WWUTT 1348 Live Peaceably With All (Romans 12:17-18)

Living Peaceably and Honorable Conduct Toward All

Life is too short for you to be living with a chip on your shoulder, with bitterness in your heart toward other people. The Bible tells us, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all, when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily study of God's Word, that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will. For questions and comments, send us an email to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. We come back to Romans chapter 12, and that paragraph we've been looking at this week is verses 14 through 21. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, Bless those who persecute you.

Bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Repay no one evil for evil, but 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 remember yesterday I mentioned that verses 15 and 16 are sandwiched right in between these verses that talk about being persecuted. Bless those who persecute you.

Bless and do not curse them. That's verse 14. Then we have this instruction to rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. That we would continue in this brotherly affection with one another in the body of Christ.

We need each other, especially when you consider that the world is going to beat up on us. They're going to hate us just because we're pursuing godliness. First Peter 4 .4, Second Timothy 3 .12. So we need the body to be a place where we can come to and know that we're going to get encouragement.

There is somebody who can sympathize with us, who knows what we're going through, who is willing to weep with us or rejoice with us as the circumstance calls for it. So that's what we need to be for one another within the brotherhood.

Verse 16, live in harmony with one another. And as I said yesterday, you can't live that way with the world. We're supposed to live that way with one another in the body of Christ. Do not be haughty. Never think of yourself too highly, but associate with the lowly.

Have friendships with people who cannot benefit you in the sense that they cannot elevate your status somehow or make you look better in the eyes of other people. Associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

As we read in Proverbs 27 .2, let another man praise you, not your own mouth, a stranger, and not your own lips. So this is the humility that we're supposed to have with one another in the body of Christ.

And by the way, that same humility we're supposed to have in the world also. And that's where the rest of this comes from. So we live in humility with one another in the church. We live in humility even in the world.

Consider now verse 17, repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Now that doesn't mean that the way that you live in the world is going to be thought of as honorable.

I mean, just because you have a biblical definition of marriage, the world is going to hate you for that. You believe that marriage is supposed to be between one man and one woman for life. Anything else is not marriage because this is what God has created marriage to be.

A man and his wife and the two shall become one flesh. If you have that definition of marriage, an exclusive definition, there's no other way to define it. The world is going to hate you for that because they want a sexuality that is ever changing.

I mean, that definition is changing with the wind. However it blows today, that's what our definition of sexuality is going to be. That's what the world expects. Whatever I want, I get. I want to have it.

If I want to live this way, if I want to change my body this way, if I want to sleep with this person or that person, I should get to have it and nothing that you can say to me should affect what I want.

Or you're a bigot, right? Just because you have a definition, you just acknowledge what you see in nature. You just have common sense. This is a man and this is a woman. A man cannot become a woman. A woman cannot become a man.

You just have basic common sense understanding of the way nature works. The world is going to hate you for that. You live in a way that is honorable. You follow the principle that is laid down in 1 Peter 3 .15.

In your heart, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you, but doing this with gentleness and respect. That's living honorable in the sight of all.

It doesn't mean that the world is going to see that as honorable. It's what God has called honorable and you do this in the sight of all. Right? So, you live according to the way that God has told us we are to live.

Give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of God in the sight of all. Does that make sense? So, you're living for the Lord. You're not living in fear of man. Fear God and nothing else. Even a virus.

Tremble at his word. Isaiah 66 .2. Do not tremble at the word of man. Consider what Paul says in Galatians 1 .10. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

So, as a servant of Christ, we live in a way that God has said is honorable and we live in this way in the sight of all. Repay no one evil for evil. Other people are going to do evil toward you. Of course they are because they did that to our Savior, to Jesus.

So, of course they're going to treat us that way. But how did Jesus respond to those who hated him? This is 1 Peter 2, beginning in verse 21. Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps.

He committed no sin. Neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

And that's what we are to do as well. I'm going to continue on here because the gospel is in these next verses. 1 Peter 2, starting in verse 24. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed, for you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls. So here it says Jesus was reviled and he did not revile in return.

I think that this is the way we're most commonly going to be persecuted. You're probably not going to have your life threatened, or at least threatened to a certain degree that you might actually have to fear for your life.

Maybe you will. Maybe somebody will threaten your life that way. But more often than not, the kind of ridicule that we face in a Western English speaking world is going to be the kind of ridicule that gets hurled at us for the Christ likeness that we desire to have.

