Is anyone ever so evil there is no hope for them? Can a person go so far that nothing can be done but eliminate them?
Many of us profess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We say we want our lives to be a living witness, to His Power and Authority.
Yet, sometimes we are tempted to respond to evil, using what we think is our power and authority.
How would Jesus have us respond to evil? Hear The Answer in His Own Words.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
“But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.
“If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. He causes His Sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
“And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
“Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:38-48
How did Jesus respond to the evil committed against Him?
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’”
Luke 23:34
Isn’t living that way surrendering to the power of evil? No! It is surrendering to The Power of God. It is opening wide the door for Him to act.
When we surrender completely to God’s Will, we will discover He acts in a Way far beyond anything we could ever imagine.
A young man, named Stephen, preached about Jesus. Those opposing The Way, stoned Stephen. As he was transitioning from death to Life eternal, he saw Jesus and surrendered fully to His Power and Authority.
The witnesses to the stoning laid their coats at the feet of a young man, who was an enemy of Christians. His name was Saul.
Saul and the others heard Stephen’s final words.
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’”
Acts 7:59-60
Saul did not instantly change. But he remembered what he saw and heard that day. He saw Stephen, but what he heard was The Voice of Jesus.
He would hear that Voice again at another time. He would hear it on the road to Damascus.
“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.
“He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
“As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
“He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
“‘Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked.
“‘I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
“‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’”
Acts 9:1-6
Saul did as Jesus directed him. Saul became Paul. It was through Paul that God wrote many books of our New Testament.
Thanks be to God that the Christians did not kill Saul when he was considered their enemy.
Among the wonderful Truths Paul shared with us was his certain knowledge that nothing can separate anyone from The Love of God.
“For I am convinced
that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from The Love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
Damascus, the city in which Paul began his ministry, is in the news right now. There are those who are persecuting people there.
Please pray for all, including those we might call our enemies. God might soon raise up another Paul on the road to Damascus!
As Paul also said,
“Rejoice always,
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s Will for you
in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
