Grow With Pastor Joe

What makes you think that you’re better than Jesus? You say, “I don’t think that at all.” I say you do, because I do too. Here’s why. There is this subtle belief inside of us that if we are good, nice, wholesome, moral, upstanding citizens who are nice to everybody and their mama that everyone will be nice to us. After all, we are “good” people. Jesus is the only good person who existed, and they persecuted, despised, and publicly crucified Him to humiliate Him and all of His followers. Jesus said that the world would hate us simply because we are totally identified with Christ and one another. If you expect hostility in and from this world that’s a good start. However, how you choose to respond to it on a daily basis is even more critical to living out your faith. Our study in Romans 12 describes the demands on those who are in Christ. We are to be gospel fueled grace filled in all that we are and do so that Christ would be glorified. This means that in this hostile world, we choose to consistently live in humility and holiness while being hopeful for our promised deliverance. This is not our world or home. We belong to Jesus and are truly only at home with Him. Gathering with the local church each week is the closest to home as we get. Although we gather together, we spend much more time apart from other believers and we spend the majority of our time in enemy territory. A hostile land. A place with people that seek to disrupt your faith and distract your focus. This world is watching us. Each of us. All of us. What does the world see when it looks at you? What does it see when it looks at your church?

            It should see Jesus in and through you. The chapter that we’ve been studying shows us that we are to be consecrated to Christ. All of life is sacred and set apart to and for God. This leads us to be humble, holy, and helpful by the grace of God in all that we are and do. The gospel and grace of God have as well connected us together to Jesus and His Church (while simultaneously disconnecting us from the darkness of the world). His grace has given us gifts to serve our church and community for the glory of Christ. We are to live a consistent life of faith by His grace for our good, the good of others and the glory of Christ. Our character and conduct should be consistent with our confession of Christ. We should consistently walk the walk. All of this is “of Him, through Him, and to Him.” The gospel expects us to live according to our confession of Christ. His grace empowers us to do so as we yield to the constant work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As this chapter is ending, Paul deals with our attitude and actions regarding those who are outside of Christ and His Church. You can treat church people nicely, but if you are a terrible neighbor to your community then you are doing more harm than good. Now, these same admonishing exhortations should also be carried out in any conflict that we may have within our home or local church; but the passage is focused on how to live in and with this hostile world. Our life is a true counterculture lifestyle. Christians are revolutionary. The gospel itself is explosive and divisive. The way that believers live should be shocking to the world around us. Today, we will focus on Rom. 12:17-18 which says, “¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” To live this way is shocking to the world that is filled with violence and vitriol. In the first century, Paul is writing to Christians living in a world dominated by hostile Rome which spent the first couple of centuries blaming Christians for their own downfall and demise as an empire. Christians faced hostility as they lived gospel fueled grace filled lives from Jerusalem to Judea-Samaria, and out into the uttermost parts. How we respond to the hostility of the world tells us more about our faith than it does their faithlessness. The Christian must seek to live honorably and peacefully in a world that is not so honorable or peaceful. The following exhortations are the hardest to apply, not because they are hard to understand, but because they are so easy to understand.

            First, we need grace to live honorably. Rom. 12:17 says, “¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” Are you prepared to be provoked? Faithful living is not going to make you comfortable, but grace can comfort you when conflict comes. How you respond when you get provoked is the real you. Whatever oozes out of you when you get pricked shows what is on the inside. Because of the transformation within that the gospel and grace of God has accomplished, is accomplishing, and will accomplish we should seek to live honorably for the good of others (even those who are hostile to us) and the glory of Christ. Look first at the second phrase of the verse. The phrase “Provide things honest in the sight of all men,” gives us the call to live honorable and honestly in the face of hostility. The word “provide” is the world “proneo” meaning to take thought or consideration in advance. It has been said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Well, as a believer, you should plan on being punched and provoked. However, you’d better take thought now about how you should respond to the hostility of others. If you don’t then you’ll react in your flesh and not respond in faithful obedience to Christ. You’ll do more harm than good. Think now about how you’ll act when provocation comes but do so with the mind of Christ. The word “honest” means what is good, right, honest, or honorable. It is much more than being truthful, it is about being transformed inside and out. Honest or honorable living is an outward expression of inward goodness. Remember, your goodness is Jesus in you and through you. Let the Holy Spirit have control before, during, and after the conflicts of life. Now, the structure of the Greek in this verse begins with “No man” with an emphatic force. The idea is that there are no exceptions or exclusions. Every Christian is responsible to live honorably in the face of hostility by not seeking revenge, retribution, or any other form of retaliation. The word “recompense” is the word “apodidomai” which means to give back implying an obligation or to give a due reward. You are not the lawmaker. You are not the judge, jury, or executioner. You are not your own deputy to defend your personal rights, riches, and resources. Jesus is, you are not. Taking vengeance or seeking retaliation against personal hostility is pretending that what belongs in God’s hands belongs in yours. It is trying to wear the badge that only Jesus can wear. To put it another way, vengeance or paying someone back after hostility towards you is just your self-righteousness with shoes on. Payback is not your job. When someone hurts you (and they do and will whether intentionally or not), hurting them back is not going to honor the Lord. There is no honor in hurting others whether or not they’ve been vicious to you. You can’t be virtuous and vindictive at the same time. Look at what Jesus said in Matt. 5:38-44, “³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. ⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. ⁴² Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. ⁴³ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” As the Puritan Thomas Watson said, “It is more honour to bury an injury than to revenge it.” To live honorably before God and man, we must be willing to be hurt and lose all without responding in retaliation. By the way, I know that you are trying to find a loophole in this. Your silent revenge is still seen and heard by God. This verse hinders us from wishing evil on others as we saw in Rom. 12:14. The grace of God empowers you to keep your honor and give honor to Christ as you face hostility. You are in a hostile world and there is no changing it. However, we must live with honor, humility, and holiness if we are every going to see those who are hostile to Jesus be transformed by the gospel.