And when they revile us, we cannot respond that way. Be very, very careful with your words. There's answering with a smart answer, and then there's answering with just biting sarcasm and put downs and stuff like that.

Being witty doesn't mean that we be jerks. So do not revile those who revile you, but do as Christ did in trusting yourself to him who judges justly. They who revile you are going to have to give an account to God one day.

Leaving Vengeance to God and Trusting His Justice

So therefore, we go on here in Romans chapter 12, verse 18, where it well, verse 19 is where it says, Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God. So I'm thinking ahead there. Let's look at verse 18 first.

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Just because you have a great comeback in your head doesn't mean it should come out of your mouth. It may not be the response that you should have in order to follow this instruction to live peaceably with all.

A lot of times in order to keep the peace, it means walking away from a conversation. I've talked about the way that I conduct myself on social media. I talked about this earlier this week. So let me come back to this example again.

There are people that I block on Twitter. So blocking them means they cannot see what I tweet. I cannot see what they say, and nor can we interact with one another. Sometimes I block because this person absolutely cannot help themselves.

They have to argue with everything. They have to throw the put downs. They have to make sure that everybody thinks that I'm a fool. And it creates a terrible witness in the sight of the world. I don't necessarily doubt this person's faith who dislikes me.

There are certain people that go far enough that there's no way that person is saved. At least in the way that they conduct themselves online, they don't show any demonstration of having Christ in their hearts.

So I will block that person because their tendency to want to argue with a brother or sister in the faith that they profess puts forward a bad witness before the world. It's also sinning. To constantly be going after your brothers and sisters in the church is sinning.

And so I'll block that person online so that they're not continually tempted to quarrel with a brother or sister in the faith. This is just an example of something that I do online. But overall in the scriptures, we're told to stay away from fruitless quarrels, from those things that are going to ruin the hearers, those that overhear these conversations.

Paul says this to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 14, charge them before God not to quarrel about words which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Among the instructions that Paul gave to Timothy, we have those qualifications for an elder, for a pastor in the church that's in 1 Timothy chapter 3.

And there it says that a pastor must not be quarrelsome. That's one of the qualifications for a pastor. He cannot be quarrelsome. And those qualifications there, 1 Timothy 3 1 through 7, are not really outstanding qualifications.

We would say of those qualifications that are given there, that's something that anybody should aspire to, not just a pastor, but anybody in the church. And absolutely, the pastor is supposed to be a model of mature Christian behavior.

But anybody who is a follower of Christ should want to aspire to the things that are listed there, except for having the ability to teach. That's the one skill that a pastor is supposed to have. But the qualifications there, you're simply getting a picture of a mature believer in Christ.

And all of us are supposed to grow up in maturity to Christ. Part of that maturity is that we don't fight with one another like we are selfish toddlers in a sandbox. 2 Timothy 2 23 have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies.

You know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from a snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.

Instructions given to the church, Titus 3 2 speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle and show perfect courtesy toward all people. Not just brothers and sisters in the faith, but especially there, we show perfect courtesy to all people.

Titus 3 9 avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law for they are unprofitable and worthless. Consider James 4 1 -2 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?

Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. And remember what Jesus said about murder in Matthew 5. If you even call your brother, you fool, then you are guilty of the fires of hell.

It's the same as if you have murdered your brother in your heart. So we're not talking about pulling out a knife and stabbing him in the chest. We're saying here even about those things that would cause you to despise or hate another.

You desire and do not have, and so that's why you behave that way toward other people. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and you quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. James goes on to say there in James 4 2 verse 3, you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions.

We need to have hearts that genuinely love one another and we have hearts that are genuinely loving and considerate and caring for one another when we have hearts that are first and foremost for Christ and desiring to do His will and live as He lived, obeying Him because we know we've been bought with a price and we desire to honor God with our bodies including our tongues.

Our tongues are part of the body. We must even control our tongue and make it submissive unto Christ. Therefore we repay no one evil for evil. We give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all, and if possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone.

Don't stir up quarrels, don't throw the come back out there, you don't have to have the last word, okay? Whenever we get to this next verse where it says, beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God.

We think of avenge as killing the guy who killed my brother, right? That's vengeance, comic book vengeance. It's Batman vengeance. Of course, he doesn't kill anybody, but he goes out and he beats up criminals to avenge the death of his parents.

