that we show the world that not only do
we love and care for one another as the scripture commands us to (Jn. 15:12)
but that we must also hold one another accountable for conduct not becoming of
that which we profess to hold (Mt.
18:15-17, 1 Cor. 5) and for
preaching doctrine and ideology at odds with the faith and values that we
profess to hold (Titus 1:13, 3:10) but unfortunately, accountability is lacking
in the name of love and tolerance among the ranks and when the hypocrisy, evil,
and corruption that we have permitted into our ranks, in the name of tolerance
and love, is exposed by they who would discredit us, the name of our Lord is
disgraced, blasphemed, and ridiculed and with it the very principles that were
founded upon His name, including the liberties that we claim to hold dear.
And
it is only by holding one another accountable that we show the world that those
who profess to worship the same God that we do and love the same liberties we
love but preach and do that which is contrary thereto are not representing the
values upon which our liberties are founded or representative who the followers
of Christ are, the God that we worship, nor the teachings of the scriptures
upon which we stand.
Were the women that this man killed intending to be a stumbling block or a vessel of temptation to anyone? Probably not. All they wanted was just to simply enjoy a day of relaxation at a spa.
As
for those who may be serving as vessels of the tempter, I can only pray that
their eyes may be opened to the consequences that their actions and influence may
have on others that they may cease to be a vessel of Satan and submit
themselves to being servants and instruments for the glory of God that they may
escape the judgment that may otherwise come upon them which will be more severe
than what will fall upon they whom they tempt and we can only pray that they
who are tempted may have their eyes opened to the dangers and possible
consequences of the temptations that are besetting them that they may flee from
those temptations and thereby be delivered from the dangers to which they would
otherwise succumb and that instead, run to the very Savior who is able to
deliver their souls from the destruction that they may otherwise face for all
eternity.
End
Notes:
1. Tom Pappert, “George Shooter Confesses,
Blames Sex Addiction Even As Democrats, GOP Chairwoman Blame Hate Against
Asians---Police,” National File, March
17, 2021
Scripture
references:
1. Ephesians 6:12
2. 1 Corinthians 10:13
3. Matthew 7:21-23, 24:47-51
4. Hebrews 10:26
5. John 15:12
6. Matthew 18:15-17
7. 1 Corinthians 5
8. 2 Titus 1:13, 3:10
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