FIRE SCRIPTURE: Romans 12:17-21

The spirit of retaliation is natural to the unregenerate mind. The spirit belongs to the Adamic nature acquired directly from our early fathers. Retaliation has become one of the most difficult of evils to overcome.

In the Old Testament, Moses admonished the children of Israel about retaliation. He told them that it should be “eye for eye tooth for tooth.” That has been with our early fathers. For example, when the Lord accepted the offering of Abel, his brother thought of how to retaliate by killing him. The consequence of his killing made Cain a vagabond child. Again in 2 Samuel 13:23-29 we read how Absalom plotted against Amnon, his brother, by pleading with his father, King David, to allow Amnon go with them. Absalom had commanded his servants to carry out his evil plan against Amnon, his brother, by making him to drink wine, and later smite him to death.

In Matthew 5:39, Jesus said, “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.” Retaliation is the natural response of self- love to the attack of a supposed enemy. And as long as a man is governed by self-love, he is swayed by the spirit of retaliation. The natural man, when he speaks honestly, justifies the spirit of revenge. He feels no obligation to be good to those who have been unkind to him in all ages and in all countries. It is evil to be unkind to ourselves. It is unkind to claim right to those who have done evil to us and compensate evil back to them. It is evil to be unkind to those who have been kind to us also. Blood for blood is the cry of the unregenerate natural mind. The natural mind of unregenerate man is the battle field at all times and in all places. There is a common saying that “Revenge is sweet.” This adage is for the wicked men. The blood of Jesus will regenerate our minds, in Jesus’ name.

 

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