The purpose of this lesson: to emphasize that Christians do not resort to acts of evil to seek to accomplish good.
Consider a too common concept of godly faith. If the most common synonym for faith that we have in the English language today is trust, how much do you trust God? (1) "Oh, I trust Him enough to do something as long as I can do something about it. (2) I have no option but to trust Him in a situation no one can do anything about--such as death. (3) I trust Him as long as what He wants makes sense to me."
This is intended as an illustration. It is too simple to trust in ourselves or humanity and regard that to be faith in God.
May I suggest this person has no confidence in God. (1) He/she has confidence in his/her ability. (2) He/she is forced to acknowledge God has a role in a situation where no human can do anything. (3) He/she uses his/her understanding to determine when to have faith or trust in God. Thus trust in self or the human factor determines when trust in God exists.
In the illustration, the person trusts in self unless it is humanly impossible to care for a problem. The only time he places trust in God is when he is helpless to do anything.
This is not the suggestion that a godly person does not use his/her abilities to honor God. It is not to suggest that the only acceptable faith to God is blind faith. It is to suggest that Christians use their abilities to honor God because they trust the One who gives the ability, not the ability itself. It is suggesting that trusting God commonly goes beyond the understanding of the person, beyond the abilities of the person.
There is a time when trust acts, and a time when trust merely exists. Consider the contrast between Matthew 7:24 and Hebrews 11:6. Sometimes trust requires action; sometimes trust requires conviction. Both are trust. There are times when trust in God is maintaining confidence in God's values and existence when evil is strong and evident. There are times when trust in God requires action in implementing His values in our lives and the world we live in.
One of the most deceptive temptations of Satan is this: the purposes of good are achieved through an evil act. Consider the first temptation recorded in Genesis 3:1-7. Note that when Eve looked at the fruit she considered it good for food, aesthetically pleasing to look at, and desirable for wisdom. God's injunction "made no sense." The fruit was more than just harmless--eating it would actually produce good! From what she knew, no harm would come from the rebellion. "From what she knew"--there were things she did not know. Knowing evil makes us cursed, not wise. We prove repeatedly that we cannot handle evil. We can not even put evil in perspective! In ignorance of the tragedy the knowledge of evil brings on humans, Eve and Adam yielded to rebellion because "it made sense to do good."
The point the teacher wishes to focus on: yielding to the first temptation involved more than "I see no harm in doing this;" it involved "there is 'right now' good to be experienced in rebelling against God." Christians often are deceived in resorting to evil because they think doing evil is the avenue to achieving good.
It is amazing to see how many evil acts are committed in the conviction that the evil act will produce good. It is equally amazing to note how many people do evil in the conviction they are actually being godly by doing evil.
A part of wisdom is not justifying the practice of evil in our lives. It is too easy, too convenient to justify evil acts. Read Isaiah 5:20. A pronounced spiritual problem in Judah occurred when they lost the ability to distinguish between good and evil. The ultimate consequence was found in the fact God rejected them. There are at least two challenges. (1) We do not wish to define evil artificially. (2) We do not wish to justify evil when it exists.
Christianity is not for cowards! The principle of rejecting vengeance in an evil world requires courage! From where did the principle of rejecting vengeance come? From a God who endured continual rejection but refused to subject people to complete destruction and from a Christ who unjustly died to redeem the people who rebelled!
It takes courage to trust God enough to live by His values in an evil world. Doing what is right is never easy! One of Satan's tasks is making doing good difficult because good threatens his kingdom and rule. The influence of good in people is the only force that can destroy (permanently) the influence of evil in people.
The Christian understands there are some things that will never be the prerogative of the godly person! Vengeance is one of those things! The Christian places vengeance in God's hands! Why does the Christian leave vengeance to God? (1) God will act! No one "gets away" with anything! God knows who did what, and no one can obscure blameworthiness by deflecting responsibility. (2) God will be just in His considerations. While He will be emotional in His vengeance, emotion will not blind the accuracy of what He does. He will act on the basis of inner reason and outward act. He will understand the motives as well as know the deed. Nothing is hidden from Him! (3) The Christian knows his/her indebtedness to God's forgiveness. The Christian was not forgiven because he/she is good but because he/she repents and accepts Jesus Christ. In their transformed life, Christians commit themselves to reflecting God's character while never forgetting they are not (and never will be) God. They are God's servants who serve others (even the undeserving) to express appreciation for the God Who continues their forgiveness. They do not exist to be judges. They exist to show kindness.
To place vengeance in God's hands, a person needs an understanding of why vengeance is placed in God's hands. Placing vengeance in God's hands powerfully reminds us we are not God. We are merely God's servants.
Thus their actions toward their enemy target the enemy's conscience, not his/her physical well being. Hunger is addressed with food. Thirst is addressed with water. The Christian does not take joy in the physical suffering of an enemy. He/she wants an enemy to cease being an enemy by becoming a changed person. Read 1 Peter 4:12-19.
It is being kind to an enemy that challenges that enemy to struggle within himself/herself. The Christian does not seek to control enemies, but to be a means that allows God to change an enemy--like God changed (changes) him/her.
The ultimate expression of trust in God is the conviction that good (from God) is stronger than evil (from Satan). (1) Because we exist in a world perverted by evil, (2) because we exist in a world where evil seems to be a part of the normal state of affairs, and (3) because we live in a world where evil commonly opposes good and seems to triumph over good, it is easy to become convinced evil is stronger than good.
A core conviction in a Christian is the conviction that good (as God defines good) is stronger than evil. Christians who do not believe in the power of good in its conflict with evil are Christians who are prone to abandon their spiritual pursuit in Christ.
In a world where evil has the appearance of being stronger than good, vengeance seems to be the sensible way to go. However, there are other factors to consider. (1) This perverted world is temporary. (2) While evil may seem permanent, it also is temporary. (3) Even physical death is temporary. (4) All are accountable, and will explain to God how they used life, and why they used it as they did. (5) There is coming a world, an existence, in which only righteousness exists. Read Hebrews 11:13-16.
Stress the other factors to consider. Stress that righteous people will never "fit" in an unrighteous world--the values they live by frequently are in total contrast with the world's values. The caution: do not be seduced by the world's values.
The question is this: because this will happen, what kind of person should you be? Read 2 Peter 3:8-13.
The question involves "fitting in" (belonging in) the righteous existence to come.
Life is an investment. The issue: in what? The permanent or the temporary? Never forget that most worthwhile investments require sacrifice.
The person who regards this life as an investment will be completely different from the person who regards this life as "it."
For Thought and Discussion:
Trusting God involves not limiting God to "my understanding and my judgment." It is the awareness that God always will be beyond human understanding and judgment regardless of how much we know or understand.
Eve justified rebelling against God when she saw the fruit as good for food (even though she did not lack food), aesthetically pleasing (though she was surrounded by beauty), and desirable for wisdom (though what she wanted to know would destroy her). Emphasize that his attitude is a continuing problem for humanity; read 1 John 2:15-17.
Stress the difficulty of placing vengeance in God's complete control. Enduring the "this world" consequences of that decision takes a committed, courageous person. If you wish, encourage a discussion of placing vengeance in God's hands--but only if you know your limits in your answers; do not mind saying, "I don't know;" and do not try to justify yourself or others.
It came from the God who patiently endured much human rejection, and from Jesus Christ who unjustly died on a cross.
He wants his enemy to cease being his enemy by becoming a changed person.
What kind of person should you be?
Remember that being prepared for the world of righteousness is more important than "fitting in" in a temporary world.
The issue is seeing life as an investment.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 6