Living Hope Church

Pastor Phil Steiger: If you have your Bibles, turn with me, please, to the book of Romans. We're in Romans chapter 12. In a moment, we're going to start reading here in chapter 12, verse 17, through the end of the chapter again.

But here's where we're going to start. Friends, the only thing that makes sense of our moral universe is the existence of the God of the Bible. The only thing that makes sense of our moral universe is the existence of the God of the Bible.

If an all-powerful, righteous, and perfectly good God exists, then all evil will be dealt with one way or another, and justice will perfectly and forever be done. If that God does not exist, then our striving here on earth is fundamentally meaningless. It is nihilistic power and brutalism.

Now, this is a lot to swallow upfront. Normally in a homiletics class, they say, "Ease people into the introduction." But we just jumped right into the deep end this morning. This is a lot upfront, but it's going to make all the difference. It's going to make all the difference for us this morning.

In fact, what we've just talked about for the last couple minutes, I believe, is what Paul says at the end here of this incredible chapter, Romans chapter 12. And it is how we become, how we are able to become people of mercy and goodness, instead of people of bitterness and vengeance.

In the last couple of verses that we spent time with in this section last week, Paul said things like, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Seek to do what is honorable amongst all and do everything that you can in your power to live peaceably with everyone." Now, we said that none of this denies the reality of evil. None of it denies the things that are often done to us or happen inside of the world around us.

But what this passage is about is what's happening inside of the hearts and minds and souls of the followers of Jesus Christ. How am I going to interact with this world? How am I going to respond when these things happen? That's what's going on in this passage of Scripture.

So now Paul continues in the second half of this passage with similar thoughts this morning. But now he's going to explicitly ground our behavior in the inevitable truth of God's judgment of all evil and God's character of perfect justice. So in our passage of Scripture this morning, a couple of thoughts that are going to help guide our way today.

First of all, we as followers of Jesus Christ are called to avoid vengeance and evil within our own souls and our own behaviors. Paul keeps up this theme in the last couple of verses we're going to deal with. Now, a sinful world is going to act from sin and rebellion. These are the only buckets that a sinful world can pull from: from sin and rebellion. We as followers of Jesus Christ, we have a different life to draw from, a different bucket to pull from, and that is the kingdom of God. So you and I follow Christ, and we now are living according to, learning to live according to, the kingdom of God within us. So we're called to avoid vengeance and evil in this passage of Scripture.

And then we're also told, and we're going to learn that God will overcome all evil with good. God will overcome all evil with good. So this ultimately is what makes sense of our lives of mercy and peace and of the fruit of the Spirit. Our God of power and of love will judge evil and will bring perfect justice to bear for all of eternity. And friends, that is really, really good news.

Let's read our passage this morning. Romans chapter 12. We're going to begin in verse 17, read through the end of the chapter. Friends, this is the Word of the Lord.

Repay no one evil for evil. We 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.

So we pick up this morning in verse 19, where Paul speaks to his beloved, the Roman believers. And we touched on this last time. The original Roman church reading this passage of Scripture, they themselves are already facing opposition, maybe even meeting underground in the catacombs in the city of Rome. We know 15 to 20 years from now they're going to face significant life-ending persecution. So here is the Apostle Paul speaking to people whom he hasn't met yet, but people whom he loves. And he says, "Beloved, here's what I want you to do. Never avenge yourselves, but leave it up to the wrath of God."

Beloved, never avenge yourselves. This, as a matter of fact, continues in this train of thought if you go back and you read the last several verses of chapter 12. Bless those who persecute you, repay no one evil for evil, and if possible, live peaceably with all people. All of this again cuts against our normal human nature. That brokenness and sinfulness and rebellion within us wants to do something completely different. So what God is after in this passage cuts against our normal human nature. It breaks the cycle of sin and evil by breaking it inside of my heart and mind. By breaking it inside of how I am going to interact with this world. Again, the world's going to draw from sin and rebellion; that's how it will act. I now have something else to do, and this is now the kingdom of God within me.

