The Piper Problem

This is a reposting of an article I wrote a few years ago for a Facebook group and I am sharing it today as I still believe this is quite relevant and important to my fellow believers in the faith.

The Piper Problem

John Piper, he is a man with over three decades of ministry. He is well respected in Reformed circles and comes with high recommendation when people are interested in learning about the Doctrines of Grace. He is also a heretic. This is not my first time stating this, and as long as he never refutes the claims he made (I will present them soon) and repents of them, this will not be my last. It does not bring me joy to mention these things. He was the head of many, and there is always a slight fear that those who learned the truth of Scripture while under his teaching will be shaken, but the heretical things he said contradict the Bible about the work and person of Christ and any man who takes heed to those things will find themselves in a position where the God they worship does not match the God of the Bible, and any man who does not worship Him is in danger of being destruction on the Day of Judgment.

 

What Did John Piper Do?

 There are two things that have come to my attention. The first issue I became aware of is his stance on justification. Justification in God’s sight is not based on anything that we do, but it is the work of Christ Jesus on our behalf declaring us right before God because of the faith we have been given to trust in him alone for salvation.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called He justified, and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” ~ Romans 8:28-30

Justification is not something we can do for ourselves. It is the work of God alone. In John Piper’s Sermon “Faith Alone: How (Not) to Use a Reformed Slogan” in regards to justification Piper he states a person is not saved by faith alone. He believes we are justified in faith by works.

 “How do you get into Heaven? You don’t get into Heaven by faith alone. You get justified by faith alone. You get into a position where God is 100% for you by faith alone, but in order to get into Heaven that faith must produce the fruit of love.” ~ John Piper

 How can God be 100% for a man and not allow him into His kingdom? How can a man whose works have never been good enough before, be required to work his way into Heaven? To John Piper I would ask what works did the thief on the cross have to show to get him into the kingdom considering he was saved in his last moments on earth, or are we to call Jesus a liar when He told him “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise?” (Luke 23:43)

The Bible says this...

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified by as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” ~ Romans 3:19-26

Once again, it is the work of God alone!

The second offense from John Piper is his claim that God violated the second commandment in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He made this claim during a panel discussion at a Desiring God conference in 2004.

To say that God violated His own law is to claim that God is a sinner. It is to deny the perfection of God. To say He violated the second commandment in Christ incarnation is to disqualify Christ sacrifice and His atonement on behalf of His people. What does the Bible say about Jesus being sinless? Hebrews 4:15 states “We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Also, in 2^nd Corinthians 5:21 it tells us “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” If Jesus was not perfect He could not have perfected us through His righteousness, and that would make us hopeless and eternally lost to the Holy God who created all things.

 

What Do We Do?

In light of what is now known how do we approach John Piper? As far as I am aware, until this day he has not repented of what he said, and until he does I cannot acknowledge him as a brother in the faith, but I believe he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. How can he be when he espoused the Doctrines of Grace for so many years? We must remember the Devil knows the truth and trembles (James 2:19). Knowledge of Christ, knowledge of the Doctrines of Grace do not save, but putting our faith in who Christ is (according to the Scriptures) and His finished work (according to the Scriptures) alone for our salvation is what saves us. What John Piper has stated publicly and openly, can condemn a man to Hell if he trusts in what Piper portrays God to be. I realize many in the Reformed camp have a love and admiration for Piper and I believe they have decision to make to either leave his teaching or silently submit, and I for one could not submit to a man who says such horrific things about the Holy God who saved me.

If you would like to test my accusations I will leave a link to the entire sermon “Faith Alone: How (Not) to Use a Reformed Slogan” and to the 2004 Desiring God discussion panel. I believe in keeping things in their proper context, and I will allow you the chance to do the same.

 

Links:

Faith Alone: How (Not) to Use a Reformed Slogan (2017)

Desiring God Discussion Panel (2004)

 

 

May God watch over us, and may we continue to use discernment. 

 

“They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us: but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.”

 1 John 2:19

Of Laws & Men: On Submission To Government

 

In the article “What Makes A Legitimate Marriage?” I mentioned how at times marriage may need to be registered with the state if it is the law of the land. This stirred my mind to address the topic of how much should we as Christians submit to earthly authorities. This particular topic has been heavily debated in the modern day United States churches, and for good reason. Wickedness is being legislated upon by the government and many people are approving of legalizing it, it is only rational that we as Christ’s followers question our place in these times. Of course, any devout Christian seeks to be guided by the word of God in these matters. However, from the conversations I have seen it would appear that many of the strongest men and women of the faith I have had the pleasure of knowing are disagreeing to the point where one could ask if there is a correct answer even from a Biblical standpoint. And so, I would like to take this time share my position based on what I have learned from the Scriptures.

