On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 5:22 PM, Pastor Miguel Yustiz sent a text to the IBC pastoral staff that Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed. This was the first time I had heard the news. I was in the middle of having dinner with my family before leaving for Wednesday evening services. My initial emotional reaction was surprise and shock. I had watched some YouTube videos of Charlie Kirk the night before. While I didn’t agree with every single thing Charlie Kirk said or did, I shared many of his convictions that were based on a biblical worldview. He helped me be better informed about many cultural issues and served as an example for how to engage in conversation with those who disagree. I was encouraged by his bold profession of faith, which many have affirmed was authentic and sincere. It’s an unsettling experience when someone you know or you have been influenced by passes so unexpectedly and horrifically.
I agree with Albert Mohler who said that “The assassination of Charlie Kirk…is a generation shaping event.” As Christians, we are responsible to respond to such a tragic turning point in human history with biblical wisdom and godliness. I’m thankful for many Christians who have already written scores of articles helping believers rightly think about and respond to Kirk’s assassination. Below are links to some of the articles I have found especially helpful. I encourage you to read them all as you have time, as they each provide a unique thought or application.
Albert Mohler: “A Most Tragic Turning Point”
Collin Hansen: “Where is King Jesus When Violence Reigns?”
Jonathan M. Threlfall: “Four Prayer Responses to the Murder of Charlie Kirk”
Randy Alcorn: “Charlie Kirk, the Brevity of Life, God’s Sovereignty, and Our Rock-Solid Hope”
Mitch Chase: “Six Things the Lord Hates, Seven That Are An Abomination”
Samuel James: “How Great the Chasm That Lay Between Us”
Denny Burk: “The Assassination of Charlie Kirk (1993-2025)
While the articles above communicate many of my thoughts much more eloquently than I can, I wanted to provide some of my personal reflections with you as we seek to live faithfully in these evil, divisive, and fear-inducing days.
LIVE WITH ETERNITY ON YOUR EYEBALLS: Preacher Jonathan Edwards famously prayed, “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs”. This has become my prayer as well this past week. As news of Charlie Kirk’s passing unfolded, I discovered that I had more in common with Kirk than I realized. Charlie Kirk was 31 years old; I am 31 years old. Charlie Kirk was married in 2021; I was married in 2020. Charlie Kirk had a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old; I have a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old. These similarities have given me pause. How will Kirk’s wife and kids process their grief in the years to come? What would life be like for my wife and kids if I were to pass away unexpectedly? God has used the murder of Charlie Kirk to remind me of the fragility of human life. God has reminded me to make the best use of my time, to love my wife, to love my kids, and to live with eternity stamped on my eyeballs.
TRUST GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY: Between April and June of 2024, Pastor Mark and I preached through the book of Esther. We entitled the series Silent Sovereignty. While we can always trust that God is sovereign, we often do not understand the purpose of God’s sovereignty until years down the road. For that matter, most of what God does or allows in this life will not be fully understood until we stand in God’s presence. In the book of Esther, we read of how God sovereignly spared King Ahasuerus from an assassination plot (Esther 2:19-23). Why? To ultimately protect the Jewish people from mass genocide so that King David’s line would be preserved through which the messianic redeemer would come. We understand that now. At the time, Esther and Mordecai did not.
Why did God sovereignly protect King Ahasuerus from an assassination plot but not protect Charlie Kirk? We don’t know. We will never fully know in this life. God is not obligated to tell us the purpose behind every act of providence. But, God has told us that his providence is purposeful. We can take comfort in the fact that all of Satan’s plans will be frustrated, and all of God’s plans will be accomplished.
PRAY FOR LAW AND ORDER: The Apostle Paul tells us that God has given us governing authorities and rulers to serve as a terror of bad conduct (Romans 13:3). While the judicial system is flawed and imperfect, we also trust “there is no authority except from God” and that the judicial system “does not bear the sword in vain” (Romans 13:1-4). Consequently, we must pray that the governing authorities involved in Tyler Robinson's trial and prosecution will serve as instruments in God’s hands, and that he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We pray this will be used in God’s mercy to deter others from similar acts of evil and violence.
TRUST IN GOD’S PERFECT JUSTICE: In the wake of horrific evil, Christians must trust that the Judge of all the earth will do what is just (Genesis 18:25). God administers justice fairly and perfectly. Not a single sin is left unjudged in the courtroom of God. At the end of the day, earthly judicial systems are incapable of administering punishment that fits the crime. The only justice that every sinner rightly deserves is the wrath of God. This is why the Apostle Paul wrote “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘vengeance is mine, I will replay, says the Lord’” (Romans 12:19). Trusting in God’s perfect administration of justice protects us from misappropriating the righteous anger and hatred we feel towards sin. The conscience of a Christian can rest easy at night, knowing that though human systems of justice may fail, God will execute justice with righteous precision.
An unbeliever faces the horrifying reality of suffering under God’s righteous wrath for all eternity if they do not repent (John 3:36). However, a believer’s hope is that they are saved from the wrath of God because God’s wrath was poured out upon Jesus Christ on the cross (Romans 5:9). As believers, we must pray that Kirk’s killer, Tyler Robinson, will repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. If he does, all his sins—including Charlie Kirk’s murder— will be imputed to Jesus Christ, and all of Christ’s righteousness will be imputed to Tyler. If he does not, we take somber confidence in God’s eternal judgment.
AVOID ASSUMPTIONS AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES: When something unthinkably evil takes place, we are anxious to seek answers and “get to the bottom of it”. We are uncomfortable when we don’t know the whole story. It’s easy to become sucked into the echo chambers of social media, which are designed to ignite emotions at the cost of cultivating intellectual humility and honesty. In times like these, voicing assumptions and buying into conspiracy theories is not helpful. I appreciate what Denny Burk said, “We will have to reserve final judgment until all the evidence is in…”. At this point, we must admit we don’t fully know the motivations of the shooter. But God does. God is omniscient; we are not. We may never fully know the whole story. But, at the end of the day, we have to be content when we don’t know all the answers to our burning questions.
BE FAITHFUL; NOT FEARFUL: Regardless of the motivations of the shooter, what is shockingly apparent is that there are many people in America who are glad that Charlie Kirk is dead. This is sad, sobering, and sinful. If people so vehemently hated Charlie Kirk because of his Christian worldview and values, it means they will also hate others who hold to a Christian worldview and values. This can make us feel unsafe and fearful. But God did not promise us a world of safety. Instead, he prepared us to live in a world full of suffering and persecution. Jesus warned his disciples that the world would hate them because the world hates him (John 15:18).
How should you respond if you face opposition or persecution for your faith and biblical convictions? Rejoice. That’s what the Apostles did after they were beaten and charged not to speak in the name of Jesus. Luke tells us, “…they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus” (Acts 5:41-42). If opposition and persecution to Christianity increase in the near future, fight fear with faith. Persecution purifies the Church and our personal faith. Keep being faithful. Keep loving your spouse and kids. Keep sharing the gospel with your coworkers and neighbors. Keep attending and serving at church. Keep growing in Christlikeness and the fruit of the Spirit. A righteous response to a national tragedy is everyday faithfulness.