Everything Belongs to God: Stewarding Life as a Sacred Trust

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by Bart Denny Picture this: a friend hands you the keys to their vehicle and says, “I’m trusting you with this.” Not just any vehicle. Their vehicle. Maybe it’s newer than yours. Maybe it’s nicer than yours. Maybe it’s the one they wash by hand, park in the shade, and somehow notice if one speck of dust lands on the hood. Maybe it’s a Bentley. You drive differently, don’t you? You don’t pull out of the driveway like you’re late for a NASCAR qualifying lap. You check your mirrors like you’re taking your driver’s test all over again. You park at the far end of the lot where there are no shopping carts, no minivans full of energetic children, and ideally, no other human beings. And if you’re brave enough to have coffee in the car, you hold that cup like it contains nuclear waste. Why? Because it isn’t yours. You have real responsibility for it. You can drive it. You can choose the route. You can turn the wheel. But having the keys doesn’t make you the owner. That’s ste...
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Why Christians Should Oppose the Death Penalty (Even If the Bible Affirms It)

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By Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M.

Let’s Be Honest: The Bible Doesn’t Shy Away from the Death Penalty

The Bible makes it plain: God established capital punishment as part of His justice. From Genesis 9:6 to Romans 13, Scripture consistently affirms the state’s right to wield the sword. Even Jesus, while showing mercy, never denied the legitimacy of that authority. So if Scripture supports the death penalty, why should modern Christians push back?

Here’s the Problem: Today’s Death Penalty Isn’t Biblical

Capital punishment, in God’s design, was supposed to be fair, swift, and just. The Mosaic Law didn’t hand out death sentences lightly. It required two or more eyewitnesses. It punished false testimony harshly. It didn’t discriminate. But our modern systems—particularly in the U.S.—are riddled with inconsistency, bias, and delay. They fail to meet the biblical standard.

What Justice Looks Like in God’s Eyes

  • High burden of proof (Deut. 19:15)
  • Equal treatment of rich and poor
  • Swift and decisive judgment—not years on death row
  • Real deterrence, not arbitrary executions

God’s justice isn’t just about punishment—it’s about truth, fairness, and upholding human dignity. When we support a system that falls short of that, we misrepresent His character.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Did you know that only 0.4% of murderers in the U.S. are actually executed? Or that racial minorities, the mentally ill, and the poor are far more likely to receive the death penalty? Or that over 160 death row inmates have been exonerated (many posthumously) since 1973? That’s not justice. That’s a broken system.

So What Should Christians Do?

We should reject today’s practice of capital punishment—not because we reject the Bible’s moral clarity, but because we embrace it. Until we see a justice system that mirrors God’s righteousness, Christians should advocate for alternatives that protect society while upholding the dignity of life.

Final Thought

The death penalty isn’t inherently unbiblical. But the way it’s practiced today is. If we want to reflect God’s justice and mercy, we must call for systems that do the same. That’s not weakness—it’s faithfulness.

About the Author

Bart L. Denny, Ph.D., Th.M. is the lead pastor of Pathway — A Wesleyan Church in Saranac, Michigan. A retired U.S. Navy officer and former ship commander, Bart teaches in Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology and writes on topics like church revitalization, leadership, and biblical ethics. More of his work can be found at BartDenny.blogspot.com.

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All comments are moderated. I welcome respectful disagreement with my posts. Such discussions can cause me to consider perspectives I hadn't examined before. However, I also reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason. Why? Simple enough, this is MY blog, with MY thoughts, and I want to have a civil conversation that is, at all times, God-honoring in nature.

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