Are We Overcoming Evil with Good?

Romans 12:14-21 ESV

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

If we are following the Lord Jesus Christ with our lives, in doing what his word teaches us that we must do, as his followers, then we are going to be hated, rejected, falsely accused, slandered, abused and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, even by many who call themselves Christians but who are not following the truth of the gospel but a diluted and altered gospel message which also dilutes and alters the character of God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit.

Those who persecute us are our enemies, but the NT Scriptures teach us that we must love our enemies and pray for them and to good to them – the good God intends us to do – and we are to bless them, i.e. to speak to them words of reason for their spiritual and perhaps physical, mental, and/or emotional benefit, as well, in like manner in which our Lord blesses us with the things of God and of his word which teach us what we need to hear for our good and for our spiritual and otherwise wellbeing. 

And we are not to rejoice with evil but with what is good, so even if fellow “Christians” are rejoicing over what is evil (wicked, sinful, deceitful, etc.), we are not to rejoice with them, and we should not rejoice with evil in movies or in TV shows or videos or stories or photos or in songs or in anything which glorifies and/or which promotes and/or rejoices (takes pleasure in) what is evil and in what is not of God. And the same applies to weeping, for we should weep with others who weep over the things God weeps over but not necessarily over the same things that the world is weeping over.

And we are to live in harmony with those who are living in unity and in harmony with our Lord and with his Word and with the message of the gospel taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles. But we are not to be in harmony with those who are not in genuine fellowship with Christ but who are still living in conformity and harmony with the world and with the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. For there is no fellowship between light and darkness (sin, wickedness, worldliness).

Basically what this is teaching us is that we are not to be overcome by evil, but we are to overcome evil with good, in how we live our lives, in how we speak, in how we interact with others, and in the things we choose to watch and listen to and participate in and agree with. For we are to be God’s holy people in all our conduct living holy and godly lives, pleasing to our Lord. And holy means separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296