Can Gun Violence Be Stopped Without the Gospel?

I've resisted engaging in this debate, but having seriously considered some things pertaining to the concept of the alleged category of "gun violence" I decided to chime in.

The particular reason I've decided to post is I couldn't help but to think of this issue by way of comparison to something I've been recently studying. But first, let's lay the foundation.

The current administration is calling gun control a "moral issue". The hope (I do believe I'm representing accurately and fairly) is to reduce "gun violence" by implementing "gun control". The logic in it's simplest form: remove or regulate guns and you are then able to remove or regulate violence caused by guns.

I'm a Christian, ordained pastor, and amateur apologist for the Christian faith who holds to the Bible as God's sole representation of reality to humankind, so I hope you didn't think I was going to enter this debate without my Bible, however, please don't dismiss the issues I'm raising, just because I'm a Scriptorian; hear me out.

The fatal flaw of the administration's argument is thinking that "gun violence" and "gun control" are moral issues that can be solved externally to every single individual, that is, taking away guns which are outside of a person.

Consider the following presentations of the Bible:

“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
(Matthew 15:17–20)

The point of what Jesus is saying here is, something that in and of itself is not sin external to a person doesn't corrupt them. Jesus intent is not just to simply talk about dietary laws or bad speech, considering he brings up "evil thoughts, murders, etc". So obviously what Christ is talking about is the idea that the very problem being addressed by gun control cannot be solved by external changes. A gun in someone's hand doesn't corrupt them into a murderer, what is internal in them is what produces murder.

“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Preserve my life from dread of the enemy. Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity, Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow, To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear. They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, 'Who can see them?' They devise injustices, saying, 'We are ready with a well-conceived plot'; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.”
(Psalms 64:1–6, my emphasis)

David here informs us, using "shooting" and "weapon" symbolism, that evil doers are planning violence, and David's conclusion is the fact that the thoughts and depths of a person's heart are deep with this kind of treachery. To be frank, Psalm 64 shows people as well armed with violent behavior, even if you took their swords and bows away from them.

Next, a very well known verse:

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9)

Changing the status of gun ownability doesn't heal the sickness of the heart.

Furthermore, we can't honestly forget that the first time the earth was destroyed 1). happened 2). happened because wickedness was filling the earth with violence.

“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence.”
(Genesis 6:5–11)

Further back in time than that, we see the first sin that was ever committed started internally before it was ever committed externally, "the tree was a desire to the eyes, and desirable to make one wise, [then] she took from its fruit and ate" (Gen 3:6).

This same problem is picked up on in the New Testament, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own desire.”
(James 1:14)

Once sin entered the world through our first parents, the second sin committed in history was in fact murder. Where was Cain's weapon? (Gen 4:8). What was cain's problem considering we have no recorded weapon that he used? “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”
(Genesis 4:7)

This brings me to a considerable conclusion: gun control (assuming criminals somehow develop a "gun law" conscience and abide) may reduce gun violence, however, from what we know of Biblical anthropology, you may have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire (both of which could be used for violence as well).

What I mean will be illustrated by the comparison I mentioned earlier. Let's consider some more pertinent facts:

The non-believers of the context of Romans 1 are "filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,”
(Romans 1:29–30, my emphasis)

The later portion "inventors of evil" is what bothers me significantly. Before I draw my conclusion let's consider another portion of Romans:

“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,”
(Romans 5:20, my emphasis)

Here's my logic from Romans 5:20: if the law of God came in to lead people to Christ, but produced the result of increasing transgression what can we say about how people respond to restraint? Even more so considering,

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.” But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.”
(Romans 7:7–8, my emphasis)

So what are the chances that "You shall not murder" produces "murdering of every kind"? The fact is, that when the Gospel, Jesus Christ, and God's grace are all ignored (and in fact spat upon by our nation) that instead sin internally within people takes law as an opportunity to come alive and spread like wildfire and do the opposite of law. Could not the same be seen of regulations from government upon gun restrictions? If people respond to law without God's grace and involvement in such extreme degrees I don't see how a connection cannot be made.

The conclusion that I infer from the above Biblical data is this: the more regulations are imposed upon people for gun violence instead of the Gospel message being preached does nothing to solve the problem. Removing an opportunity for upright citizens to protect themselves (Luke 22:36) doesn't solve the problem. If it were possible to totally eliminate gun violence through gun control, given the depravity of the world in which we live, the only thing that has been created is an environment for the "inventors of evil" to conjure up more "creative" ways of violence. And thus, you've actually made matters worse.

Pray for our nation, and preach the Gospel, the only grace-transforming, life changing solution because it's at the hands of God that permanent change is effected.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.”
(Ezekiel 36:25–28)

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