Romans 12: Part 23
After instructing us to let God handle the avenging and to treat our enemies humanely, Paul finishes this chapter with the command "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
The evil in the world wants to win. It wants to overwhelm and overpower God's people. It wants to drag us down to its level, where we make poor choices in the name of "the ends justify the means". If it can get us to lie, cheat, and steal under the guise of "winning a victory for Christ", then we have tarnished our witness as Christians and dragged Jesus' name through the mud. We must resist copying evil's ways to get our own way. How we achieve our goals matter just as much as the actual achievement.
Instead of being overcome by evil, we should instead overcome evil with good. When we are hurt, we should not retaliate in anger and lash out. When we are wronged, we should forgive. When we are mocked and persecuted, we should pray for the people persecuting us. When someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek. (If you are in an abusive relationship, please seek help and refuge at a shelter. This verse does not justify ongoing abuse that we must continue to take because the abuser has twisted Scripture in an attempt to spiritualize their abuse.) Instead of sinking to their level and copying their tactics, we choose to obey Jesus' commands in how we treat them.
Questions to Wrestle With
Take time this week to consider:
-How has evil tried to overcome you?
-How have you tried to overcome evil with good?
The End of Ordinary Time
For 23 weeks we have looked at and studied Romans 12. Yet, each season in the Church Year must draw to a close and make room for the next one. Next Sunday is the last Sunday before the season of Advent begins (the 4 Sundays before Christmas Day). In the Church Year, this Sunday is traditionally Christ the King Sunday, where we acknowledge His authority as the King of the Universe. Since this Sunday falls right before Thanksgiving (this year), we will be studying what the Bible says about "thanksgiving", "giving thanks", and "give thanks".
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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