Gracious (Part 2)
Romans 12:19-21 Emmanuel Christian Church 9.10.23
INTRODUCTION: God wants to “trans” the world! From it’s current broken, distorted and sinful condition- back to the original created order He named “good”.
He challenges those of us who walk in His way, and call on His name, with these words:
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
God’s Word calls us to the transformed spirit of GRACIOUSNESS.
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
PROPOSITION: Three clear directives stand before us this morning. Let’s hear them one at a time.
Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Remember and repent.
- Remember what God’s Word says on the subject:
Deuteronomy 32:35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
- Revenge is: evil in need of REPENTANCE.
- Revenge breeds a sense of hypocritical self-righteousness.
Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
- Revenge feeds PRIDE.
Luke 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Luke 18:13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
Luke 18:14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Revenge neutralizes God’s graciousness toward us.
Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And the powerful motivation to forgive:
Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- Revenge (in our hands) only brings disaster.
Romans 12:20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Respond, don’t react.
- So where did that quote come from? Proverbs 25:21-22. Sayings of
Solomon copied by the men of good king Hezekiah. God’s Word.
- Now, while forswearing revenge might be TOUGH to do, most people
would stay that kindness toward enemies is downright “CRAZY”!
- BUT, we need to be careful at this point, and remember- we’re not talking about a “good idea” here, we’re looking at a clear-cut direction coming from God Himself!
- How do we carry out the “crazy” idea of kindness toward enemies? By choosing to respond, NOT react when we find ourselves suffering at their hands!
- What’s the difference between responding and reacting? One is the product of forethought, the other- a spontaneous emotional reaction.
- Following your emotions in the heat of the moment will almost ALWAYS get you in BIG trouble! Why? Because God’s Word clearly says:
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
- The alternative to “follow your heart” is “Use your head!” The BEST time to use your head, is when things are quiet and calm- NOT in the middle of an enemy attack!
- So, what does God have to say to us right now as we have a chance to THINK about how we will CHOOSE to RESPOND when we find ourselves faced with an enemy attack?
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
“Fight the good fight.”
- Now, REMEMBER- our battle is not against “flesh and blood”, but against principalities and powers in the unseen spirit realm.
- The problem is, however, it SEEMS to FEEL like it is a battle with “flesh and blood” when it’s a real, live, person doing the attack!
- It’s going to take a real, premeditated effort on your part to remember that your real ENEMY is NOT the person in front of you, but the demon standing behind that person whispering evil lies in their ear!
- If you make the mistake of beating on the person, you’ll waste all your energy and the demon gets away scot-free!
- Fortunately for us, we have an excellent example of what it looks like to “fight the good fight”: the Apostle Paul.
- Paul’s personal example: PERSEVERANCE
2 Corinthians 6:3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
- Paul’s approach: he called it “DIVINE POWER”
2 Corinthians 10:1 By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you — I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away! 2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
No one ever said this would be easy! But the REAL question is this: “Is it WORTH it?”. Oh my YES! Listen to Paul, having lived his life in persevering, gracious faithfulness to God:
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
The only ones who can live a life of graciousness (even to enemies) are those who have first received the graciousness of Christ for themselves.
