A
Letter In Response to “Rocky Balboa”: a “Christian Boxer”?
Dear Sir:
You are a little or actually a lot judgmental there brother, we are to be
witnesses not judges! Seems as if you are ticked about his [actor Sylvester Stallone’s] faith or belief system, it is not according to yours, but you will
say it is the Bible you get yours from. Just remember this, interpretation! What
about Psalms 144:1: Blessed be the Lord my Rock who trains my hands for war and
my fingers for battle. I know some great Christian men who are boxers, I mean if
a Christian can be a ditch digger, doctor or lawyer why not a boxer? But, you
know I do not have conflict with all your views, I agree with a lot or at least
some. Just seems as if you are punching yourself brother.
In Reply:
Actually, the Lord Jesus Christ taught His followers to “judge righteous
judgment” (Jn. 7:24); and said, “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not
what is right?” (Lk. 12:57). Paul the apostle wrote, “I... have judged already”
(1 Coir. 5:3); and, “do not ye judge them that are within?” (v.12). Then there
is also 1 Cor. 6:4: “set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.” I
mention these passages simply to show that there is a time for Christians to
judge. What the Lord condemns is hypocritical judgment (Matt. 7:1-5), not all
judgment. Every day, Christians are called upon to judge between right and
wrong, between true believer and false professor, etc. You yourself, in fact, in
writing this letter, have judged that we are wrong regarding this movie!
Sylvester Stallone’s belief system is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism is
the very opposite of biblical Christianity. Thus, yes, it is not the same as
mine, for the Bible Christian turns to the Bible, the Word of God, as the only
rule of faith and practice, whereas the Roman Catholic turns to his “church”,
his priest, his sacraments, and all the rest. The two are worlds apart. To
use this verse [Psalm 144:1] to attempt to support the idea that Christians can
be boxers, is to distort the very meaning of the text. It cannot in any sense be
used to justify indulging in the “blood sport” of boxing for entertainment.
David, the author of this psalm, had been raised up by the Lord to be a soldier,
fighting the legitimate battles of the Lord’s people Israel; and for the ability
to do this, He praises the Lord, knowing that it was He who gave him all that
was necessary to be such a good soldier. And in a spiritual sense, all true
Christians are taught by the Lord to fight their spiritual foes – sin, Satan,
the world, the flesh. For they are in a great spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:11-18).
But this verse cannot be distorted to mean that it is fine for Christians,
merely for the sake of sport, to beat another man senseless in a boxing ring,
causing physical damage and very often brain damage as well. The Bible says,
“whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31); and boxing for
sport or “pleasure” cannot be done to the glory of God. It does not glorify God
in any way whatsoever. It is a violent and dangerous “sport”, which in addition
stirs up evil passions in men: such things as anger and hatred.
Men always point to this man, or that man, as a “great Christian”, regardless of
what he does with his life, or how he spends his leisure time; but who you think
is a “great Christian”, or who I think is a Christian, is utterly irrelevant;
all that matters is, Are they Christians according to the Bible? Anyone can make
the claim to be a Christian, and millions do these days; but the Bible says that
by their fruits you shall know them. A true Christian gives evidence that he is
a true Christian, and he does this by his doctrine and his conduct. For a true
Christian has been made a “new creature” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). And this “new
creature” produces the evidence that he is a new creature. It’s what the Bible
calls “fruit”, or good works. We are not saved by our works, but our works
definitely are the evidence that we have been saved by grace through faith (Eph.
2:8-10).
There is the world of difference between earning an honest living by, say,
digging ditches, or serving as a doctor or a lawyer, and using one’s physical
strength to beat a man senseless, to damage the body which the Lord has given
him.
Shaun Willcock
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