Stop The Violence
Another violent death. More anger, hate and evil. Suddenly your world—not the world as a whole but your country, your society, your city, your neighborhood—feels unstable. Your sense of order and safety are shaken and systems you depend on don’t feel reliable. Fear, anxiety or anger rise up in your heart, or even take over and you want it to stop.
In the midst of the chaos and violence, we all long for the same thing—peace. So how do we get there? How do we deal with it all? How do we stop the hating, hurting and killing?
Many of us want to jump to action. And we should. We should grieve with and serve the victims. We should show compassion and support to those hurting. We should work to improve the laws in our land and the methods our society uses to enforce them. But none of these efforts will fully solve the problem. Because the problem comes from within.
The Bible says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1). The truth is that every one of us is fighting this battle. Selfishness, jealousy, envy, malice or greed spring up and at times push us to action. The consequences of our actions can look different for each of us and vary in degree, but this problem is in all of us. And we all need to be saved from it.
The Bible calls this our battle with sin, and it separates us from God. The good news is God has not left us alone with no hope and no way to deal with our sin. He made a way to save us from it. He sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin and bring back peace between God and us. With that comes the ability to push violence and hate aside in order to truly pursue peace with each other.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
The Bible says:
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:1
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
"I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Sin Separates Us
The Bible says:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Remedy: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God."
1 Peter 3:18
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."
Revelation 3:20
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
Here is how you can receive Christ:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God's forgiveness.
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