How Government Came To Be

Before we move forward on what our role is in an ever increasing government. I first want to address the origin of government.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He has made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:26-31

God created man to govern. That is what it means when He commanded them to rule. Government was to be a very good thing in the world that would allow man to have a proper society and it would also extend to the lives of non-human creatures that dwelled within the earth. Some men would argue that man is who created government and that laws governing the morals of man were established by humans reasoning together, but the Scriptures are clear that God gave us the moral laws that govern us, and by His design we desire to live in societies that have rules established for the betterment of the function of society. With the fall of man we see the destruction of man’s desire to be governed by the law of God. Nature would be against man (Genesis 4:17-19), the governing of the home would become a battle ground as wives would desire to usurp authority from their husbands (Genesis 4:16) and of course this would impact all of mankind as rebellion is in the heart of man. Man rebels against government because he wishes to be free from the law to do as he sees fit. Man does not want to be in submission to anyone, because if he is not under submission to anyone then he will be as he desires to truly be, in the position of God. This was the reason man first rebelled against God’s law and he has been a pattern of rebellion ever since.

The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:4-5

Even though man desires to escape authority and become God it is a futile mission as no man can ever truly escape God’s design for them. God in His great mercy has allowed government to continue on in the sinful world, and I refer to this as a mercy because if the Lord allowed all men to live as lawless as they could there would be no survival of our kind. However in a world governed by sinful men it is inevitable that even government suffers corruption. This leads into our next question, should Christians submit when the government is corrupt?

 

Submission & Evil: Understanding the Higher Law

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise form the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it is a minister of God, and avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to his very thing. Render to all what is due them; tax to whom it is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Romans 13:1-7

This passage in the book of Romans is straightforward in what it has to say. Logically, one might ask how is government to be a minister of God for good when evil corruption has overrun it. And yet this very passage was written by the apostle Paul to a people who were being persecuted by the government over them. So, then one is inclined to ask what would motivate a people under persecution by the government to heed these words? My argument is this, these were a people who were certain that the law of God was a higher authority that even wicked men were in subjection to, and that in God’s sovereignty nothing under the sun could happen to them that He did not permit. Look closely at the book of Romans and it becomes evident that God’s moral law and His sovereignty are stressed in the entirety of the book, even in regards to His act of salvation. We Christians are given other examples of this in Scripture. Look closely at the book of Daniel where we have two examples of obeying God’s law when wicked rulers desire the opposite. For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego they were to be burned in a furnace because they refused to commit idolatry and bow to the statue that the king had erected (Daniel 3). They knew it was most likely their end but God in his mercy saved them from death. Do not take this as an example that if you do what is right in the eyes of God that there is a guarantee of rescue. It is far from that. If doing what is right guaranteed rescue then how poorly should we think of those brothers and sisters who have been murdered for the faith. Even for Daniel himself (Daniel 6) he was doing well for a man of his status and others became jealous of him, and when they could find no law he had broken they created a law that went against the law of God so that Daniel could be punished. It was deemed that no man would petition any god or king besides King Darius for thirty days or they would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel knowing God’s law was higher did not stop praying to God, and he was caught and arrested for this. God in His mercy spared Daniel when he was thrown into the lion’s den, but once again this is not a promise that serving the Lord means all will be well for God’s servant in this world. Even in both of these examples closer inspection we see these men did not fight the government in every instance. They did not stop evil laws from being enacted. They did not stop the society around them from committing the evil that was written as law. They instead recognized God’s authority as higher and chose not to disobey God.

However, this does not mean there is never a time to stand against a great evil in the world by doing that which is against the law. Let us turn to the book of Esther. Queen Esther had been brought the horrible news that her people, the Jews, were to be annihilated and it was a plot executed by a man, Haman, who was in good favor with the king because he hated the queen’s cousin, Mordecai. Unfortunately, for them this plot had become a decree stamped with the king’s seal. Mordecai related to Queen Esther what was to happen and she knowing the law relayed to him the law.

