Overcoming Evil with Good (Part 2)
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Part II
Resume 12/4/22
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Last Sunday we stopped around verse 2, so we want to resume with verse 3.
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Paul encourages his readers to maintain a mind of humility before the LORD. He warns us to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. In other-words don’t think that you better than you really are.
This encompasses several trains of thought:
First off, don’t think that you are alright when you are really all wrong.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
When you are steep in pride, you can do no wrong, and in your own eyes you think that you are fine. But when we view ourselves in light to God’s word, God’s word has a way of exposing us.
When we compare ourselves to God’s standard we realize that we fall short of the glory of God. When we weigh ourselves to God’s holiness and his requirement for us, it makes us or it should make us realize that we need a savior.
This is one of the elements that the world doesn’t seem to get. They think that if you try to live a good life to the best of your abilities, that at the end of life, you automatically go to heaven. But herein lies the problem......the scriptures declare:
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Praise the LORD, then there is another scripture that says:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
On your best day, for those of you that think you are alright, you are still wretched.
No wonder Paul says:
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
You need to realize that YOU NEED JESUS!!! Until the unsaved realize they need Jesus, they won’t come to Him, they won’t call on Him, they won’t repent of their sins!!!
WE ALL NEED JESUS!!! WE ALL NEED TO BE SAVED AND SALVATION IS NOT A ONE AND DONE DEAL.......SALVATION IS AN ONGOING PROCESS THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE THREE TIME FRAMES OF PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE.
GOD SAVED (PAST TENSE) ME FROM MY SINS.
GOD IS SAVING ME FROM MY SINS (PRESENT TENSE).
GOD WILL RESCUE ME FROM THE BODY OF SIN AND DEATH (FUTURE TENSE).
Paul also says in another portion of scripture:
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I cannot settle for remaining the same person I was yesterday. I cannot settle for remaining in a sinful state. I have to get better!!! I have to become more and more the child of God that God has called me to be!
Paul says in Romans 12:3 for us to be honest in our evaluation of ourselves, not measuring ourselves to what we think is right and wrong, but measuring ourselves by the faith God has given us.......the faith is the word of God.
If we are going to ever overcome evil, it is going to take the LORD because only God is good. God’s word is good. His Spirit is good and it is going to take the LORD, the Word, and the power of the Holy Ghost for us to overcome evil with good.
(Verses 4-10)
It is evident that within the Roman church that there were those who were steeped with pride, so much so that they thought that they were more important than others.
But Paul records in verse 4
For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Within your human body, every part is equally important, and each part of your body has a special function. Your elbow, belongs to your body, your fingers belong to your body, your knee belongs to your body.
If we have been baptized into one body by one Spirit then we are a part of Christ’s body. And if we are a part of Christ’s body, then we are many parts yet one body, and if we are one body then we belong to each other. You don’t get to go rogue and do your own thing, WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER......WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE WORKING TOGETHER.
Look at verses 6-8:
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
God has put gifts within the church both natural and spiritual gifts so that we can do certain things well. Everyone doesn’t have the same gift, but God has placed gifts within the body as it pleases Him. Why?
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
He has placed these gifts not for you to be entertained, not for you to have a good time, He has placed these gifts in the church in order for you to grow, in order for us to come into the unity of the faith, in order for us to come into the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, so that when false doctrine comes, so when the devil tries to lie and deceive us, so that when the testing or trial comes, we won’t be no more children.
Children don’t way much so someone that is stronger than them can fling them around, but when you get word of God in you, when you start to grow spiritually, when the test comes you can stand!!! When the temptation comes, you can stand!!! When deception and false doctrines you’ll neither be swayed to the right or the left but you’ll stand your ground!!!
So Paul continues and says “if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.” My God because it takes faith in order for you to speak what thus says the LORD, otherwise, you’ll be second guessing yourself, otherwise when God is telling you to speak, you’ll be quiet because you don’t have enough faith to speak out.
Verse 7 says “If your gift is serving others, serve them well.” The KJV says ministry and we have to understand that ministry isn’t just restricted to preaching. It is serving others, it is doing for others, it is working for God.
Deacons have a ministry of serving, it is more than collecting and counting offering, it is more than locking the church, you are suppose to serve and you don’t have to be a deacon to serve. You can serve as an usher, you can serve as a singer or musician, you can serve as a church cleaner, you can serve in the kitchen.
Paul says don’t just serve......but serve WELL!!! Put your all into it!!!
He says “If you are a teacher, then teach well.” Don’t sit down on your gift, you’ll miss out on your blessing, and God can use you to strengthen others.
Everybody can’t be a teacher, that’s fine. If your gift is to encourage others, then be encouraging. If your gift is to give then give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly, don’t sit around not doing nothing.....DO SOMETHING!!!
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Close:
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Jesus overcame evil with good. How? He gave his life for us, he shed his blood so that we can be purged from dead works.
If you want to see evil defeated, the only way to defeat it is to overcome it with good!!!
We want to see a decrease in gun violence?? Overcome evil with good. We want to see a decrease in hate crimes? Overcome evil with good. We want to see a decrease in gang activity, senseless murders, human trafficking, and the like? Then we must overcome evil with good!!!