Rom 12:19-21
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
(KJV)
Vengeance is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord. We are not empowered to repay. Read on, it gets more interesting. "Overcome evil with good." Mull this over. If God is going to meet out vengeance on a person they need all the help they can get. Possibly we should be standing in the gap for them? It is time for us to begin to hate sin without allowing the sin to cloud our eyes and dull our love for the sinner. But the violence is not confined to those who act in ways we find reprehensible. Churches that believe in God have been burned and men who have done nothing wrong have been wantonly killed or imprisoned. And we, the church, have been curiously silent.
Paul said it clearly:
2 Cor 11:29
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
(KJV)
In the body of Christ there has been much teaching about not taking offense, not being easily offended. It has become a basic theology that to take offense is ALWAYS wrong. Yet Paul firmly says here he will stand with that one who is offended. And the phrase "burn not" indicates some passion. It indicates an emotional rise against the wrong. Yet we say that we must not take on the offense of another. Brethern, I say without doubt, this should not be. We must bear one another's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ. And if any speak out against it, if any preach hatred, if any advocate violence, we should mark that man and have nothing to do with his teaching. For the most part that teaching is self serving.
Gal 6:2
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
(KJV)
Why are we where we are? What has become the function of the church? We have pulled ourselves into a little bless me club and have closed our eyes and hearts to those who are in need. We have allowed hatred and malice to permeate our towns and we wonder why we must live in fear. Paul said it with eloquence.
2 Cor 7:4-6
4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
(KJV)
When Paul was in distress, with trouble on every side he was comforted by God sending Titus to him. We too are to some degree in distress. There are torments on every side. There are those who would do us harm if the opportunity presented itself. And we all too often stand alone. And we stand alone in our distress because our brothers and sisters stand alone in their distress because we stand silently off to the side when they need our help. Like the Levite, we pass on the other side.
Be clear with what I am saying, I am not making a call to arms, at least not in the physical sense. I am making a call to arms for Christians everywhere. Let us begin to stand. And far be it from me to tell you the role you are to play but I plead with you; begin. Do not do what is comfortable or uncomfortable, do not do what is good, do what God calls you to do. If he has called you to pray, do not march. If he has called you to march, do not be found at home praying.
At the beginning of World War II Ethiopia was attacked by the Italians. The emperor sent out a mobilization order to the citizens. It detailed who was to be pressed into service and ended, "Anyone found at home would be shot." The order was full mobilization. This was all out war. The survival of the country was at stake. And there can be nothing less than full mobilization that is acceptable in the body of Christ. Be found in your calling. If he has called you to speak out, do it with boldness and excellence. If he has called you to love, love with a passion. If he has called you to give, do it with liberality. I believe he has called many of us to begin a work of love.
