Grow With Pastor Joe

Every Christian is seeking to live a victorious life over the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sadly, most Christians think that they must strive in their own strength, righteousness, and knowledge to attain victory. The reality is that we have been given victory and are victorious in Christ. Because He is eternally victorious, so too are all that belong to Him. In this world, we may face many losses, setbacks, and failures, but for the believer, victory is sure, secured, and settled forever. As we bring our study of Romans 12 to a close, the final three verses act as a bookend to remind the believer that we have been transformed, are being transformed, and will one day be fully and finally transformed. All of life is “of Him, through Him, and to Him” so that it is by His grace for your good and His glory. The chapter as a whole gives us instructions for our daily life, especially regarding the responsibilities that come with our personal relationships whether they be vertical or horizontal. These relationships include the individual believer and Christ, His Church, the home, the community (including the lost), and even those who are our enemies seeking our destruction. We are called to be consecrated to the Lord Jesus Christ, connected to His Church, and consistent in our conduct for the good of the church, our communities, and the glory of Christ.

            The way you live is the outward expression of how you inwardly respond to the gospel, grace, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. There have been many difficult things, scratch that, impossible things that God has called us to see applied in our life. To respond rightly in the world that we live in with all of the challenges and trials takes the grace of God. It means we must get out of the way and get over ourselves while never getting over the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. Last week we covered how we are to live honorably and peaceably (if it be possible). Today, we will end our study of this chapter by seeing that we need the grace of God to live victoriously. Because we have victory in Jesus, we are freed from having to vindicate ourselves. He has done it, is doing it, and will do it. However, if we are honest, knowing that Jesus is the righteous judge of all often disappoints us because we love the idea of being the judge, jury, and executioner of someone who has done us wrong. The problem is that we want to settle the score so that we get to play God for a moment in time but, we are cruel, unjust, unrighteous, pathetic gods who cling to our own self-righteousness. Our study this week picks back up with the issue of taking revenge for personal hurt, specifically for following Christ. It is often said that vengeance is a dish best served cold. Truthfully, it is best not served at all. We love to serve it, but we don’t want it on our plate. The gospel has freed you from having to be your own hero and from making everyone else the villain in your life. How we respond to the world around us reflects our relationship to Christ and His Church. Romans 12 has shown us what our responsibilities are in representing Jesus and His Church to the world. In this hostile world that is filled with hurt and hate, we must humble ourselves and honor Christ in all things. We must understand that our vindication and victory is “of Him, through Him, and to Him.” It is only by remembering the transformational truths of the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus that we may truly walk in victory. But it is not enough to only remember these things. We must rest in them. When you take vengeance on another or retaliate to hurt in your life you are not resting in Jesus, you are restless in your heart. All of that though must lead us to rejoice in the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus because we have been vindicated, are being vindicated, and will be vindicated by the mercy and merit of Jesus alone! We rejoice because we have been given victory, are more than conquerors, and will fully overcome when the Lord calls us home. How we respond between today and then matters. There is grace today to walk in the victory.

            Romans 12:19-21 says, “¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” This is for all believers. No excuses. No exclusions. No exceptions. No exceptions. As we wrap this chapter up, we will see that we are called to live by grace to walk in victory, but here in particular we have the grace needed to have victory over the feeling that we must vindicate ourselves through taking vengeance on those who have wronged us.