We're not talking about fist fight here necessarily. It doesn't have to be something, some sort of a physical confrontation. It could be that you're just trying to get the last word in, so if you can tear another person down with your words, you will feel better about yourself.

That's also attempting to avenge yourself rather than leaving it to the wrath of God. So if possible, we're to live with everyone. As much as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone. 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. Those people are doing evil to you, they will not get away with it. Everyone receives either mercy or justice. That's the way it's going to be at the judgment seat of Christ when we get to the final judgment there before the great white throne.

Everyone before Christ will receive either mercy or justice. No one will receive injustice. If you are in Christ, if you are a follower of Jesus, then your sins are atoned for by his death on the cross.

They've been paid in full, and great is your reward in heaven as you continue in the righteousness of Christ, affirming the grace of God that has been poured out for you. So when you stand before God on that day, you will receive mercy.

Your sins are forgiven by the sacrifice of Christ, which you have received by faith in him. But for those who did not believe Jesus, what they receive is not mercy, but justice. No one gets injustice on that day.

Everyone receives either mercy or justice. And really to a certain degree, even if you're a recipient of mercy, you've also received justice because Christ has appeased the wrath of God by his death on the cross so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

We read in 1 John 1 9 that if we ask forgiveness for our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He's just to forgive us our sins because the justice has been paid by Christ.

So you do receive justice just through his mercy and not his wrath. Everyone who does evil, who has done wrong, will have to answer for God. So you see those persons who are doing evil and wrong against you.

Don't think you have to take the matter into your own hands. You are never going to be able to satisfy yourself anyway by the vengeance that you think that you can play out on this person who has so harmed or affected you, offended you to whatever degree that you think you need vengeance.

OK, you're never going to be satisfied in that. It's it's never going to satisfy your your thirst for I want to say thirst for blood. But like I said, it might not be a physical altercation here. So just your thirst for vengeance.

You'll never be satisfied in it. Leave it unto God. Trust in him. You show that you truly trust God when you're not trying to take matters into your own hands. And friends, believe me, I have been wronged and I've been wronged big.

And if I were to tell you the stories about some of the ways that I have been wronged, you would be sitting there going, well, man, why didn't you why didn't you sue that person? Right. Why didn't you retaliate in the same way that they were throwing this stuff at you?

Because I wouldn't be living peaceably with all now, trust me, I'm not sitting here saying that I'm righteous, that I'm better than anybody. I've sat in my bed and contemplated in my flesh how I can get revenge on this person.

But it's in those moments that I surrender my heart to Christ and I am reminded of his word. And I know that he is God and I am not. And vengeance belongs to him. And if there is anyone wrong in this matter, God is going to be the one who is going to make it right in the end.

It is. That's not my job. There are going to be occasions, things that are well beyond my control, people whose hearts I cannot turn, and it's just going to turn into a messy situation in the eyes of everybody else.

And I won't feel peace about it at all, either, as long as I continue to be in that conflict. So as far as it depends on me, I'm to live peaceably with all. I'm not to avenge myself, but I'm to leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written vengeance is mine.

I will repay, says the Lord. Now, what I would really want to see happen is those persons who have wronged me. I want them to repent. And I have no problem with saying I forgive you. Let it let it be done.

OK, we're never bringing it up again. I'm happy to hear that you've been convicted of your sin. And I know that Christ has forgiven you. I forgive you, too. I would love to see that happen. It's it's not common.

It's very, very rare. And in those occasions, we have no control over the situation. You cannot change a person's heart. You need to rest in the Lord and knowing that he is the judge. He is the authority.

You are just as deserving of the vengeance of God as the person that you wish God would pour it out upon. And yet he's been merciful to you. So you must show mercy to others as far as it depends on you.

Live peaceably with all. I want to come back to this again next week. We're going to finish up here for today. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for for your continued patience with us, for for we are little brats sometimes.

We don't get our way. We we shake our fist at others. We are going to take revenge out on somebody because they hurt us somehow. And it may be a big thing or it may be a small thing. We can be so petty sometimes.

Fill our hearts with a desire for Christ and help us to live as Christ did. When there were people who reviled him, he did not revile in return, but he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. May we be disciplined to do the same.

Remind us of these things in Jesus name. Amen.

You've been listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Gabe will be going through a New Testament study. Then on Thursday, we look at an Old Testament book.

On Friday, we take questions from the listeners and viewers. Tomorrow, we'll pick up on an Old Testament study, When We Understand the Text.