Last Sunday our attendance suffered because of the huge Spring snow storm. We are praising God for the snow because we certainly needed the moisture. Those of us who did make it to Church had a great time of blessing from the Lord as we heard the Bible preached and taught.
Now we look forward to next Sunday. As Pastor I encourage you to join with us in public worship of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Next Sunday we will have a special blessing because our Granddaughter, Alana Carithers, wil be with us in the service. She and her family have come out west from Virginia to spend this past week visiting us . Alana is an excellent violinist, a member of the Richmond Symphony in Richmond, VA. She will bless us with violin special music next Sunday in the Morning Service.
This past week the Colorado House of Representatives voted to abolish the death penalty in our State. Should we be concerned? Yes, as Bible Believers we need to learn what the Bible teaches about the subject, The Death Penalty. As a Bible Believer I realize that the Bible does teach that a nation should practice the death penalty for those who have committed murder.
Genesis 9:6 states: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall His blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man.”
This verse teaches that the person who murders another person should pay the price of death for the crime. The one who sheds the blood of another man is actually saying he hates what he sees in that man. But the bible says that man is created in the image of god. So when one murders another he is venting hatred against God.
Genesis 9 introduces a new dispensation in God’s plan for the ages. This new age introduced in Genesis 9 is the Dispensation of Human Government. This is the third dispensation, and it follows the Flood. The Flood was God’s judgment that ended the Second Dispensation. This Age of Human Government is the one in which God gives man the right of man’s government over man. The judicial taking of life is the highest function of human government. And it has been ordained by God.
We are still realizing the fact of human government today. This matter of the judicial taking of life was given for man’s protection. Murder is wrong and must, according to the Bible, be dealt with by using the death penalty. According to the Bible, the one who sheds man’s blood must himself also die.
There are those who say that the death penalty does not deter crime. Again, this is contrary to what the bible teaches.
Note Ecclesiastes 8:11: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”
Note also Deuteronomy 13:10-11 where the death penalty is given for false prophets in Israel.
Then there are those who say that the New Testament is a book of grace and therefore does not teach the death penalty. It is true that the death penalty is not a New Testament prescription for false prophets. But the New Testament does teach that the death penalty remains today as the judicial penalty for murder. Jesus Himself stated: “…for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” (Matt. 27:52) Romans 13 instructs believers to respect governmental authority, even to the point where a policeman is referred to as “the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. (v. 4). Speaking of the governmental authorities that carry out the police protection of society, Romans 13:4 also states that the authority “beareth not the sword in vain.” Therefore we believers should each let our Senators know what we believe is right for our State according to the Bible.
Let’s walk faithfully according to the Bible.
We will look to see you in the services this Sunday.
Pastor Ed Nelson
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