Romans 12:17-21
Message No. 0546 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca
It is natural for someone to be angry when another person offends him or her. I am yet to see one person who will be smiling with joy on the inside when he or she is being constantly berated, abused or assaulted. The human being on the inside of us does not respond in this manner. The best you would likely see is that the person being offended walks away without a word or with few words, while the remainder of his or her reaction is bottled in, and, God forbid that an explosion occurs. I am not about to deliver training on explosive and implosive types of anger, but I am about to preach that we watch, very carefully, our responses to situations of this type. Why? Because the Bible says in Romans 12:17-21:
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
After the death of Joseph, the Bible says that a new Pharaoh was enthroned, who did not know Joseph. This new king saw the children of Israel as a potential threat that must be dealt with, otherwise, he feared, they could grow so large and join Egypt’s enemies in a future battle. His response to this fear was to enslave the entire nation, by taking them through very hard labor and making them build huge facilities for Pharaoh. As though this was not enough, they weren’t satisfied with the wickedness that was being wrecked on God’s people, so Pharaoh decided to not allow male children being born to Israel to live. He gave orders to the midwives to kill every male child at birth.
I’ve lived in an environment before, where the predominantly Muslim population put a plan together to depopulate the Christians not only through jihad but also by deceiving Christian ladies into marriage or by raping them in the event they refuse to be married to them. This way, the children being born will become Muslims and they would gradually Islamize the next generation of believers. Their plan became known to us, Christians, so people began to talk and the grand plan was aborted or diminished.
The enemy would do anything to suppress God’s children, either as a population or as individuals. It could be in the form of discrimination in employment or in promotion – you suddenly see someone who possesses only a fraction of your qualification or experience promoted to become your manager or is hired from outside to lead your team. In some cases, those who are enthroned but lack skills or experience then begin to fire those who know more than them and to hire their likes, who would be more subservient to them, and the company or, usually a government institution, begins to suffer.
The reaction of God’s children to situations of this nature is to be wise and to pray to God for His intervention. Often, confrontation only worsens the situation, but God is never late in getting vengeance for His children. When God decided to reward Egypt for their actions, He released plague upon plague on them and wrecked untold havoc on the nation. Yet, He hardened the heart of Pharaoh, because He had decided that it was time to punish Egypt for the hardship they had put Israel through. After nine plagues and seeing that Pharaoh still wouldn’t let Israel go, God decided to take revenge for Pharaoh’s killing of Israel’s male children. He caused the firstborn son of every Egyptian household to die in one night, including the firstborn of their cattle, while sparing the children of Israel and their cattle. As you would imagine, there was no greater cry ever in that nation than the cry of that night.
Never think that God is asleep when you see certain things happening and feel that His intervention is being delayed. Certain situations might be painful, and sometimes we, God’s children are not completely spared, but our God is never late. He will deliver vengeance to the enemy and his cronies, and when that happens, no one will be left in doubt that the Finger of the Lord is all over the situation. In Isaiah 43:4, God says:
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
There is no limit to what God could do to punish the enemy and deliver justice to you. Please do not take human beings as your archenemies and do not harbor unforgiveness in your heart. Romans 12:17 says we should repay no one evil for evil and in verse 21, it says we should not be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. Let us live daily in line with God’s commandments and to not try to play the role of God. Rest assured that our Redeemer is not sleeping. So, when you see that person who never gives up on offending you, greet him or her. Who knows, your attitude towards the person might lead him or her to Christ and you then have a double reward for your actions; one, for enduring persecution and the other, for soul winning. As Romans 12:18 says, if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. May this week bring you peace and a new attitude to your relationships with others, in Jesus’ name. Amen. You are blessed!
To leave a comment for this message, add new subscribers or share through social media, please follow these steps:
1. To leave a comment, please use the comments box below.
2. To add new readers, please use the Subscribe Form below or click on the Subscribe menu and enter your email address.
3. To share through social media, please use one of the relevant icons below.
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
Comments