HoHum:
Day after day John Jr. came home from school complaining about a classmate who sat behind him in 5th grade. "Bob keeps jabbing me when Miss Smith isn’t looking. One of these days, when we’re out on the play ground, I’m going to jab him back,” John Jr. said. After hearing this his 7 year old brother spoke up: "Maybe he should feed his enemy like my Sunday school teacher talked about." So they looked up Romans 12:17-21. "Well," the mother asked John Jr., "do you know what Bob likes to eat? If you’re going to feed him, you may as well get something he likes." "Jelly beans," he almost shouted, "Bob just loves jelly beans." So the family prayed about John Jr.’s enemy and about the Jelly beans. Then, they went out and bought a bag of jelly beans for him to take to school the next day, and decided that the next time Bob jabbed John Jr., John was simply to turn around and deposit the bag on his "enemy’s" desk. The next afternoon, the boys rushed home from the school bus and John Jr. called ahead, "It worked, Mom! It worked." The mother wanted the details: "What did Bob do? What did he say?" "He was so surprised he didn’t say anything - he just took the jelly beans. But he didn’t jab me the rest of the day!" In time, John Jr. and Bob became the best of friends - all because of a bag of Jelly Beans.
WBTU:
Romans 12 has much to say about what is expected of Christians. Romans 1-11 Paul talks about the gospel of grace through Jesus Christ. In Romans 12 on gives practical application.
In general terms: Romans 12:1-2
The next section, vs. 3-16 mainly talks about how we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, the church. The kind of behavior we have been discussing is certainly an indication of transformation through the gospel of grace.
Probably one of the greatest signs of transformation is how one responds to evil, and how one responds to their enemies. Moving from the church to those outside the church.
Vs. 17-21 is probably one of the most difficult rules of Christianity, but the NT on the subject is firm. This is a serious demand made on all of Christ’s followers, and it must be obeyed.
Thesis: Talk about Christian’s response to evil
For instances:
How we are to respond to evil
Repay no one evil for evil (vs. 17a). Paul is not the only one in the NT with this teaching. Began with Jesus- ““You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:38-44, NIV. When one of the martyrs was being tortured and tormented in a horrible way, the official who had caused his sufferings said to him, “And what has your Christ ever done for you that you should bear this?” He replied, “He has done this for me, that in the midst of all my pain, I do nothing else but pray for you.”
Reply to evil with good (Vs. 17b-18, 20) Do good things in the sight of others. Live peaceably with others if at all possible. We are not to respond to evil by doing nothing, but be active and do good things to those who do evil things to us. Our response is to be active good will and kindness like giving them food, drink and other good things.
People respond differently to evil. Some take vengeance, some passively resist, some run away, some take on a victim mentality. Yet Christians should respond with love. How unlike human nature. Why are we to respond with love?
Why we are to respond with good
Vengeance belongs to God
Vengeance is God’s. Vs. 19. Only God can administer vengeance justly. “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. ” Nahum 1:2, 3.
God has the tools to administer vengeance.
1) Governing authorities. The Lord deals with evil in two ways in our day. With one hand, God holds the cross of grace and in the other he holds the sword of his wrath. God is not using these instruments directly. God has placed them into the hands of his two main representatives: church of Christ on earth wields the cross of grace, and human governments wield the sword of his wrath. Talk more about this next week from Romans 13. 4th of July is on Thursday.
2) God has appointed the church to be the instrument of his love and grace in this evil world. He has placed into our hands the banner of the Cross. As Christians, all our hearts and deeds must show the world how much God loves them. We must be living models of God’s grace to the world. We must not only receive grace; we must also practice grace. The greatest demonstration of this is in how we respond to evil. How we treat evildoers says a lot about how much we value the gospel of grace offered through Jesus Christ.
Our first inclination when someone has harmed us, or when we hear about someone who has committed an atrocious deed against others is to lash out, to strike back, to get even. Let’s be clear about this. It is okay to want justice to be done- by the government. But for us personally, our response must be grace! A gracious person treats offenders the very opposite of the way they deserve! When Christians forgive someone, is this what they deserve? No, but this is what we are commanded to do. Not only forgive but go beyond and do loving and good things to them.
What if this has no effect upon the ones doing the evil. 2 things
1. Evil left to itself brings ““ruin and misery” Romans 3:16, NIV.
2. The Lord will bring eternal wrath upon them one day. “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, NIV.
That is God’s business. However, our desire is not to have people go to hell. We are not to be a people of wrath. Why?
a) “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” James 1:19, 20, NIV.
b) “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:31, NIV. We are to live a life of love- Ephesians 5:2.
Victory over evil is more likely if we respond with forgiveness and acts of love.
Our goal is to overcome evil, vs. 21
We cannot overcome evil with evil or even apathy. Must react with active good will.
Is this not how God sought to change the world? “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, NIV.
Is this not how Jesus sought to change the world? “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. ” 1 Peter 2:21-24, NIV.
Our goal should be salvation of their souls. Around the time of the Korean War- Kim Joon-gon had seen 2,000 out of 20,000 people on Chunnam Island murdered by the Communists. They dragged he and his family outside their village where Kim's father and wife were beaten to death and Kim was left for dead. When he revived and sought safety at an acquaintance's house, he was turned over to the Communists. Only the sudden appearance of an American ship off the island coast saved him this time, for the Communist soldiers hurried away to the battle. Kim hid out in the countryside until the South Korean army captured the island. The Communists who had killed his wife and father were arrested. Because it was wartime, the police chief had authority to execute without a trial. But as the chief prepared to kill the men, Kim pleaded, 'Spare them. They were forced to kill.' The police chief showed great surprise. 'It was your family they killed! Why do you now want to spare their lives?' Kim replied, 'Because the Lord, whose I am and whom I serve, would have me show mercy to them.' The Communists were spared execution because of Kim's plea. News of his action spread among other Communist supporters in the area. When Kim later climbed a mountain to preach to Communists hiding out, he was not killed. Many of the Communists became Christians, and when Kim finally left the island there was a flourishing church of 108 members.
Conclusion and invitation:
I pray that we never have to respond to evil with good in such a way as this but we need to begin on a smaller scale by doing good to those who do us wrong like give them jelly beans. (At this point it might be a good idea to pass out jelly beans as a reminder of how we are to respond to evil)
Reacting to evil with good does not always convert the evildoer but there are other reasons for responding to evil with good. “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Peter 3:9-11, NIV. Blessing goes back to Romans 12:14
