A Place for Truth
Sermons

The Vengeance of God
Text: Romans 12

 

  1. Introduction

    2. Propositional Statement: Anger and Vengeance are characteristics of our being made in God's image and desiring the Day of Judgment, but it must be tempered by the Spirit in order that we might pursue repentance and reconciliation in our relationships with others.

    FCF: We are all angry, and vengeful toward those who do us harm.

    One of the greatest and most difficult challenges you will ever face is to put aside your own self, your own wishes, your own will, your own cares, in order to build a relationship with another human being. There have been might men of renown to fight lions, tigers, and bears; those who have climbed steep mountains and victorious raced fast cars; Men who have cheated death many times, who needed great amounts of strength and courage- -but none of these are equal to the one person, who tries by God's grace, to get off their own throne, with all their rules, will, and "rights" in order to make room for another person and to begin building a relationship.

    The reason there is road rage, radical killings in the street, and many heinous crimes of hate, anger, and vengeance is just for this reason. Men and women in this world do not want to give up their rights, "what's comin' to them", what they deserve, etc. and have another human being challenge their position, right, or purpose of living our this life to its full potential.

    Not so, the Christian. He must learn by grace to respond in love, self-lessness, placing God's will before his own. Giving whatever rights he used to have, before being bought out of slavery by the Living God, back into the hands of this God who is good and means only good for them. The Christian must learn to react to evil in a manner that promotes repentance and reconciliation, never repaying evil for evil.

    But how? How do we who are made in God's image, who have anger as a legitimate passion, not use it in a sinful way (remember Eph. 5- "in your anger, do not sin). The implication is that anger is not sin, but their can be sinful anger. How do we react to evil people with whom we interact on a daily basis. How do we learn to forgive those who have done unspeakable evil acts to us in the past: abuse, verbally, physically, and perhaps sexual; lies told to us, and about us! Desperately wicked sayings, gossip and slander that has been oozed out of evil's mouth and flowed like volcanic molten lava to solidify our hearts?

    GRACE. MERCY. RECONCILIATION. REPENTANCE. These come to mind.

  2. Why Vengeance? Why Anger?

    1. Reflection of God's Character- Ironically we are made in God's image and thus we have angry emotions and want to see God's justice meted out. However, it was God's patience with us that opened the possibility for reconciliation in Christ. It is also this image in others we must learn to see and not set ourselves up as God and Judge of the world!


    2. Response to a sinful, upside-down world


    3. Realization of a Coming Judgment Day

    But…

    1. Positionally, not our place (v. 19- belongs to God). It is God's to avenge us.


    2. Pitifully, too small (1 Cor. 16)-Save room for God's wrath the ultimate defeat of evil and Satan and death, etc.

      • What? You are not an angry or vengeful person? You are angry with someone right at this moment? I suggest you look at your heart.

        • Deception: (1) other relationships are "unimportant"- -the "small things" I do not sweat, relationships being some of the "small things"; (2) you keep a "stiff upper lip"? Well, that's more Greek than Christian; (3) You aren't that kind of person, etc.

  3. Response of Love to Hate- Goal is Repentance and Reconciliation

    1. Heap burning coals on head (v. 20)- Prov. 25:21-22

      2. This is active- - not Fight or Flight

      How? Evil people need something for their thirst and hunger. They need their natural, material needs met and Paul calls us to do this. But how much more do they need to face their spiritual problems. How much more do they need to face their own hearts. And we as Christians can help them with this as instruments of God's grace to hurting, evil people (Be careful to remember your own "plank" before removing other's "specks"). In every possible way, goodness must be manifested.

      Here are a few examples of how we can heap burning coals on the heads of our enemies.

      • Remember the difference between extroverts and introverts. Extroverts who like to speak their mind will seek to be tender- - seek tenderness. Introverts who like to hold their feelings and emotions and thoughts inside them will need to seek strength and courage!

      1. Surprise Evil: (v. 17)- Example of my BellSouth incident when I was late from lunch.


      2. Supplant Evil: (v. 18)- Example of the pope forgiving his would-be assassin when he had the opportunity. Any family taking it upon themselves to forgive one of a heinous crime against their home, family member, and peace in this world.


      3. Shame Evil: (v. 18)- Light dispels darkness. Kindly, gently reveal a person's heart and motivation. Set boundaries and do not allow someone to taunt and intimidate you. Reveal the evil heart for what it is- - be careful and do it with repentance and reconciliation in mind- - NEVER hatred, anger, or to spite someone.

    2. Remember two responses: (1) Hardening of heart- Judas; (2) Repentance and reconciliation- Peter; (3) Paul's letter to the Corinthian church- 2 Cor. 7:8-11.

      3. Goal is repentance and reconciliation!

      Remember when telling the truth in love to others, it may surprise, supplant and shame the evil, but it may not necessarily bring you peace. You will have acted rightly and in faith, but it does not necessarily mean that the evil person will want to be at peace with you- - or with your God! But this is your hope.

  4. Response of God's Love in Christ to Our Hate and Anger

    1. To yield to sinful anger and wrath is to be overcome by evil. What Paul commands us to avoid in verse 21.


    2. When the Lord Jesus commanded his disciples to forgive their offending brethren, perceiving the difficulty of this practice, the disciples immediately prayed "Lord, increase our faith." No prayer could be more suitable than this. In fact, it would be a good idea to prepare prayerfully each morning, anticipating a subtle attack of the Evil One.


    3. Motivation of our mercy to other's is founded upon the mercy displayed in God's wrath upon Christ on the cross.


    4. Be motivated not to get even- - but to see other's experiences and to empathize as best as possible, as to what is the underlying heart problem. Your mercy displayed is God's mercy lived before the evil world. This will hopefully lead to others repentance and reconciliation with you, but also ultimately with God!!

    IOW-There is always an evangelistic opportunity in every confrontation as well as interaction between two human beings!

  5. What to do?!

    6. Go in the power and victory of Christ's work, by His Spirit to show mercy, not wrath; patience, not impatience; reconciliation, not division; repentance, not merely worldly sorrow or remorse. Show that you are an opening, an invitation of gentleness and peace to a Savior who can provide a covering for their sins, a victory over their evil, and a safe haven from the Day of God's Judgment and Wrath!

Everyone has someone with whom they are angry. Be courageous and tender enough to do them good! Seek out reconciliation with others, and invite repentance in their evil lives!

Hope: 2 Corinthians 5:11-21