The Christian’s Response to Evil
Introduction:
-Paul closes his first epistle to these brethren in Thessalonica with a series of 20 short exhortations
-as he encourages them to let God’s love rule every action of their lives, he touches upon an area that presents one of the most overwhelming challenges for any believer
-this challenge is true no matter how long we have known the Lord; what is that challenge?
-it is when someone, or some group of individuals, carry out an act, or acts, of evil against your person, your family, your community or your country
-how are we to deal with it? how are we to respond now as believers in Christ?
-we are given direct counsel in the New Testament on how we are to respond to these evils
-Jesus Christ speaks of it often as He speaks to His disciples as recorded in the gospels
-we see the believers live it out in the Book of Acts; and we hear much counsel in the Epistles on dealing with this hardship
-just how far or how literal do we take the words of Scripture in regard to how we respond to evil? are we ever to defend ourselves or our families against evil?
-what about standing against evil influences rising like a tsunami in our society?
-I would like to dissect verse 15 of ch. 5 of 1 Thessalonians into two parts: what we are commanded NOT to do, and what we are commanded TO do
-I want to go deeper than just the command, though; I want to explore why those commands are there
-I also want to touch upon our position as evangelical Christians in our society today and how we are to respond to the evil that is slowly creeping into our laws as a country
-at the close of our message this morning we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper, remembering that He is the One who has conquered all evil, and in Him we are more than conquerors
-read 1 Thes. 5:15
; pray
I. See that No One Renders Evil for Evil
A. Payback
-here is a mandate presented by the Apostle Paul regarding those who do acts of evil against your person or your family
-the Thessalonian believers had experienced and endured much persecution for their faith in Christ Jesus over the past few years
-all the charges of being heretics or traitors to the Roman government were completely false and unfounded; yet the rumor mill spread like a California wild fire
-when unjust charges are brought against your person or your family, everything within you wants to naturally vindicate yourself
-but not only do we find the natural tendency to vindicate ourselves, we want to go further and really punish the person or persons who brought the evil
-it is right to be angry over an injustice that is committed against us; anger isn’t the core problem; it is what the anger drives us to do that can bring us into sin
-it is one thing to demand justice over an evil committed; it is altogether something different to purpose malicious attack and revenge
-when you come to the gospels, you find this counsel from the Lord Jesus:
Mat 5:38-48 NKJV “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ (39) But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. (40) If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. (41) And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. (42) Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. (43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, (45) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? (48) Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
-the overall counsel here from the Lord Jesus to His disciples is to put an end to retaliation and resentment in their hearts
-it dealt with the heart of the offended rather than the outward demand for revenge
-when the Mosaic Law gave the command, ‘Eye for an Eye…’, it was to limit vigilante justice and blood feuds
-but Jesus goes to a higher law for the believer: that of reflecting to the unbelieving, perishing world the heart of the Father in heaven toward them
-that becomes the core motive behind the heart and behavior of the believer
-obedience to Jesus’ counsel is only possible through the Holy Spirit of God; but there must first be a step of faith in that direction by a disciple of Jesus Christ
Pro 20:22 NKJV Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the LORD, and He will save you.
Pro 24:29 NKJV Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
B. Protection
-there is a difference between having a spirit of ‘payback with interest’ upon someone who does you evil, and standing in a position to defend yourself or your family
-this would even apply to your community or your country
-it is interesting to read Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 on the definition of evil; included in the definition are these notes:
E’VIL, n. Evil is natural or moral. Natural evil is anything which produces pain, distress, loss or calamity, or which in any way disturbs the peace, impairs the happiness, or destroys the perfection of natural beings.
Moral evil is any deviation of a moral agent from the rules of conduct prescribed to him by God, or by legitimate human authority; or it is any violation of the plain principles of justice and rectitude.
There are also evils called civil, which affect injuriously the peace or prosperity of a city or state; and political evils, which injure a nation, in its public capacity.
