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The Christian Sword
July 4, 2007
Are you spending or wasting your life away believing in fantasy, fiction and lies? Have you established a foundation for your beliefs, a good reason to believe the things you do? Is it a rock solid foundation or merely a whim of false hope?
If your beliefs are based on the Bible, have you proven every one of them beyond the shadow of a doubt or are they based on intimidation and stern repetition? Does the Bible state your beliefs or explain them effectively, or do you have to create your own meaning and interpretation of things? Perhaps you carelessly trust in others to study for you?
The key to understanding God, His creation and His plans is to understand the Bible, His written word. The Bible is historical and prophetic. It explains where man went wrong and the right path to God. It explains the character that man must develop in order to please God. It explains the things that need to be done and the things that must not be done in order to attain God^s gift of eternal life. There is one right way that leads to life. All other ways lead to death.
When you think of God, do you think of who He truly is or are you fabricating him with your imagination. Are your thoughts based on what God has revealed to us through the Bible or do you have baseless thoughts? Is your rock of salvation the God of the Bible or some fictitious or imaginary god?
Those who believe the truth will be saved. Those who believe lies will perish. Have you proven for yourself that the Bible is God^s irrefutable word? Do you trust God whole heartedly and without question or doubt? And do you obey Him?
Psalm 149 speaks of God^s own chosen people exulting in song and joy with high praises of God in their mouths and a two edged sword in their hand. Why a two edged sword? Verse seven explains, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples.
But God says through the Bible; Vengeance is mine And You shall not murder.
Think on this passage. Matthew 5:3 to 12
Blessed [are] the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. 4Blessed they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7Blessed the merciful, for they shall find mercy. 8Blessed the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9Blessed the peace~makers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed they who are persecuted on account of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. 11Blessed are ye when they may reproach and persecute you, and say every wicked thing against you, lying, for my sake. 12Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for thus have they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:3 to 12
Those are the words of Jesus. Does the Bible teach to be merciful and to slay? So is the Bible against itself? Is God double minded and double tongued? Is the Bible fiction? Or can you make sense of this?
The answer must be that the righteous will become God^s own eternal children and that He will exercise His vengeance through these by giving them a two edged sword in their hands once they have attained life.
Consider further. Revelation 19:19 to 21 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:19 to 21 (NASB) Notice in verse 19 that it speaks of Christ^s army. This implies that they are armed. Psalm 149 states one of the things they are armed with, a two edged sword in their hand. The passage in Revelation does not echo Psalm149 in that it is Christ^s two edge sword of His tongue that kills here, not the two edged sword of His army. Or is it? They are after all the body of Christ are they not? We may not know until it is fulfilled. Now read and ponder over Revelation 11:18.
18 And the nations were enraged, and Thy wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond~servants the prophets and to the saints and to those who fear Thy name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth. Revelation 11:18 (NASB) Paul, a professed apostle of Christ, sheds some light on the matter. Ephesians 6:10 to 20 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:10 to 20 (NASB)
Did you notice? Verse 17 states that the sword is the word of God and the word is also called God^s Spirit. Can we conclude then that it is God^s word that separates good from evil and life from death? The unrighteous will not be able to withstand God^s spirit, which is His word and is symbolized by a sword that slays the nations.
Now let^s read Psalm 149. Psalm 149 (NIV) 1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. 4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. 6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double~edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Praise the LORD.
2007 Jacques Gauvin
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