Today, Sunday March 28
Romans 12:14-21
Overcoming Evil With Good
The most natural thing in all the world is to want to get even with someone who hurts you or your family. Someone who violates your rights, your possessions, your family or friends. And honestly, this really is not totally a result of just our fallen nature, but is that part of us that is made in the image of God. Our God is a Just God! He holds everyone accountable, for not only their actions and deeds, but also for the motives behind them. And we are assured in Scripture that He will justly judge everyone one day. We must even give an account for “every idle word.” (Matthew 12:36) We are all born with a sense of justice.
But we are not God, so we can never see the whole picture. And over and over in scripture we are told that we are to leave justice up to God! There is evil everywhere there are human beings. Men’s heart are set in them to do evil because of the sin nature they are born with. You can’t avoid the evil actions of others in this world. But God gives us specific instructions how to respond to it.
The Bible tells us how Jesus responded to evil. He forgave those who were torturing Him and about to crucified Him. He set an example for us to follow. The easiest thing to want to do is to get revenge on our enemies, but the best thing to do, with God’s grace and help, is to forgive them and then actually do something good for them!
This is what Paul is reminding us to do in the passage in Romans 12. And my friend, it is only by God’s grace that we can do that. When we know we have been forgiven by God for all our trespasses against Him because of Jesus Christ taking our punishment, we can then forgive and be kind to those who offend us! Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”
God bless!
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