The One Who Stands Firm to the End Will Be Saved

Almost a century ago, Stalin and his Politburo henchmen began systematically slaughtering Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, and other undesirables. The goal was to make a new man, to push evolution forward, and to remake society along Marxist and Communist lines. The Germans joined the Russians in a 1939 treaty and began learning from the Russians – about exterminating en masse unwanted dissidents, building death camps and the rest of the horrors with which we are sadly familiar. 

                Marxism in its various forms is responsible for over 100 million dead souls in the 20^th century, many of them bulldozed into the earth. We are still finding mass graves. After the end of WWII, the Soviet Union continued its genocide in the Gulags. China, North Korea, and some African nations continued the slaughter of their people, especially Christians, in the name of their new societies. 

                One would think that the West is different, but “American conservatism,” as Dabney wrote, is "merely the shadow that follows Radicalism as it moves forward towards perdition." Conservatism is a deceptive replacement for the Christian view of society advocated by the Protestant Reformers and transplanted to these shores after centuries of European persecution by papists and prelates. The Bible teaches that church and state are both under the authority of God’s word, in their respective spheres, and must each promote the honor of God as far as possible in this fallen world. Nine of the thirteen original colonies had Trinitarian statements of faith in their charters. One was required to be a professing Christian to hold office.

                We lost our faith in the God of our fathers. Haters of Christ and his everlasting kingdom began to find pulpits in colleges and universities, in “Policy” and “Forum” organizations and foundations. Many wealthy businessmen are responsible for funding these think tanks, many of which were committed to Marx’s vision of a new world without God and the multitudes as fodder for the new order. 

                Marxism is blood and begins with a crucifixion, for Satan can only mimic the true gospel. Marxism crucifies people. The blood that purges and invigorates is millions and millions of dead men, women, and children. They have been offering their blood sacrifice by abortion here for over 50 years. Marxism in every form, including the present sodomite, technocratic, progressive, statist Marxism, is a Satan-inspired, murdering attempt to build the city of man and kill people. 

                This morning, I heard a respected conservative talk show host commenting on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I almost drove off the road when he said that our nation is a place where differing political visions must tone down the rhetoric and recommit to non-violent disagreement. Sounds nice, but such niceness contradicts reality and provides no comfort or help to the millions of young people who are awakening to the battle between light and darkness. 

                While the Christian faith never condones but condemns all political assassination and murder of religious and political opponents, it is also realistic about the Marxist religion. It wants to kill the light, the truth, and Jesus Christ. Our present political war is not about two opposing philosophies having a nice chat over tea. It is about light and darkness fighting against one another to the death. 

                Two things need to be said about to the death. First, the Christian – whether the individual Christian or the Christian involved in politics – is like his heavenly Father. He does not desire the death of the wicked. If the Marxists suddenly gained absolute political power, they would, as they always have, enforce consent and kill all the dissidents and Christians. 

                The Christian is different. He is not a Marxist who believes the world can only be changed by bloodshed. Christians confess that Jesus Christ did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. When the Christian exposes the evils of Marxism, the violent, unnatural perversion of sodomy, or the idolatry of technocratic societies, he does so because he wants men to repent and live. He sincerely wants to see even the vilest offenders brought to conviction and faith and submission to Jesus Christ.

                At the same time, Marxism is built upon the foundation of man as God, the state as its church, and death as its method. At war with God, it is always violent. It is an anomaly, at least after the hopefully permanent death of Roman Catholicism as a political power that kills dissidents, for Christians to kill their foes. It is normal for Marxism to do so. Anarchy, burning, rape, and genocidal massacre have always been the tools of Robespierre, Marx, Stalin, and their followers. Therefore, conservatism naively expects non-violent political discourse, but Marxism is utterly committed to violence and death as a political methodology. Christians and reasonable creatures not given over to reprobation or given mind-altering drugs do not gun down opposition and burn down cities. 

                Now, we weep as one of our own has been gunned down. It is tempting to want to respond in kind. “Eye for an eye” seems just, and it is, if done by civil authorities who have the power of the sword. However, martyrs past and present, following their Lord, personally forgave their enemies and encouraged us to continue serving the Lord and calling men out of the darkness. Vengeance is the Lord’s, and he will repay. Perpetrators will hopefully be found and brought to justice, which, in the case of murder, should be public execution. Whatever happens, we patiently trust: “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you” (2 Thess. 1:6).

                In this highly charged moment, we must not waste a righteous man’s death. Charlie Kirk was a young man dedicated to Jesus Christ and to the Bible. To whom, young Christian man or woman, are you committed? Who is ruling your life? Is your will submissive to Jesus Christ in his word? Are you battling your parents? What a waste of time and dishonoring to the Lord! Battle against Satan and his murdering darkness. Speak the truth to yourself and learn Scripture so you can use it to stand for Christ in groups small and large, private and public, wherever the Lord calls. 

                Second, we must speak the truth “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Humility is hard but reminds us that the wrath of man does not accomplish God’s righteousness. God’s truth has its own power, and he neither needs nor uses proud Christians to accomplish a humble mission – to bring down man’s pride and exalt the crucified Savior.

                Speak the truth and trust that the God of heaven opens men’s eyes to the truth as it is in Jesus. Christ’s army is a praying army, for only the Lord can give men repentance. Satan is not assaulted and really cannot be touched by this world's weapons. We obtain heavenly strength by humble prayer. Our goal, unlike with conservatism, is not to build a coalition and win elections but to change hearts and minds – this is solely the domain of Christ. He uses truth. He uses the humble. He uses the praying. 

                Remember, finally, that our present conflict is not with “flesh and blood,” but with Satan. Millions of young people in our land have been led captive by the devil in progressive government education programs that are legalized child abuse. He leads others captive in homes where Jesus Christ is never named, his Bible never opened, and his Lordship never recognized. Since this is the case, we should not wonder that so many are enslaved to their own lusts and easy prey for caricatures of the Christian faith. We need many young men and women like Charlie Kirk to engage with Satan’s captives in a respectful, honest, and Spirit-sword wielding way. Through the truth, God rescues those in Satan’s clutches. Look around you and have pity upon his captives. Speak the truth. Exalt Christ. Expose the lies and folly of unbelief. Fight with God’s weapons. Our Lord will prevail. He already has.