CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God, He made man. Genesis 9:6

God teaches us in His Word to value life. Why? Because all life, from the moment of conception to natural death has been ordained by Him (Psalm 139:16). Every human being has been created in the image of God, and thereby has intrinsic value and worth. When someone unjustly kills another person, they have destroyed an image bearer of God Himself, and thus have sinned against God. At that moment, God has ordained the government (Rom. 13:1-5) to carry out justice and put the murderer to death.

But some people object. They make the statement, “But doesn’t God tell us to forgive our enemies? Remember what Jesus said on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). All of that is true, but that does not negate God’s clear instruction. It is possible for the family of the victim to be willing to forgive the murderer; in fact, it is mandatory (Matt. 6:14-15). And, at the same time, the family has the God given responsibility to call for justice to be carried out. The key is the family is not the one carrying out the justice; God has assigned the government that role (Rom. 13:4).

A government that refuses to put murderers to death has failed in their God-given ordination. The consequences will compound when you consider the dishonor to the victim and the danger to society, as evil is no longer restrained. While you might not be able to change the government, you can boldly stand on the truth God has revealed in His Word, as you eagerly await the day when all justice will be served (Rom. 12:19).

Joshua Steiner