Study of Romans 12 – Verse 21

    Over the past few weeks we have looked at how to keep our conduct holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1) in troubling circumstances. We have learned that we are to…

…bless those who persecute us, bless and do not curse (v14)

…rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (v15)

…treat everyone equally (v16)

…be willing to do what is needed, no matter how humble the task (v16)

…be willing to listen and learn from others (v16)

…not repay evil for evil (v17)

…prepare ourselves (through study and application of God’s word) to know what is good so we can do and say what is good in any situation (v17, Hebrews 5:14)

…prepare our minds beforehand to approach every troubling circumstance peaceably (v18)

…not avenge ourselves, but give it to “Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23), knowing that He will deal with it justly (v19)

…help our enemy when they are in need (providing food/drink, and in so doing giving them ‘food for thought’)

 

    God gave us these commands so that we would not fall prey to evil. Through obedience of these commands He has given us the power to overcome evil with good and “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)!

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21 NKJV)

overcome (Strong’s Greek #G3528, ‘nikao’) means to conquer, to prevail, to gain victory. It properly means to conquer, to carry off the victory, or come off victorious.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 NKJV)

I have borrowed this idea from my Dad (Brian V. Sullivan, a gospel preacher for 55+ years), and I’m sure I have used it in my writing before, but it is a good one to think about especially within this context.

Every time you are faced with decision to do good or to do evil, consider that in that decision there are three votes cast: God’s vote, who has given you all that is needed to make a right choice and overcome; He knows that you can rule over the sin that lies at the door (Genesis 4:7), the devil’s vote, who wants you to turn from God and fail like he did, and your own vote. Are you casting your vote with God or the devil? The choice is yours.

evil (Strong’s Greek #G2556, ‘kakos’) means bad, wicked, harmful. It properly means inwardly foul, rotten (poisoned). Read and consider Matthew 7:15-20.  

good (Strong’s Greek #G18, ‘agathos’) means what is upright, honourable, and acceptable to God. Read and consider Psalm 16:2, Galatians 6:9-10, and James 1:17

    We truly need to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices who are holy and acceptable to Him by allowing ourselves to be transformed from showing partiality, being reactive, vengeful, and angry to a new mindset that will be evident to all (1 Timothy 4:15-16). We need to be followers of Christ who do not lag in diligence but are fervent in spirit and serve the Lord so that we may prove that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect, and so that we can show those erring a better way, so we can fortify our own faith and trust in God and His way, and in so doing we can overcome evil with good!  

    Just as the wife can win her unbelieving husband to Christ through her quiet and chaste conduct (1 Peter 3:1-2), we, by obeying God’s commands in these verses (14-20), can win over those who have been our enemy and persecuting us. We can overcome evil with good!

    God’s way is the best way. Trust Him and obey His commands.

    Let’s determine to reflect God’s goodness in our lives, and through our gentle and quiet obedience we will show others a better way and bring more souls to Christ! Are you ready to conquer, prevail, and gain the victory over evil?  God has told you how in Romans 12. Cast your vote with Him!

You can do it! So can I!!    

Study of Romans 12 – Verse 20

    As we studied Romans 12:17, 18, and 19, we have found several commands that build on one another, and obedience to one prepares us to easily obey the others. Let’s have a quick review of those commands to prepare our minds for this week’s study:

Repay no one evil for evil. There are no exceptions; “no one” means absolutely no one. We are not to repay even one person with evil. Read and think on these verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 2:20-23, 1 Peter 3:8-9, Matthew 5:44-48

Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. To have regard for good things means that you truly know what is good (through reading and study of the Bible) and that you prepare yourself to practise it every moment of every day. There is no exception to the “all men” in this command – it means no matter who you are around, you are behaving as a child of God, with self-control and kindness. Read and think on these verses: Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 13:12-14, Galatians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:1-9; 15-17, Philippians 2:14-15, 1 Peter 2:12, James 3:13

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Having regard for good things will help us better obey this command. When we prepare our mind and heart to obey God in all things (by finding out and understanding His will, Ephesians 5:8-10, 15-17) we will have also prepared ourselves to be more able to bring peace/good to a situation. Please read and think on these verses: Hebrew 12:14, Matthew 5:44-48

Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. We are not to retaliate. We are not to repay evil for evil. When our regard for good things and our efforts to bring about peace are dismissed by others, we then leave it to God (Him who judges righteously, 1 Peter 2:23) and we do our best to continue in holy and honourable conduct (1 Peter 1:15-16; 2:12). Read and think on these verses: Proverbs 20:22, Philippians 1:27-29, Romans 2:1-11, 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

    In verse 20, Paul quotes a portion from Proverbs to reiterate our responsibility and what it can bring about:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” (Romans 12:20 NKJV)

Note: The passage Paul quotes (Proverbs 25:21-22) ends with: “…and the LORD will reward you.” (NKJV)

    Doing these basic kindnesses – providing what is right even when you’ve been treated wrong – will make our stand for what is good and right very obvious, it may even cause our enemy to pause and consider their own bad behaviour.

Note: While I was studying this verse, I found that Arabians use the phrase ‘burning coals of the heart’ when talking of those things that cause acute mental pain (guilt, remorse, etc.). It is that mental discomfort (like a prickling heat) that can cause us to look back on and consider on our own words and/or actions.

    Righteous action can be impactful. By responding to hostility with kindness, we reflect the character of Christ and can possibly lead others to a change of heart/conduct. Being different than the world can make a difference – the power of love can transform hearts and minds.

    When we face an enemy we need to practise what is right so that they can know a better way. It will not be easy, but it is worth our effort to try. God’s way is the best way!

You can do it! So can I!! 

