OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD

MEMORY VERSE: be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, Romans 12:21.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deut 13-14, Ps 99-101, Isa 41, Rev 11

James 2:26 says for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Our works, actions, conducts etc must reflect Christ. Acts 10:38 says Jesus Christ went around doing good. A fellow who is not doing good works is not Christ like i.e. Christians. We are not worthy of been called a Christian if we only show kindness to those who show kindness to us. According to Matthew 5:43-48, if we only love those who love us then we are like the wicked too because wicked people only love those who love them. If we only greet those who greet us then we are no different from pagans because pagans too greet only those who greet them. As believers, Christ expects us to love everyone even our enemies; He expects us to be good to everyone even our enemies; He expects us to greet everyone even our enemies. He expects us to greet people who don’t even greet us.

The only way to overcome evil is by doing good. Don’t repay evil with evil because the Lord says vengeance is mine; I will repay, Romans 12:19. Don’t say heaven helps those who help themselves and go and take revenge. First of all ‘heaven helps those who themselves’ is not biblical. You will never find this quotation in the bible; it is from the pit of hell. Secondly when you repay evil with evil, you are evil.1 John 3:7 says little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Another reason why you must not return evil for evil is that evil begets evil. This leads to circle of violence, you hurt me and Il hurt you and before you know it escalates into something else.

When you repay good with evil, the Lord disarms your enemy. When you repay good with evil, the Lord turns evil into good. A brother was sharing his testimony of how the Lord used him to bring an evil uncle to Christ. This evil uncle belonged to a satanic secret society. This evil man was responsible for the death of his senior brother (brother’s dad). He did that with the intention of possessing all the properties – houses, lands e.t.c that belongs to his senior brother. The whole family hated this uncle but this brother drew close to him and began to witness to him. Later the uncle gave his life to Christ, confessed and forsook his evil ways. He apologized and returned all he had taken. This ex-evil uncle could have killed more people but the love this brother shew to him changed him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please give me the grace to repay good for evil.