What it Means To Be a Christian || How Do I Do This || Part 5

How many of you have experienced the transformative power of accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? How many of you have committed to living a life of repentance, knowing that it leads to a new, purposeful life? How many of you believe that the only path to heaven is through Jesus? If you have, it’s a testament to the hope and inspiration that Jesus brings. If you haven’t, no worries. The Bible says you need to say that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and turn away from your sinful lifestyle into the one God has created for you. If you’re interested in doing so, this series will help you.

Once you make the decision, you may feel like nothing has changed. Your next question may be, “What’s next?” or “What now?” That’s what I intend to answer in this series. Over the following four parts, we’ll examine the new things you will do with the Holy Spirit inside your heart. I hope you enjoy this series. I’m simply calling it “Now What?”

Today, we wrap up our mini-series! We’ve been exploring Romans 12:6-21 to understand the gifts within us, how to be kind to others, how to be hospitable, how to treat others with respect, and the essence of Christian living. This mini-series is titled “How Do I Do This?” and I hope it fills you with anticipation and joy as we uncover the unique gifts God has bestowed upon each of us.

We’re landing the plane in Romans 12:17-21 to talk about the essence of Christian living.

Romans 12:17-21

17           Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.

18           Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

19           Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.

20           Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”

21           Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

This passage summarizes the core of Christian living. If we love the way Jesus does, we will be willing to forgive. That forgiveness may not be to reconcile the relationship. Instead, it’s to bring peace to your soul and allow the closure you need to move on from the hurt and strengthen your relationship with God. If we have experienced God’s grace, we’ll want to share it with others. By caring for our enemies, we’re not excusing their evil acts. Still, we recognize, forgive, and love them despite what they’ve done – just as Jesus did for us. This isn’t a “they are who they are, so just accept it” mindset, but it’s a “they’re a human, they’re flawed and deserve the chance to right things through God’s grace” mindset.

Today’s world is full of lawsuits, cancel culture, demand for equal rights for all people, and more, Paul’s command sounds impossible. When someone hurts you severely, instead of seeking revenge and giving them what they deserve, Paul calls us to friend them. Why? Forgiveness can break the cycles of retaliation and lead to a possible reconciliation (I’m aware that some situations cannot be reconciled, but it is the ultimate end goal.) It could make the enemy feel ashamed and change their ways. If that happens, we don’t hang that shame over their heads. Still, we walk alongside them through their journey to change their ways, help them understand what they did was wrong, and motivate and encourage them to succeed in their new ways. If we sought evil for evil, we find as much hurt as we’d cause them. Even if they never repent, that is, change their ways and head towards a path of righteousness, forgiving them will free you from bitterness, anger, and malice, as I mentioned earlier.

Forgiveness is a combination of attitude and actions. If you find it hard to forgive someone who’s hurt you, try to respond with a kind action. If appropriate, tell them that you’d want to heal your relationship. Note: healing your relationship doesn’t mean you have to become friends. Healing can involve finding mutual respect and nothing further. The goal is to have a positive relationship with them, but even if it’s just a neutral one, that’s okay. It works just the same. You’re progressing as long as there’s no bitterness, anger, or malice lasting in your heart at the end of the day. Even small actions like helping them with something, sending them a gift or smiling at them. You will often see that the right actions lead to the right feelings.

Proverbs 25:21-22

21           If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.

22           You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

God’s form of retaliation is the most effective and the most difficult to put into practice. When we return good for evil, we say that God is the balance of all things and that we trust him to be the almighty judge. We might never know whether someone does something evil to us or someone we love. Still, we trust that God is going to handle their hearts accordingly and will comfort and strengthen us accordingly. We are not called to judge anyone but to follow the commands and guidance of God, which teaches us to feed our enemies when they get hungry and give them something to drink when they’re thirsty. I noticed that it’s not saying to do anything extravagant but to provide the necessities of human life. To care for someone, not because of what they did or who they are, but because they are also a child of God.

That wraps up our series on serving God and doing what he calls us to do. In the next Bible Study blog, we’ll wrap up our original “Now What?” series by discussing how to become part of God’s plan to build up the church. Until then, stay blessed!