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Revenge: Another Root of All Kinds of Evil

Bill Fix
01/17/16 - Sunday

• Think about anyone’s motivation for doing evil—whether a fictional villain or when you’ve chosen to sin…
  • 1 Jn. 2:15-16 – evil desire for things of flesh, covetousness, vain craving for honor & attention
  • Those 3 types of sin boil down to selfishness, greed, and revenge.
  • Often, the most successful, compelling villains in fiction are the ones we can relate to and empathize with their heel turn and motivation.
    • Michael Corleone
    • Inigo Montoya
  • We understand revenge because we’ve all been wronged at some time, and everyone wants justice.
• Biblical examples of Personal Revenge
  • Lamech – Gen. 4:23-24
  • Simeon & Levi – Gen. 34:25; 49:5-7
  • James & John – Lk. 9:52-56
• Revenge may be a “dish best served cold,” but it’s not for the Christian.
  • “Served cold” implies a cooling off period, action not done in heat of passion.It’s premeditated, which carries stiffer penalties in our legal system.
  • Heb. 10:30 – “Vengeance is Mine. I will repay,” says the Lord.
  • Mt. 5:38-45 – Turn the other cheek
• Application: Don’t seek personal revenge in…
  • Marriage – Col. 3:18-19
  • Family – Col. 3:20-21
  • Job – Col. 3:22—4:1
  • Church – 1 Cor. 12:23-26
• Instead of revenge…
  • Rom. 12:17 – Take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.
  • Rom. 12:18 – Live peaceably with all.
  • Rom. 12:21 – Overcome evil with good.
  • 1 Ths. 5:15 – Always seek to do good to one another and to all.
  • 1 Pet. 3:9 – Repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.
• Forgiveness
  • Personal vengeance is not sweet—it’s sin that is connected to other sins (lack of love, gossip, slander, hatred, jealousy, murder, etc.).
  • Jesus demonstrated opposite of revenge.
    • Lk. 22:49-51, Jn. 18:10-11 – Healed Malchus’ ear
    • Lk. 23:34 – “Forgive them.”