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out his golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”

Esther 4:11

Esther must have been scared for her life. Her cousin reminded her that she was not safe just because she was the queen. The decree was to annihilate all the Jews in the land. Yet, Mordecai did not end his message on that note. He reminded her of God’s sovereignty in appointing her to that position when he said “And who know whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) And indeed Queen Esther did go to the king, and God gave her favor in his eyes so that the day came when she let it be known that Haman’s plot threatened her life and the lives of all the Jews. The king could not overturn the decree, but he did write another decree declaring the Jews had a right to defend their lives from any who would dare try to kill them. If Queen Esther would have submitted to the law and not have gone before the king before he called her all the Jews would have died.

In Conclusion

To conclude what can we understand from these things? Submitting to the law of man is permissible as long as it does not impede upon us serving God’s higher authority. At times we may need to do that which is against the law of the land for that which is a greater good. Here in the United States if evil is made into law we are currently in a unique position where we can use our voice against it. That is not always true in the world, and I would advise speaking against evil while we can. We do not need to seek to be freed from our governing authorities because we are already made free in Christ. Now, for anytime the government is oppressing the innocent I would advise these words:

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.

Proverbs 21:1

Keep in mind God establishes who the rulers are for his purposes. We should pray for them that God moves them to do what is right in His sight; for they cannot do more than what God destines for them to accomplish.

What Makes A Legitimate Marriage?

 

What makes a marriage legitimate in the eyes of God?

I have tackled this topic in multiple conversations over a good number of years and now I would like to shed light on the question here as well. The question is an important one as the landscape of marriage has been shifting in society for a great while, and in different cultures it has been defined in different ways as well. As a Christian I fully believe the Bible is the final authority on all things concerning faith and righteousness, and as it does indeed give us the origin of marriage it is best to turn to God’s word for this answer. To begin let us have a look at the first marriage.

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:18-25

When we look to the first marriage the first thing to note is that it is good; we know that it is good, because in contrast God said it was not good for the man to be alone. Within marriage man has his first community. That idea is further expanded when it says “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife…” So there is an implication that within marriage children would be born and raised until they are mature enough to create their own family unit. This is the intention of God and the explanation of why any form of marriage that is not one man and one woman is invalid. Children cannot result from homosexual marriage, also bestiality and objectum sexuality is invalidated because only a man and a woman are suitable partners for each other in God’s creation order. Just as well, pedophilia is invalidated because men and women must be mature enough to leave there mother and father and create a new family unit. Also polygamy is invalidated because the pattern of marriage in creation is that a man is to have one wife. Just as the first man had one wife, a man would leave his father and mother for his wife. And to further add to the list of invalidated marriages, a person cannot be married to themselves despite what some have chosen to do because they did not find someone to their liking to marry. So, these are the first elements to note about marriage; it is from God, it is good, and it is between one man and one woman.

The next element to note about marriage is that it is a lifetime commitment. Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, would have never experienced death before sin entered the world. When God brought them together it was for the rest of their lives. This did not change for future generations. One of the rebukes against Israel in Malachi reads:

“This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

Malachi 2:13-16

God hates divorce. It goes against what He intended marriage to be. This is further expanded on when Jesus stated, “It was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of un-chastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32) Before we move forward some may wonder why there is an exception for un-chastity (marital unfaithfulness) if God hates divorce. Sex is an act that is created for marriage alone. Just as polygamy is invalidated, going outside of the marriage in any other manner for sexual gratification is breaking the marriage covenant. If we return to God’s creation of the marriage in Genesis 2:24 it reads, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” The act of becoming one flesh is to have sex. When a person has sex outside of marriage it can bring a great deal of problems such as disease, the creation of illegitimate families, and devastating heartache and strife. God does not obligate a faithful spouse to remain in such a situation if it is too much for them to bear. Yet this does not negate God’s original intent for marriage to be a lifelong covenant. And so we now understand marriage is from God, it is good, it is between one man and one woman, and it is for a lifetime.

Now, the next question to ask is “How is a marriage legitimized?” When does someone know they are legally married in the eyes of God? I have heard multiple answers in the Christian community. I have an answer, but I would first like to answer some of the things I have heard over the years.

Does a marriage need to be consummated before it is legitimate?

