Transformed Mind Part 2if

and Paul gives a great example of this a few verses later. Let’s say someone is persecuting you. Let’s say it’s entirely unjustified, you are just in someone’s crosshairs. God’s obviously committed to truth! God wants to shut down that persecution. There’s gotta be a line. And where’s the line?

​Romans 12:14 NIVBless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

We’ve got the ‘hate evil’ part down there. We hate persecution. But are we clinging to the good? Are we so committed to the goodness of being a blessing, that we’re not willing to let that person persecuting and hating us stop us? Do we cling to the goodness of being a blessing? In fact, in the greek, this word ‘bless’ is eulogeo, we get the word ‘eulogy’ from it. It means, speak well of, praise, act kindly towards. That’s huge. Paul draws a line in the sand on evil. And we should too. But the line is nowhere near where we think it is. I hate the way people say ‘turn the other cheek’. Because we take it to mean, ‘just move on, don’t let it bother you’. And that’s totally not what Jesus meant. What Jesus meant was, if somebody reaches out and punches you on the side of the face, on your CHEEK, turn your face and offer them the other cheek - so that they can strike you easier. If they try to steal your shirt, GIVE THEM YOUR CLOAK! That is radical. I know a lot of pastors that when they preached this, they said something like ‘Yknow what? This one is hard. I’m not sure about this one’. But i know this. If you are the kind of person that somebody even STEALING from you doesn’t phase you - you’re just like ‘oh, ok ya, you probably need a cloak too, here you go.’ Or ‘oh man, it was probably tough for you to reach my cheek that first time, i’ll make it easier on you’. - if you are that kind of a person, evil can’t touch you.

A transformed mind hates what is evil in regards to ourselves, but clings to what is good in regards to others

And believe me, this takes supernatural power, because we are naturally wired exactly opposite. I heard it said once, we judge others by their actions, and ourselves by our intentions. AKA, when WE mess something up, we say ‘well, I meant well’. But when others mess something up, we say, ‘it doesn’t matter how you meant it, there’s a standard here!’ Natural relationships seek to change others. Supernatural relationships ask God to change us. Natural relationships try to squash the problems in others. Supernatural relationships cling tightly to do whatever they can to hold onto the goodness God has called us towards, the love, the fellowship, and the family ties that Jesus died to build in us.