Tag: evil

1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Avoid All Evil

Posted on by Will

Abstain from every form of evil.

Truth to Learn

Live life in God’s presence and in obedience to Him.

 

Behind the Words

“Abstain” is translated from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echō, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, this word literally means “to hold away from.” It is expressed in the middle voice (action done by the subject, to the subject), so it means “to hold oneself away from.” It is most often translated as “abstain from” or “refrain from.” In the current verse, this word is emphasized by the addition of the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” So, the sense is “keep yourselves far away from any form of evil.”

The word “form” is from a variation of the Greek word eidos, meaning “to see.” It specifically refers to “that which is seen” or “the appearance of something.” In most of the Greek writing of Paul’s time, however, this word is not used to mean “appearance as opposed to reality,” but to “any kind” or “any form” of something. This seems to be Paul’s intent here.

“Evil” is from ponēros, which specifically refers to “that which is inherently evil in a moral or spiritual sense.”

 

Meaning Explained

Grammatically, this verse is connected to the previous verse. These two verses should be translated as three commands separated by commas: “Test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

There are two different interpretations of this verse among Biblical scholars. The first is that we are to keep ourselves from the appearance of evil. The problem with this interpretation is that it forces us to be more focused on what other people think about our actions than what God thinks about our actions. Yes, we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are not to do anything that would cause a brother of sister to stumble. But, if we go through life worrying about what others think of what we are doing, then we are denying God’s lordship over us. For instance, if Abraham was concerned with the appearance of his actions, then he would never have offered Isaac on the altar. He was more focused on being obedient to God than on what others might think about his actions.

The other interpretation of this verse is that we are to keep ourselves from every kind of evil, or every form of evil. Doing this causes our focus to be on God and what He thinks about the things that we allow ourselves to do. Living in this manner is even more restrictive than being concerned about what others think of our actions. After all, in our sin-sick minds, we could conceive of things to do that don’t appear to others to be evil, but because of our motives they may, in fact, be evil. This is a form of evil. Let’s take Cain as our example here. He brought an offering to God from what he harvested from the ground, but God apparently had instructed both him and his brother, Able, to offer an animal sacrifice. Cain’s offering doesn’t appear to be evil, but because of his motives it was.

 

Application

As we walk our life-path, let this be our guiding principle: “Do what pleases God and don’t worry what others might think.” If we love God and are submitted and obedient to Him, we will be a testimony of His love for others.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – Do Good, Not Evil

Posted on by Will

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for one another and for all.

Truth to Learn

Don’t retaliate when you experience evil. Do good instead.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “renders” is apodidōmi, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” Literally, it means “to give from,” that is, to act in response to action done. Specifically, it refers to retaliation. Some translations have this as “return” or “repay.”

Kakos is the Greek word translated “evil.” This word refers to external actions that are “worthless, bad, or evil.” A different Greek word, ponēros, refers to wickedness or maliciousness as an internal motivation.

“For” is translated from anti, meaning “opposite” or “against.” Here it indicates action directed against someone else.

“Always” is from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then, in terms of time.” Thus, pantote means “all the time” or “always.”

The word “pursue” is from the verb diokō, which means “to pursue (in a good sense” or “to persecute (in a bad sense).”

Agathos is the word translated “good.” It refers to the quality or characteristic of goodness or usefulness.

 

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, Paul taught us how we are to respond to certain issues within the church. We need to caution those who are unruly or disruptive, reminding them of the need for peace and orderly conduct in the church. We also need to provide comfort and encouragement for those who are overcome with fear and doubt. And, we need to support those who are weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also said that we are to do these things with an attitude of patience.