All wickedness, all crimes, all violations of law and right are moral evils. Diseases are natural evils, but they often proceed from moral evils.
-but even in that definition one must begin with a standard which can be defined as goodness; evil is in effect the absence of goodness, just as darkness is defined as the absence of light
-the Bible puts forth this truth: only God as good; His attributes are the definition of true moral goodness, not the nature of man
-so when someone comes and breaks into your house and threatens you with bodily harm, are you allowed as a Christian to defend your life, liberty and property?
-absolutely! But there is to be no room for revenge or vigilante justice outside of proper just laws of the land
Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible: “It may be right to defend our lives and the lives of our friends; to seek the protection of the law for our persons, reputation, or property, against those who would wrong us; to repel the assaults of calumniators and slanderers, but in no case should the motive be to do them wrong for the evil which they have done us.”
Rom 12:17-21 NKJV Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. (18) If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. (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. (20) Therefore “IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD.” (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
II. See that you Always Pursue What is Good
A. Reflecting the Heart of the Father
-there is a higher law by which we are to live as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; that law is called the law of love
-but this love is not just any fond affection or human idea of love; it is love defined by God Himself; the Greek word is agape’, which is an unconditional love
-the Apostle Paul sought to describe that love
1Co 13:4-7 NLT Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud (5) or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. (6) It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. (7) Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
-this love is fully expressed through the sending of Jesus Christ from heaven
Rom 5:8 NKJV But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1Jn 4:9-11 NKJV In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
-to reflect the heart of the Father to the surrounding world, you must first get to know Him on a personal basis; this is done through trusting Christ for salvation
-God’s main desire is not so much in the outcome of your works as it is in the process by which those works are produced
-this means that relationship with Him is primary to Him
-illustration: bringing an out-of-town best friend along with you when you do your errands or when you are relaxing in recreation
-building a relationship requires that you spend time with an individual, as well as the gradual opening up of those deeper areas of your soul in vulnerability
-trust is a vital element between friends; confidentiality is the fence to that trust
-Jesus is the express image of the Father; study Him in the gospels
-see how He deals with conflicts, challenges, awkward situations; when you see Him, you are seeing the Father’s heart
-how the Holy Spirit of God is poised to bring you and me into a deeper fellowship with the Father and the Son! but we must follow His commands
1Pe 2:21-25 NKJV For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: (22) “WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH” [Is. 53]; (23) who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; (24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (25) For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1Pe 3:8-17 NKJV Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; (9) not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. (10) For “HE WHO WOULD LOVE LIFE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, LET HIM REFRAIN HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL, AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT. (11) LET HIM TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; LET HIM SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. (12) FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE ON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ARE OPEN TO THEIR PRAYERS; BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL.” [Ps. 34] (13) And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? (14) But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR THREATS, NOR BE TROUBLED.”[Is. 8] (15) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (17) For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
B. Released Through Forgiveness
Mat 6:12 AMP And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
Mar 11:25 AMP And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.
-our forgiveness of others sins against us is based entirely upon what the Father has done for us in Christ
-forgiveness doesn’t mean that I pretend the offense never occurred; and it doesn’t require that you immediately trust the one who has committed the offense
-forgiveness doesn’t excuse the crime; but the ultimate justice must be entrusted into the hands of the Living God and the court of heaven
-it is right to be angry over the offense; but don’t let your anger, your hurt, your loss keep you from forgiving the person
-take your hands off their neck; only in this way can you ever hope to experience the fullness of the life God has waiting for you
-forgiveness is a process; but there must first be a sowing in faith to obedience to the counsel of God
-step out in faith and make a proclamation that you forgive that person or those people
-let the Holy Spirit flush out all the brine that has built up over the years
-remember what Jesus has paid to bring you into the privilege of forgiveness with God0
-Jesus has brought us out of spiritual and moral darkness into His marvelous light
-may we remember that He paid dearly for this gift of eternal life that we so cherish and partake of even this moment
COMMUNION