… without hope and without God. The same place we would be without Christ.
The US troops found him after a ten year search, but where is he now?
Is it good he was captured and killed? Probably.
Can I get too excited over the violent death of another human being, another of God’s creation? I don’t know.
But he was so evil.
Maybe, but he was no farther from God than you or I apart from the grace of Jesus Christ and his shed blood. You, me and Osama bin Laden. Everyone, apart from Christ, is far from God.
… you who once were far away.
- Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
… dead in your transgressions and sins.
… by nature objects of wrath.
- Ephesians 2:1–3 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
… God’s enemies.
- Romans 5:10 (NIV84)
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
But God … great love, rich in mercy.
- Ephesians 2:4–5 (NIV84)
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
So did that man cause great anguish and fear? Yes. But in God’s eyes is he less than us? Did Jesus die for bin Laden? Is he more evil than you or me?
What does God say in that book, the Bible, to which we Christians so often refer? How does God describe us apart from Jesus Christ?
- Romans 3:10–18 (NIV84)
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. 14 Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know.
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
So I guess that although I believe this was probably necessary. I think I’ll hold the celebration. Apart from the grace of God who knows …
