Romans 12:17, “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”
1st Peter 3:9, “Not rendering evil
for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing;
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
There is so much evil in the world. It is
difficult to understand the way some people think, not hesitating to hurt
others. Anything can be justified in an evil mind. As a born-again Christian,
it doesn't matter how poorly anyone treats me, I am going to love them with
God's unconditional love and do good unto them. I recently read a foolish
question on the internet, which asked, “Who would you punch out in the world
if you could punch someone out?” My mental answer was immediate, “No one,
because I don't think that way!” I do not harbor hatred against a single human
being. There is no one that I would like to punch out. It matters not what
somebody does to me, I love them!
I choose to love everybody, because God loves me, and am I supposed to love the unloving. Matthew 5:46, “For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” This Bible verse proves that God DOES love everyone, including homosexuals. If God only loved certain people who obey Him, then He would be a hypocrite to expect us to love those who hate us. The Bible plainly teaches that God loves everyone. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God loves the vilest sinner, but He does not approve of their conduct, nor does He condone their sins, nor will He pardon them for their crimes apart from the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that our motivation for loving the unloving and properly treating those who do evil unto us, is knowing that God is going to bless us in eternity as His child. 1st Peter 3:9, “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.” God has already given me eternal life. I'm just waiting to leave this earthly tabernacle (body) to move into Heaven (2nd Corinthians 5:1). I have a home in Heaven waiting for me (John 14:1-3). As believers, we have all good things to look forward to. God has promised in Romans 8:32 to give us “ALL THINGS,” to them that love Him. Those who “love” Jesus always refers to the saved. 1st Peter 2:7a, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious...”
Matthew 5:43-48, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Jesus loved everyone. When Judas
came to betray the Lord, He called him “friend.” When evil men nailed Jesus
to the cross, He asked His Father to “forgive them,” because He already had.
The Lord sets our example to follow. He loved His enemies. Jesus never
condemned anyone, He came to save sinners (John 3:17). Matthew 10:16,
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore
wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Our More Than Amazing God is Kind to the Unthankful and Evildoers
Our great God is even kind to the unthankful and to the evil. What an amazing truth! Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.” Our good God still blesses the ungrateful wicked atheist, who chooses to live in rebellion against his Maker, who enjoys the delicious food that God gives to them, using the amazing taste-buds that God gave them. It is hard to imagine with so many innumerable blessings abounding, that any human being would curse and blaspheme their Creator. Yet, God is continually placed on trial by the ungodly world, blamed for the selfish greed, lust, anger and hatred of mankind. God is not to blame for Satan and sin! We make our own decisions.
Let me ask you a question. Why would God be kind to ingrates and evildoers? Please let me explain...
2nd Peter 3:8-9, “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The Holy Bible foretold of scoffers and naysayers in the last days (today), when unbelievers would blaspheme God and scoff at the Biblical prophecy of the return of Jesus Christ. I assure you dear reader that God's Word will prove true! Job 20:5, “That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?” Job 8:22, “They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought.” The works of the wicked will come to nought! I thank God that I am on the winning side in Jesus Christ! I won't one day inherit eternal life, I already, presently, HAVE eternal life!!!
When my body is no longer fit to house my soul and spirit, that is, when this earthly tabernacle is unfit to live in anymore, my soul and spirit cannot die. There will be no break in conscience when my body dies. I expect to see two angels waiting to greet me, as we learn in Luke 16:19-31 in the true account of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus was escorted by angels to his new home. That would make sense, since the Scriptures teach that every believer has at least two guardian angels... “in heaven their angels [plural] do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Notice that our angels don't watch us, they keep their eyes on the Father's next command. This ought to encourage us to spend more time praying, because as we see in Daniel's life, it resulted in God sending an angel (Daniel 10:12-13). I love that! There is a continual spiritual battle going on behind the scenes, that we cannot fully understand, but know exists.
The following Scriptures further elaborates the meaning of 2nd Peter 3:9...
Romans 2:4-6, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”
In 2nd Peter 3:9 we read that God is longsuffering, not willing for any to perish. That includes homosexuals. God still wants homosexuals to be saved, and we ought still try to witness to them and lead them to saving-faith and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ! Romans 2:4-6 teaches that GOD'S GOODNESS leads people to repent. The Bible is not saying that because God is goodness that men will respond by repenting. Look at how good God has been to America, and how we treat Him like garbage! Americans scoff at God's Word and live a party lifestyle, committing sexual immorality (fornication and adultery), and then cold-heartedly murder their children by abortion, blaspheming God by their wickedness. Yet, the Lord is kind toward them, feeding them and giving them good health and liberty.
When the Holy Bible speaks about “THE GOODNESS OF GOD,” it refers to the character of God. Our maker is a GOOD GOD! When honest men and women realize that an all-powerful (omnipotent) God has been unreasonably kind toward them, in lieu of their awful behavior and utter wickedness, it leads some men to repent. The truth is that God wants everyone to repent, which signifies that the Lord's love is not limited only to believers. One of the most damnable doctrines every invented (commonly attributed to John Calvin) is the horrible lie of “LIMITED ATONEMENT” (the heresy that says Jesus only died on the cross for future Christians, but not for unbelievers). Romans 5:8 proves Limited Atonement a satanic lie. ...
Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Who would sacrifice their life for a murderer, or a pedophile, or a rapist? Jesus Christ, that's Who!!!!!!! Clearly, Christ died for all men, including THE UNGODLY. According to Romans 5:8, we were ALL ungodly before we got saved. To say that the Savior only died for believers is to contradict the entire idea behind what Romans 5:6-8 is teaching. To say that Jesus only died for repentant men who get saved is to say that Christ wouldn't give His life for losers, criminals, outlaws and the vile scum of society. That totally contradicts the intended true meaning of Romans 4:6-8, which teaches that Jesus did the unthinkable and the unreasonable, HE DIED FOR THE UNGODLY!!! Some men would die for a righteous man; rarely, a man might even die for a good man; but who would sacrifice their life for Jeffrey Dahmer, Adolf Hitler, or Jack the Ripper? The Word of God proclaims that Christ paid for “THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD” (1st John 2:2b). If anybody goes to Hell, it will only be because they foolishly rejected the goodness of God, by rejecting the free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I don't claim to understand it all. I could easily become bitter against God, if I selfishly viewed life through a finite filter of human understanding. I cannot comprehend an eternal burning Lake of Fire. I can certainly understand why God would put some evildoers in Hell, but I cannot understand everlasting punishment. It would seem to me that even the worst criminals, even after a trillion years, would have suffered enough for their sins, and be set free. However, I am not anywhere near as holy as God, nor is anybody else. Our holiness as Christians is solely based upon Christ's righteousness. I was thinking this morning about the melody and precious words of a popular old hymn...
SONG: “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” by Edward Mote (1797-1874)
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Amen and amen!
So, it is not because God is good to sinners that people repent; but rather, because God Himself is a good God. If you ever truly comprehend that God loves you, and realize what Christ has done for you on the cross, you will run to Calvary to be saved!!! How could I ever deny the very love and forgiveness that God has so undeservedly freely offered and given to me by faith? Who am I that a King should bleed and die for? Oh, how I want to emulate the love, generosity and kindness of my dear Savior toward all men, including the unthankful and the evil.
