God Wants Us To Be Overcomers For Jesus Christ Series

God Wants Us to Be Overcomers for Jesus Christ

The Book of Romans

Romans 12:17-21

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - November 13, 2016

(Revised September 2, 2021)

BACKGROUND:

*In Romans 1-11, Paul went into great detail about our terrible sinfulness and our desperate need for the Gospel of God's salvation. Paul made it clear that salvation can only come by God's grace through faith in our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ. This is the heart of the good news about Jesus: He died on the cross for all of our sins. But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead, and now He will give eternal life to everyone who receives Him as Lord and Savior.

*This truth is why Paul went as far as he could, as long as he could to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And in Romans 1:15-17, Paul proclaimed: "As much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'''

*THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO BE SAVED BUT BY BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST. Peter confirmed this truth in Acts 4:12, where he said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." And in John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

*James Merritt explained, "Jesus said the path to Heaven is a PERSON, -- not a principle, practice, precept, or philosophy. The path to Heaven is not the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, loving our neighbor, or clean living. . . All of these are good and godly things, but all of them put together could not pave one inch on the road to Heaven. Jesus is the only way. If you're going any other way, you're going the wrong way." (1)

*All true Christians have been born again by receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. But how are we supposed to live this new life we have in Christ? This was Paul's focus for the rest of this book, and tonight he shows us how to be overcomers for Christ. Let's begin by reading Romans 12:17-21.

MESSAGE:

*God wants us to be overcomers for Jesus Christ! The Bible makes this truth clear in many places, and vs. 21 is a good example. Here God tells us, "Do not be OVERCOME by evil, but OVERCOME evil with good.

*The original word here is "nik-ah'-o¯." It means "to win, conquer, overcome, or get the victory." The root word is "nike." That means "victory," and that's where Nike got the name for their clothes.

*This word translated as "overcome" is found 28 times in the New Testament, and God surely wants His people to be overcomers. 1 John 5:1-5, is another good example. There John said:

1. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.

3. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

4. For whatever is born of God OVERCOMES the world. And this is the victory that has OVERCOME the world, even our faith.

5. Who is he who OVERCOMES the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

*Through Jesus Christ we can overcome everything the world throws at us, and the main reason why is because Jesus has overcome the world! As the Lord said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have OVERCOME the world."

*God wants us to be obedient overcomers for Jesus Christ, and tonight's Scripture gives us some of the details.

1. FIRST: GOD WANTS US TO REFUSE TO GET REVENGE.

*God wants us to refuse to get revenge. That's how to be an overcomer, so the first part of vs. 17 says, "Repay no one evil for evil." Then in vs. 19 Paul quoted the Lord from Deuteronomy 32:35. And Paul wrote, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."