The Peaceful Life

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The Peaceful Life
Romans

• Romans 1217-21

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Review

• Our new life in Christ . . .
• Sacrificial
• Transformed
• Loving
• Serving
• Joyful
• Benevolent
• Blessing
• Empathetic
• Humble
• And now peaceful Rom 1217-21

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Responding to evil

• Already covered a bit in verse 14
• If you thought the concept of blessing those who
  persecute us was difficult
• Its about to become even more challenging
• Do not repay evil with evil (Rom 1217)
• An unmistakable command
• 1 Thes 515
• 1 Pet 39
• Prov 2022
• So we are prohibited from responding to evil by
  doing evil ourselves
• No He started it excuses

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Responding to evil

• How can we avoid repaying evil in kind?
• Provide or Have regard (Grk pronoeo) means
  to perceive before, foresee
• things honest or good things (Grk kalos)
  means beautiful, good, virtuous, honest
• Answer Think about it beforehand
• If you are caught in an unpleasant situation,
  what will you do?
• Consider the things that might happen, and think
  of appropriate responses
• What responses would be appropriate?
• Well get some help in later verses

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Responding to evil

• Why? (Rom 1218)
• To live peaceably
• We should not be trying to cause trouble
• Some religious people like to stir up anger so
  they can feel righteously persecuted
• A Christian will face persecution (2 Tim 312)
• But we dont need to go stir it up
• Look at Pauls experiences in Acts
• He simply taught the truth, when rejected he went
  elsewhere and persecutors followed anyway
• Some people dont want peace (harmony)
• Like in music, you cant have harmony if one
  party refuses to cooperate

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Responding to evil

• Why should we be peaceable? (Rom 1219)
• Remember that God is the judge, not us
• We make mistakes, misread motives, misunderstand
  actions, mishear words, etc
• God will take care of proper judging and proper
  responses no mistakes
• Example Remember Nabal (1 Sam 25)
• He insulted David and David planned to kill him
  and all the men in his house
• Abigail showed David that he did not need to
  avenge himself
• God avenged David as Nabal suffered a stroke the
  next day and died ten days later

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Appropriate responses

• What kind of responses should we plan for
  beforehand? (Rom 1220)
• A quote from Prov 2521-22
• Plan to help those who do evil to you
• Look for opportunities to show kindness
• Not in order to cause pain but to do good and
  live peaceably
• Such actions will likely cause pain (mental,
  emotional) if they have a conscience left
• They may change, but they may not
• We will look for a reward from God, not in or
  from the person who has done evil

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Responding to evil

• Summarizing (Rom 1221)
• Dont let evil (worthlessness) conquer you
• Thats what happens when we respond to evil in
  kind (v17)
• Conquer evil (worthlessness) with good (benefits)
• Plan for evil and your responses before it
  happens
• Aim for peace with all (even the ungodly)
• Turn vengeance over to God
• Find ways to benefit all, even the evil
• Dont give up (Gal 67-10)

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Conclusion

• Romans 12 has painted a picture of a life
  radically different from the world
• Rom 122
• That is what it means to be a child of God
• Is it the kind of life you have?

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