Virginia Tech: A Biblical Response
By: Dr. Ab Abercrombie
This past week, evil asserted itself on the campus of Virginia Tech. A young man, deluded and empowered by Satan himself, raged through a dormitory and classrooms, killing, maiming, and terrorizing an entire academic community. Parents, spouses, family members, friends, and America are left with questions that are all too familiar.
- Why did this happen?
- What is the purpose of it all?
- What should we have done to prevent it?
- How will we prevent it the next time?
- Where was God and why did He allow this to occur?
These are among the questions heard from believers and non-believers. They are similar to the inquiries made after natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami last year. We heard them after 911, the Oklahoma bombing, and Columbine. There seems to always be a part of man that is surprised, and shocked, by the presence of evil and the devastation it can wield.
Many today feel frightened, angry, and uncertain. We turn to one another for support; we call out to supposed experts for answers. But the world and all of its wisdom can offer no answer for willful, violent sin. The field of medicine cannot explain it; psychology does not interpret it; and law enforcement will never contain it.
Yet, Scripture provides a word of encouragement—a word of assurance—a word of promise and sufficiency.
God Almighty reigns eternal—He is sovereign and perfect—He is merciful and long-suffering—He is a God of order and purpose—His love endures forever and ever—and His judgment is righteous.
Satan, Scripture tells us, is the ruler of this world; but his reign is brief. He is a mocker of God—a liar and deceiver—the truth is not in him. He loves destruction—he deals in chaos—he rages against this world because his time is short. His power is a counterfeit imitation—it will not prevail!
Even so, how do we explain the murder of 32 people and the suicide of one tortured soul? How do we measure the pain and what remedy can be applied to grief such as this?
Satan would have us believe that his force is so great and his darkness so intense; there is no explanation. He counts on our confusion, he delights in our fear, and he thrives on our despair. He creates the illusion that God has been overpowered and all hope is gone. He turns truth upside down.
When we submit to his rendition of reality, we lose our way; we disconnect from the truth; and we begin to manage death rather than embrace life. Instead of looking to God:
- We generate our own explanations for evil…
--We call it mental illness and disease. We blame genetics, environment, and past experiences. We focus on the failure of our system, our laws, and our leaders.
- Then we search for worldly remedies…
--We say, identify and hospitalize these deranged individuals--create medications, train more police officers, change our gun laws, and elect new political leaders. Then we will have peace and confidence again.
- We adopt a reactive, passive response to terror rather than gird ourselves for battle…
--We stop serving the Kingdom, we surrender our territory, and we cower rather than fight. In short, we hide from evil and hope it does not find us.
But Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6).
The Bible is clear: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8).
There is no direction that is new; no undiscovered way for us to take. There is no emerging truth about biology, medicine, or human behavior that will heal the devastation wrought by evil, lawless, and murderous sin. There is no life to be found in our surrender to death.
Jesus does not change…His character does not bend…His teachings and requirements are absolute…His Word is reliable and prophetic…and His hope and mercy cannot be undermined by a fallen angel; an angel created by His very hands. We must not let the energy of evil divert us from the reality of Christ and all that we know Him to be.
For the believer, Truth is a Person; Life is a relationship; and our Way is defined within our abiding walk with the Savior: Jesus Christ. So when evil pierces the veil and darkness shadows the landscape, we are counseled to draw near to our Lord and rest in the surety of His grip. Jesus said:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).
We listen for Him through His Spirit who indwells us. We are guided by His immovable moral code. We find comfort in the embrace of His Word and the integrity of His promise. By knowing and holding to Christ, we will be found prepared and equipped for all circumstances this world can produce.
In Christ, there is no need for confusion, questions, or fear. Through Scripture, our Father has taught us to identify the times and season and to anticipate evil that grows from our fallen state. He has warned us that our battles are spiritual, not physical. And He has made it clear that apart from Him, we are helpless.
While man focuses on the immediate, God deals with the eternal. The Bible relates that this life is but a vapor (James 14:4). We must retain our knowledge of God, even while darkness has its brief moment.
In His Word, God has given evidence of His plan and power. His prophecies have been tested and proven time and again. They exist for our edification and preparation so that we are firmly established in the truth we will need as aliens in a world of anarchy.
The Lord has made multiple provisions in Scripture that alert us to the progression of evil, so that we, as the Body, are not dismayed. One example comes from the writings of Paul to Timothy:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Tim. 3:1-5).
This description is evident in the raging, rambling, self-obsessed diatribes the killer left on video before his second episode of killing and his eventual suicide. He was an ideal vessel for demonic activity, because his heart had already denied God.
But because of our fascination with the killer’s mind, his mental state, and the possibility of mental illness, it is important to examine another relevant passage. Paul writes to the Roman church:
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them (Rom. 1:28-32).
Again, the description is strikingly accurate. Our season is defined; the end time is at hand. Individuals like these are so defiant; God has given them over to a debased mind. Debased refers to a mind that is filled with depravity: one that is morally corrupt, disqualified, and rejected by God.
Often, what we define as mental illness actually is rebellion that has become so chronic, so repetitive, and so vile, that it has provoked the withdrawal of God. We search for an organic or medical explanation, but in truth, the absence of God produces madness.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were warned that their willful, defiant sin would bring God’s curse:
But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you (Deut. 28:15).
The Scriptures then proceed to list a great number of dire penalties, illness, and suffering that would befall the Jewish nation. But take notice of the description of one of those consequences:
The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart” (Deut. 28:28).
The increase of disobedience, the scope of evil, the handing over of the morally corrupt for the works of Satan, along with the madness, blindness and confusion that follow, identifies our time on the continuum of eternity, and it defines the status of our culture. But God’s Word not only marks the season; it also explains what our response should be. Even in the midst of the later days, there is an agenda to complete for God. Paul teaches:
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:13-15).