            Second, we need grace to live peaceably. Rom. 12:18 says, “¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Peace. We hear about it all the time but can hardly find it anywhere. If you have a peaceful moment it seems to never last as long as you wished it did. I believe that many Christians are not living with the peace of God because they always have to give a piece of their mind. A strong man who always gives a piece of his mind will one day give away the whole thing. Strength is not seen in giving others pay back or a piece of your mind. Strength is found in courageously going the extra mile to be reconciled or to not retaliate (even if you have the right to do so). It is interesting that we all want peace but are often unwilling to pay the price for it. As it has been said, “Peace sells, but who’s buying?” Gospel fueled grace filled believers love peace and live peacefully because we have been given peace with God. As Jesus said in Matt. 5:9, “⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” The question now is, are you a peacemaker or a peace-taker? What is peace anyway? Peace is the word “eirene” here in a verb form “eireneuo” translated “live peaceably.” The word itself means to join or bind together. Outside of Christ, everyone is an enemy of God hostile to His glory. By grace through the gospel, God offers and provides peace to those most hostile to Him. That’s what the gospel reminds us of. We have been transformed. Now, we have peace with God, we can have the peace of God, and now we offer peace to those around us while demonstrating what true peace is. Gospel embodies our peace with and of God. His grace empowers us to experience and exclaim God’s peace. Then, one day in glory, we will only ever know peace in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace itself is the condition of freedom from disturbance. We are in a hostile and disturbing world, but it shouldn’t disturb your peace with God. Furthermore, the gospel drives you to seek to live peaceably with your fellow man. Simply, you shouldn’t be an instigator or an agitator. Proverbs 15 offers a great deal of wisdom on how to live peaceably when hostility provokes us to retaliate. Proverbs 15:1-4 says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. ² The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness. ³ The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. ⁴ A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.” Then Proverbs 15:18 says, “¹⁸ A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” Then Proverbs 15:29-33 says, “²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous. ³⁰ The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat. ³¹ The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise. ³² He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. ³³ The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” Now let me free you for a moment. Peace is conditional. Think about your salvation for example. You wouldn’t have peace with God unless He offered and provided, but you wouldn’t enjoy it if you didn’t embrace it in the gospel by the grace of God. It takes two to tangle and tango. This verse opens up with the truth that peace with man is conditional, but we should exhaust every option to live at peace or make peace with others. There are really only two cases where we see that you may not be able to fulfill this. If the other party is unrepentant or unwilling, then you won’t be able to live peaceably with them. However, if this happens, and it does; then you have the freedom by grace to live at peace with God and yourself with clean hands. While peace often requires compromise, we cannot compromise the truth to obtain peace. Peace at the cost of truth is doctrinal compromise. It takes grace to have peace with God and man. When peace or reconciliation doesn’t come, but you yourself have exhausted all options offering grace, then wipe your hands and commit to the Lord. That’s your responsibility alone. You alone are responsible for your response to others. You are accountable to God and your local church. Be mindful of the reputation you give Jesus and His Church.            

I like to watch people and see what makes them tic. How do they react and respond to the unexpected or unwanted. The world likes to watch you. They know you profess Christ, serve in church, and try to do the right thing. That’s all the fuel they need to test you. And they will. They do. How do you respond when the heat gets turned up or the lights get turned on you? Far too often our response is not to respond, but to react or retaliate while we cling to our self-righteousness. The gospel fueled grace filled Christian chooses to live honorably and peaceably. They may get mad, but they don’t stay mad or get even. Hurting others in return for them hurting you just multiplies the hurt. We are called to help and give the hope of the gospel. When hostility comes your way, remember Christ who endured infinitely more than you or I ever do, could, or will. Because you have peace with God, seek to live at peace with man. We honor the Lord best when we by His grace live honorably and peaceably.