Last Sunday night, well after midnight in Washington DC, President Obama addressed the nation to confirm that Osama bin Laden had been killed, an announcement which sparked celebrations such as this.
[Show video]
I’ve got to admit that the news of bin Laden’s death, as well as much of the reaction to that death really produced some conflicting emotions in me. I was frankly surprised that I didn’t feel as much happiness and satisfaction regarding his death as I thought I would have. So it has been really interesting to me to watch much of the discussion this week among Christians about how we ought to respond to the death of this terrorist.
So I’m going to take a different approach this morning as we look at the sixth element of the fruit of the Spirit – goodness. Rather than focusing on how we are to develop goodness in the way we treat each other and in our corporate worship, I am going to utilize the concept of goodness as a starting point to see if we can’t draw some Biblical conclusions about how God wants us to respond to the death of Osama bin Laden.
As always, it is helpful to begin by defining what Paul meant when he described the fruit of the Spirit as goodness. Of all nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, goodness is by far the most difficult to get a handle on because the word that Paul uses in Galatians 5 to describe this aspect of the fruit is only used three other places in the New Testament. However, the root word “good” is actually used much more frequently and we can get some insight into goodness by looking at its meaning.
As we have seen with several other aspects of the fruit, there are actually two different Greek words that are translated as “good” in English:
agathos = inherently, morally, or practically good; that which is profitable or beneficial to others
This is the root word for the Greek word that is translated “goodness” as an aspect of the fruit of the Sprit.
kalos = aesthetically good, beautiful, fair and appealing to the eye
Perhaps the most effective way for us to understand the difference between the two words is to look at a passage where both words are used together. This is one of those places where the ESV translation is really good because it is the only major English translation I looked at that actually translates these two different Greek words as two different words in English as well:
17 So, every healthy [agathos] tree bears good [kalos] fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy [agathos] tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good [kalos] fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good [kalos] fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:17-19 (ESV)
In this passage the tree is agathos – it is inherently good. That is the character of the tree. And the fruit that the agathos tree bears is kalos – it is beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Another way to look at the relationship between these two words is to say that good character –agathos – produces fruit that is alluring and attractive – kalos.
By now, you’re probably all wondering what this has to do with Osama bin Laden. The words of Paul in Romans chapter 12 give us some great guidance about how our goodness should be paramount in how we deal with this event:
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good [agathos]…
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good [agathos].
Romans 12:9; 14-21 (ESV)
I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that just as there are two Greek words for good, there are also two Greek words for evil and Paul actually uses both of them here in this passage:
kakos = evil in character
poneros = evil that causes labor, pain and sorrow
There is a parallel here to what we observed with the two words for good. Just as good character – agathos – produces fruit that is attractive – kalos; evil character – kakos – produces labor, pain and sorrow – poneros. Often these two words are used almost interchangeably like they are here in Romans 12 because there is such a close connection between evil character and the resulting deeds that cause pain and sorrow.
Here in Romans 12, Paul uses the word poneros in verse 9 when he exhorts his readers to abhor what is evil. They are to abhor the kind of evil that produces pain and suffering. The other four times we find the word evil in this passage – twice in verse 17 and twice in verse 21 – Paul uses the word kakos – evil in character.
I think that we would all agree that Osama bin Laden was characterized by both aspects of evil. He was evil in character and the evil deeds he perpetrated caused labor, pain and sorrow. And, as Paul points out here in this passage, we are to overcome that kind of evil with good character and by doing that which is profitable and beneficial to others. And fortunately for us, Paul provides us with some practical advice that we’ll use to draw our first principle this morning:
Principle #1 – Evil is NOT overcome by vengeance
I am concerned that vengeance is behind much of the celebration that took place after the death of bin Laden. And that is certainly a natural human reaction to the death of a man that has caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people, including nearly 3,000 people here in the United States on September 11, 2001.
But as Christ followers we are never to seek or rejoice in vengeance. That is to be left to God. And believe me, Osama bin Laden will get exactly what he deserves when he comes face to face with Jesus and has to answer for his evil.
