10 Biblical Realities to Consider About Capital Punishment
For the first time since 2005, this past week, the state of Arkansas fulfilled the death penalty. Ledell Lee was found guilty of the 1993 death of 26 year-old Debra Reese of Jacksonville, Arkansas. In 1995, Lee was found guilty of striking Debra Reese three dozen times and strangling her to death. Ledell Lee was the first of eight prisoners on Arkansas’ death row scheduled for execution over an eleven-day period. Ledell Lee’s sentence was carried out and he was pronounced dead on Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 11:56 p.m.
10 Biblical Realities to Consider About Capital Punishment
Christians should practice a biblical worldview about life and all the issues we encounter. The only way to do this is to always see issues through biblical lenses that will help us navigate to a biblical conclusion.
I want to keep these ten biblical realities as simple and clear as possible, not just for effective communication, but also to equip you to understand some of what the Bible says about capital punishment. However, this simplicity and clarity does not diminish the enormous complexity of this issue. As we wrestle through this issue, we do so with humility and honesty, not with arrogance or judgment toward anyone.
Here are ten biblical realities to keep in mind as we consider what is right or wrong about capital punishment and the administration of it by those in authority.
1. Every human life is made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)
2. The Scripture does not permit the taking of any innocent human life. (Exodus 20:13)
3. Perfection in a judicial system is impossible due to our fallen human nature. (Genesis 3; Romans 3:10, 23)
4. According to Scripture, capital punishment is permissible if the evidence about the accused is more than clear, overwhelming, and just. (Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:4)
5. The justice system must be equitable and just regardless of race, class, or culture. (Deuteronomy 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; Leviticus 19:14)
6. Every person should always be treated with the highest dignity, including those who receive capital punishment, by administering it in the most benevolent way possible. (Genesis 1:27)
7. Eternal salvation is possible for anyone awaiting capital punishment, through their personal repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-13)
8. While closure may be reached emotionally for the victim’s family and friends, it is also a stark reminder that their loved one is gone for the rest of their lives on this earth. (James 4:13-15)
9. The loss is severe, painful, and final for the family who loses their loved one through capital punishment. (James 4:13-15)
10. Prayer for wisdom for those deciding the punishment of those proven guilty is imperative. Additionally, fervent, compassionate prayer should be offered for the families involved in this unfortunate and needless circumstance. (Romans 13:1-4; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 25; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28, Mark 11:25)
Keeping these ten biblical realities in mind may help you as you work through this complex issue. Regardless of where you may end up in and through your thought processes, always remember: Life is a gift from God.
From the womb all the way through death itself, the dignity of human life should be held in the highest and most sacred manner.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry, and host of the Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today podcast.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
This Week at Cross Church | People Came to Christ on Easter Weekend
This past weekend on Saturday and Sunday, we had 238 people who indicated they are standing for Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. In our fifteen services on the five campuses of Cross Church, people were changed by the power of the gospel. If you missed Easter weekend with us, you can watch the message here. Please share this link with friends who may need Christ or with Christ followers who need to further their stand for Jesus today.
Attendance and Reach Expanded
We experienced a 10% surge in overall worship attendance on our campuses over last year’s Easter weekend worship services. We give praise to God alone. Cross Church was able to reach just over 17,500 individuals in Northwest Arkansas last week! Again, all praise to God alone. In addition to the 238 individuals who indicated they were standing for Christ in one of our weekend services, we also had 68 individuals come to Christ, for the first time in their life, throughout the week for a total of 306 decisions. Pray for our pastors this week as diligent, personal follow-up continues to occur. As in any experience in church life, the time of year, type of weather, and where Easter falls relating to Spring Break affects everything. While Easter and all relating to the week can demonstrate our stretch and reach as a church and give us opportunities to engage many people on a given weekend, we each know, it still comes down to Sunday by Sunday, day-by-day, making a difference for Jesus Christ here in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. 
“Living With Purpose,” 4-Week Series Begins Sunday at Cross Church
Over the next four weeks, we will be preaching a series on the subject, Living With Purpose. Last May, we commissioned a survey of thousands of our members and non-members. From it, we learned that finding purpose in life is a major need for people on every campus and across every age range. It was surpassed only by the desire for teaching through books of the Bible and on marriage. Forty percent of the people who indicated they were not Christians but were present on the day we took the survey listed finding purpose as their #1 need for help. It is the #1 topic for new believers and for Christ-followers not serving in a ministry. Finding purpose was also listed as the #1 topic for those who are single, divorced, or separated. Finding purpose is a universal need. Invite people to attend worship services with you for the next four weeks . . . people want to find purpose. We are under the mandate as church leaders, according to Ephesians 4:11-12, to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry in order to build up the body of Christ. This series is a direct response to that charge. We want our people to become all God has intended them to become in Him.
Send Your Children and Teenagers to One of Our Summer Camps
Invest in your children spiritually. I promise you, one of the most effective ways this can occur is sending your children to one of our summer camps. We have links to each one for more information and how to register your students today. Again, of all the things you do for them, nothing will move their hearts to God more than a few days away at a church camp.
- June 12-15 – Kids Camp
- June 25-30 – Beach Camp
- July 4-6 – Middle School Camp
I will see you Sunday at Cross Church as we begin “Living with Purpose,” our new 4-week series.
Invite a friend, family member, neighbor, business associate, or an acquaintance. People are looking for purpose. Let’s do all we can to help them find it in Jesus Christ.
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Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.