Now, you sit and you reflect, and you spend some time on this passage of Scripture that we're not going to repay anyone evil for evil. They've done evil, shouldn't I be allowed to? Don't I have a right to? Paul emphasizes his point when he says, "Beloved, people whom I love and whom Jesus loves, don't avenge yourselves, leave it up to the wrath of God." "But don't I have the right to? Shouldn't I be able to?" It would be very easy reading a passage of Scripture like this to begin to think that this leaves us exposed, this leaves us a little weak. Well then, can't people just do whatever they want to do? I don't like that. We don't want that to happen. This just sort of weakens me. It puts me in a bad spot if I follow this advice. What we're going to learn in this passage of Scripture though is so different than that.

The kind of life that we are being called to live in this passage of Scripture is not being asked of us out of a position of weakness. It's not as if God is saying, "You know, evil's going to happen. Bad things are going to happen in the world around you. They're going to happen to you. There's really not much I can do about it, so let's do the best with what we can." We are not asked to live this kind of life out of a position of weakness. We are asked to live this kind of life out of a position of the greatest power in all of existence.

That's a significant difference here.

Now, before we get there, relying on the power and the character and the righteousness of God, we need to hear Paul's admonitions to us again before we get there. So he says, "Never avenge." And he just uses the straightforward word for revenge or for vengeance, the act of setting a wrong right under my own power.

Now, Paul again does not ask us to ignore evil, to not recognize evil for what it is. And keep in mind, next week, should the Lord tarry, we roll right into Romans chapter 13, where God talks about how these things are intended to be dealt with inside of our world. So he does not mean let's not recognize evil for what it is. He is still after the thoughts and intents of my heart. He is still after the transformation of my heart and mind. Remember again where all this began in chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. I am to present my body to Christ, holy and acceptable. It is a living sacrifice to him. I should no longer be conformed to the image of this world, the way in which this world handles these kinds of things, but I need to be renewed, transformed by the renewing of my mind, so that I may learn what the will of God is. I know what the will of my sin is. I know what the will of the world is. What is the will of God? I'm going to learn that as I present myself to him. I'm going to learn that as my mind is transformed.

So a heart that is wrapped up in vengeance. So that's what we're dealing with in this passage, is what's happening inside of Phil's heart. A heart that is wrapped up in revenge ends up in bitterness and malice and fear and anxiety. If it goes long enough, it becomes pure hatred, right? Beloved, never avenge yourselves. He's talking about what's happening inside of my heart because if vengeance sits here, that's where my heart goes.

It doesn't find itself in the kingdom of God, in some place different, a different way of living, a different set of options now that I follow Jesus and I know who he is. Never avenge, beloved. Leave it up to the wrath of God, he says.

Then at the very end of this passage, that last verse, he just very simply says, right? Do not be overcome by evil. Don't be overwhelmed by it, but instead, you and I are to overcome evil with good. The Word of God again goes straight to our hearts and to our own minds. It commands us to do what is so often just the opposite of what we want to do.

I know what every kung fu movie I like tells me to do when someone does me evil. A swift kick in the head fixes just about everything, right? I know what these movies tell me to do. I know what my heart does. Yeah. But Paul is after what's happening inside of my heart.

So this means, and guys, this is a big deal in the context of who we're learning God is. Who we're learning we are supposed to become. This means that the things of God, like the fruit of the Spirit, are the more powerful things in this world. These are the deeper things inside of my soul and inside of this world. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. These are not the things that we teach little kids and hope later on they remember one of these things. These are the things that are the stronger things inside of the Christian soul. Than the evil and brokenness that's in the world and that still sits inside of my sin. These are deeper, and these are stronger.

Think about it like this, when we think about those who do evil, those who have done evil, either in a large scale out there in the world around us, or even to us personally. Think about it like this, the most powerful thing that can happen to a rebellious soul is repentance, forgiveness, and transformation. That is the most powerful thing that can happen to that soul. That person who's locked up inside of their ruts of evil and wickedness and sin. The best thing that could happen is the salvation of Jesus Christ and the changing of that soul. That's the best thing.

