December 24, 2024 -- Romans 12:17-21 -- Unlocking past offenses and opening up to forgiveness

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus! 

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.” 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.
Romans 12:17-21 ESV
 
In his landmark book Respectable Sins, author Jerry Bridges notes there are sins among Christians which do not receive the urgent attention that they must have. For example, discontentment, or anger, or thanklessness and so on. It is a reminder that sin is not considered as hideous and wicked as it ought to be among the people of God. Polite Christians who regularly fill the pews Sunday after Sunday are horrified by murder, or by great acts of violence, but seem to have come to terms with “lesser” sins.
 
The passage today, yes, it is the same one as was studied yesterday, points out the fact that sin is evil. The acts of word, thought and deed do violence to the holiness of God. The gauge of sinfulness is not how much it did, or did not, affect the people around us, the true measure of sin is how offensive it is to the holiness of the Living God. The trespasses regularly committed and constant inclination to choose wrong rather than clinging to what is right are evidence of how shriveled our souls truly are. These are signs that the Spirit has much work to do to bring believers into the fullness of the life that is ours in Christ.
 
I put to you one area of great neglect is that of making amends. Where former offenses and words and actions have negatively affected others, rather than making them right, there is a great tendency to act as if nothing has ever happened. People are civil, good enough. But all too often what is missing from the community of believers is the evidence of the newness of life that is ours in Christ by which the Spirit prompts believers to be reconciled in every case of offense.
Excuses are often made. “It’d be opening a can of worms and right now things are good”. Or “Let sleeping dogs lie”. The fact is, true righteousness requires that, as far as possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with others. Where the Spirit of God has led you to know there is brokenness within relationship, person to person, or family to family, or individual to church, or leadership resentments, such lingering unrepaired relationships sour worship, hinder church growth, and worst of all, grieve the heart of God our Father.
 
First things first. Ask the Spirit of God to give you a heart that is right before God, one that is humble and willing to examine the person or people, or perhaps lists of people, to whom you need to make amends. Starting there will likely put a halt to allowing “respectable sins” which linger among the people of God from continuing to grow and bear bitter fruit.
 
The glorious Good News of Christmas is that God, in full compassion and mercy, sent His Son Jesus to reconcile a people to Himself who in every possible, any conceivable, every wicked way have offended and violated His holy majesty. Jesus stepped into the messes humanity made, makes and will make, and brought reconciliation is every instance of offense against God. There is full hope, true and lasting forgiveness made possible by Jesus’s incarnation. Reconciliation between God and people. Reconciliation between people among themselves. Reconciliation even within the quiet of one’s own heart, where the storms of life too often result in horrible self-talk and painful alienation from God. Jesus’s beautiful title, related to today’s study is: “Prince of peace”.
 
Father in heaven, I confess this is a huge area of my life that I really don’t want to look at. I’d rather let bygones be bygones. All the while I admit to You from the darkest corners of my own heart, that I nurse resentments against others while expecting them to just drop all accusations and wrongs they hold against me. What a confused and helpless people we really are. Thank You, Father in heaven, that You have through Jesus Christ overcome every evil, so that it was punished to the fullest extent on the Person of Your Beloved Son. Thank You, Father, that through Jesus we can be fully reconciled to You and to one another. Spirit of God, break down every stubborn wall of resistance and every argument we make against the command to be make peace in every case of offense. Prince of peace, by Your Spirit, through the powerful Word, rule in our hearts this day. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/Pr2RG-xR2lA?si=Yax_leUPqW8MmOsN “Prince of Peace”
 

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