A Living SacrificeSample

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21 ESV)

This last line of Paul’s living sacrifice chapter in his letter to the Roman Christians is an amazing mantra for all of us Christ-followers to remember and repeat over and over again, especially as we see the days getting darker. Nearly 3000 years ago, Isaiah the prophet wrote these words,“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20 ESV) I don’t know about you, but I feel like Isaiah could have easily been writing about American society today. Many people today live against Biblical tenants and believe they are doing so in love, while those who seek to be living sacrifices are considered evil, or haters, or judgmental.

Paul spoke boldly to the Romans in chapter one of his letter, talking about the evil he saw in front of him, 2000 years ago.

• People are futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts are darkened. (Romans 1:21)
• They exchanged the glory of God for images representing man and birds and animals. (Romans 1:23)
• God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. (Romans 1:24)
• Women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. (Romans 1:26)
• Men were consumed with passion for one another, committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Romans 1:27)
• They did not see fit to acknowledge God, so God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (Romans 1:28)
• They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:29-31)
• Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

Again, was Paul writing this letter to the Americans? Or to the modern world? Yes, he was, for God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12), just as alive today as it was then. And if you have eyes to see, you know that we see this evil Paul is describing being lived out in sinful man today.

But here in Romans 12, Paul has been going to great lengths to describe how a living sacrifice lives, not in his flesh or his instincts, but according the Spirit and full of love and grace. His closing line tells them and us NOT to repay evil for evil, NOT to hate those who practice evil, NOT to take matters into our own hands, but to overcome evil with good.

We must keep loving people, even our enemies, even those who live in sin and think they are correct and we are misguided. It is back to yesterday’s thought of heaping the burning coals of love, grace and forgiveness and I will add, goodness, upon people and letting the God of justice deal with their souls. This living sacrifice lifestyle is what will conquer evil in the world.