Now he tells us what not to do, and what to do instead. Each one of us at one time or another has been the recipient of malicious action, whether it was intentional or not. The normal response, driven by our sin nature, is to strike back – to get even. After all, the Old Testament teaches “an eye for an eye,” right? But that’s not what the New Testament teaches. Paul says, “Don’t repay evil for evil.” Instead of retaliating for something evil that was done to us, Paul says we need to go after what is good.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of this. He claimed to be the Son of God (which He truly is), thus claiming to be equal with God. (Matthew 26:63, 64) Because of this, He was condemned to die. He was then ridiculed, beaten, and hung on a cross to die. Even those standing around him said, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) Jesus did not deserve any of this kind of treatment, and He could have simply spoken the words and those mocking Him would have died. Instead, he chose to do what was ultimately the kindest, most loving thing anyone has ever done. He stayed on the cross and gave His life as payment for your sins and mine. He did what was good for all.

 

Application

The next time someone does something evil to you, remember what Jesus did for you. Remember what Paul teaches us: pursue what is good for all. This will glorify God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 6:12 – Spiritual Wrestling Match

Posted on by Will

For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world system, against spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places.

Truth to Learn

We are in a spiritual battle against powerful wickedness (but we are on the winning side.)

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “wrestling” is palē. This is derived from the verb pallō, meaning “to shake” or “to vibrate.” Palē refers to “struggling,” “wrestling,” or “hand-to-hand combat.” It is specifically a reference to a struggle between individual opponents rather than entire military forces.

 “Authorities” is from archē, which literally means “a beginning.” However, this word can also refer to persons, indicating their priority or preeminence. It can also refer to a position of authority, indicating the first position in power or dominion. This is how the word is used in today’s verse.

Exousia is the Greek word translated “powers.” It refers to “permission, authority, or power to do something.” When used as it is here it indicates someone with power or authority.

The word “rulers … of this world system” is from kosmokrator, which is made up of kosmos, meaning “world system” and a form of krateō, meaning “to have control by virtue of strength.”

“Spiritual” is from pneumatikos, based on pneuma meaning “a spirit.” It refers to “spirit beings” or “angelic beings.”

The word “evil” is translated from ponēria, which refers to “badness,” “wickedness,” or “malicious evil.”

 

Meaning Explained

Paul now tells us why it is so important for us to put on our battle armor. The opening part of this verse literally reads, “because to us the wrestle is not against …” Word order is very important in Greek, with the most important idea presented first in a sentence. Paul wants our focus in this lesson to be on us and our preparedness, not on the enemy. At the same time, however, he wants us to know what kind of enemy we are battling with.

The descriptive words translated “authorities … powers … rulers of this world system … spiritual powers” indicate an organization of wicked angelic beings, who exist in the spirit world but who have great power and influence in our physical world as well. In his apocalyptic writing, the Apostle John described a vision of Satan (the dragon) gathering one third of all the angels to his side in his battle against God and His people:

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. (Revelation 12:3-4a)

It is these “fallen angels,” organized by Satan into positions of power and authority, which are bringing the battle to us. It is a spiritual battle and we can either roll over and “play dead” or we can engage the enemy and stand firm with all the power and ability that our God has given us.

 

Application

Every Christian who has ever committed himself or herself to serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has experienced spiritual battles. Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but we must never give up. Remember, we are not fighting for victory, we are fighting from victory! Our leader, our Savior, our God has already overcome the enemy. He is the Victor and we are on His side, the winning side!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Ephesians 5:16 – Time and Eternity

Posted on by Will

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Truth to Learn

You only have one life. Live it with eternity in view.

 

Behind the Words

The word “redeeming” is translated from the Greek word exagoradzō, which is made up of ex, meaning “out of” and agoradzō meaning “to buy” (the marketplace of the first century was called the agora). Hence, exagoradzō, literally means “to buy and take out of the marketplace.” Figuratively it refers to “rescuing something from loss.” This is the sense in which Paul uses it in today’s verse.

“Time” is from kairos, for which there really is no English equivalent. A different Greek word, chronos, refers to a space of time, that is, a succession of minutes. Kairos, on the other hand, can refer to “an occasion or opportunity,” or it can refer to an indefinite period of time, “a season.” As used here, it probably refers to “the lifetime that we are currently living.”

“Evil” is translated from ponēros, which is derived from ponos, referring to “sorrow, pain, or hard labor.” Ponēros properly refers to the influence or effect of that which is bad. A different Greek word, kakos, refers to “that which is inherently bad.”