As our world grows “worse and worse,” Paul points us to the Holy Scriptures as our resource for coping. We are not to change our orientation; we cannot surrender our work; and we must not forget our education and training. He reminds us to remember “from Whom” we have learned these things. We are directed to our Savior and Lord who makes us “wise for salvation.” A solid reminder indeed to “lean not on our own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).
In spite of this warning, Christians become entangled in the thinking of the world. When the crisis comes and evil advances, we often forget our source of wisdom; we forsake our textbook of answers; and we cease doing what we were instructed to do. In many ways, we are similar to the original disciples of Christ.
During His time of earthly ministry, and as He taught the disciples, Christ often told them of the events to come so that they, like us, might be prepared to persevere. Repeatedly, the Lord revealed the truth and mystery of the ages to His chosen.
He shared the full truth of His identity, and His Deity; He explained His purpose on earth; He informed them of His impending arrest, and the persecution and torture He would endure. He openly taught that He would be crucified as a criminal, but on the third day would rise again. Jesus said:
“The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22).
Yet, when everything He foretold came to pass and Christ laid down His life in obedience to the Father’s plan; evil appeared to triumph. Dead and buried, it appeared that His promises and prophecies had been false. His followers forgot His teaching, denied their allegiance, abandoned His call, and scattered like sheep.
Despair was unbearable. Questions were rampant. Doubt surfaced and faith wavered. Fear controlled their every move. In their grief the disciples lost hope in the salvation of the Lord. The anticipated Messiah had been murdered on a cross of shame…and God did not intervene.
It is easy to imagine that their questions were a lot like ours…
- Why is this happening?
- What are we to do?
- Where is God and why is He allowing this to occur?
But while the disciples were hiding in the upper room, Jesus was completing the perfect plan of God—a plan yet to be understood, even by those who claimed Him as Lord.
Frozen in dread, the disciples lost their way, disconnected from their truth, and feared for their physical life. Beyond their worldly view, God was orchestrating the glorification of His Son and the salvation of mankind. But from their hiding place, it surely seemed that darkness had overtaken the earth.
Apart from Jesus, the disciples were grieved and lifeless. They had no future and no direction. They did not even know how to proceed without Him. But when Jesus returned, He appeared to them in that upper room, in the midst of their despair. And when they saw the Lord, the Bible tells us, they “rejoiced.” Only a millisecond in His presence, restored their hope, vanquished their fear, and reestablished their peace.
When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:19-22).
From that moment forward, the disciples were never alone again. The Holy Spirit would forevermore be their Comforter, Counselor, Teacher, and Guide. With a single breath from the Lord, they would never again forget what they had learned. Each remained bold, faithful, and sacrificial to the One True and Living God. Even in trials, enduring persecution, prison, beatings, and death, their joy remained and their hope never failed.
Eternal life…God’s overarching plan, had trumped the forces of evil, then, and forevermore! Paul wrote:
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:54).
Like the disciples, we are waiting for the return of our Lord. But we cannot afford to wait, as the disciples did, for Christ’s return before we “rejoice.” Our season is at hand…our work is defined…and our Helper indwells us with a peace and truth that cannot be conquered. Jesus said:
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:26-27).
Christ is our explanation. Christ is our remedy. Christ is our answer. He left us His Word; He gave us His Spirit; and we are without excuse.
When we fail to read His Word, we fail to prepare. If we ignore the road signs, we cannot understand where we are; and we will not know where to go. His Word predicts and directs our every move. We should rely on it, turn to it, and consume it. This is not the time for the Body to be ignorant or lazy.
Without the Word, we lose sensitivity to the Spirit. The Scriptures and the Holy Spirit work hand-in-hand. The Spirit interprets the Word, giving it power and meaning that we cannot discern on our own. In the unity of Word and Spirit we are equipped for the season and prepared for the work God gives us to do. There is no greater spiritual or emotional peace than to be found at the center of God’s will. To know His will, we have to know Him. A simple biblical truth cannot be overstated:
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
When we detach from Christ, we become vulnerable to sin. We begin to compromise and make concessions. And, make no mistake…anxiety, fear, anger, and despair are sinful, toxic emotions that divide us from the Lord and give opportunity to the devil.
If we are lacking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23), then our relationship with Christ has been breached. We must repent for our unbelief, confess our error, and return to the only true source of spiritual nourishment that sustains and protects us. Jesus said:
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit. For without Me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
If we are not drawing our nourishment from the Vine of Christ, then we are taking in the bitter root of the world and all of its distortions. In this present age, we are called to holiness, faithfulness, evangelism, and unity. We are to be a light in the midst of the darkness. We cannot accomplish anything in God’s perfect work if we are not tending to our own relationship and sanctification. Scripture relates:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14).
Now is the time for the Body of Christ to acknowledge our fear, confess our crisis of faith, and ask God to restore our relationship with Him; individually and corporately. The Bible tells us:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love (1 John 4:18).
In fear, there is “torment” because we are in discord with God. In repentance, we reestablish our union with Christ and His peace transforms us with His “perfect love.”
Then we must challenge ourselves: Are we living “righteously and godly” in this present age? Are we light in the darkness? Are we “zealous” for good works? Are we joyously watching for the “blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior”?
Our peace, joy, and empowered transformation is just a breath away. In His presence, instructed by His Word, and engaged in His work, we discover a standard of love, perseverance, and power that enables us to remain loyal even through this time of challenge and trial. Let us be faithful to wait on the glory of God to be revealed at His appointed time. Paul wrote:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18).
Ask God now, to make you a vessel for His glory…a point of truth in a world that is perishing.
Copyright (c), 2007, Dr. W.P. "Ab" Abercrombie
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