Such as carrying/defending your family with weapons?
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In my opinion human beings only have two ways to deal with one another: REASON and FORCE. If you want me to do something for you, you have the choice of convincing me via argument, or force me to do your bidding under threat of force. (Hosea 4:6) In a truly moral and civilized society, people exclusively interact through persuasion. Force has no place as a valid method of social interaction, and the only thing that removes force from the menu is the personal firearm, as paradoxical as it it may sound for some. (Matthew 22:29) Consider the shocking for some; U.S. court decrees that the police have no legal obligation to protect you, that's because as a simple, practical matter, the police can't protect you. (Habakkuk 1:4) The sixth commandment properly translated from Hebrew; "You shall not commit murder" does not forbid the righteous taking of life. (Genesis 14:11-24) (Abram) Abraham arms his 318 servants to hunt down and then violently attack and disperse and kill the four kings holding his nephew Lot captive. Note in this example the burglar enters during two different governing time periods, the first by night (a hot burglary, in your home at rest) the second it's daylight thus one can see and judge the threat level. (Exodus 22:2) "If a burglar is caught in the act of breaking in, and is struck and killed, it is not considered an act of murder" (Exodus 22:3) "But if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed" (Judges 4:21) "But Jael, Heber's wife, picked up a tent peg and hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died." But that's old Testament scripture and we're under the New Testament covenant (with peace, love and gluten free granola bars) some might say. Well then let us turn to the third book, as the Lord Jesus is giving His final instructions to His troops! (Luke 22:35) "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" (Luke 22:36) "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. (Luke 22:38) The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two swords." I submit the Lord knew the season had changed between the first disciple send off and the current one and He was equipping His friends to meet the coming challenges and dangers of this new season. (Psalms 149:6-7; Psalms 149:9) The first training mission build their faith and the second would build their administrative discipline in the correct usage of weapons for spreading the Gospel. Bottom line; Firearms and weapons do not limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, they do limit the actions of those who would chose to do so by force. (Psalms 149:8) If you chose this civilized path of conduct it's your moral and legal responsibility to obtain all the proper and correct training of their usage in very stressful situations. "If a man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live" Dr. Martin Luther King jr. "Those who hammer their guns into plows, will plow for those who do not" Thomas Jefferson In the Lord's freedom a sheepdog standing.................warrior on
My answer comes from a simile that Jesus used directly in the 11th chapter of Luke. He is speaking directly to attacks by the devil, so this certainly would be applicable to any attacks by evil people on this earth: When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Luke 11:21-22, ESV Certainly we must start every day by putting on the full armor of God. And we must always be prepared to use the sword of the Spirit in defending ourselves with offense against the devil and his flaming darts. I infer from Jesus' statement here, though, that we should take all steps necessary to defend our house, even though eventually there may be someone who comes along more heavily armed, more desperate, perhaps vicious, and takes our house from us. A prime lesson is here, from Natural Law and corresponding exercise of right. In the first place, we all have the right to arm ourselves as we feel necessary and as we feel directed by God. No one should take that right away from us. But, we also have to realize that no matter how heavily we arm ourselves, there's always someone out there who is going to be able to overcome any offense we mount. So, obey God according to that which he lays on your heart, arm yourself legally and as heavily as you wish. But, just as with growth in faith, there is a limited worth to anything we try to do for ourselves. In the long run, we must leave all the consequences to God. He is, after all, the ultimate defense.
A good father is like a shepherd who protects his sheep from enemies. He takes arms if necessary. 1 Samuel 7:34-37 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
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