The Believer and the World

The Letter to the Romans

The Believer’s Daily Behavior

The Believer and the World

Gospel Shaped Love…

The Believer Responds to Persecution with Blessing (vs 14, 20-21)

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Believer Engages the World with Humility and Compassion (vs 15-16)

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

The Believer Trusts God with Justice (vs 17-18)

17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to Countryside Vineyard!

Whether you’re here in person or watching online, we’re so glad you’ve joined us today.

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Joe Fager, one of the pastors here.

Today we’ll be continuing our study of Paul’s letter to the Romans

Chapter 12:14-21

Jacob Deshazer / Mitsuo Fuchida—the lead pilot behind the Pearl Harbor attack—was saved.

That’s not willpower.

That’s not willpower.That’s not philosophy.

That’s not philosophy.That’s the gospel.

That’s the gospel.That’s what happens when someone sees the mercy of Jesus and is never the same again.

That’s what happens when someone sees the mercy of Jesus and is never the same again.

That’s what happens when someone lives In View of God’s Mercy.

But listen: Jacob DeShazer didn’t start that movement of mercy.He was just reflecting it.

He was just reflecting it.

The One who started it was Jesus.

The One who started it was Jesus.

“Father, forgive them…”

“Father, forgive them…”

He said that as they tore the literal flesh off his bones with a whip and pulled out his beard and spit on him and mocked him. As they drove nails into his hands and feet and as they hoisted him up for the world to see a naked, broken, humiliated God-man.

Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

That’s mercy in its purest form.And that mercy was for you.

And that mercy was for you.

You were the enemy.

You were the enemy.You were the rebel.

You were the rebel.And still, He said—“I want him. I want her. I’ll take the nails

And still, He said—“I want him. I want her. I’ll take the nails, because the pain is worth the relationship.”

That’s the gospel, that Jesus lived and died according to the Scriptures and was buried and rose again.

The good news (gospel) is that because of that mercy those who chose to can ask him for a new heart.

That’s really what this is all about. Our hearts were darkened and overrun with sin. The offer that Jesus made to you on the cross is to give you a brand new heart.

So what does it look like to live with that kind of heart?

Paul shows us.In Romans 12:14–21, he lays it all out—not as suggestions, but as marching orders for those who have received mercy.

In Romans 12:14–21, he lays it all out—not as suggestions, but as marching orders for those who have received mercy.

And just like Jacob DeShazer, just like Jesus Himself—this is where it starts:

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them…” (Romans 12:14)

That’s our first command.And it might be the hardest thing God ever asks of you.

And it might be the hardest thing God ever asks of you.

But it’s how we respond in View of God’s Mercy.

The Believer Responds to Persecution with Blessing (v. 14, 20-21)

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 20  …“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

This whole section is framed by two bookends:

It opens with a call to bless those who persecute you.

It closes with the command to overcome evil—not by resisting it head-on, but by flooding it with good.

These are not suggestions.

They are imperatives—commands from the Spirit of God to His people.

And they are hard commands. They go against every natural instinct in us.

Because when we are wronged, we want revenge.

When we’re cursed, we want to fight back.

When we’re wounded, we want someone to pay.

But God doesn't call us to live according to the old self.

As we saw in Romans 8:5–9, the flesh cannot please God.

Our old heart isn’t just broken—it’s hostile to Him.

God doesn’t improve it. He replaces it.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...” (Ezekiel 36:26)

If you belong to Christ, then He’s given you a new heart with new instincts.

But that means you have to surrender your old ways of thinking, your sense of justice, your old reflexes.

You have to let God’s mercy rewire your responses.

That’s the whole point of this section In view of God’s Mercy present your bodies as living sacrifices (sacrifices die). 12:1 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (that’s what we are doing right here and now). (12:2).

“Bless those who persecute you” (v.14)

This isn’t just from Paul. It’s directly from Jesus:

“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.”

—Luke 6:27–28

And we’ve seen it lived out:

Jesus, hanging on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

Stephen, being stoned to death: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60)

This is not weakness.

This is the raw power of the Spirit in someone who has been set free from the need to retaliate.

“Feed and water your enemy” (v.20)

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he’s thirsty, give him something to drink.”

That alone is powerful. But then Paul adds this strange line:

“For in doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Now be careful—we might hear that and think:

“Yes! This is my sneaky way to make them feel guilty!”

