A Christian response to Evil Workers
Everyday we are exposed to many deeds of evil workers, the Bible tells us that as sin abounds the heart waxes cold. In our society many hearts have waxed cold and many actually choose to do evil over good. This is just fact as we can see this growing everywhere we go. What we will be studying this week is how we are taught to respond, how we can protect ourselves, and what is the truth about the times we live in, will it get better or worse before Jesus returns. Some questions such as can we fight back as Christians and if so then how should we fight? These are a few things that we need as Christians to be able to respond appropriately to and not as the world teaches. Let us not assume that we know what is right, because in many cases with out God telling us His truth we can often decide the wrong way! Let's start this week examining His word.
Read Romans 12: 9-21 What questions do you have after reading this?
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Answer the following questions:
What does dissimulation mean?
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How should we as Christians deal with that which is evil? and that which is good?
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Name some of the reactions we as Christians ought to have towards others.
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Should we seek revenge against those who wrong us?
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How can we overcome evil in our life?
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When dealing with evil and evil workers who hate Jesus and all that He stands for we often are offended, hurt, and desire to retaliate against those that verbally or even physically provoke us. Because we are told in the previous passages that it is not the way to react, does this mean that we are to just take it and lay down so to speak as weak people that are scared? No, Jesus teaches us to fight against such evil in a way that will bring glory to His name and possibly bring the wicked to change their mind and stop the evil that they do. Below is a wring called "Fight like Jesus Fights" Thsi writing will teach us some of the ways in which we are to fight back against evil and to remember always that it is the evil actions and not the evil doer that we should hate! Please read the following:
FIGHT LIKE JESUS FIGHTS
Beloved Today I want to talk about fighting, often we as Christians resist this word. We are taught by the world that Christianity is weak and if you’re a Christian you’re a push over. Is this true? I am saddened to think that we have been told of the power in Christ Jesus and the availability of this power to all who believe, yet we as Christians don’t know how to use it. I am saddened to think that Christians are considered weak when we serve the mightiest power in the universe and call him Father. What Father would allow us to live in defeat? Let’s talk about this a little. Turn with me to:
MATHEW 5:38-42 " YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID,' EYE FOR EYE, AND TOOTH FOR TOOTH' BUT I TELL YOU, DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON. IF SOMEONE STRIKES YOU ON THE RIGHT CHEEK, TURN TO HIM THE OTHER ALSO. AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SUE YOU AND TAKE YOUR TUNIC, LET HIM HAVE YOUR CLOAK AS WELL. IF SOMEONE FORCES YOU TO GO ONE MILE, GO WITH HIM TWO MILES. GIVE TO THE ONE WHO ASKS YOU, AND DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM THE ONE WHO WANTS TO BORROW FROM YOU."
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE FIGHTING TO ME, INSTEAD IT SOUNDS LIKE GIVING IN WHILE PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU AND YOUR PROPERTY. WHAT IS JESUS SAYING? THIS CAN'T BE CONSIDERED FIGHTING CAN IT?
DOES JESUS REALLY TEACH US HOW TO FIGHT?
DOES HE SAY IT IS OK TO FIGHT?
2CORINTHIANS 10:2-5 " I BEG YOU THAT WHEN I COME I MAY NOT HAVE TO BE AS BOLD AS I EXPECT TO BE TOWARD SOME PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT WE LIVE BY THE STANDARDS OF THIS WORLD. FOR THOUGH WE LIVE IN THE WORLD, WE DO NOT WAGE WAR AS THE WORLD DOES. THE WEAPONS WE FIGHT WITH ARE NOT THE WEAPONS OF THE WORLD. ON THE CONTRARY, THEY HAVE DIVINE POWER TO DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS. WE DEMOLISH ARGUMENTS AND EVERY PRETENSION THAT SETS ITSELF UP AGAINST GOD, AND WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT AND MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST."
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WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS OF THIS WORLD CONCERNING FIGHTING?
FOR THOUGH WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD, WE DO NOT WAGE WAR AS THE WORLD DOES! THE WORLD STRIKES BACK WHEN SMITTEN. THE WORLD SAYS AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. THE LAW OF AN EYE FOR AN EYE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. THE CODE OF HAMURABI WAS A SET OF LAWS THAT GOVERNED THE BABYLONIAN PEOPLE IN 780 B.C., PRIOR TO CHRIST AND THEREFORE JESUS KNEW OF IT AND KNEW THAT PEOPLE STILL WERE LIVING BY IT. THIS ANCIENT SET OF LAWS SHOWED NO MERCY AND BROUGHT ONLY DEATH, JESUS CAME TO GIVE LIFE, MERCY, AND FREEDOM. HE REVOLUTIONIZED THE LAW, TEACHING A NEW WAY, A NEW COMPASSIONATE LAW. THIS NEW WAY, NEW LAW WAS NOT OF THIS WORLD. IT WAS THE DIVINE LAWS OF GOD!
THE WEAPONS WE FIGHT WITH ARE NOT WEAPONS OF THE WORLD!