Sex does not make a marriage. Sex is important in a marriage and it is reserved for marriage alone, but that is not what makes the marriage. Consider Adam and Eve, the marriage was acknowledged before they had sex. When God brought the woman to the man the man acknowledged she was completely his by his words not by the act of sex (Genesis 2:23). Which brings us to the first part of a legitimized marriage; it must be agreed upon. Whether it is agreed to by third parties arranging the couple or by the couple themselves there must be agreement. I know some who have an aversion to the idea of arranged marriage, but I believe a case can be made for it, but this topic is not about arranged marriages and so I will not be speaking on that here. Thinking in simpler terms, if sex is what made the marriage God would not call fornication (sex outside of marriage by unmarried people) a sin (Exodus 22:16, 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:4). Any sex outside of marriage is sin. With the creation of marriage we understand “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24) sex happens in the confines of the marriage it cannot create it.

Does marriage need to be sanctioned by the church?

The first marriage was sanctioned by God Himself and so it makes sense that because the church represents Christ on earth that marriage should be sanctioned by the Church. This idea is a noble one, but it is not correct. To establish my case I would like to look to the Bible’s words towards marriages of those who are believers married to unbelievers.

But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

1 Corinthians 7:12-14

Why turn to a passage about unbelievers being married to believers to establish that the church does not need to sanction marriage? When a Christian is married to a non-Christian it is for one of three reasons. The first is that a Christian intentionally married a non-Christian (which is forbidden) or secondly both husband and wife were not Christians when they were first married and then one was called to faith in Christ, or thirdly a true convert discovered they had married a false convert. To establish this case we will presume the second is true. When we consider the church of Corinth, who the book of Corinthians was written to, these were people in the early days of the church being established. The apostles were still on this earth spreading the Gospel and teaching what is right in the eyes of God. In the early church there were plenty of new converts that would have found themselves in a scenario where one spouse was saved and the other was not. They lived in a pagan world full of false deities. Some of them were probably married in the name of false gods, but the Bible does not tell them their marriages are null and void. Instead it reinforces these marriages. They were still one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage for life. If the church needed to sanction the marriage, why does the word of God not give the example of these couples needing to be remarried in the eyes of the church to be legitimized? That is the biggest question we should be asking for those who hold that the church makes a marriage true.

Is it necessary for the state to sanction marriage?

More often than not I hear of how people want the government to have less power. So much so that even some professing believers have settled for what is considered common law marriage. I am staunchly against common law marriage and if you were to ask anyone who knows me I refer to it as fornication with extra steps, but this article is not about common law marriage. When it comes to whether or not the state legitimizes a marriage it is both yes and no. Why is it like this? Consider what I mentioned previously on how the Christians did not have to be remarried in order for their marriage to be legitimized after being brought to faith. They were married legitimately according to the laws and customs of the land. And so, when it comes to whether or not marriage needs to be sanctioned by the state the question becomes is it a law and custom that a legitimate marriage is registered or sanctioned by the state? As much as some may not like that answer there is Scripture reminding us to submit to our governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7). Now, I do understand that some may wonder why I would make an argument for the state possibly needing to sanction the marriage and not the church. It is simply this, the Church is ruled by the word of God and it cannot have more authority than what Scripture authorizes. This does not mean that the church can never sanction marriage, but God has not given a requirement for the church to sanction all marriages that ever were to exist.

So here in lies the conclusion of what makes a legitimate marriage in God’s eyes. Marriage is from God, it is good, it is between one man and one woman, it is for a lifetime, it is agreed upon and it is legitimized under the customs and laws of the land in which the marriage covenant was entered. 

Can There Be Healing Without Justice?

One of the most tragic events in Civil Rights history was the slaughter of Emmett Till in 1955. He was merely a fourteen year old boy, and at the accusation of a woman to her husband that he had whistled at her, he was brutalized and lynched. His murderers got away with it, and his mother would have to live the rest of her days, until she died in 2003, with the pain of losing her son because his skin color placed a target on his back. It is the reminder of these events that strikes fear in the heart; knowing that because of an ideology that said black and white people are not kin in the flesh and that one (the white) should dominate the other, masses of dark skinned people have suffered. The majority of these crimes from the time of slavery through the Jim Crow era will never see justice on this earth as most who were involved died long ago. However, in recent times people have tried to find ways to right the wrongs of long ago. Even more recently, they are trying to get justice for Emmett Till. Emmett Till’s slaughtering happened so long ago that one is inclined to think there is nothing more that can be done. His murderers are indeed dead, but the woman who accused him of whistling at her is still alive. Her name is Carolyn Bryant Donham she is still alive but her days are numbered as she is on hospice dying of cancer. She is eighty-nine years old. Recently, I learned through a YouTuber who goes by Lamont At Large that there will be a protest on September 17^th in front of the apartments she has been staying in with her son. It is organized by True Healing Under God (T.H.U.G.), which is a Civil Rights activist group. I do not know much about the organization hosting the protest, but hearing of this made me contemplate the question; can there be healing without justice?

