Cop Killing Must Stop

It is all too common lately. Police officers being gunned down without reason. This is one of the most frightening reports I believe we, as American citizens, can hear or witness outside of a foreign military attack on our nation. This is clear evidence of civility going backward instead of forward.

A law enforcement friend of mine sent me a text recently. He reminded me of a quote at a Marine barracks in Rota, Spain. “When civilized man refuses to fight, uncivilized man takes over.” What we are seeing across America is the manifestation of something more than the mere lack of civilization. It is the seed of evil at its worse.  Civilized man, law abiding man, must fight.

I understand that murder and mayhem found residence on earth shortly after God created Adam and Eve. Violence and its association with death introduced us to grief nearly 6000 years ago. Sin has been pushing the limits on ending life near as long as the righteousness introduced to cover that sin.  I get the fact that sin, violence, and murder have been with us for a long, long time.  Cop killing takes murder to another level.

But the unmitigated attacks on law enforcement officers in this nation is a deeper issue than evidenced by the anger of a small group shouting “Black Lives Matter!” As a civilized nation, all lives matter. When we become the nation both God and our forefathers intended us to be – we won’t allow color, race, religion nor ethnicity initiate violence against one another. This issue is deeper than any anger initiated by offensive human behavior in any form.   While the loss of life in any murder is sad and tears apart families and communities – killing a cop is taking the life of someone representing God’s delegated authority on earth.

I believe that this is a spiritual issue. Before you go off on me and accuse me of being hyper-spiritual – let me explain myself. I am a Christian. I believe in the saving grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. I believe in creation. I believe in law and order as established by God with the introduction of the ten commandments. The root of societal order and human behavior lie with the fact that God Himself introduced us to law. He gave us ten simple commandments that kept by all would give us peace, happiness and security among ourselves. HIs laws were rejected. When law and order is rejected we have the manifestation of evil looking for a place to take root.

Paul the apostle, moved upon by the Holy Spirit, wrote this about law and the enforcement of it.
Romans 13:1-5 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. (2) Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. (3) 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 from the same; (4) for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. (5) Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience‘ sake.

From creation, God established boundaries. He started with Adam and Even. When they broke the “law” there was consequence for their action. Nothing has changed since then. When law breakers resist authority (Romans 13.2) they are to be held accountable. This is the choice of a just, merciful and graceful God. When law is broken, the action of the law breaker has opposed the ordinance of God. We forget sometimes that law enforcement officers have to pull the trigger only because someone has broken the law in the first place.  Remember, law was established for those who are evil not good.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul goes on to say that law breakers should “be afraid.” Why? Obviously because their breaking the law brings the “minister of God”, the law enforcer, to bring “wrath” (judgement) on the one who “practices evil”. Somewhere along the line we have dismissed the structure that God Himself established as good, righteous and just.

Let’s break this down:

• law breakers are to answer for their action
• breaking law is a direct act of rebellion against God’s delegated authority
• breaking law is a direct act of opposing God’s authority
  evil people i.e.: lawbreakers, should fear law enforcement officers
• law enforcement does not “bear the sword” for nothing
• law enforcement (civil ministers of God) was established to bring vengeance on the law breaker

I don’t know where we get the idea that the law breaker has more rights and authority then those ordained to keep it. Are there law officers who push the limits? Yes. Should they be held accountable? Absolutely! Any law enforcement officer who breaks the laws they were ordained to uphold becomes subject to the law. When a law enforcement officer steps outside the regulations established to keep him/her within civil behavior then they themselves are “law breakers” and become “evil” themselves. They then become subject to the conscience of civil law authorities.

Every law breaker, regardless of who they are, is to be held accountable to the law. Law was established by God and therefore law breakers are in His sight – evil. Therefore law breakers are evil and this makes lawlessness a spiritual matter. When civil men, without conviction and conscience of established law, act without accountability to evil influence, lawlessness prevails. We have an issue we need to correct in America! Lawlessness! The rebellion against law and the outright anger being displayed against law enforcement officers is from the root of evil – i.e.: Satan himself.

I believe this present evil manifested against law enforcement officers is nothing less than the anti-Christ spirit already at work in the earth (1 John 4.3). It is lawlessness that needs to be harnessed. The fact that someone can murder a law enforcement officer without remorse is the epitome of evil. It has to end. It must stop. Cop killers should be held to the highest standard of “vengeance” because in all reality, they have taken the life of a “minister of law” – established and ordained by God Himself. They have taken the life of a law keeper who authority has been delegated to him/her by God. Murder is evil within itself but to murder someone delegated by God to keep law is to spit in the face of God Himself.
It is time for civility to return to the streets of America. It is time for righteous men to take a stand and speak up and speak out against cop killing. When someone takes the life of a law enforcement officer they are acting against the established authority of God and should be brought to justice “for conscience sake” (Romans 13.5). When we refuse to hold cop killers accountable, when we say nothing, when we are afraid of our own voice in resisting the evil among us, then we are the ones without a conscience.  For the righteous sake of conscience – lets stop the cop killing!