Last week we reexamined seven clichés that are common in the
church world and reclaimed the truth behind each of them. Though these
oft-repeated maxims have nearly been hackneyed into oblivion, their truth is
just as relevant today as it was in the early church, especially as it pertains
to how the church loves well and, as we will learn today, relates to all kinds
of people. As promised, today’s list of clichés is even longer. Today we are
going to reexamine 9 clichés that instruct God’s people how to relate well with
others from Romans 12:14-21. As proved
the case last week, these familiar statements are utterly compelling as they
challenge believers to live peculiar lives in a superficial world.
1) Kill them with
Kindness-12:14-“…Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse,…”
As chapter 12 closes, Paul provides another list of encouragements.
However, in contrast to verses 9-13, the encouragements found in verses 14-21
are given in the form of imperatives. Also, instead of primarily dealing with
how to love within the context of the church, the final encouragements of
chapter 12 deal with how to relate to all kinds of people. The first command
offered to this end reads as follows—“Bless those who persecute you; bless and
do not curse” (12:14). The heart behind this command is often portrayed with
the familiar adage—“Kill them with kindness.”
What Paul demands of the church here is perhaps one of the
most difficult imperatives to follow. Literally, it envisions God’s people
seeking good for those who are actively oppressing them! John Murray writes “No
practical exhortation places greater demands upon our spirits than to ‘bless
them that persecute us’” (Murray, The
Epistle, 134). After all, persecution is not exercised against God’s people
because of wrong done, but as a result of godly performance. “It is the
unreasonableness of this persecution that is liable to provoke resentment in
the minds of believers and with resentment thoughts of vindictive retaliation”
(Murray, The Epistle, 134). However, something different, peculiar, and
altogether unexpected is required by God’s people in such circumstances. Rather
than behaving as the world would, they are to take their cue from Christ
Himself and seek blessings for their persecutors. After all, Jesus died for the
very people who sought his life and ask God to forgive those who nailed Him to
the cross! Similar sentiments are to be expressed by God’s people on the
world’s stage, even and especially when they are suffering persecution.
Perhaps, in so doing, haters of the faith might say something similar to what
the Romans soldiers did following the Passion episode—“truly, these people are
the children of God.”
2) Time and
Place-12:15-“…Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who
weep,…”
In the second imperative of this passage, Paul moves from a
believer’s relationship with persecutors to her relations with fellow brothers
and sisters saying, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who
weep” (12:15). One way of distilling this down in today’s vernacular is “be
sensitive to time and place.” What Paul envisions here is brothers and sisters
meeting each other right where they are to provide sympathy and support
wherever and whenever appropriate. Such is more difficult than meets the eye. Think
about it. Which do you think requires more? Weeping with those who are grieving
(really sympathizing with other’s pain) or truly rejoicing alongside those who
have blessing you may or may not know? “To rejoice with others (even when we
are deprived of their joy) and to weep with others (even when we have not suffered
their loss) requires a selflessness” that is only found in a regenerated heart
made new by the grace of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit (Edwards, Romans, 297). Believers are not to trade
in joy and grief for personal gain. Instead, Christ’s presence in their lives ought
to propel them to genuinely and appropriately rejoice with and weep alongside
their brothers and sisters as needed.
3) Be on the same
page-12:16a-“…be of the same mind toward one another,…”
To relate well with others, one also must “be on the same
page,” especially within the context of the church—“be of the same mind toward
one another” (12:16a). Encouragements toward unity are commonplace in Pauline
literature.
Romans 15:5-“May the God who gives endurance and
encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ
Jesus had.”
2 Corinthians 13:11-“Finally, brothers and sisters,
rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind,
live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”
Philippians 2:2-“make my joy
complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love,
united
in spirit, intent on one purpose.”
All these encouragements demonstrate how important it is for
the church to have a united front as they seek to spread the gospel and edify
the saints. According to these references, unity provides endurance, peace, and
an understanding of purpose. In a world that continues to tear itself apart
along the seams of copious divisions—gender, sexuality, grievance, race,
political affiliation, socio-economic classification, etc.—the church and its
people ought to be held together by means of their unity. Unity concerning
what? Unity concerning integral beliefs like: Jesus is God made flesh, the reality
of Christ’s death and the resurrection and the implications thereof is the only
means of salvation from our very real problem of sin, the Bible is the
inerrant, inspired, authoritative Word of God on all matters, and the church’s
called to spread the gospel to all the world. If the church is not on the same
page concerning these values and teachings, it will disintegrate. Paul knew
this would be the case in the first century, and the same is true today.