Before answering the question “Can there be healing without justice?” I would first like to say justice is good. It is a virtue from God that allows us to rightfully administer punishment and reward as is due unto our neighbor. We, being fallen creatures, do not always administer justice rightly but God is the perfect judge and in His sovereignty has already set in stone His perfect justice to be doled out in the Last Day. This is important to keep in mind as we further seek to answer the posed question. As I continue to contemplate this question I remember the story of Cain & Abel.

Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.” Again she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. Then the Lord said to Cain “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up” And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer in the earth.” Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me from the face of the ground; and from your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign or Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

Genesis 4:1-15

When Cain murdered his brother Abel I can imagine the grief of his parents and siblings. The sting of death is a difficult burden to bear, but when life is deprived because of murder it comes with an unspeakable darkness. Even if it were not at the hands of his own brother, Abel’s death would demand a cry of justice from the people, and to even the score that would mean the death of Cain. Even Cain knew this and that is why he expressed this concern to the Lord when he said, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me from the face of the ground; and from your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” And yet, when we look to the answer of the living God, we see He did not desire Cain’s death. He cursed Cain for his crime, and in His mercy to keep others from killing him He gave a sign for Cain that would serve as a reminder that whoever kills him will be punished. So, what are we seeing in this passage? Is there justice given here? Some would argue that there was not. If Cain’s life was not the punishment it would be deemed unacceptable by some. It comes as no surprise as humans remain the same until this day. After all, how often does news of murder make the blood boil in the heart of the community? Yet it is God who declared a different justice with Cain. He shows us that the life of the murderer does not always need to be the judgment. God’s judgment is always right and true, and if anyone would have dared to go against His decision concerning Cain for their own desired outcome they would have to endure His wrath. Even in these times we do not always see justice done in the way that we believe it should be done. Consider Emmett Till and how his murderers got away with their crime. Until this day there is an outcry for justice. That is why the protest is going to happen. However, with the murderers being dead I cannot help but question have we seen God’s decision declared? Even while they seek the punishment to fall on Carolyn Bryant Donham she is on her death bed. Has God said no to justice being sought for them on this earth? For this question I would answer, no. The reputations of these people have been tarnished in history books for future generations. Even Carolyn Bryant Donham has had to live life in relative obscurity. So, this brings us back to the original question “Can there be healing without justice?” And we must acknowledge that this is not the real question, but rather the question is “Can there be healing without a justice done in a manner that the majority of the populace would seek?” The answer put simply is yes. Let us return to Cain and Abel’s story.

Adam had relations with his wife again; and she gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, for, she said, “God has appointed me another offspring in place of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 4:25

Abel’s family had to move on. Life would continue on and a new generation who did not know Abel would be born. While his family may have felt the sting of Abel’s death the generation who did not know him would not know what it felt like to receive the news that he had been murdered by his brother. They would not shed the same tears. They would only see the sadness in the faces of those who knew him. That is how it is for all death. Only those who truly knew the deceased feel the sting. Yet, there can be healing even for the immediate family who feels the death if they trust the promise of God for His promised salvation from the curse of sin and death. Even the first family of Adam and Eve would have known this promise as God had proclaimed that he would put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of serpent and that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). The seed of the woman is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. He has crushed the head of the serpent indeed and all who hope in Him, though we suffer in this world will see the glorious day when death is ended once and for all. Abel’s loved ones will be joined to him again. As we can say for all of our loved ones in Christ, we will meet again. Until then we persevere in this world. I am unsure of how Emmett Till’s mother felt until the end of her days after the loss of her son, but I do know the promise was for her and her son if they believed. It is the same for Carolyn Bryant Donham, though she may not see the hand of  justice that most people believes she deserves in this life, if she is in the Lord she is forgiven. If she is not in the Lord she will answer for how her hand played its role in the death of that young boy.