The Legacy of Charlie Kirk

The founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, lost his life yesterday in a horrific act of violence due to his unwavering stance upon truth. Whenever Charlie spoke in public and fielded questions from the public, he always filtered all of his responses through a Biblical worldview.

Charlie was in Utah yesterday speaking out against gender issues. He was defending the Biblical truth that men are men and women are women and there is no in between. Charlie was defending the truth of God’s created order. One of the last things that Charlie said before he was shot was to give a defense of the resurrection of Christ. He cited 1 Corinthians 5 and 15 as proof texts that Jesus was crucified, died, and rose on the third day. And Charlie concluded his defense by saying, “And now Christ is Lord over all.”

Ultimately, the person that pulled the trigger did not have a problem with Charlie Kirk. This deranged person had a problem with God. Charlie Kirk was not murdered. He was martyred. This was not so much a political assassination as it was a spiritual attack. And this is not the first senseless act of violence that we have witnessed from some on the extreme radical left. Their goal is not necessarily violence just for the sake of violence. Their goal is violence against those who hold a Biblical worldview with the aim of silencing them.

I have seen videos on the internet of radical leftists engaging in debate with Christians. And many of these interactions end with the radical leftist screaming, plugging their ears, and running away in anger. This is what happens when people who hate God and love their sins are confronted with truth. They know God’s ways are true, and they hate it. All their arguments fall flat against God’s truth. And so their only course of action is to scream, plug their ears, or react in violence.

“For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’” Matthew 13:15.

And this kind of childish, cowardly reaction from those who hate truth is nothing new. Over two thousand years ago, a young man named Stephen preached the Gospel before the Jews who hated Jesus and hated His truth. Eventually, much like what we are seeing from modern day leftist, the Jews reaction to Stephen was childish and cowardly anger that left them speechless.

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.” Acts 7:54.

When the Jews heard the truth of the Gospel flowing from the mouth of Stephen, they were left speechless. Because they could not deny it. And they could come up with no argument that wouldn’t fall flat. And so the only recourse of action that they were left with was to become enraged with anger. Sounds very similar to the reaction we see from the modern day left doesn’t it?

And when the Jews had been silenced by truth and had nothing left to do but stew in their anger, they decided that killing Stephen was the best thing to do. Because once again, they could not silence truth. And they could not argue it away. So killing Stephen was a viable option for the Jews. Their reasons for killing Stephen were two fold. One, they wanted to silence the truth that they so hated. And secondly, the Jews wanted to instill fear in other Christians, so that no one else would preach Christ for fear of death.

However, the plan of the Jews to silence Christians backfired. As a result of the killing of Stephen, the Christian dispersed and scattered out of Jerusalem and they went into all the world preaching the Gospel. Year later, a disciple of John named Polycarp was accosted by Caesar for preaching the truth of Christ. Polycarp was threatened with being thrown to be devoured by wild animals and burning at the stake should he not stop preaching the truth of Christ. His response was basically to say this; Bring it.

“You threaten with fire that burns for an hour then soon is extinguished, for you do not know about the coming judgment and the eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. So why do you delay? Bring on what you want.” -Polycarp

Darkness will never be able to snuff out the light. The cowardly Jews were unable to eradicate the light of the Gospel by killing Stephen. Their evil actions actually served to make the light shine brighter. And believers who profess the truth of Jesus as Lord will never be silenced by cowards like the person who killed Charlie Kirk. It will only cause us to preach the truth more boldly and passionately.

Those who oppose truth and love death need to realize this is not a new narrative. Christ followers like Stephen, Polycarp, Charlie Kirk, and so many others down through history are not afraid of cowardly men or death. Because the worst men can do is kill them, and all death can do is deliver them over to be with King Jesus in glory.

Charlie Kirk is one more man of truth who stands in a long line of courageous men who proclaimed the truth of Christ and refused to back down. And historically speaking, whenever we have seen one man of God killed for his proclamation of truth, numerous others have come forth to take their place.

When a Godly man like Charlie Kirk is tragically gunned down, it is a natural reaction to want to question God. In our despair and confusion, questions arise. When Lazarus died, his sisters Mary and Martha were devastated at the passing of their brother. When Jesus arrived at the house of Lazarus, Martha said this to the Lord;

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21.

Essentially, Martha was blaming the Lord for allowing her brother to die. She knew that Jesus had the power to save him from death. And her basic question to Jesus was, ‘Where were you when we needed you, and why did you allow this to happen?’ And the answer that Jesus gave to Martha is a hope that we can cling to as we mourn the death of Charlie Kirk.

Jesus answered Martha, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25.

Charlie Kirk is no longer physically with us, but he is not dead. He is more alive than he has ever been. Although we mourn his death, it was not an accident. All things flow through the providential hand of God and are occur for the good of those that love Christ and His glory. You may be asking, “How can the death of a Godly man be good?”

Consider the crucifixion of Christ. The most horrific and unjust execution in the history of mankind. The perfect, spotless, Son of God delivered into the hands of lawless, truth hating men to be killed for no other reason than the Jews hated Him. When the crucifixion of Christ too place, there is no doubt the disciples considered it to be devastating. And as they gazed upon the lifeless body of their Messiah, the question in their hearts must have been, “God, how can this possibly be used for good?”

Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead. And the death of Jesus and His resurrection made it possible for sinful man to be reconciled with a Holy God. Through the worst tragedy in human history, sin and death were defeated.

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good,” Genesis 50:20.

I don’t know the good that will come from the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. Im too close to the loom to make sense of the beautiful tapestry that God is weaving. But I do know that for those who love Christ, the tears will result in triumph. God will use this tragedy for the good of His people and for His glory. The truth of Christ as Lord will only be proclaimed more loudly. And more Stephens, Polycarps, and Charlie Kirks will rise up from the ashes to proclaim the Gospel.

There is a God. His name is Jesus. He was crucified and killed for being the literal embodiment of truth. On the third day he rose from the grave, defeating death. And Jesus now is seated at the right hand of God the Father as Lord, God, and King over all. And to those who would believe upon Him and turn from their sins, Jesus gives them the right to be the adopted children of God. Their sins were placed on Jesus, and he bore the punishment that we deserved which is the wrath of God. And Jesus lived the perfect life that was required of us by God.

And to those who bow to His Lordship, Jesus takes their sins and covers them with his perfect record in this great exchange. And when the sinner saved by grace stands before God the Father, they are justified. Not due to anything they have done, but fully due to the perfect blood of King Jesus that covers them.

This is the Gospel that Charlie Kirk died preaching. Proclaiming the truth of the Christian worldview and the Lordship of Jesus was his great legacy.  And this Gospel that Charlie preached is one that no man will ever be able to silence. Charlie carried the torch of truth boldly and unapologetically. And he finished the race that the Lord gave him to run with overwhelming success. Now that torch has been passed on to countless others who proclaim the name of Jesus and the Christian worldview. Silence is not an option.  For the redeemed in Christ, the truth of the Gospel is like a fire in our bones that must be fearlessly proclaimed. May the Lord continue to raise up even more beacons of His truth like Charlie Kirk. Well done Charlie. Well done, good and faithful servant.