WHAT ARE THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE?
WE HAVE DIVINE POWER, TAKING CAPTIVE THE EVIL OF THE ENEMY, SO WHAT ARE THESE WEAPONS THAT JESUS FOUGHT WITH AND TELLS US TO FIGHT
WITH?
EPHESIANS 6:10-12 " FINALLY, MY BRETHREN BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.
BE STRONG IN THE LORD'S WAYS, THE LORD'S LAWS, AND THE LORD'S POWER! CEASING FROM THE WORLD'S WAYS.
" PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL."
ARMOR IS USED IN DEFENSE. GOD UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE IS AN ENEMY OPPOSITION THAT WE MUST DEFEND OURSELVES AGAINST. GOD NOT ONLY TELLS US TO FIGHT HIS WAY, HE TELLS US TO DEFEND OURSELVES BY PREPARING OURSELVES WITH THE PROPER DEFENSIVE DRESS, THE ARMOR OF GOD.
" FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES."
PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, RULERS OF DARKNESS???
WHAT AM I, A GHOST BUSTER? I CAN'T SEE PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, OR RULERS OF DARKNESS CAN I ??
WITH GOD'S LIGHT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS AND YOU'LL ALSO KNOW THAT IT IS NOT THE FLESH, IT IS WICKED SPIRITS THAT YOU FIGHT!
OK, BUT HOW WILL I SEE THEM, THEY ARE IN DARKNESS?
PSALM 119:105 " THE WORD IS A LAMP..."
MATHEW 25:1 "...WHICH TOOK THEIR LAMP AND WENT
FORTH."
THE WORD OF GOD EXPOSES THEIR HIDING PLACES, PUTS LIGHT ON THEM AND THEY RUN, JUST LIKE WHEN A LIGHT SHINES ON ROACHES AND RODENTS THAT DON'T WANT TO BE SEEN!!
2CORINTHIANS 6:14 "... FOR WHAT COMMUNION HATH LIGHT WITH DARKNESS?"
DARKNESS AND LIGHT CANNOT AND WILL NOT DWELL TOGETHER!
IF YOU SHINE THE LIGHT OF JESUS INTO DARK PLACES, THE DARKNESS WILL FLEE FOR FEAR OF BEING EXPOSED!
JESUS SAYS: " I AM THE LIGHT AND THAT LIGHT IS
THE LIFE OF MEN." JOHN 1:4,5
" AND THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS..."
**FLESH AND BLOOD THE NATURAL MAN CAN SEE,
BUT ONLY THE SPIRITUAL CAN SEE RULERS OF THE
DARKNESS!**
1CORINTHIANS 9:26, " I THEREFORE SO RUN, NOT AS UNCERTAINLY; SO FIGHT I, NOT AS ONE THAT BEATS THE AIR:"
JESUS DOESN'T TEACH US TO FIGHT AS ONE THAT BEATS
THE AIR, SWINGING AT THINGS THAT ONE CANNOT SEE, BUT
RATHER TO SHINE THE LIGHT AND FIGHT THINGS WE CAN
SEE, NAMELY THE WORKS OF DARKNESS IN THIS WORLD AND
IN THE LIVES OF THE BLIND!**
CAN I BE BLIND TO THE DARKNESS THAT EXIST IN MY LIFE?
COULD IT BE THAT THERE IS DARKNESS IN ME THAT I CAN'T
SEE?
THE ONLY WAY TO TELL IF YOU HAVE DARKNESS IN YOUR
LIFE IS TO SUBJECT YOURSELF TO THE LIGHT, TO PUT
YOURSELF UNDER THE LAMP OF GOD!
FILL YOURSELF WITH LIGHT AND YOU WILL BE FREE FROM
DARKNESS!
HERE'S HOW TO ESCAPE SOME DARKNESS:
PHILIPPIANS 4:8,9 " FINALLY, BRETHREN, WHATSOEVER THINGS
ARE TRUE, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE HONEST, WHATSOEVER
THINGS ARE JUST, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE PURE,
WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE LOVELY, WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE
OF GOOD REPORT; IF THERE BE ANY VIRTUE, IF THERE BE ANY
PRAISE, THINK ON THESE THINGS. THOSE THINGS, WHICH YE
HAVE BOTH LEARNED, AND RECEIVED, AND HEARD, AND SEEN
IN ME, DO! AND THE PEACE OF GOD SHALL BE WITH YOU."
Jesus never tells us not to fight back against evil, but rather how to fight back against evil.
Much of the evil that we will deal with in our life will be the result of how we verbally respond to those who do us wrong. The way in which we speak, we answer, or even the lack of kindness towards others will play a big part in the further acts of evil we may have to suffer. Our tongue is one of the hardest instruments that we must learn to control and how we can tell that we have grown to master it is usually tested by those that work evil against us.
Read James 3:1-8 What questions do you have after reading this?
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Answer the following questions:
What is a perfect person?
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What is the tongue compared to hear in scripture?
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Is it possible for anyone to tame their tongue?
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