In a fallen world he may have to be the righteous judge and make war, but his heart is for
peace.
This is clearly shown forth in what God will ultimately bring about on the earth. He will judge
the nations in the tribulation and pour out his wrath upon them for all their evil, yet in the final
state of things there will be no war. There will not even be death nor crying any more, for this
former state of things will have passed away.
Prophecy tells us that one day God will make his home amongst men, and his perfect way of
peace will prevail.
So, we understand that with Israel God was building a nation, and by doing so in amongst a
fallen world conflict and war was an inevitable part of his dealings.
But what about Christians?
What are God’s purposes concerning us?
And where should Christians stand when it comes to war?
To provide some degree of answer to this I’m going to look at:
The nature of the new covenant, and what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom
The pattern of the early church
The change that occurred from the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine
Some aspects of the situation today