This makes me think about the study that we're doing on Tuesday nights. The Bible study we started this last Tuesday night is on the Book of Jonah. I encourage you to come to be a part of that. The Book of Jonah is phenomenal. Because one of the things that happens inside of that book is that we get to watch God's prophet wrestle with exactly this. Go and tell my enemies, go and tell the enemies of the nation of Israel that God's judgment is going to come, but he will also provide salvation for those who repent. Jonah says, "No, my enemies deserve hellfire and brimstone." And sure enough, when God shows them grace and repentance, Jonah gets angry at God for not destroying a truly wicked and bloodthirsty group of people.

And the book ends with a question. The book ends with a question. God says, "Should I not be allowed to show pity on a bunch of people who are the dumbest group of bricks you have ever seen? They don't know their right hand from their left, and all of their cattle." It's a great question. Jonah's angry because God has shown pity on image bearers. So God finishes that book by saying, "Shouldn't I be allowed to show pity on people made in my image?" What do you think? What do you think, Jonah?

The very next verse here in Romans chapter 12. To the contrary, verse 20. 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. If your enemy is at lack and you have the ability to feed them, and it's right for you to do so, do it. If you're able to give them something to drink, you ought to do that. And then the last part of this passage, and so doing, you're going to heap burning coals upon their heads. I have to admit, growing up reading through this passage of Scripture, it's like this relief valve, right? I say, "Oh, I'm supposed to be like this and like this and like this and like this to my enemies." But this is what's great, right? The nicer I am to my enemies, the angrier God is going to be with them. Their judgment's going to be even worse. Is that what this means? If I show them kindness, then it's going to be like heaping burning coals upon their head, meaning the judgment of God is going to be even worse. And honestly, there's something inside of my soul, especially growing as a teenager. I'm thinking, "Okay, I'll be nice just to get you," right?

Burning coals in the Old Testament is often an image of the judgment of God. But what Paul does here is he quotes from the Old Testament. He quotes from the Old Testament a couple of times in this passage, which is, I think, interesting. But he cites Proverbs chapter 25, verses 21 and 22. So I want to read all of these two verses to kind of help us get a feel for what Paul is bringing to us here in Romans 12. The writer of Proverbs says this, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink." "For you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you."

And the Lord will reward you here in the Book of Proverbs, which is inside of Paul's head when he cites this and would have been inside of the heads of the Jewish Christians who read this in the Book of Romans for the very first time. It's not about making judgment worse for your neighbor. It's about again, it's another way of showing love to your neighbor that is in keeping with the spirit of what is said in Proverbs 25. And that's also in keeping with the teaching of Romans chapter 12. After all of this that he has said about not returning evil for evil, living at peace, trying to find ways to live in honorable ways, don't avenge yourselves, it's not as if he just sort of turns around 180 degrees with this one phrase. He's using this last phrase to simply say again, there's a way in which you can bless, you ought to bless. Some guess it may be taken from the image of your neighbor's fire is gone out at night. You still have burning coals in your hearth, and so you take those burning coals and you give it to them so they can reignite the fire inside of their home. Something that's actually the image that's being used in this passage of Scripture.

So again, even through all of this, the Apostle Paul saying, and he uses the word enemy, "If your enemy is hungry, if your enemy is thirsty, if your enemy needs fire so that they can make their food in the morning, then you ought to be able to do these kinds of things for them."

Let's remind ourselves of someone we talked about a couple of weeks ago. One of the possibly most influential philosophers and thinkers in the last 140, 150 years, and this is Friedrich Nietzsche. Friedrich Nietzsche believed that the morality of the Bible, Jewish and Christian morality, Old Testament and New Testament, what we just read, he called a slave morality. Now, here's what he means by that. He means it is a significant form of weakness. So he argued that if you have no social or economic power, if you have no personal ability to enact your will on the world around you or the people around you, if you are weak in this world, then you will turn weakness into a virtue and you will say it's the best way to live. That's what he argues. And that becomes a significant thread in the 20th century, that Christianity is weakness and the will to power, as he called it, is the way that governments and individuals ought to run because this is nothing but weakness.

