14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
— Romans 12:14-21, ESV

I introduced the previous sermon from Romans with the title to The Bellamy Brothers hit song, “Let Your Love Flow.”  That sermon (ref. Romans 12:9-13) showed us specific ways Christians can let our love flow to God and to our fellow followers of Christ.  

This next text (ref. Romans 12:14-21) puts the same song to mind as well, especially these words:

    Let your love fly like a bird on a wing,
    And let your love bind you to all living things.
    And let your love shine and you’ll know what I mean,
    That’s the reason.

If you are a Christian, “the reason” God saved you is He loves you (ref. John 3:16).  He saved you to “let your love flow,” towards Him and your fellow Christians.  He also saved you to “let your love fly” outward “to all living things,” meaning in this case people who are not Christians (ref. also Deuteronomy 6:4; Leviticus 19:9; Mark 12:28-34).  

People who are not Christians are technically and theologically our enemies, but never are we encouraged to treat them as such.  We must acknowledge, however, they are in rebellion against our God and King.  Sometimes they take their anger and frustration out on us Christians.  This is why this text begins by addressing “those who persecute you” (vs. 14) and ends by advising us to “overcome evil with good” (vs. 21).

In short, we are being taught how to obey the commandment of Christ, “Love your enemies” (ref. Matthew 5:44).  It may be the most difficult part of discipleship.  But the Lord has commanded Christians to treat enemies like friends, so that we might persuade friends to become family, united with us in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Christians have a chance to show love to non-Christians when we honor the five imperatives in these eight verses by just saying “no” to four things:  

No Retaliation

What do you feel like doing to “those who persecute you.”  Persecution is an act of verbal, physical, or other assault on a person because that person is a Christian.  When it happens to you, the desire is to retaliate, argue, fight fire with fire, or at least curse them with imprecatory prayers.  

What did Jesus do?  He remained silent, or turned the other cheek, or went out of His way to show kindness to outsiders.  He preached the gospel to the Samaritan woman, healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, and reattached the ear of Malchus, the arresting officer sliced by Simon Peter.  

What are we commanded to do?  “Bless.”  The Greek word is literally “eulogize,” which means to say (or do) good things, kind things, helpful things.  Have you ever heard someone give a eulogy at a funeral and say anything that was not nice?  The deceased could have been the worst person in the world, but the eulogy at his funeral paints him as a patron saint.

If someone is breaking into your house to harm your family, shoot them.  But, if someone who is not a Christian is causing you problems or pain because you are a Christian, bless them.  Say or something nice about them or so something good for them.  

As far as payback for the persecutors is concerned, “Leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” (vs. 19).  

This means no retaliation.

No Segregation 

One thing Christians and non-Christians have in common is that we all “rejoice” and we all “weep.”  We go through good times and bad times.  We have celebrations and we have commiserations.  We, Christians and non-Christians, should do them “in harmony.”  

I entered the first grade at Pine Grove Elementary School in 1967, the first year our schools were integrated.  All of my life I learned, played, worked, drank out of the same water fountains, used the same bathrooms, and ate at the same restaurants with people of all races.  I see movies and documentaries that portray racism and segregation and wonder how people could be so stupid and sinful.  

Ironically, when I became a Christian, it was then I was taught to segregate myself from certain people, non-Christian people.  The distance was recommended to be especially far if they drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, wore shorts or skirts above their knees, or attended R-rated movies.  Separation and second-degree separation were doctrines of the fundamentalist Christian culture it took me almost a decade to outgrow.  In another touch of irony, it was fundamentalist Christians who fought on the front lines to enforce racism and racial segregation.  

If we are going to show love to non-Christians, we might actually have to associate with them.  Without compromising God’s commandments or godly character, we must befriend them and enjoin them at parties and other places to “rejoice,” and funerals or other commemorations to “weep,” and just about any kind of event in between.  

We must “live in harmony,” Christians must reach out and associate with non-Christians.  We must “not be haughty,” since except for the grace of God, we’d be lost and stuck in some sinful habits, too.  “So far as it depends on you,” fellow Christian, “live peaceably with all” non-Christians, and perhaps some of them will come to accept the Prince of Peace.  

This means no segregation.  

No Deprivation

One of the best ways to “let your love fly … to all living things” is to address the basic human needs of food, shelter, and clothing.  Paul addresses the first of these squarely, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”  

Collectively our church is showing love in this way.  We give directly and our budget supports some wonderful agencies in our town to address these needs.  We’ve given away thousands of dollars in Kroger cards and support Jackson House, we’ve helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity, and we have given away enough clothes to outfit half of Garland County.  Amen.

But how might we personalize Paul’s commandment?  Identify a non-Christian and offer friendship.  Find a need they are experiencing and meet it.  Keep a spare twenty or hundred in your purse or pocket and be ready to give it at any moment.  And when you help someone, tell them Jesus loves them, then invite them to attend our church.  

“For by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”  What in the world does that mean?  It comes from Proverbs 25:21-22, of which Paul left out “and the Lord will reward you.”

“Burning coals” was an old Jewish symbol for shame, guilt, or conviction.  In our context today we do not want to shame or guilt anyone.  But when a Christians meets a vital need for a non-Christian, it is in the hope they will become convicted of their greatest need, salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.  Even if they don’t accept the Lord, “the Lord will reward you.”

This means no deprivation.  

No Resignation 

From verse 14 to verse 21, from “bless” to “overcome,” the imperative verbs in this text are in the present tense, which means do it now, keep it up, and don’t quit.  “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  

Since the crucifixion of Christ, Christians have been crucified for having faith in Christ, either literally or figuratively.  In the early years, it was mostly literal.  In the middle ages, Christians mostly retaliated, segregated, and deprived non-Christians of Christian love.  In this modern age, we must do better.  We certainly have the chance.

In an interesting new book, “Life in the Negative World: Confronting Challenges in an Anti-Christian Culture” by Aaron Renn, the author states we are now living in a new age of persecution against Christianity.  “Traditional Christian moral views, particularly related to sex and gender,” our fellow evangelical Christian Renn said, “is seen as a threat to the public good and new public moral order.”

I have been convinced for some time that genuine, born again, Bible-believing, faith-practicing Christians are the vast minority in the world, even in this last bastion Bible Belt where we live.  Culture has changed from a nominal acceptance of Christianity, to a vast indifference towards Christianity, to open hostility against Christianity.  What are we Christians to do?

Well, at least we know what not to do.  No retaliation.  No segregation.  No deprivation.  No resignation.  Instead, let your love fly.  When your enemy becomes your friend, perhaps your friend will find their way into the family of God.