Osama bin Laden’s End
President Barack Obama’s speech on bin Laden’s deathOn Sunday evening I was checking some emails when I got a glimpse of a yahoo newsflash that Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by U.S. Forces. After reading through the transcript of President Barack Obama’s speech on bin Laden’s death, I can certainly concur with the President that the “death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda” and that one must not confuse opposition to terrorism as a war against Islam.
Hank Hanegraaff also offered some helpful insights on Bin Laden’s death on the May 2, 2011 edition of the Bible Answer Man broadcast. It is wholly consistent from the just war tradition that one like Bin Laden, who had organized the mass murder of people, and continually carried out violence against innocent people to be opposed with military force. Paul writes, “Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 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” (Rom 13:3-4). Proverbs 11:10 is befitting: “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.”
There is also the issue of repentance. Ezekiel prophesied, “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’ ” (Ezek. 33:11). The prophet spoke of a divine judgment that would occur in history upon a sinful and unrepentant Israel, which certainly has a manifold application in the sense that Osama Bin Laden was called upon to account for his deeds.
There is likewise an ultimate day of reckoning for each person. The Epistle to the Hebrews reads, “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Heb. 9:27-28).Some might think I’m good and not like the evil folks over there, but such is not the case. Everyone has fallen short of what it means to be righteous before a holy God, in this sense we are no different than Bin Laden. We all must come to grips with the reality of our own sin. There is an earthly judgment that ends in death, but the soul continues to exists, and then there is a final judgment to either eternal life or eternal condemnation (Dan. 12:1-2; John 5:28-29). In the end, it is by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone that a person can stand righteous before a holy and just God (Rom. 3:9-26).
Hank Hanegraaff also offered some helpful insights on Bin Laden’s death on the May 2, 2011 edition of the Bible Answer Man broadcast. It is wholly consistent from the just war tradition that one like Bin Laden, who had organized the mass murder of people, and continually carried out violence against innocent people to be opposed with military force. Paul writes, “Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 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” (Rom 13:3-4). Proverbs 11:10 is befitting: “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting.”
There is also the issue of repentance. Ezekiel prophesied, “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’ ” (Ezek. 33:11). The prophet spoke of a divine judgment that would occur in history upon a sinful and unrepentant Israel, which certainly has a manifold application in the sense that Osama Bin Laden was called upon to account for his deeds.
There is likewise an ultimate day of reckoning for each person. The Epistle to the Hebrews reads, “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Heb. 9:27-28).Some might think I’m good and not like the evil folks over there, but such is not the case. Everyone has fallen short of what it means to be righteous before a holy God, in this sense we are no different than Bin Laden. We all must come to grips with the reality of our own sin. There is an earthly judgment that ends in death, but the soul continues to exists, and then there is a final judgment to either eternal life or eternal condemnation (Dan. 12:1-2; John 5:28-29). In the end, it is by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone that a person can stand righteous before a holy and just God (Rom. 3:9-26).
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