 

Meaning Explained

In order to fully understand today’s verse, we have to combine it with yesterday’s:

Observe then how carefully you walk, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

As we mentioned in yesterday’s verse, the word “fools” is really “unwise ones.” So, we are to keep an eye on our own behavior, being careful to live in God’s light, loving those around us and behaving as God would have us behave.

Throughout his writings, Paul gives us a lot of things that we shouldn’t do and even more things that we should do. Some Christians will grasp hold of one or two things he says and cling to those ideas almost to the exclusion of all the others. The result is often a “splinter denomination” that doesn’t further the cause of Christ. Other Christians are so ignorant of what the New Testament teaches that they are easily swayed by beautiful sounding sermons that are not based on Biblical truth. Paul says we should not live like such unwise people, but as wise Christians, those who know God’s truths and who have learned how to properly apply what they have learned.

Why is it so important for us to live our Christian lives carefully and with wisdom? Because we live in an evil time! And – it is getting more evil with each passing day. The influence of the world system under Satan’s leadership is not godly, it is evil. Without the light of Christ, this world will not get better, it will only get worse. So, rescue every minute you have in this life. Don’t let your life slip away filled with evil actions or indifference. Use every minute you have to live the kind of life that glorifies God.

 

Application

Our life on this earth is short. We can live it focusing on self and appear before the Judgment seat of Christ empty handed. Or – we can totally give ourselves over to God, so that He will receive all the glory. If we do the latter, we will receive crowns that we can cast at His feet with gratitude.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 4:16 – Stealing Credit from God

Posted on by Will

But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Truth to Learn

Claiming credit for your own success is vicious thievery.

Behind the Words

The words “boast” and “boasting” are both translated from forms of kauchaomai, which means “to glory” or “to celebrate.” It implies making great, joyous exclamations about someone or something. As such, it is sometimes translated as “rejoice.”

“Arrogance” is translated from the Greek word alodzonia, which refers to boasting or bragging about something that one does not possess. It is derived from the word alē, which means a “wandering or roaming,” which is applied to a vagabond or quack who wanders around making empty claims about cures or miracles which he cannot perform. Hence, alodzonia refers specifically to baseless, arrogant boasting or bragging, taking credit for that which God has caused to occur.

The word “evil” is from ponēros, referring to evil actions. This word is different from kakos, meaning intrinsically or inherently worthless or evil. Ponēros refers to the evil effect or evil influence of an action. Hence, it carries the idea of “malicious” or “vicious.”

Meaning Explained

In this chapter of James’ letter, he is focusing on interpersonal issues, showing us what the sources of such problems really are. He talked about the fact that fighting and battling is caused by selfish desires to have “stuff.” He told us that the reason we don’t have is because we don’t ask God, and when we do ask God for things we don’t get them because we ask selfishly, trying to satisfy our own desires. Instead, James told us that we need to humble ourselves before Almighty God, recognizing Him as our supreme authority and source of all good things.

Then, James told us not to talk evil about each other (within the body of Christ) because in doing so we take on the role of judge regarding things of which only God is a righteous judge. When we focus on the missteps of others, we lose sight of the fact that we have just as many missteps ourselves and are, therefore, unworthy to judge others. It is the denial of our own unrighteousness that causes us to accuse our brothers and sisters of unrighteousness.

Finally, James has talked about the arrogance of those who believe that they are themselves responsible for the degree of success that they have attained in this world. They selfishly plan for future success giving no heed to the fact that it is God, and God alone, who is responsible for their success. He says here that when we celebrate our own success and brag about what we have accomplished, we are maliciously taking the rightful credit away from God.

As you can see, all these interpersonal issues are the result of us focusing on ourselves, believing that we are responsible and in control. The only way to eliminate these problems is to humble ourselves before God and recognize that He is the source of all that we have and all that we are.

Application

Do you get it yet? Do you see that the reason you are having relationship problems, or you are not being successful in life, is not because God doesn’t care? God does care! But He wants you to humble yourself and give Him the reins of your life.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 3:8 – Poisonous Tongue

Posted on by Will

But no man is able to tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Truth to Learn

Although men have managed to tame every kind of wild animal, no man can tame the tongue.

