Overcoming Evil with Good: A Christian Call

The Apostle goes on to the positive and here it is at the beginning of this 20th verse: therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Now here you see is the positive thing. Not only are we not to do our enemy any harm, but we are to do him positive good. [00:04:06]

This is essential Christianity. You don't just stop at not doing things; you become positive. And this is where we so often find the difference between Christian teaching and the morality of the world at its best and at its highest. [00:04:27]

Do good to your enemy in any way you can, whatever opportunity presents itself. It may be like a food or like a drink, but it doesn't matter what it is. Take advantage of the opportunity to do him good, though he is your enemy. This is the way in which you are to treat him. [00:07:27]

It means that you will cause him pain, but not physical pain, but the pain of shame and the pain of remorse. It means that as the result of your treatment of him, that though he's been offensive to you and has been acting as your enemy, you nevertheless give him food, you help him when he's in need. [00:10:42]

Your hope is that he will feel this to such an extent that it will lead him to repentance, that he will begin to examine himself. You'll shock him, you'll amaze him, and he'll begin to reconsider what he's done to you, and then you'll see how terribly wrong it is. [00:11:26]

If you take vengeance, you are allowing evil to overcome you. You see, it's a part of this whole argument: dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves. If you do avenge yourselves, what is really happening is that you have allowed evil and sin to overcome you. [00:22:37]

The Christian is not interested in these actions of the other person, whether it be an enemy or whatever he is who's doing you harm at the moment. The Christian is not interested in the actions in and of themselves so much as in the power that is behind them. [00:19:09]

The Apostle doesn't say, be not overcome of men; he says, be not overcome of evil. He doesn't say, don't let men overcome you; he says, don't let evil overcome you. But you see, he's talking about the actions of men. [00:20:16]

We must never allow evil to conquer us or to overcome us, never. It doesn't matter what form it takes; the form is comparatively unimportant. It is the principle of evil. Never allow evil or sin of the devil to overcome you, says the Apostle. [00:22:07]

Overcome evil with good. How do we do that? Well, he's already told us. One of the best ways is if the enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. Whatever it is that he's in need of, go to him and relieve him in every way that you can. [00:29:23]

You overcome evil in yourself, but not only that, you overcome evil also in your adversary, this person who's acting to you towards you as an enemy. You do him great good if you behave in this way. You open his eyes, you make him stop and think. [00:34:03]

You are not your own; you have been bought with a price. See, you start, as I say, reminding yourself what you are, who you are. You think of your soul. Now the difference between the non-Christian and the Christian is this: that the non-Christian belongs to himself; the Christian does not belong to himself. [00:41:16]