This blog was originally posted in July of 2022 -
If you clicked on this expecting a talk about movies or comic books, you may be disappointed. This isn't about Marvel's "The Avengers". You wouldn't want to talk about it with me anyway as I've never read any of the comics or seen any of the movies...sorry. This is about a different "avenger". One whom God has ordained. We find this avenger in Romans 13:1-4, which reads -
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 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."
From the text, we see that God has ordained his own "avengers". These men have been commissioned by God to "carry out wrath on the wrongdoer" and they "do not bear the sword in vain". Wrath upon the wrongdoer is God's idea. It is God's wrath, in fact. This is good and right and necessary for the functioning of society. Whoever fights against God's avengers ought to incur judgment. The distinct authority given by God to His avengers to use life-threatening force is to be respected. You see, God has commanded this because the world is full of evil. And if evil is not restrained, it will run rampant. And if it runs rampant, law-abiding citizens will be harassed and endangered and society will be rendered incapable of functioning.
But, if citizens abide by the law, then they have nothing to fear. God's avengers are on their side. Certainly, corruption does occur, even amongst those who have been commissioned to fight against it. But this godly principle does remain and always will.
On June 22, 2022, one of our local avengers, Jeremiah Story, had his life taken by a wrongdoer. What would be the God-ordained response to such behavior? The wrongdoer should incur God's wrath. There is so much to say here that cannot be communicated in a short article, but God has ordained that the wrongdoer's life is now forfeit. The man who committed this act of evil is to come to justice at the hands of God's avengers. This means life for life. Scripture declares that this man is to be executed swiftly.
But the reality is, that isn't likely to happen. And even if it does, it will be a long time in coming. Our society has determined that we do not need to listen to God on this or any subject because we have become god. Our sense of love and justice are more highly developed than God's sense of love and justice. We have determined capital punishment to be cruel in our eyes, so this man will likely be convicted and be sentenced to life in prison, which is better than nothing, but it is not biblical nor is it pleasing to God.
The bottom line, and what we ought to regularly ask ourselves, folks, is this...do we truly believe that God has indeed revealed all things necessary for life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus through His Word (II Peter 1:3)? Do we wholeheartedly trust in the sufficiency of God's Word to dictate each of our decisions or do we tend to involve our own thoughts, feelings, opinions and pragmatism when it comes to choices such as these? I pray that we will examine ourselves intensely as it pertains to this!
Before we conclude, I'd like to say this...the wrongdoer in this specific case should receive the death penalty. It is right and good and honoring to God. But you and I ought to pray that, before he receives his just penalty, Mr. Roderick Deshawn Lewis is permitted the grace and truth by God to receive the invitation to submit to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that he be saved. We must long for this man to be admitted into that number of saints in glory and, hear this, the Gospel of Jesus is powerful enough do it!
As egregious as his act is, Jesus' act upon the cross was greater. Church, can you fathom the value of Jesus' blood? A blood that is powerful enough to redeem this, and every, sin? Can you comprehend the depths of His grace? What a glorious God He is!
In this moment, you and I must say, "Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!" (II Corinthians 9:15)
Pastor Jeremy
