A Christian Perspective On The Cause of and Solutions to Crime

Dr. Timothy G. Jacobs

Grand Canyon University

October 1, 2015

1) According to the Bible, what is the fundamental cause of crime?

2) What does this fundamental cause of crime do?

3) What solutions does Christianity offer to combat crime?

4) What would these solutions look like in various domains of society?

5) How might a Christian understanding of the causes of crime benefit society and law enforcement entities?

1) According to the Bible, what is the fundamental cause of crime?

The fundamental cause of crime, according to the Bible: SIN in the human heart.

What is sin? Any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.

Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; ZondervanPub. House, 2004), 490.

Sin is universal – everyone is born with it

Sin is comprehensive – it permeates every aspect of the soul

as it is written: “None is righteous, no,not one; no one understands; noone seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together theyhave become worthless; no onedoes good, not even one.”

“Their throat is an open grave; they usetheir tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and

bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not

known.” “There is no fear of God before their

eyes.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ro 3:10–18.

…if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ro 7:7–8.

2) What, ultimately, does this cause of crime do?

2) What, ultimately, does this cause of crime do?

Sin breaks and disrupts relationships between God and others.

In the Christian worldview, crime is ultimately caused by sin, which manifests itself in the breaking and disrupting of relationshipswith God and others.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD

God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ge 3:1.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ge 3:6.

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ge 3:9-11.

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ge 3:12.

3) What solutions does Christianity offer to combat crime?

3) What solutions does Christianity offer to combat crime?

Christianity offers the opportunity to not merely follow “rules” – but join a concerted effort to restore broken relationships: first with God, then with others.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not

counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Co 5:17–19.

4) Four domains of reconciliation:

a) Socialb) Politicalc) Economicd) Religious

*Taken from When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate

Poverty without Hurting the Poor… And Yourself by Fikkert and Corbett

5) How might a Christian understanding of the cause of and solutions to crime benefit society and law enforcement entities?

5) How might a Christian understanding of the cause of and solutions to crime benefit society and law enforcement entities?

a) Sin – eliminates victimhood and promotes responsibility for one’s actions

5) How might a Christian understanding of the cause of and solutions to crime benefit society and law enforcement entities?

a) Sin – eliminates victimhood and promotes responsibility for one’s actions

b) Moral law – supersedes societal laws

5) How might a Christian understanding of the cause of and solutions to crime benefit society and law enforcement entities?

a) Sin – eliminates victimhood and promotes responsibility for one’s actions

b) Moral law – supersedes societal lawsc) Grace – produces gratitude which is

the foundation of ethics