Preaching to Nineveh like Charlie Kirk

It's been a difficult week for us as Christians. Our brother, Charlie Kirk, was brutally and publicly murdered for his faith. And we've watched as this has been cheered and celebrated, in many cases by people we know and love. We've listened as they've blamed his death on his own views, and expressions thereof. We've even heard them say he deserved it, and they hope he is in Hell.

The irony is, as they celebrate his death, so does he, because their hopes did not come true. Charles James Kirk now rejoices in the arms of his Savior. But here on the Earth, it is still difficult to deal with those who celebrate. So much so that while I have been quite vocal on my personal page, this is only the third post I have published to Bible Brain. I am simply too emotionally charged to maintain a "professional" composure.

It's somewhat coincidental that I've been looking at Jonah a lot recently. I had a random desire to look into it not too long ago, then I reached it in my Bible reading plan (which I'm significantly behind on, making the timing even more coincidental). Then, finally, I saw a post - I don't remember it well, but it was about Charlie - that brought my mind back to Jonah 4.

In my flesh, there is no room for mercy. Aside from the shooter himself, Charlie's murder is being celebrated by literally thousands of hateful... hateful... PEOPLE... p-e-o-p-l-e.

It's so very hard to think of them as they are. It's so hard not to match their hate with my own. I want to call them monsters. Why? Because that is the way in which we, as a species, tend to divide ourselves from those we hate. We look at the Nazis, we call them monsters. But what were they? People. So we look at those cheering Charlie's murder, and we want to call them monsters too.

But they're people.

They're like you and me.

They breathe air.

They drink water.

They bleed red.

And just like us, they laugh, and they weep.

Right now, they laugh when we weep, and they weep when we laugh. But at the end of the day? They are Nineveh.

Many centuries ago, Nineveh was deeply saturated with great sin. Sin so great, the nations cried out against them. God's people were appalled by them, and justly so, for they were truly abominable. So abominable that when God searched for a prophet to preach to them, He chose one who didn't want to go. But what stands out to me is that Jonah wasn't afraid to go because he thought he would be rejected. "And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." (Jonah 4:2).

God is gracious. God is merciful. God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). He doesn't take any pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11). Read Paul's testimony! "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:12-17).

Our faith is literally built on the salvation of killers, by the innocent God whom they murdered. At present, I refuse to use the shooter's name. I think this is a wise approach, both for small blogs like this, and for mainstream outlets, simply because it encourages future killers to seek similar fame. But what if the shooter can be saved? I'll rephrase that: He can be saved! Even if he repents while strapped to the electric chair. While he lives, there is the strongest possibility that this man may be saved, and Charlie Kirk will welcome him into Heaven with as much joy and jubilation as Stephen the martyr welcomed Paul.

We serve a God of mercy, and He has had mercy on us. Would we be any better than our enemies, had He not found us? Out of what pit did Christ pull you? I know I was certainly in a precarious position that could have lead to my own voice being among the scoffers.

At present, the temptation is to simply say the gloves are off. The line has been crossed, and there's no going back. And I truly believe there is a sense in which things have, and should change. As we read in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, "When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord."

Sometimes, the destruction of the flesh is necessary. Does that mean it's time to get violent in return? I cannot stress this enough, NO! But the Left do need to feel the weight of this sin of theirs. For too long - long enough that Charlie's murderer has literally grown up with it - they have been spewing their vile hatred. So we should not pity them as they post their TikTok videos "boo hoo, I lost my job, how do I pay my rent?" You lost your job? Charlie lost his life! Erika lost her husband. Their beautiful young daughters lost their father. And you cheered. What kind of sympathy do you imagine you should receive when the serpent you released sinks its fangs into your own necks?

But pay close attention to the verse we just looked at. Why do we deliver people to Satan for the destruction of the flesh? So their spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. That's the purpose of discipline! Rest assured, if these people do not repent, they will get what they deserve. The fires of Hell, which they wished upon Charlie, are always hungry, and never satisfied. But do we wish it upon them?

They are Nineveh.

We should wish that they repent. And if they do? That's where the matter ends. "Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies." (Romans 8:33). And so if God justifies them? We forget their cruel words. God had mercy on Nineveh. God had mercy on Paul. God had mercy on you. God had mercy on me.

In my flesh, I am like Jonah. I don't want Him to forgive, and I certainly don't want Him to send me to do it. I want to watch His wrath unfold against a wicked generation, Old Testament style. But what I need to preach, not only to my audience, but even to my own soul, is that we are all Nineveh. We all deserve justice, and one way or another, it's coming. But God's message to us is "repent and live". We who have received that message have a responsibility to pass it on, without grumbling. So, let's take a leaf out of Charlie's book. Pick up the microphone, and preach: "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

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