Behind the Words

“No man” is translated from oudeis anthrōpōn, which literally means “not one of men.” There is not one human being who can tame the tongue, his own or anyone else’s.

The word translated “unruly” is akataschetos, which means “unrestrainable.” There is a variant reading on this word with some texts using the word akatastatos, meaning “unsettled” or “unstable.” Whichever is the proper reading, it is nonetheless clear that the tongue cannot be completely controlled.

The word “evil” is from kakos, which literally means “worthless.” It refers to that which is intrinsically or inherently worthless, bad, or evil.

“Full” is from the Greek word mestos, which means “stuffed completely full.” It is the picture of a vessel that is filled to the brim without any room for anything more.

The word translated “deadly” is thanatēphoros, which is a compound word made up of thanatos, meaning “death” and a form of pherō, meaning “to bring” or “to bear.” Hence, it refers to something which brings death.

Though it may appear in our English translation that evil is full of deadly poison, the Greek construction makes it clear that James is referring to the tongue as being full of deadly poison.

Meaning Explained

In spite of mankind’s ability to tame all the wild animals, no one can completely tame the tongue, according to James. This is not to say that it is never brought under control for a time, but eventually our tongue gets us all in trouble. The way it bites is like a poisonous snake.

The Apostle Paul, quoting from Psalms 5:9 said a similar thing in his letter to the Romans:

“their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they used deceit”; “the poison of asps is under their lips” (Romans 3:13)

And the Psalmist, in Psalms 140:3 said:

They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips.

How many times has someone said something to you that hurt deeply, whether they intended it that way or not? And which one of us has not experienced a time when we said something out of the emotion of the moment, only to regret it as soon as the words were out of our mouth. “Oh, I wish I hadn’t said that,” we tell ourselves, wishing we could control our tongue.

Keep in mind that James is not saying that we can’t control our tongue, therefore we shouldn’t try. He is saying that with God’s help we need to work especially hard at controlling the tongue because it is such an unruly thing!

Application

Let us all take a few minutes in prayer right now and ask God to help us control our tongue. May our words be a blessing to God and to others, and may we give the praise to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

James 2:4 – No Discrimination

Posted on by Will

have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil reasonings?

Truth to Learn

Judging a person by how they dress and how wealthy they are is selfish and evil. We need to learn to not judge people by their outward appearance.

Behind the Words

The phrase, “have you not shown partiality” is translated from the Greek words ou diekrithē. Ou expresses the absolute negative and diekrithē is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through,” implying separation, and a form of krinō, meaning “to distinguish, to decide, or to judge.” Hence, this word means “to thoroughly distinguish between two things” or “to make a judgment between two things.” In older translations this is the word “discriminate.”

“Judges” is translated from kritēs, the noun form of krinō, which we just saw means “to judge.” James is using a play on words here showing that when we discriminate we are making judgments about people and, therefore, have placed ourselves in the position of being judges.

The words “evil reasonings” are from the Greek words dialogismōn ponērōn. Ponērōn refers to “that which is wicked or evil in a moral or spiritual sense.” The word dialogismōn is made up of dia, meaning “through,” implying separation, and logismōn, a form of logidzomai, meaning “to count or conclude.” Thus dialogismon means “debating or reasoning” and, therefore, dialogismōn ponērōn refers to the evil thoughts that go into such reasoning.

Meaning Explained

Discriminate is an interesting English word. In the early and middle part of the 20th century it was considered good to be discriminating. This meant that a person recognized the difference between good things and bad things. Since the latter part of the twentieth century, however, to discriminate has taken on a negative connotation as it does in this verse. To discriminate between good and bad or between right and wrong is good. But, discriminating against anyone based on outward appearance is not good according to James.