Study of Romans 12 – Verse 19

    I encourage you to go back and reread the two lessons on Romans 12:17, and last week’s lesson on Romans 12:18; both these verses prepare us to obey the command given in verse 19.

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the LORD.” (Romans 12:19 NKJV)  

    When we prepare ourselves (through study, prayer, remembering, and reverence) to know and to practise what is good in the sight of all men (i.e. every moment of every day) we will also learn to abhor what is evil (Romans 12:9), and we will be less likely to give in to the carnal desire of wanting to repay evil for evil (Romans 12:17). Clinging to what is good and abhorring what is evil will also prepare us to bring peace to every situation we are in (Romans 12:18). We should carry within us, every moment of the day, a mindset prepared to counter any evil (anger, wrath, reviling, etc.) with composed peace, because we prioritize doing what is right in God’s sight always, not what man deems alright in the moment.

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20 NKJV)

“…do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath…”

Wrath, in the passage (Strong’s #G3709 ‘orge’), means settled anger (opposition), rising up from an ongoing (fixed) opposition. The Greek word ‘orge’ comes from the verb ‘orago’ which means to teem or to swell. This implies that it is not a sudden outburst, but rather (referring to God’s wrath) a fixed, controlled, justifiable abhorrence against sin – a settled indignation. God stands opposed to man’s disobedience, unyielding stubbornness, and sin. God has clearly stated the punishment and consequences for these choices, and they will be delivered by Him if those sins are not repented of.

    The abilities and energies God blesses us with are not to be wasted on retaliation or even thoughts of retaliation. We are to use our time, abilities, and energies to learn what is good, be transformed by it, and cling to it (make it a part of who we are every moment of every day) so that we may be holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1, 9). Through reading and study, we will also learn what God is opposed to, and so we do our utmost to not be influenced by those things or to participate in them in any way (read and consider Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17:5-8).

    When wrong is done to us, we do not retaliate. We recognize the wrongdoing as something that God is wholly opposed to and we leave it to Him (who judges righteously, 1 Peter 2:21-23); it is God’s place to punish, not ours. Our responsibility and the proper use of our energies and abilities is to maintain our regard for good things in the sight of all men and to live peaceably with all men; so having learned what God says is good, we put it into practise and stand up for God and His way in a peaceful manner.    

    When you suffer for doing what is right, follow in Jesus’ steps: let go and let God.  Love, bless, do good, and pray for those who are your enemies, who hate you, curse you, and spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:44), just as Jesus did when He prayed on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34).

    Love for God and appreciation for His mercy toward us should motivate us to be loving and merciful to those who may not know better. Maintaining our regard for good things and being peaceable in every situation will help those involved (and/or those observing) to learn of a better way – to learn of God and His way!

    Keep your mind focused on things above (Colossians 3:1-3) and show yourself to be a true follower of Christ by walking just as Jesus walked (1 John 2:3-6).

You can do it! So can I!!    

Study of Romans 12 – Verse 18

    It was important that we took the last two weeks to slow down and properly understand the instructions given in Romans 12:17 because we need to wholly submit to God’s commands to “repay no one evil for evil” and “have regard for good things in the sight of all men” in order to better obey the command given to us in verse 18:

“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18 NKJV)

    Let’s take time this week to dig deeper into this command.

If It Is Possible

possible (Strong’s Greek #1415 ‘dunatos’) describes what is made possible through the power/ability exerted by the subject. In other words: “as much as depends on you”.

    Thought and effort is necessary. Remember in our study last week, “Have regard for good things” meant that we prepare ourselves to know what is good (through reading/study of God’s word) and we cling to it (Romans 12:9); we apply it to every single situation, every single day. Our regard for good things will be obvious when people hear our words, and observe our calm attitude and composed conduct.

Live Peaceably

live peaceably (Strong’s Greek #1514 ‘eireneuo’) means to be at peace, to live in peace, to keep peace. It means to cultivate peace (prepare oneself in order to bring peace about), bring about harmony. Take time to read these passages: 2 Corinthians 13:11, Mark 9:50, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

With all men

    Just as we saw in the last lesson, the term “all men” does not allow for any loopholes. We cannot use any other person in this world as an excuse for not obeying this command – if you are in a situation, you, as a Christian who walks as Jesus walked (1 John 2:3-6), are to be prepared (through study and practice) to approach that situation in peace and with peace.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14 NKJV)

• It could be through silence (not engaging, 1 Peter 2:20-23)
• It could be by thinking on scriptures that remind you of what is true, good, proper (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10)
• It could be through a soft answer (with mercy and grace, Proverbs 15:1-2, Luke 23:39-43)
• It could be by walking away (if nothing else is helping, Luke 4:30, John 10:39)

    All of these actions require wisdom, discernment, and prayerful practice. We cannot accomplish any of them if we are not first immersing ourselves in God’s word, and through obedience, developing our trust in the power of His might that we may be able to stand and withstand in the evil day (Ephesians 6:10-18, 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, 1 Peter 3:15).

When a problem comes up between brethren: If we do not do our part in obeying this command, we are letting down the body of Christ (the church), and giving a foothold to the devil (Ephesians 4:16, 26-27).

When a problem comes up with anyone else: If we do not show them a different way, how will they ever know (Matthew 5:14-16)?

We do not compromise the truth to keep the peace;
 we stand for the truth in a peaceful, peaceable manner.

    Reacting to evil with evil will only lead to more evil – and no one will be benefited – but responding to evil with wisdom (James 3:17) and peaceful intent can diffuse the tension and shift things for the better. For one thing, it will keep you on the right path, and for another, it may open the eyes of the perpetrator to a better way of thinking/speaking/behaving.

    Are you willing to bring peace to a situation?  Even if it does not immediately resolve the problem, are you willing to keep showing up with peace and in peace?

With God it is possible.

You can do it! So can I!!