But that isn't the teaching of the Old Testament. He actually took that phrase, slave morality, from the Exodus itself. But this is not the teaching of the Exodus in the Old Testament, where God by his mighty hand overcame the strongest empire in the face of the earth at the time to free his people. That's not weakness. This is not the teaching of the New Testament in the sense that we have a Messiah who died and there's nothing else left for us to do. We have a Messiah who died on the cross and rose again from the dead, defeating death, hell, and sin and is the coming King of King for all of eternity. That's not weakness. We're not called to live this kind of life because the God that we serve is weak. We're called to live this kind of life because the God that we serve is the most powerful force in all of the cosmos. Yes.

Christians seek to overcome evil with good because that is what God has done in Christ. And it is what Christ will do when he comes again to establish his perfect and eternal kingdom. Our God is the God of perfect righteousness, holiness, justice, and all power that can be. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then we are headed to an eternal existence where there will be no sin or rebellion in the presence of God. But only those who are forgiven and who worship the one true God forever. That is where we are headed. Because God has already overcome evil with his good in Jesus Christ.

The devil knows this better than most of us do. He is in his death throes. He has been defeated, and there's coming a day when he will be locked up and his influence will be done for the rest of eternity. God has already overcome evil with good. That's the kingdom that we live in. That's the bucket we draw from. That's the water we drink is from that kingdom of God.

So we go back there at the beginning of this passage in verse 19 that we're talking about this morning. Paul says, "Beloved, don't avenge yourselves, leave it up to the wrath of God." "For it is written," and he cites the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 35, "For it is written, 'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord." We leave vengeance to God. To his wrath. The word here in the New Testament is a significant word. It's a powerful word. There are several words in Scripture that are used for the anger, the judgment of God. But this word, especially for the wrath of God in the Old Testament, in the New Testament, is important. The Greek word is orge. And when this word is used in the New Testament, it is used to describe what God will do to sin and rebellion, and to those who persist in sin and rebellion to the very end. So here's how this wrath of God is described in the rest of the New Testament. Paul here says, "You and I don't have to avenge ourselves. Let's leave it to the wrath of God." Here's just a smidgeon of what the Word of God says about that. John chapter 3, verse 36. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." "Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." The anger and justice of God against sin and rebellion remains on the one who will not obey the Son of God. Romans chapter 1, verse 18. I know we all remember this as clear as if it were last decade when we did this. Romans chapter 1, verse 18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." The wrath of God is revealed. We have, if you have the eyes to see it, we have the ability to see the wrath of God at work even now. That's part of that section in Romans chapter 1. This is how the wrath of God is revealed even on earth now against sin and rebellion. And in this passage in Romans chapter 19, verse 15, in a couple of minutes we're going to read this whole context, but it's of Christ himself returning and dealing with sin and rebellion. Revelation 19:15, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth."

This is perfect wrath poured out on sin and rebellion. There's something important to think about here. What on earth can I do that will in any way match how God will handle sin and rebellion? If I did have my way and I was able to scissor-kick somebody in the face like all of my movies tell me to do, does that come anywhere close to the wrath of God? Anything I might do is nothing compared to the scope of God's wrath. And as a matter of fact, anything I might do will be full of my own sin and my shortcomings. God's knowledge of judgment and justice is utterly complete and perfect. Mine is small and broken.