4) Get over
Yourself-12:16b-“…do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly.
Do not be wise in your own estimation,…”
Such unity demands, as do so many of these imperatives,
humility. Paul’s next instruction reads “do not be haughty in mind, but
associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation” (12:16b). Put
another way “Get over yourself!” Paul speaks against pride here by warning the
church of the danger of arrogance. This is a theme that Paul continues to
revisit time and time again in his admonitions (probably because it bears
repeating). Human nature is to seek self-advancement and self-advocacy. Often
this involves associating with those who can elevate one’s own status. However,
believers “should not avoid those who are of lower repute and relate only to those
who can advance their own reputation” (Schreiner, Romans, 669). Instead, God’s people are to associate with the
lowly. Such requires that believers are not “wise in their own estimation
(believing themselves to be superior in wisdom to the next guy). Jesus teaches
the same in Luke 14
Luke 14:7-11-“ And He began speaking
a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking
out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, ‘When
you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place
of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and
he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place
to this man,” and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last
place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that
when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move
up higher”; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the
table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be
humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’”
The Bible consistently teaches that the humble will be
exalted and the prideful will fall. This rings true with the church and how it
relates to all kinds of people. God’s people are those who have gotten over
themselves and treat all people as valued persons made in the image of God.
These understand that this life is not about building one’s own prestige, but
about directing all people to the Lord—the only one deserving of glory, honor,
and praise.
5) Turn the Cheek-12:17a-“…Never
pay back evil for evil to anyone….”
The fifth imperative that Paul issues to his readers is
“never pay back evil for evil to anyone” (12:17a). A New Testament phrase
associated with this teaching is “turn the cheek (See Matt. 5:38-39; Luke
6:27-29). While many in Paul’s day believed that the Old Testament gave
permission for people to exercise retribution as they saw fit (an eye for an
eye, a tooth for a tooth), Jesus dispels this rumor (that people get to enact their
own revenge for injustices committed against them) and places this
responsibility on higher authorities (like the state, and ultimately, God
Himself). Jesus and Paul both teach that individual believers are not to repay
evil with evil. “Retaliation is a response of the natural person…to exact
justice for a wrong incurred” (Edwards, Romans,
298). No longer duty bound to their natural reflexes, believers are not to
return fire with fire in knee-jerk fashion.
This is becoming increasingly difficult in a world that has
made it easier, faster, and safer to respond to accusations, attacks, and
aggressors. With one click and a couple of keystrokes people can post their
rebuttals, fight back, or retaliate in kind under the cloak of virtual cyberspace.
No longer are people held accountable for what they say, giving them license to
say just about anything. This is unholy and, at least as far as God’s people
are concerned, should not be our practice. Turning the cheek means that every
comment doesn’t get a response, every attack does receive a counter attack.
This is our higher calling as we seek to relate well with others.
6) Respect is a
two-way street-12:17b-“…Respect what is right in the sight of all men,…”
Very much connected to this is what Paul encourages
next—Respect what is right in the sight of all men…” (12:17b). A common
colloquialism that sympathizes with what Paul says here is “Respect is a
two-way street.” Literally, the command reads “think about what is right in the
sight of all men ahead of time.” In other words, a lot that matters to most
people ought to matter to God’s people as well. Values of justice, fairness,
protection, opportunity, certain freedoms, etc. ought to be shared principles
in which believer and unbelievers can relate. If and when the church does not
demonstrate that it cares about some of the values that the world seems to care
so much about, it will find itself unnaturally isolated and altogether
unprepared to relate well with those that God has placed within reach.
7) Bury the
Hatchet-12:18-“…If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with
all men,…”
So many of these imperatives are required of believers so
that they are able to “if possible, so far as it depends on (them), be at peace
with all men” (12:18). Believers are those who seek to “bury the hatchet.” One
commentator puts it this way, “one of the marks of Christians is a winsome and
friendly spirit that delights in peace and harmony, not arguments in division”
(Schreiner, Romans, 672). Such
requires kindness (see 12:14), behaving appropriately (being sensitive to time
and place) (12:15), being on the same page (12:16), humility (getting over
oneself-12:16), and respecting what is right in the sight of all men (12:17).
