Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Over the years, we have done a lot of fishing in our small little lake down at the end of the road, and there always seems to be something to catch for the supper table. I’m not very particular about the type of fish that I catch, and during the last twenty years I have certainly caught my share of Sunfish, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. I like eating fish because it’s pretty low in calories, just as long as you don’t add too many things to it. A lot of the fish that I have caught really like to put up a fight, and will resist you as hard as they possibly can. Even when the children have had a large fish on their line, they would struggle trying to bring it all the way into the net. But on rare occasions, I have landed a fish that didn’t fight at all, putting up no resistance whatsoever, as I reeled them all the way up to the boat. When I finally reached down into the water to grab them, they didn’t move at all, and I was amazed by their docile demeanor.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Whenever someone does evil toward us, the first response is to want to fight back, but we are not supposed to resist evil, or fight against the wrongs that have been committed against us. When we take this approach each time that we are wronged, God sees our faithful obedience to His will, and He will rise up to justice on behalf of his servants, and strike down the wicked with His vengeance.
Matthew 5 ³⁸ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: ³⁹ But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
To resist means to exert force in opposition, or to exert oneself so as to counteract or defeat something else. Basically, it means to fight back against those who fight against you. Scriptures are clear that we are supposed to resist the devil and all of the temptations of this world. The Apostle Paul spoke out boldly against all of the wickedness that was going on in high places of authority, but the battles that he fought were with the sword of God’s Word, not an Earthly sword. When people do things to us that they would never want somebody doing to them, we must not resist. At that point, Jesus is going to punish them.
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Romans 12:19
Vengeance is to exact satisfaction for a wrong committed, by punishing the other party. Somebody hurt you, so you want to hurt them back. An obedient Christian is forbidden from this type of retaliation against others. We can cry out to the Lord and petition Him in our prayers, but we must not resist evil, but rather, wait for the swift justice of God.
Luke 18 ² …….There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: ³ And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵ Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. ⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. ⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily…….
When people are wronged in this world, they will “lawyer up,” and seek justice in an earthly courtroom, but anybody who names the name of Christ is forbidden from going to these temporal places of justice. Just as David trusted in God’s deliverance against Goliath, we must trust in God’s deliverance from the evil that is perpetrated against us.
1 Corinthians 6 ⁶ But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. ⁷ Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? ⁸ Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
A Christian is called into suffering just like our Lord Jesus Christ. One must remember that Jesus could have called out legions of angels to come to His aid, but rather than the avenging Himself, He suffered and died on the cross.
Hebrews 12 ² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. ⁴ Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Just as the Lord Jesus delivered the Israelites out of the hand of Pharaoh, He will deliver His servants from those who do evil towards them.
2 Timothy 3 ¹⁰ But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, ¹¹ Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Those who do evil towards others are going to reap back the evil that they have done, and God will certainly take His vengeance out upon them.
“To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” Deuteronomy 32:35
“And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” Ezekiel 25:17
Avenge not yourself, but wait and watch for the justice of God.
“Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.” Proverbs 24:29
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” Romans 12:17
“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.” Proverbs 20:22
“And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” Jeremiah 1:19
When we place our complete trust in the Lord Jesus, He will fight our battles for us. When people cause His servants to suffer, God will cause them to suffer, casting them into a place of torment, pain and confusion. Our God is perfectly righteous and will return a due recompense upon the wicked. Avenge not yourselves, but wait upon the Lord, and His justice will come right back up on their own heads.
Each of us are called to suffer with the evils that people do to us, but rather than avenging ourselves, we must trust God to punish them for what they have done. A lot of the fish that I catch are fighters, but we need to learn not to resist evil, just like casting into the lake and reeling in,…..
……..The Non-Fighting Fish
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 