“i Don’t Like None Of ‘em!”

I’ll give you a great example from the Bible. When David was fighting for the Israelites

and killed Goliath, it wasn’t murder. It was part of a battle. But later in his life when David ordered Uriah the Hittite killed for personal motives, because he committed adultery with his wife and wanted to get him out of the way. That was murder, even though he was killed in a battle, because the motive behind it was personal in nature.

Do you see the difference? So if there are some of you who fought for our country and you’ve killed another man, I don’t want you to let the devil make you feel guilty about that.

By the same token, our government, I believe, does have the right for capital punishment. Look at what it says in Genesis 9:6. “Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.” Do I have to tell you crime is increasing in America? There’s a book by Dr. Gordon Talbot titled,

The Breakdown of Authority. He points out that in America a felony is committed every 20 seconds. Every 20 seconds a felony is committed. And over the last 30 years, church attendance in America has increased 3 percent, while the rate of illegitimate births have increased 300 percent.

Sometimes we think, “Why are we spending all this money for the Lord’s work and on churches?” He points out in his book that for every $1 spent in America on and by churches, $12,000 is spent for crime. $1 to $12,000. Do you know when his book was published? 1976. I wonder what the ratio is today?

I don’t mind telling you I believe the Bible says capital punishment is justified in the word of God. In fact, I want to read you a quote from Dr. Charles Swindoll. Many of you respect Charles Swindoll as I do. Even though this position may seem a little extreme, I tend to agree with him. Charles Swindoll says: I believe if crime is going to reach the media and television, so should capital punishment, and I do not say out of sadism. If the criminal is going to come out on top and we witness his work, we should witness the end result, and is his death. If the dead lie in the street in a pool of their own blood, and the television cameras scan for all the world to see, I’m of the opinion the walls of the penitentiary should be open to the television camera.

And on the day the criminal is put to death, should be televised as well. I know it is a severe position, but the Bible says government does not bear the sword for nothing.

All I know is that at my house when I was growing up, it worked at my house when my dad spanked my brother. Do you know how? I saw and I said, “I’m going to do better.” I behaved for quite awhile after that.

There’s a third reason we ought to submit to our government.

There is a spiritual reason; God set them up. There is an external reason and then.

There is:

3. An internal reason: Keep a clear conscience

Look at verse 5. There are two reasons you obey the government, according to verse 5. One of them is because of possible punishment; we’ve already talked about that, but also because of conscience.