A Lawful Faith

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Romans 3:31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. (NIV)

Yesterday in Britain, five terrorists were given life sentences for conspiring to bring about a worse tragedy than 9/11 in the United Kingdom. The evidence against them showed that they were plotting to plant bombs in nightclubs, poison beer at football stadiums, and even set off a nuclear explosion in a major British city. They appear to have relished the idea that such events would paralyze Britain and hasten the downfall of Western society.

One of the shocking things about this conspiracy is that all five men grew up in the United Kingdom and seem to have lived normal lives. It was only when they came in contact with hatred spewing clerics that their lives changed forever. Instead of using their faith to uphold the law and seek peace with other people, they bought into the unrestrained fanaticism of some of their religious leaders. Thankfully, their conspiracy was discovered and no lives were lost, save those of the five who will remain in prison for a long, long time.

Our faith has had its moments of fanaticism, too, but most modern Christians, like most of their Islamic counterparts, want a peaceful, integrated world where love overcomes fear and peace extinguishes hatred. We are living in times that try our souls and wear out our spirits with worry. As Christians, we need to remain resolute to confront evil, but we also need to seek ways that will bring about a lasting peace. If we allow our faith to become a tool for fanatics, then we will also forget to uphold the law, which is a major part of our calling. If we allow ourselves to be overcome by a xenophobic zeal, we will be just as bad as our enemies.

The way to peace and freedom is an uphill climb all of the time. There is no easy answer to solving the world’s problems right now, but the path involves painstakingly walking in faith whilst upholding the law. Any other solution is just a short cut to disaster.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we need Your peace to reign throughout the world. We know that there are people who want to destroy our faith and freedom, and who will use any tactic or device to do so. Help us to overcome evil by applying Your words and ways, especially when You tell us to love both our neighbors and our enemies. In Your Holy Name, we hopefully pray. Amen.