OVERCOMING EVIL
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”–Rom. 12:21
If we are to “overcome evil” ( Rom. 12:21) is it not reasonable that we should employ the same means as God in changing sinners to saints? And can there be any doubt as to how God does so, when the Bible clearly says, ” the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” ( Rom. 2:4) ? Think about it. God could have written threats of judgment in the sky, caused the ground to quake, sent lightening bolts dancing around us, and thunder down upon us. He could have sent angels with swords in their hands crying “Repent or perish!”. But He did none of those things. Instead “God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” ( Rom. 5:8).
Even so, just as God demonstrated His unconditional love for us in the giving of His own dear Son, we must love people as they are if we hope to help them become what they ought to be. No one should be forced to think they have to win our love by conforming to our expectations and gaining our approval. If we can’t love the unlovely we are no better than they are. How can we dare withhold love from those for whom Christ died? Just as the grace of God reaches the vilest of sinners, the goodness of the saints should be shown to the worst among us.
This is not something we just talk about, but rather something we do. Love is a verb–an action word. What if the Bible merely said “God loves you” and left it at that? What if there was no evidence? Thankfully it says, ” For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…”(John 3:16). Keep that in mind when you speak of your love for others. Just as “God is good all the time”, we are to do good unto all.– HDS
“To render evil for evil is brutish;
to render evil for good is devilish;
to render good for evil is Christian.”
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
