“ We Shall Overcome ” Romans 12:14-21; Luke 6:27-36 I. Supernatural Living: Romans 12:1-2, 14-21; 2 Corinthians 3:18 Progressive Sanctification : One way to “offer your body as a living sacrifice” is to “overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:1, 21) II. What would you say to a Christian who says, “I’ve tried that and it didn’t work”? a. God-Centered Approach to Relevance of Scripture Jeremiah 9:23-24 1. Know God Personally 2. Conform Yourself to God’s Commands for Living (Romans 12:2) III. Biblical Approach to Trouble a. Recognize God is present in your problems. b. Remember God is up to something; He is actively at work. c. Believe God is always up to something good. d. Discover where and how God is working in your problem. e. Get involved in what God is doing in your problem. f. Expect good results from God. IV. Paul and Trouble in Acts 16:19-34; 28:17-31; Philippians 1:12-30 Paul saw his problems as issues of sanctification and as opportunities for evangelism! He could grow in Christ and testify for Christ in his problems, in ways not possible without his problems. Yes he prayed for God to remove his problems, but He submitted to God’s greater will because His agenda was “to know Christ and to make Him known” (Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
V. Romans 12:14-21 – Your Personal Notes on the Passage A. “Bless and Curse” B. “Put Off – Put On” Principle in Scripture C. “Rejoice and Weep” Romans 15:1-4
WE SHALL OVERCOME Romans 12:14-21
OVERCOMING Romans 12:14-21 Take note of the context : Condemnation, Justification, Sanctification, Glorification! Now “offer your body to God!” - by “overcoming evil with good”
LOVE IS THE CENTER Romans 12:9 Love for God; Love for Christ; Love for Others is the Reason for “overcoming evil with good.”
ROMANS 12:21 “overcome” – a military term Overcomers are winners. If you are a Christian, you are a winner because Christ has overcome. Revelation 3:21 (+ “in Christ” 13x)
OVERCOME EVIL Paul uses military terms because we are not to be on the defensive against evil, but on the offensive: doing good. Romans 12:14-20 is the good we are to be doing to over- come the evil.
“EVIL” Not a broad, generic evil which is in the world, but a specific evil directed toward you ; you must endure what is inflicted by some other person. Context is mainly an unbeliever; perhaps a “ frienemy .”
“EVIL” The essence of this evil is most of all that it is aimed at God ! Satan wants to thwart God’s purpose by tempting Christians to sin, disgracing God’s Name and weakening the Church.
“EVIL” Through no fault of your own, evil is directed against you because you are living a life that contrasts with sin. This is not the same as punishment on a sinning Christian. 1 Peter 4:15-16
“GOOD” This is not passive, but active. The cross of Christ was not passive, but the most active good that overcame the most horrible evil. Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2:15; John 10:18
“BLESS AND CURSE” Why this command first? James 3:1-12; Ephesians 4:25-32 Primary place of communication! This is not passive; it is active. How does love talk? “Pray for those who mistreat you” Lk. 6
ROMANS 12:14 The communication response to evil comes first. Useless to try anything else first. All the good intentions and efforts in the world can be undone by one careless word. The Christian must learn how to talk to those who wrong him.
ON THE OFFENSIVE “Blessing” is a positive, active, aggressive response; not a passive one. Matthew 5:38-48 , “turn the other cheek” is not passive, but actively doing good; giving persecutor opportunity to repent; demanding better of him; refusing his sinful behavior by thrusting forth something good; showing concern for him and his sinful condition.
LOVE TALKS – ROMANS 12:14 “Persecute” – various sorts – not “if” but “when” - implied by Paul Most frequent – verbal/social Not easy to control the mouth Love will teach you how to manage your mouth!
MATTHEW 10:16-20 Be suave and careful, not deceitful or deceptive; but persecution will come. If you have not suffered: 1) You are not a Christian, 2) You are not living like a Christian should live, or 3) Your time to suffer has not yet come.
“PERSECUTE YOU” Who is persecuting you? Who is cursing you: slander, insults, mockery, gossip, unkindness, verbal abuse? Media, unbelieving world, neighbor, “friend,” family member, in -law, spouse, child, boss, co-worker?
BLESS YOU! How can you handle it? How did you respond? Did you bless? Did you curse? What were your words? Your thoughts – (words spoken to yourself)? Recall your specific words/thoughts.
HIGHLY INEFFECTIVE HABITS As sinners who have developed sinful response patterns, we have developed a sinful style of responding to those who talk to us in ways we do not like. Change is hard…..but not impossible. (Romans 12:2 “transform”)
MANAGE YOUR MOUTH Cursing is Serious Business : When you curse, you invoke God’s judgment on another; you are asking God to send the person you curse to hell forever; you are so angry that you’d like him to suffer the torments and punishment of eternal wrath. That’s your attitude at the moment.
“BLESS AND CURSE” Don’t take cursing lightly; God may listen! Is that what you really want God to do – damn him to hell forever? Cursing is serious business. Help for the Moment – Take time to think about hell and what suffering is really like.
JAMES 3:1-12 “Blessing and cursing from the same mouth – this should not be!” Doesn’t make sense . “fresh water/bitter water” “fig tree/olives” “vine/figs” “salt water produce fresh water?”
OUGHT NOT TO BE A believer is the only one who under- stands the horrors of hell, and the free- dom of Christ, and therefore should be the last to curse another. He under- stands that he himself would be under God’s curse if Christ had not died to free him from bondage of hell.
“CURSING” May be publicly; May be privately; May be silently to one’s self; but always spoken before God. “I know I shouldn’t as a Christian, but how do I stop?”
PUT OFF/PUT ON Essence of all life change! Twofold call to discipleship. You cant stop cursing; impossible. You must replace cursing with blessing! Sinful ways don’t just disappear, they must be shoved out by righteous ways!
PUT OFF/PUT ON It is not enough to stop cursing; you must start blessing! And you can because you are “in Christ” and have “died to sin.” Ephesians 4:22-24, 29-32; Colossians 3:8, 10, 12, 14
PUT OFF/PUT ON Holy Spirit brings change at depth level! Wont be easy; in regular doing, renewal takes place : constant awareness of God’s demand for blessing, consistent desire to please God, continued effort to bless, not curse. New ways will become dominant!
WHAT IS A BLESSING? More than opposite of a curse. Asking God to do good to persecutor. Ask God to save him; work good in his life. Ask God to show him mercy despite of… Pray for one who spitefully uses you. Ask God to do good to one who does evil.
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