            First, we need grace to walk in victory without seeking personal vindication or exacting vengeance. Let’s get this out of the way. Everyone that has wronged you first and foremost wronged God. All sin is vertical, but it often shows up outwardly in our horizontal relationships. If someone has wronged you or sinned against you, then remember that they didn’t sin against you, they truly sinned against God. Now, look away from them and take a look in the mirror. As much as you believe you ought to issue out vengeance for those who have wronged you, if you are in Christ, you have been given victory in Christ over the vengeance that God had every right to pour out on you. If His grace covered your sin, then don’t you think His grace is enough to handle those who have wronged you? God doesn’t need you to be a vigilante, He wants you to walk in victory over the temptation to exact vengeance. Rom. 12:19-20 says, “¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Our responsibility is to represent Christ and His Church by reflecting the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. Notice that Paul calls us “dearly beloved.” We are loved so richly by God, but when we choose to go the route of taking personal vengeance, we are denying His vindicating love for us and His Son. Because God loves me, He will take care of me. I don’t have to defend me because He is my defense and defender. When you are tempted to take up your own vindication, you must relinquish your alleged right of revenge because it isn’t yours anyway. God alone sits upon the seat of judgment over all of His creation. The word “avenge” is the word “ekdikeo” which means to vindicate one’s right or to issue out justice. When you and I seek to avenge ourselves, we act as crooked lawyers, judges, and we use our own self-righteous law books to convict anyone who has come against us. To avenge is to seek retaliation or retribution upon a guilty party who is accused of committing an injustice. You don’t need to take revenge when you learn to remember the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. When you rest in what the gospel and grace of Jesus has done, is doing, and will do then you can rejoice that God is your vindication and victory. You can rest and rejoice because the vengeance that you deserved was poured out upon Jesus and not you. We are commanded to “give place unto wrath.” This is in the aorist imperative tense meaning it is to be done without delay. The idea is “Do it now! Give it up and give it over to God! Don’t hesitate or retaliate! Get to the cross!” Oh, dear believer, your pain is real your anger is even perhaps just but look to Christ. Rest in His righteousness and right to exact justice. Look to the cross of Jesus. See Him there dying for you. If you can look to the bloody cross of Christ with Jesus, the slaughtered Lamb of God staked to it and still want to issue out vengeance then you don’t know the forgiveness and freedom that His death has given. The idea is that you and I are called to yield our “right of revenge” to God alone who is the only one worthy to judge or take vengeance. God takes vengeance seriously because He takes sin seriously. Once more, look at the cross to see God’s infinite hatred of sin as He pours out His wrath upon His own Son so that sinners may know of His infinite love for them and the infinite mercy that is available to all who believe. God’s wrath isn’t like ours. He never punishes too little or too much. He doesn’t ever have an uneven balance or scale. He is the scale. He is the balance. God’s wrath is controlled and consistent with His character. He doesn’t fly off the handle. The word “wrath” in this verse is the word “orge” meaning to swell, seethe, or smolder. God’s justice is perfect and on time, even if it doesn’t happen when or how you think it should. His judgment is true and righteous, but ours is skewed by our self-righteous eyes. The gospel most clearly shows us His righteousness and retribution upon sin. Grace punished Jesus so that you can be pardoned. God is glorified in His judgment, but He isn’t glorified in your vengeance. Vindication and vengeance against all sin and sinners belongs to Him. Go read Psalm 1-2; Rev. 19-20. God will judge and He will do so justly. Remember the gospel. Rest in it and rejoice in it. His grace has vindicated you and given you victory through the gospel all to the praise of His glory. Those without Christ who stay in their treasonous state will one day receive retribution, but those who are in Christ will receive riches and reward. Look to Him for your vindication and victory dear believer.

            When the temptation comes to take vengeance, you need to depend upon and draw upon His grace to respond rightly. Rom. 12:20 says, “²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Although we delight in overly hyper-spiritualized cliches like, “Kill them with kindness,” we must see there is danger in clinging to that. I’d say that when folks try to kill someone with kindness, they are faking and forcing kindness on someone they’d rather kill. Don’t kill someone with kindness to feel superior or satisfied with yourself. Our response should not be to take vengeance, but to give grace. We aren’t to pronounce guilt but provide grace. Paul quotes Proverbs 25:21-22 which says, “²¹ If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: ²² For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.” We must love and lead them to Jesus with our lips and life. Grace empowers you to do unthinkable things like feeding and forgiving those who have sought your demise. Isn’t that what the gospel did for you? Proverbs 24:17-20 says, “¹⁷ Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: ¹⁸ Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. ¹⁹ Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked: ²⁰ For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.” Either you will take revenge attempting to vindicate yourself, which in turn will actually bring about guilt upon yourself; or you will rest in His righteous judgment. You can’t do both. Which one are you doing? Are you trusting your judgment more than His?            

Second, we need grace to walk in victory in all parts of life. Rom. 12:21 summarizes the whole chapter of what the Christian life should look like. It says, “²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Your victory is “of Him, through Him, and to Him.” His victory is now yours positionally and practically. Don’t seek it, sink into it. It is a cool creek in which to cool your hot-headed self. All of the Christian life can be seen in Romans 12. Here in this verse, we are told to not be overcome or conquered by evil, but to conquer it with good. Those who are in Christ have been transformed and have already overcome in Christ. Those who are in Christ are being transformed and are overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil as we speak. Those who are in Christ will one day be gloriously transformed and will fully overcome our great foes because of the gospel, grace, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, what is the recipe for living this life victoriously? Four quick, simple, yet transformative things. One, remember the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. The more you remember what He has done, is doing, and will do the more apt you are to live by the power of His grace to respond rightly in all situations. Two, rest in the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. Don’t settle for your personal self-righteousness. There is no rest there. It is only a fantasy to think that you are self-sufficient or righteous enough to exact vengeance. Rest in Him before you respond, as you respond, and after you respond, knowing that He can only do what is right. Three, rejoice in the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. Rejoice that you are converted, consecrated, connected to Christ and His Church. Rejoice in the power of the gospel and grace of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in the coming day of retribution upon the wicked and reward for the saved. Four, represent the gospel, grace, and glory of Jesus. How you respond to all relationships in your life reflects what you really believe about Jesus’ word, work, and will. Our victory is free, full, and final in Christ. Don’t let minor inconveniences, trials, hurts, pains, persecutions, relationship problems or anything else keep you from living of, through, and to Him. God wants you to be consecrated to Him so that He can construct you into a trophy of His grace and glory. He wants you to be connected to Jesus and His Church so that you might grow and contribute to the health and growth of the Body and Bride of Christ. Victorious Christian living is a moment-by-moment rehearsing, remembering, resting, and rejoicing in the gospel, grace and glory of Jesus. It is repetitive and representative of who we have been transformed into by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Live in victory!