So friends, getting to know the God who exists, the God of the Bible, means that we learn that he is the God of justice. We learn in the Word of God. In fact, the story begins in the very first pages of this book. There is an arc, a storyline that goes from the beginning of the Book of Genesis to the end of the Book of Revelation. And it is God's restoration plan, his redemption plan to bring all things into himself and to bring into himself those who belong to him and to put an end to all unrighteousness, sin, and rebellion. It begins at the beginning, and it comes to its culmination in the last few chapters of the Book of Revelation. God will bring all things into himself, and he will judge sin and give life to those who belong to him. We read that in John chapter 3. So friends, my personal sin, Phil's personal sin, will either be judged in me for all of eternity or be placed on Jesus Christ at the cross, and I will be forgiven. That's how my sin is judged, either in me or in Christ on the cross. This is what it means to submit myself to him, to become a follower of Jesus Christ. Part of what that is is that now my sin is under the cross, and it is forgiven because of the judgment of God placed on his son at the cross. This is how my personal sin is dealt with. The sin of the world, all rebellion will be finished by the final judgment of God. And then there's even the evil and the harm done by our enemy. He will be, as the story tells us, he will be thrown into the lake that burns with fire for all of eternity, never to tempt or harm God's people forever. My sin will be dealt with. The sin of the world will be done, and the harm and work of the enemy himself will be broken for all of eternity.

There's just a mountain of Scripture that tells us this. A few of these passages of Scripture. One of them we read often during the Christmas season because it's a beautiful passage of Scripture. "For unto us a Son is born, unto us a Child is given, his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." And we love that at Christmas. It's absolutely great. You keep reading in that passage of Scripture, in Isaiah chapter 9, verse 7, sort of rounds itself out by saying this: "Of the increase of his government, his management of every molecule of the universe and of the increase of his government, and of peace, there will be no end." The only way for peace to be is for sin to be done. And of peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of angelic armies will do this. This is the Son who was born to us. He will uphold his throne with justice and with righteousness.

Isaiah 42, it's one of these passages in the Book of Isaiah that are often called the Servant Songs. They foreshadow the Messiah himself. Isaiah 42, verse 1, says this: "Behold my Servant whom I uphold, my Chosen in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to the nations." This is the Jesus that you and I belong to. The passage of Scripture that we read during worship this morning in Psalm chapter 9, verses 7 and 8. "But the Lord sits enthroned forever, for he has established his throne for justice. And he judges the world with righteousness. He judges the people with uprightness." He sits on his throne forever. God is on the throne. And that's worthy of meditation. God is on the throne. Psalm 89, verse 14. "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Steadfast love and faithfulness go before you." The Word of God has no problem putting those concepts together in the same breath. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. This is the full, complete, perfect character of the God that you and I worship.

And then we know this as well. And this is part of what Paul is making sure we think about when we read a passage like this and we think about what life looks like because of it. Christ will come and he will defeat all rebellion arrayed against him and against the kingdom of God. Friends, Christ is coming. Christ is coming.

Let's go back to that passage in Revelation 19. I think I copy and pasted the wrong verse when we read Revelation 19, but we're going to get it here. This is after the marriage supper of the Lamb. For those of us on diets, we're really looking forward to that one. Revelation 19, verses 11 through 16. Listen to the image that is used of the Jesus of the Gospels, the Jesus we follow in the Epistles, this is how this justice comes.

Then I saw heaven opened. And behold, a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True. And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. And he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written, "King of kings and Lord of lords." Christ is coming. And we are coming with him to watch this moment unfold in space and time.

Beloved, don't avenge yourselves, but leave it up to the wrath of God. For the Word of God tells us, "Vengeance is mine," says the Lord. The end of the influence of all sin and rebellion, both within me and everywhere else. The end of our enemy and the end of sin in the hearts and minds of God's people means an eternity in perfection with our Savior and King. What we read was Revelation 19. We get a couple chapters further, and this is the image we get in Revelation 21. When followers of Jesus Christ are with him for all of eternity.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them as their God." "And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." "And he who is seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" "Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" "And he said to me, 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.'" "To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." "The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God, and he will be my Son."

Don't be overcome by evil. But learn, Christian, how to walk in such a way that we overcome evil with good. For God has already done it in Christ, and God will complete the task just as it is written.

So now, because all of these things are inevitably true, we live lives that belong to righteousness, to the love of God. To the fruitfulness of the Holy Spirit. We belong to the King of Kings here and now. That is the kingdom. That needs to be at work inside of the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ now. This is the God who puts everything right. This is the God who makes sense and gives meaning to the lives that we live right now. Let's pray.