When the church endorses these behaviors, it relates well and proves useful to
the kingdom-advancing objective.
That said, it is important to note a qualification that Paul
assigns to this imperative—“If possible, so far as it depends on you” (12:18).
This assumes that peace with all
people is not possible in every
situation. When might peace with someone not be possible? Two scenarios come to
mind. First, when it requires the violation of the truth of gospel and/or
devotion to Christ to make peace, it falls outside the realm of possibility.
Second, when everything in a believer’s power has been exhausted for peace and
yet such is not reciprocated by the other party, it may fall outside the realm
of possibility. Other than that, Paul suggests that to relate well, believers
are to be peacemakers and peacekeepers.
Matthew 5:9-“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
shall be called the children of God”
8) Give it to
God-12:19-20-“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the
wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will
repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But if your enemy is hungry,
feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap
burning coals on his head.’”
Only TWO LEFT! Stay with me! Paul’s next admonition might be
summarized in yet another familiar line—“give it to God.” He says, “Never take
your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for
it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ‘But
if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for
in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’” (12:19-20). The Bible is
clear both here and elsewhere that “the anger of man does not work the
righteousness of God” (James 1:20 RSV). This is especially true when, in the
heat of the moment, people are tempted to place justice in their own hands and
react in kind. As difficult as it is to remember and as hard as it is to apply,
believers must remember “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the LORD (not
say you!).
Instead of going to one’s own defense, Paul encourages the church
to give it to God. However, Paul doesn’t stop there, he continues by quoting
Proverbs 15:21-22—“if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty,
give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’”
This reference is in keeping with what the apostle said earlier about killing
people with kindness (even persecutors –12:14). Although this reference might
seem to suggest that doing good for those who have done wrong is a roundabout
way to get back at them, this interpretation doesn’t appear to be in keeping
with the significance the New Testament places on motives (see Matthew 5-7).
Instead “heaping burning coals on his head” might more nearly imply bringing
shame on wrongdoers so that they might repent of their evil. Therefore, good
done to bad people is not a roundabout way to get revenge on antagonists, it is
a redemptive means of revealing their need for saving.
9) Be a Light in this
Dark World-12:21-“…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
good,…”
In this way, believers will satisfy the last imperative
offered—“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21). In
fact, this final imperative successfully encapsulates all the previous ones
given in this passage. Ultimately, Paul is calling the church to “be a light in
this dark world,” especially in the way that it relates meaningfully with all
kinds of people. Here, the “evil” mentioned is the evil of God’s enemies (i.e.
persecutors of the faith and the faithful) and the misery that they inflict.
God’s people are not to let the evil they experience at their hands master them
so that they fall prey to evil themselves. Instead, they are called to
overwhelm every evil inflicted on them by doing good. Only those who are “being
transformed by the renewing of their minds” (12:2), “loving each other well”
(12:9-13), and seeking to relate properly to others (12:14ff), remembering that
God is their Father, Jesus is their salvation, and the indwelling Spirit is
able to usurp their flesh can do this. Only God’s people can follow these
principles in a world that has turned them into clichés.
So What?
Are you such a person today? The commands Paul gives this
this passage ought to be challenging, but they shouldn’t seem altogether
foreign as they are most beautifully exemplified in the savior Jesus Christ. Do
you know Him? Are you familiar with His example? The principles we’ve read about might seem
difficult, but they aren’t impossible for those who have the power of Holy
Spirit active in their lives. Do you have Him? Are you able to live better than
your flesh allows? The calling that is summarized in this passage may seem
high, but it should not seem out of reach for a member of God’s family. Is God
your Father? Are you counted as one of His sons and daughters?
If so, are you living this way or are you just repeating the
clichés? Unfortunately, mediocrity in these areas has become commonplace in the
church today and the resulting hypocrisy has become so familiar to the world
that it doesn’t want a part of what we are claiming when we say these things.
In these and in many other ways, the church looks/behaves/talks/relates to others
and itself in much the same way the world does. May it not be said of us! Let
us choose this day to live peculiar lives in Christ, with the Spirits help,
unto our heavenly Father!
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