But that’s not what Paul means. That would contradict the entire passage.

It would also contradict the heart of God, “who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

So what do the burning coals mean?

Most likely, Paul is referencing the image from Isaiah 6, where a burning coal touches the prophet’s lips and purifies him (Isaiah 6:6–7).

In other words:

Your act of mercy might become the very thing God uses to convict and purify your enemy.

You wanted judgment—but God wanted redemption.

And you became the vessel. That’s hard teaching let the Holy Spirit do his work in your heart. Your feeling something now, and now you need to yield to Him let him convict you, cleanse you, and change you.

“Overcome evil with good” (v.21)

This is Paul summarizing the entire section.

It’s a rallying cry for those who feel overwhelmed by the evil in the world.

Don’t fight fire with fire.

Don’t mirror the hate you see.

Overcome it—with love, mercy, grace, and goodness.

And when you do that—when you bless instead of curse, serve instead of retaliate, forgive instead of avenge—the world will notice.

Because it's upside down. It's countercultural. It’s Christ.

The Believer Engages the World with Humility and Compassion (vv. 15-16)

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

I’ll be honest with you—I’ve struggled with these two verses all week.

At first, they feel like a bit of a shift. Paul just told us to bless those who persecute us, to feed our enemies, to overcome evil with good—and now he’s talking about weeping and rejoicing and associating with the lowly?

But the more I sat with it, the more I realized what many commentators agree on:

This is the heart. These are the training grounds.

These two verses aren’t an interruption—they’re the preparation.

If you want to learn how to love your enemies...

If you want to be the kind of person who blesses those who curse you...

You don’t start on the battlefield—you start in the living room.

In the break room.

In the hospital waiting room.

At the table with people you wouldn’t naturally sit with.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

This is compassion in motion.

It’s not just sympathy—it’s shared feeling.

It’s stepping into someone else’s joy or pain and choosing to be affected by it.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:26,

“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

This is how we live in harmony—not by agreeing on everything, but by caring deeply for one another.

And here's the challenge:

Can you do this not just with your friends and peers—but with unbelievers?

With the difficult co-worker?

With the neighbor who constantly complains?

With the addict, the atheist, the person who posts political rants you can’t stand?

This is not natural—it’s supernatural.

“Associate with the lowly.”

Now this is where some of us think we get a pass.

You read that and think, “Well, I’m not exactly high status. This must be for someone else.”

But let me challenge that.

Because you don’t have to be rich to be proud.

You don’t have to be powerful to look down on others.

Sometimes people from “lower positions” look down on those above them out of resentment just as much as those above look down out of pride.

Paul’s not speaking to class—he’s speaking to the heart.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

—Philippians 2:3

This command to “associate with the lowly” means:

Don’t avoid hard conversations.

Don’t stay in your comfort zone.

Don’t protect your image more than you reflect Christ.

Jesus was the highest—but He made Himself nothing.

He touched lepers. Sat with prostitutes. Washed dirty feet. Died between criminals.

“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor…” (2 Corinthians 8:9)

If Jesus did that for you, how can we act like we’re too good for anyone?

“Never be wise in your own sight.”

This line might be the most piercing.

Because the moment you think you’ve got it all figured out—you don’t.

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

—Proverbs 26:12

You won’t love enemies if you think you’re morally superior.

You won’t associate with the lowly if you think you always see clearly.

You won’t live in harmony if you think your opinion is the one God Himself would vote for.

This is gospel humility.

It isn’t pretending you’re nothing—it’s knowing that Jesus is everything.

And that you only see others rightly when you view them through the lens of mercy.

The Believer Trusts God with Justice (vs 17-19)

16 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Let’s be honest:

There are things people have done to you—things done to your wife, your kids, your sister—that still shake in your bones.

And if justice were up to you, they’d get what they deserve.

But Paul says, “Don’t repay evil.”

He says, “Don’t take revenge.”

Why? Because God sees. And God will judge.

But here’s where it gets harder.

What if…

What if God shows them the same mercy He showed you?

What if the one who hurt you repents and ends up standing beside you in glory?

What if the man who violated your trust falls to his knees and is washed by the same blood that saved you?

Can you handle that?

Because that—right there—is the very heart of the gospel.