As a nation we have learned over the past 50 years that it is not right to discriminate against someone simply based on their racial or ethnic origin. But we still discriminate based on a person’s apparent wealth. We get excited about seeing a person who is rich and famous, in the flesh, up close and personal. But we avoid the poor people of our society and don’t want to be near them. Why is this? Perhaps, so that we can brag about the fact that we have shaken hands with, or have actually spoken with, someone who is rich and famous. But even that is selfish and sinful.

So to sum up verses 2, 3, and 4, James is saying that we should not discriminate against anyone coming into our church simply based on outward appearances. If we do, we have become judgmental with evil intentions. Christ accepts all who freely come to Him and as His ambassadors, we need to likewise accept all who come to hear the Words of life.

Application

The next time you are asked to be a greeter in your church, go out of your way to make everyone feel welcome and important. Look past their outward appearance. That’s what God does. He sees their heart (and He sees yours as well).

James 1:13 – Not From God

Posted on by Will

Let no one being tempted say, "I am tempted from God"; for God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself tempts no one.

Truth to Learn

God is not the source of our temptation. When it does come, He wants us to grow in faith. And, even when we stumble and give in to temptation, He has already taken care of it.

Behind the Words

The word here translated as “tempted” is from the same Greek word, peiradzō, which was translated “trials” back in verse two. There it was explained that this word refers to “a trial, temptation, or a putting to proof by means of experimentation.” This word, however, can also have the meaning of “a solicitation to do evil.”

The word translated “from” is the Greek preposition apo which means “from” or “away from.” In other words, in this verse Paul is saying that no one should accuse God of being the originator of the temptation. Therefore, we could paraphrase it this way:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “This temptation is from God.”

“Evil” is from the Greek word kakos, which refers to that which is bad or externally worthless.

Meaning Explained

In verse two, James made the point that falling into various temptations produces a trying or testing of our faith. In this verse he is making it clear that God is not the source of the temptation, although He does allow us to go through trials. God cannot be tempted to sin and He does not tempt any of us to sin. It is our own sin nature along with the world system, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, which cause us to be tempted (see 1 John 2:16). God has no sin nature and there is nothing in the world system that He does not already have.

But what about Hebrews 4:15?

For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

This verse tells us that Christ was tempted to sin. How can that be if God cannot be tempted by evil? This is part of the beauty (and paradox) of the incarnation of Christ. He is completely God and completely man. His god-ness (his divinity) was never tempted, indeed cannot be (as James tells us here), but his human-ness (humanity) was tempted in every way we are, and yet He was without sin. He never gave in to temptation. That is the very thing that made Him a worthy sacrifice for our sins. If He had not become completely man (and without sin), he would not have been able to pay for our sins.

So… whereas it is appropriate to say that God allows us to go through trials to strengthen our faith and to make us more like Christ, and those trials may be a result of giving in to temptation, the source of the temptation is not God. The source of the temptation is the tempter, Satan (Matthew 4:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5), and his world system (Ephesians 2:2 and John 12:31).

Application

On those occasions when we do not resist temptation but fall victim to it, we still have this promise:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Halleluiah! Our God has thought of everything. Give Him the praise! 

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Thessalonians 5:22 – Avoid All Evil

Posted on by Will

Abstain from every form of evil.

Truth to Learn

Live life in God’s presence and in obedience to Him.

Behind the Words

“Abstain” is translated from the Greek verb apechomai, which is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of echō, meaning “to have” or “to hold.” Thus, this word literally means “to hold away from.” It is expressed in the middle voice (action done by the subject, to the subject), so it means “to hold oneself away from.” It is most often translated as “abstain from” or “refrain from.” In the current verse, this word is emphasized by the addition of the preposition apo, meaning “from” or “away from.” So, the sense is “keep yourselves far away from any form of evil.”

The word “form” is from a variation of the Greek word eidos, meaning “to see.” It specifically refers to “that which is seen” or “the appearance of something.” In most of the Greek writing of Paul’s time, however, this word is not used to mean “appearance as opposed to reality,” but to “any kind” or “any form” of something. This seems to be Paul’s intent here.

“Evil” is from ponēros, which specifically refers to “that which is evil in a moral or spiritual sense.”

