What Would Jesus Not Do! Part #10,

Jesus Would Not War According To The Flesh, 2 Cor. 10:3

By Warren E. Berkley

The modern practice of abortion amounts to abortion-without-qualms for the sake of personal convenience. Men and women and boys and girls engage in sexual activity as they desire ... then when pregnancy occurs, they decide that the fetus doesn't exist as a person ... and on the basis of the Supreme Court decision (Roe V. Wade, 1973) - cheered on by the Left and abortion's vocal defenders, an innocent human being is killed. This is not right! Not only is there scientific evidence of life before birth, the Bible teaches that the unborn child is a human being {2 Chron. 33:6; Gen. 25:22; Ps. 139:13; Lk. 1:36,44; 2:16; Ex. 21:22-25; Rom. 1:31}.

I have no doubt, in the light of this, that Jesus does not approve of abortion. And if He were here on earth today, He would speak out against it, perhaps with more boldness and courage than most of us display. However, I do not believe He would have anything to do with bombing an abortion clinic. Not because of "bad public relations," but on principle, Jesus would not do this. The principle is reflected on the occasion where Jesus told Peter to put up his sword (Jno. 18:10,11).

Our cause may be in keeping with Scripture, but our methods may reflect poor judgment or outright rebellion against the ways of the Lord. We have this instruction in Second Corinthians Ten:

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Paul does not argue against pleading, begging, being bold, casting down arguments, bringing thoughts into captivity to the obedience or Christ and even punishment. But these things are to be done with the spirit identified in verse 1: "the meekness and gentleness of Christ." And there is a prohibitive phrase here: "we do not war according to the flesh!" This is the apostolic pattern. This is what Jesus wants us to know about our militance and methods: we are prohibiting from warring according to the flesh. Jesus wouldn't do this. We - His followers - must not behave this way, even in the pursuit of a good cause!

We are in a battle against sin and error, but we cannot just use any weapons and methods we think might work. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God." We need to put on the whole armor of God, use the Sword of the Spirit and refrain from worldly, carnal weapons. Jesus would not war according to the flesh.

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