“Be not Overcome of Evil, but Overcome Evil with Good.” the Wayfarer 1/17/17

^“Be not Overcome of Evil, but Overcome Evil with Good.”
1/17/17

Romans 12:1 & 2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Reasonable service! Note that Paul did not say, unreasonable, or impossible service, but stated that what is expected is reasonable service rendered to and accepted by God.

The second verse of this chapter, written to the Romans that faced daily pressure and persecution for their beliefs, were not to conform to the beliefs of those around them, surrendering to the laws of the governing body and majority of the citizenry that rejected the tenets of their faith that was and is demanded to attain the grace that grants salvation, and eternal life for that very faith.

It is far too easy to allow the customs and laws of the time to “make allowance” for the very things that do in fact conform us to this world, thereby negating and denying any professed faith in all that Christ Jesus came to assure, and would in fact negate the very purpose for which he came!

The transformation and renewing of the mind must be firm and real… the faith and belief must be real. Making allowances denies the reality of both belief and faith.

Isaiah 5:20King James Version (KJV)

20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Roman society did exactly what Isaiah warned about!

Unfortunately, so too does the society, to include those claiming Christianity today.

The instruction given to not be conformed had a reason.

The reason was peer pressure, and pressure from within the individual still abiding in a corrupt flesh body to accept the unacceptable.

Romans 12:3-9

³ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

⁴ For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

The same grace extended to one is extended to all… the same requirement of faith for one is the same requirement for all.

No man is better than another, in this flesh, and no man of himself alone is capable of overcoming that flesh, and none is better than another.

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”

This must weigh on the minds of all, and in the hearts of all, but still gives no justification to conform to the sin that would so easily overtake us should we begin to think that there is no need to follow the teachings of Christ Jesus, and not only give credence to those teachings for ourselves alone, but to share our belief in those teachings with others as well.

Silence about evil does not defeat evil. Ignoring evil does not make it vanish with the wave of the magician’s hand.

It is the very fact that all HAVE sinned, to include each and every true believer, that makes it paramount to not only avoid sin, but to sound the trumpet for all, especially those we proclaim our love for, in order that they too might find the gift of grace through faith through comprehension and repentance of sin.

We, as members of the body of Christ must show our love of and for all, using every gift that has been given us to do so.

The use of those gifts must extend to the preservation of the eternal soul of those we love, and who love us, and to those who hate us and find our belief repugnant as well.

That love includes the abhorrence of evil, as well as the abstinence from it.

Cleaving to that which is good is far more than the golden rule, which should also incorporate the care for the eternal soul of all men as well.

There is a delicate and infinitely fine line between love proclaimed, shown by the cares of this world, and love that is real that must also include the necessity to assure that we show one and all that we truly hold the faith and belief in Christ’s power of salvation, and therefore the faith and belief in the requirement of repentance as well. Anything less is the acceptance of the loss of the souls of those we would profess to love, and assure the damnation of those who fail to recognize or accept what God Himself chooses to call good and evil.

Romans 12:10-18

¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

¹⁵ Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

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.

Close attention to these verses gives further guidance for the way we are to conduct ourselves among our fellow men, both believers and nonbelievers.

Being kindly affectioned means exactly that. Malice, anger, vengeance, nor any other attitude is acceptable… nor is mere acceptance and conformity within the bounds of what society deems acceptable.

Persecution of true belief will exist, does exist, and the reactions to those things are all covered under the heading of LOVE as was commanded by Jesus. Again that love MUST be for the soul, and must be shown, even when misunderstood and misrepresented as something evil.

Condescension to those in low estate does not mean that we are to condescend to their level, but are to assist them above that level through compassion and love, both in the physical needs, and even more importantly in the needs that go unrecognized… the spiritual, eternal needs of the soul.

We should not be wise in our own conceits. As already stated, all men are equal in the eyes of God, and equally guilty.

It is ever our goal to provide that same equality of salvation through grace that must be practiced, preached and shown to ALL, friend and foe alike.

We all need to exhibit the likemindedness with Christ that only comes through the faith in ALL things he taught and commanded, despite the tendency of flesh to continually seek to ignore the needs of others while expounding a righteousness of works alone.

The only works that count are those of Christ! The only means of salvation is through Christ. The only requirement for that salvation is Faith in Christ, that faith demanding repentance and avoidance of the things that would convict us in God’s court where each must stand and give accountability.

Evil is never a compensation for evil. Evil only creates more evil. Recompense for evil cannot be made by man, but was already given by Christ, and should be accepted not just as adequate, but fully sufficient as each will pay the cost of their own unanswered and unrepentant sin when facing God, and that cost is eternal as well.

Living peaceably with all is recognized as not always being a possibility, but to strive toward that goal is also a requirement of love.

When that possibility is extinguished between men, then the only peace that counts is the peace granted by Christ for having done all that can be done without the compromise of the faith that is required of us. That peace is eternal as well, and more important than any temporary inconvenience that may be a part of this temporary stopover on the way to eternity.

Romans 12:19-21

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.

Paul reiterated the teachings of Christ of the necessity to rise above the self righteousness that allows only love for the few, and make allowance for the commandment of love….real love for all.

In closing I go once more to the final chapter of the final book of the bible, as a reminder that we must endure, must hold fast to faith in the grace that is given all, if accepted, and what is yet to come for all!

(Revelation 22:10-13)

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

God’s plan will come to its full fruition no matter the actions of any man.

Each will make  a choice of destination and destiny, and each will give accountability for choices made and those not taken as well.

Love each other, care for each other, guide each other through the labyrinth of a world that would force conformity with the goals that would separate you from the destiny intended for you by God.

Be true to Christ Jesus professing to all that will hear the necessity of recognition and repentance of sin.

Show true and abiding love, not just for the worldly needs and wants, but for the spiritual needs and requirements as well.

Silence is only conformity, consent and certain assertation that no faith is held beyond the here and now, and the certainty that man is in charge.

Despite any costs for having and showing the love needed to give guidance to Christ, the cost of silence is far more for those not hearing and heeding that guidance.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Even so come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer