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Do you believe a person can be a member of the U.S. Military, even though the Military code of conduct forbids military personnel the freedom to proselytize (evangelize, communicate the gospel) to non-Christians, with the intention of persuading them to be converted to faith in Christ?
CONSIDER THESE PASSAGES
(all of these passages agree, but each one offers different insight).
Joshua 24:15
(15) And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Matthew 10:27-38
(27) What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
(28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
(29) Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
(30) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
(31) Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
(32) Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
(33) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
(34) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
(35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
(36) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
(37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mark 8:34-38
(34) And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
(35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
(36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
(37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
(38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
2 Timothy 1:7-12
(7) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(8) Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
(9) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
(10) But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
(11) Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
(12) For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
1 John 2:22-23
(22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
(23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
BUT DON'T WE DEPEND ON THE STATE TO KEEP US FREE?
God appointed the State to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. God gave the power of the sword of steel to the State. And Christians are to obey the State, until the State requires us to disobey God. Nothing is more important than putting God ahead of everything else. Also, if a nation wants to be great, it must put God first.
The answer is, "NO," we do not depend on the State, we depend on God. But if the State does not obey God, then we are still committed to obey God, whatever the cost. We will not exchange our witness for the States approval or the benefits of this passing world.
But Peter said
Acts 5:29
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
God requires governments to obey Him also, therefore God expects us to obey Him above all others.
This question was intended to get folks to think about the subject more than it was to simply be a yes or no answer. We are faced with moral dilemmas all the time, and we should be going back to the Holy Bible for God's word and wisdom.
Acts 5:29
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
God requires governments to obey Him also, therefore God expects us to obey Him above all others.
This question was intended to get folks to think about the subject more than it was to simply be a yes or no answer. We are faced with moral dilemmas all the time, and we should be going back to the Holy Bible for God's word and wisdom.