But at the same time, no vengeance that man can exact will ever overcome evil in this world. So the kind of exuberant demonstrations that we saw this week that seem to have been motivated to a large degree by a desire for vengeance may very well lead to more evil rather than overcome it.
This morning, rather than asking you to respond at the end of the message, we’re going to take some time to respond at the end of each one of these principles. And right now, I’m going to ask us all to bow our heads and to ask God to reveal to each of us whether we’ve been guilty of celebrating vengeance this week and then if we have to confess that to God. This would also be a great time to thank God for the fact that His vengeance is perfectly just and that therefore we don’t have to concern ourselves with trying to take vengeance on others. Once you’ve had a few moments to pray silently, Steve Ponzo, one of our elders, will come forward and pray for all of us publically.
[Steve to pray]
The next question that comes to mind is whether there is anything at all that we can or should celebrate when it comes to the death of Osama bin Laden. And I think that the Bible provides us with one legitimate source of celebration:
Principle #2 – We can take satisfaction that a degree of justice has been carried out
Obviously no one receives final justice here on earth. That is reserved for that day when all of us will stand before God and give an account for our lives here on earth. And it is only then that evil men like Osama bin Laden will be judged justly in full.
But here on earth, God has given human governments the right to distribute at least temporary and limited justice through what is often referred to as the “right of the sword.” Here is how Paul describes that concept:
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Romans 13:3, 4 (ESV)
In other words, God has granted to human governments the right to carry out the killing of those who do wrong here on this earth. That is part of the process of God carrying out His wrath on those who do wrong. But you’ll notice here that it is only the government, and not individuals who have that right.
In the case of Osama bin Laden, I think there is little doubt that we can take satisfaction that the United States government has carried out an act of justice for a man who is responsible for the cold blooded murder of thousands of our citizens. And there seems to be little doubt that there is Biblical justification for taking his life as part of the process of seeking justice for his actions.
Often here on earth, justice is far from perfect. We’ve all seen instances of the wicked prospering and the righteous suffering. We can relate to the emotions of the Psalmist as he penned these words:
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
Psalm 73:3-9 (ESV)
So in a case like these where we see justice meted out here on earth, it is natural to take some satisfaction in that. The writer of the Proverbs certainly gives testimony to that:
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
Proverbs 11:10 (ESV)
So once again let’s pause here to respond to God and to give Him thanks for the earthly justice that was carried out through the death of Osama Bin Laden. Once again, I’ll give all of us time to pray silently and then ask Loren Hawthorne, one of our elders, to pray publically.
[Loren to pray]
But just how far can we take this sense of satisfaction? Are there any kinds of limits that need to be placed on our shouts of gladness? Once again, we find a clear answer to that question in the Bible:
Principle #3 – We are NOT to take pleasure in the death of the wicked
Twice in Ezekiel we find passages that tell us exactly how God feels about the death of Osama bin Laden:
Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
Ezekiel 18:23 (ESV)
Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:11 (ESV)
Since God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, it seems pretty clear that we shouldn’t either. As long as Osama bin Laden was still alive here on this earth, there was a chance, albeit a small one, that he would repent and turn from his wicked ways and commit his life to Jesus. But at that moment when he died, his everlasting fate was sealed once and for all. As the write of Hebrews reminds us:
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…
Hebrews 9:27 (ESV)
Once a person dies, he or she will no longer get another opportunity to commit his or her life to Jesus and receive the resulting eternal life in His presence. So although we can take satisfaction in the fact that justice was carried out, at the same time we, like God, need to grieve over the soul of another human being who will spend eternity in a place of everlasting torment, separated from God.
We’ll pause to pray and respond to God again right now. This time I want to encourage you to ask God to reveal if you’ve taken delight in the death of a human who will spend eternity separated from God and if so to confess that to God. We also want to thank God for His patience that means salvation.
Once you’ve had a chance to pray, Pastor Dana will come and pray publicly.