Meaning Explained

Grammatically, this verse is connected to the previous verse. These two verses should be translated as three commands separated by commas: “Test all things, hold fast what is good, abstain from every form of evil.”

There are two different interpretations of this verse among Biblical scholars. The first is that we are to keep ourselves from the appearance of evil. The problem with this interpretation is that it forces us to be more focused on what other people think about our actions than what God thinks about our actions. Yes, we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are not to do anything that would cause a brother of sister to stumble. But, if we go through life worrying about what others think of what we are doing, then we are denying God’s lordship over us. For instance, if Abraham was concerned with the appearance of his actions, then he would never have offered Isaac on the altar. He was more focused on being obedient to God than on what others might think about his actions.

The other interpretation of this verse is that we are to keep ourselves from every kind of evil, or every form of evil. Doing this causes our focus to be on God and what He thinks about the things that we allow ourselves to do. Living in this manner is even more restrictive than being concerned about what others think of our actions. After all, in our sin-sick minds, we could conceive of things to do that don’t appear to others to be evil, but because of our motives they may, in fact, be evil. This is a form of evil. Let’s take Cain as our example here. He brought an offering to God from what he harvested from the ground, but God apparently had instructed both him and his brother, Able, to offer an animal sacrifice. Cain’s offering doesn’t appear to be evil, but because of his motives it was.

Application

As we walk our life-path, let this be our guiding principle: “Do what pleases God and don’t worry what others might think.” If we love God and are submitted and obedient to Him, we will be a testimony of His love for others.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved

 

1 Thessalonians 5:15 – Do Good, Not Evil

Posted on by Will

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Truth to Learn

Don’t retaliate when you experience evil. Do good instead.

Behind the Words

The word translated “renders” is apodidōmi, which is composed of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and didōmi, meaning “to give.” Literally, it means “to give from,” that is, to act in response to action done. Specifically, it refers to retaliation. Some translations have this as “return” or “repay.”

Kakos is the Greek word translated “evil.” This word refers to external actions that are “worthless, bad, or evil.” A different Greek word, ponēros, refers to wickedness or maliciousness as an internal motivation.

“For” is translated from anti, meaning “opposite” or “against.” Here it indicates action directed against someone else.

“Always” is from pantote, which is made up of a form of pas, meaning “all” and tote, meaning “then, in terms of time.” Thus, pantote means “all the time” or “always.”

The word “pursue” is from the verb diokō, which means “to pursue (in a good sense” or “to persecute (in a bad sense).”

Agathos is the word translated “good.” It refers to the quality or characteristic of goodness or usefulness.

Meaning Explained

In yesterday’s verse, Paul taught us how we are to respond to certain issues within the church. We need to caution those who are unruly or disruptive, reminding them of the need for peace and orderly conduct in the church. We also need to provide comfort and encouragement for those who are overcome with fear and doubt. And, we need to support those who are weak physically, emotionally, and spiritually. He also said that we are to do these things with an attitude of patience.

Now he tells us what not to do, and what to do instead. Each one of us at one time or another has been the recipient of malicious action, whether it was intentional or not. The normal response, driven by our sin nature, is to strike back – to get even. After all, the Old Testament teaches “an eye for an eye,” right? But that’s not what the New Testament teaches. Paul says, “Don’t repay evil for evil.” Instead of retaliating for something evil that was done to us, Paul says we need to go after what is good.

Jesus Christ is our perfect example of this. He claimed to be the Son of God (which He truly is), thus claiming to be equal with God. (Matthew 26:63, 64) Because of this, He was condemned to die. He was then ridiculed, beaten, and hung on a cross to die. Even those standing around him said, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) Jesus did not deserve any of this kind of treatment, and He could have simply spoken the words and those mocking Him would have died. Instead, he chose to do what was ultimately the kindest, most loving thing anyone has ever done. He stayed on the cross and gave His life as payment for your sins and mine. He did what was good for all.

Application

The next time someone does something evil to you, remember what Jesus did for you. Remember what Paul teaches us: pursue what is good for all. This will glorify God.

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved