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] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Our Separation from God
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 gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Bridge: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
1 Peter 3:18
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you declare with your mouth, '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 accept Christ into your life:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner)
- Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (Be saved by faith)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
