Two days have passed since the assassination of Charlie Kirk. My oldest son came to me, almost immediately after he saw online that Charlie Kirk had been shot. I recognized his face but was not aware or familiar with who he was.
A couple hours later, news was released that Charlie had indeed been murdered, leaving behind his young wife and two very small children.
As I watch more of Charlie’s videos, and observe how this whole scheme is playing out, my grief has grown. I grieve for his wife and children, mom and dad, and for his siblings. I grieve for a generation of young people who have lost such a huge example of a man who loves the Lord Jesus and boldly proclaims the truths of the Bible. And I grieve because I have lost a brother in Christ.
Yet, my grief is comforted by the fact that Charlie is now experiencing the joy we long for. No longer does Charlie deal with the evil and sin of this wicked world. He is worshipping before the throne of God, free from all sin and suffering. He has gone home to be in the presence of his savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
So, how should a Christian respond the tragedy? As we process the murder of Charlie Kirk, we have to keep reminding ourselves of several truths. When the wicked attack we must hold to the truths of the Lord and encourage one another with them.
(These are not my own. They were first penned by For the Gospel Ministries (Instagram post here). I have altered them with my own thoughts.)
Evil Will Not Silence Truth
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus told Peter, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Violence cannot stop God’s purposes. Jesus will continue to build his church. We must stand firm, trusting this promise from the Lord and being faithful with the calling he has given us.
Life is Fragile – Eternity is Forever
No man is guaranteed a tomorrow. Psalm 139:16 tells us that before we were born, God wrote in his book the days he has planned for us. Only God knows how many days we have to live on this earth. We must live like eternity matters.
“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)
Because no man is guaranteed a tomorrow, we must share the hope of Christ. Jesus is the only answer to sin in this world. Preach the gospel to the nations with boldness and without reservation.
Christians Cannot Cower
In Philippians 1 Paul tells us that his desire is for Christ to be honored in his body, whether by life of by death. He says in verse 21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we should not be afraid of death. We cannot cower in fear or go into hiding. We must stand firm on the Rock in this world which is so quickly toppling over because it is built on the sand.
Pray with Faith, Stand with Courage
Proverbs 28:1 says, “The righteous are bold as a lion.” As followers of Jesus, we do not wring our hands in anxious worry. Instead we can go boldly to the throne of grace, lifting our hands in prayer. Hebrews 4 tells us that because of our great high priest we can “confidently draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.
Do Not Become the Evil You Seek To Eradicate
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if you enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will head burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
We must not use evil, sinful tactics to get rid of evil and sinful men. Instead, we must overcome evil with good.
When We Don’t Know Why
When tragedies occurs and we ask, “Why? Why would God allow this?” We may never get an answer. When we have questions that we don’t know the answer to, we must remind ourselves of what we do know.
We may never know why God chose this time to take Charlie. But we do know that God is good and he does good (Psalm 119:68). We know that he is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24), gracious, merciful, kind, loving (Nehemiah 9:17), and he works all things out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
During these times, when it seems a though wickedness is winning, stand firm in the truths of God.
Take heart. Jesus has overcome the world.
John 16:33
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