Do not repay evil deeds with evil deeds of revenge.
If someone treats me very badly without reason or provocation for such treatment, this (Romans 12:20, Proverbs 25:21-22) sounds like a great way to get even. If I could heap hot burning coals of fire on his head, but I don’t think that anyone would stand still long enough for me to do it. Actually, that is a gross misunderstanding of this Scripture. As I discussed this with the Holy Spirit, I could see that it had to do with the shame of the offender. I learned from Dr. Jeremiah where this idea had originated.
In ancient Egypt, if a man was ashamed of something he had done, he would put a pan of hot burning coals on his head. If you treat kindly a person who has wronged you without cause, that one could be so ashamed, to feel as if hot burning coals of fire were on his head. Do not repay evil deeds with evil deeds of revenge. Consider those verses in Romans and Proverbs. Why does Scripture say that God provides crop-enhancing rain for the just and also for those who don’t deserve it? Because we are God’s children and our heavenly Father has set the standard for us. Vengeance is God’s business and He will take care of all the details. No one ill-treats an obedient Christian without consequences. Our business is to follow our Father’s example and treat everyone, no matter their behaviour, with the consistent loving kindness of the Lord. Would anyone want to be a Christian because of what they see in you and me? The best way for us to get even is to be so very like Jesus that their shame will drive them to repentance unto salvation. Then we can share with the Holy Spirit in (Luke 15:10) the joy of heaven over one repentant sinner. (Oswald Chambers) “Jesus took upon Himself our ordinary human flesh and transfigured it. He made it for every Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19) the temple of the Holy Spirit”. An ocean has shallows as well as deeps. Jesus is still doing miracles in the ordinary things of life. Jesus is (Revelation 19:16) the King of all kings. He rules over all; and overrules all. But He had to be Savior before He could be King. His kingdom could not consist of lost rebels. He had to redeem us, transform us into the (1 John 3:1) children of God, and we now are (1 Peter 2:9) a royal priesthood and fit for His kingdom. The kingdom of God (Luke 17:21) is within me because King Jesus lives, rules and reigns in me. Jesus is the holy loving King of all those whom (2 Corinthians 5:17) He has made new creations and they have received (Ephesians 2:19, Philippians 3:20) eternal citizenship in heaven.
Jesus is the victorious conquering King and He will execute (Hebrews 9:27) righteous final judgment on all those who reject and refuse God’s merciful offer of saving grace and with their refusal they have lost all hope, which they could have had, of having never-ending citizenship in the Paradise of God. There is no reincarnation and no second chance (Hebrews 9:27) after physical death. Your own choice determines your final destination and eternal future. When you arrive, if you hear a song, it will be your own voice joyfully singing in heaven. If you hear agonized screaming, it will be your own voice of bitter regret – but forever too late.
Take some time to consider (Philippians 2:6-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13) the horrendous cost of what God did – to Himself – Perfect Holiness became sin, Limitless Deity, surrendered to the limits and confines of a human body, the ‘Magnificent Blesser’ became forsaken and a
CURSE –SO THAT
Our God could do (Lamentations 3:21-24, Romans 8:29) wondrous glorious things – for us – continually working to rebuild the Divine Image within us. God’s incredible love is the message of Easter. God became like us (1 John 3:2) so that we could become like Him!
(Pastor McBride) “Working through the wheat that remains (Matthew 13:28-29) where God has placed it among the weeds, God can transform some of those weeds, those surrounding weeds into new creation wheat”. When weeds become wheat, all heaven rejoices. We who are Christian wheat are not to isolate ourselves from sinful weeds around us but to so live that we will make them heart-hungry for Jesus. Just think of that coming day when actually, visibly, truly (Isaiah 33:17) we will see the King in His beauty. In the present time we can have unbroken communion with (1 Timothy 1:17) the King of eternity. I am realizing more and more the tremendous privilege and far-reaching scope of prayer. Prayer is a relationship, a continual heart-to-heart total agreement with God. If we pray in the Spirit, our praying is sharing with God’s caring for the world, which (John 3:16) He so loves that He keeps on giving. The hand of God is always a giving hand because His hand is the continual servant of His loving heart.
One funeral service where Christians will never show up is their own, and they will not accompany their empty bodies to the grave. Because (John 11:25-26) Christians will never actually die at all. We will live in vibrant health, radiant beauty and unending holiness. We will rejoice forever in precious continuing close fellowship with the Almighty Triune God and our loved ones and the redeemed of all ages. Again, I say that we need to meditate often on the worthiness of the Lamb of God and the horrendous cost He paid to purchase all this for us by His Atonement. (Oswald Chambers) “Have I even produced in the heart of the Lord Jesus what (Mark 14:6) Mary of Bethany produced?” This act was not a duty or an obligation but the total abandonment of sheer love for Jesus.