That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Father, forgive them…”

He wasn’t play-acting. He wasn’t saying it because it sounded holy.

He meant it.

And He still means it.

And if you’ve accepted that mercy for yourself, then how can you withhold it from someone else?

This Is Where the Gospel Burns

This is some of the hardest gospel we’ll ever hear.

Because it strikes the deepest places of our pain.

This is what it means to die to self.

This is what it means to yield to the Spirit.

Not just quoting Scripture or singing about surrender—but actually letting go of vengeance we’ve nurtured for years.

Let’s be real—these aren’t poetic ideals to admire from a distance.

These are divine commands from the heart of God.

This is the life Jesus lived and died for you to walk in.

So no, we don’t get to say,

“I’ll never forgive them.”

“I hope they rot.”

“They don’t deserve mercy.”

Because if that’s true of them, it was true of you.

And if Jesus forgave you, then He wants you to forgive them.

And not just forgive, but pray for them. Bless them. Hope for their redemption.

Even if they never say they’re sorry.

This isn’t fake holiness.

This is the cross.

And this is where we die.

Don't Miss the Point

We cannot blow past these words like they’re pithy sayings or optional extras.

They are a window into the very heart of God.

“Father, forgive them.”

That wasn’t just about the Roman soldiers.

That was for every abuser. Every betrayer. Every enemy.

And somehow, that prayer was also for you.

So how dare we receive that kind of mercy and then withhold it from others?

That’s the invitation of Romans 12:14–21.

Not just to live better—but to live as those who have been forgiven everything.

Those who live in View of God’s Mercy

Paul doesn’t just tell us what not to do.

He tells us what to do instead.

Look at it again:

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

“Give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”

That means think ahead.

Don’t react out of your woundedness—respond out of your new identity in Christ.

Be intentional about how your actions are perceived—not to people-please, but to gospel-witness.

This is Paul saying: Live with such integrity, such mercy, such surprising grace,

that even people who hate you have to admit, “That was honorable.”

Instead of crafting revenge, craft a response that shows the kingdom of God.

Craft a response that can’t be explained without Jesus.

That might mean keeping your mouth shut when you’re slandered.

That might mean blessing someone who gossiped about your family.

That might mean sacrificing your right to be right—because Jesus laid down His rights for you.

That’s honor. And it jars people. Because the world expects vengeance.

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

This is where Paul’s pastoral wisdom shines.

He’s not saying you’ll always achieve peace—but he is saying you should never be the reason peace didn’t happen.

You can’t control their repentance.

You can’t control their attitude.

But you can control yours.

You can forgive even if they don’t say sorry.

You can take the first step toward reconciliation—even if they never finish the journey.

You can release the offense, even if the other person doesn't understand what they did.

Revenge Isn’t Just Avoided—It’s Replaced

The gospel doesn’t say, “Just don’t hit back.”It says,

It says, “Do what’s honorable. Pursue peace. Show Christ.”

So here’s the question for us:

What does peace look like in your situation?

What would be the honorable response that Jesus is asking of you?

Not the easy one. Not the fair one. The Jesus one.

Because the cross isn’t just where God satisfied His wrath.It’s also where

It’s also where He satisfied our need for revenge.

So when you’re tempted to say, “Somebody has to pay…”Just remember:

Just remember: Somebody did.And now He’s calling you to extend that payment to others.

And now He’s calling you to extend that payment to others.

Don’t just avoid evil—overcome it.Don’t just hold your tongue—

Don’t just hold your tongue—speak what’s honorable.Don’t just stay quiet—

Don’t just stay quiet—bless.Don’t just refuse revenge—

Don’t just refuse revenge—pursue peace.

This is hard. But this is gospel.This is what Jesus died to make possible in your life.

This is what Jesus died to make possible in your life.

Conclusion / Altar Call: Grace Awakens Gifts

Let’s go back to the battlefield.

The Christian soldier didn’t know if the German would ever repent.

He just knew what Jesus had done for him.

And that was enough.

Jesus is enough.

If you’re holding onto revenge…

If you’re still justifying hatred…

If you’re still praying for fire when Jesus gives mercy—

Come to the cross.

The same cross where Jesus bled for you…

...is the one He wants you to carry toward your enemies.

Lay down the weight.

Trust God with the justice.

And let mercy run through you like it once ran to you.