[Dana to pray]
There are a number of murderers in the Bible who did repent of their sin and place their faith in Jesus and who are in the presence of Jesus right now. Among them is the Apostle Paul, whose words provide us with our next principle this morning:
Principle #4 – Ultimately, this event should lead us to humble gratitude to God for His grace in our lives
Paul knew what it meant to experience the grace of God in his life. Before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was basically a terrorist who preyed on those he believed to be followers of some poor Galilean criminal who had died on a cross and whose followers claimed had come back to life. But before he met the same fate as Osama bin Laden, Paul met Jesus. And that experience completely changed his life. Paul never forgot the significance of God’s grace in his life. Look what He writes about that in his various letters:
For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:9, 10 (ESV)
To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,
Ephesians 3:8, 9 (ESV)
I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:12-14 (ESV)
More than anything else, the death of Osama bin Laden ought to cause us to focus on the great salvation that is made possible only by the means of God’s grace. Although it is true that none of us in this room have ever risen to the level of evil that was embodied in the life of Osama bin Laden, we are still all sinners who deserve God’s judgment, not His grace.
So let’s pause again to respond to God. For those of you who have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, use this time to thank Him for the operation of his grace in your life. And if there are some here who have never made that commitment, we want to encourage you to do so this morning. If you have some questions about what that means, I’ll address that at the end of the message. Once you’ve had a chance to pray silently, Ryan Fregoso, one of our deacons will come and pray.
[Ryan to pray]
There is one final principle that we can draw from the Scriptures about how to respond to the death of Osama Bin Laden with goodness:
Principle #5 – The mandate to proclaim the gospel is urgent
The death of Osama bin Laden will not bring terrorism or evil to an end. In fact, there is pretty good evidence to suggest it may actually result in more violence and evil. But that shouldn’t really surprise us, especially given what we saw in the Book of Revelation. As the return of Jesus approaches we are going to see more evil unleashed in this world, not less. And as we also saw in the Book of Revelation, as evil increases and people’s hearts get hardened, it will become more and more difficult for them to repent and turn to God.
So the death of Osama bin Laden ought to remind us of the relevance of Paul’s word to the church at Ephesus:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15, 16 (ESV)
Because we do live in evil times, we do need to make the best use of our time and live wisely. And one of the most significant ways that we do that is to be ready to share our faith with others. Listen to the words of Peter:
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
1 Peter 3:13-17 (ESV)
These words bring us back in a full circle to where we started. Notice the word “good” that is used four times in this passage? You won’t be surprised to learn that this is agathos – the inherent good which is the root of goodness, the aspect of the fruit of the Spirit that we are focusing on today. And here that good is described as being ready to be a witness for Jesus whenever anyone asks us about the hope that is in us.
That implies that we must do two things. First, we must live our lives in a manner that manifests the hope we have in Jesus. If we’re always whining and complaining and dragging down the people around us that doesn’t really demonstrate a whole lot of hope does it?
And then secondly, we must have a good enough grasp on our faith in Jesus that we can explain it to someone else. That doesn’t mean we have to be the Bible Answer Man – or Woman. It doesn’t mean that we have to be able to answer every question or objection that someone may raise. In fact, all we really need to be able to do is to testify as to how Jesus has changed our lives and know a few basic Bible verses that we can use to explain that to others.
So let’s pause to pray and respond to God one last time. This time, there are a few things you might want to pray. First, pray that God would give you a love for other people and an urgency to share the gospel with them. Then you might want to ask God to help you live your life in a way that others will see the hope of Jesus in your life. And finally, pray that when those opportunities come to share Jesus with others that God will give you boldness and that He’ll give you the right words to pray. Once again, after you have a chance to pray personally, Don Gailey, one of our deacons, will come and pray publically.
[Don to pray]
This morning, if you’ve made any kind of commitment to God could you do us a favor and share that with us so that we can help you in your journey to follow through with that commitment. And if you have any questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus or how you can do that, please let us know about that as well. You can either talk to me or any of our elders after the service or you can fill out the information on the bulletin flap and put it in the offering plate or give it to one of us after the service.
