All and Nothing

Render to all what is due them... Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another.... (Romans 13:7-8)

Very clearly these two verses are meant to be in stark contrast with each other. But what is the even deeper message than what I see on the surface of these verses? Let me again look more at the context.

In the very next verses Paul refers directly to the Law of God given on Mount Sinai and explains that loving your neighbor is the fulfillment of this Law. It seems that this is somehow tied back into the concept of explaining what is due to those around me. Just as all real authority is from God, so all fulfillment of our requirements to those authorities must be bound up in the commandments of God.

John explained this very same relationship when he wrote, By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:2-3) There are many people who become very defensive and resistant whenever the commandments of God are mentioned. They want to rationalize that somehow God's commandments are no longer in effect for our lives, that they are superseded by a new age of love, a new dispensation as they call it. But the word fulfillment is not synonymous with eradication, because God's commandments are only descriptions of principles of reality. To eradicate God's Law would be an attempt to eliminate reality itself.

Far from insinuating that the Law of God has been set aside by love, Paul and John are both saying that the essence of the Law is loving others, both God and fellow men. In this sense only is the Law superseded in that when we finally learn to fully love without resistance both our Creator and those He created with us then we will be found to be in perfect harmony with the natural Law describing God's character Himself and that defines the image that we are modeled upon.

But I want to go back and explore this issue of debt a little more. Paul is strongly implying that I owe a debt to others, and in this context particularly authorities. He lists a few things that he believes are owed: taxes, custom, fear and honor. Then he immediately goes on to say that we should be so thorough in paying what is due that we will owe nothing to anyone (except to love).

My mind always keeps going back to the real meaning of the word due. It is clear that I am to pay what is due, but how do I deal with the question of knowing what is due and what is not due? I don't think it is necessarily safe to simply trust public opinion or coercive threats trying to convince me that someone's demands upon me are just dues. But on the other hand I also do not want the resistance inherent in my sinful flesh to blind me to the truth about who is legitimately due these things from me. I want to know God's perspective on this issue. And I will continue to look for it and seek to come into harmony with His Word, especially in the condition of my spirit.

And I believe that the rest of this chapter specifically addresses that very issue. Paul's discussion of love as the fulfillment of the law is targeting the nature of my spirit far more than the compliance of my political choices. There are many that pay great attention to conformity to every requirement imposed upon them but have no real love for those they are complying with. According to this passage that person is not really fulfilling the law, they are just conforming to this world (12:2).

I also see links in this passage between love and subjection which is the opposite of resistance and opposition. So if I try to subject myself to authority without love I am still not fulfilling the law. Wow! This is a lot to contemplate on for awhile.

Father, only Your miracle of grace and transformation can produce this kind of life and behavior in me. I give You permission and ask You to continue to transform me from the inside. Keep Your promise from Eze. 36 to put in me a new heart and a right spirit. Shower me with Your water and make me clean inside of all resistance so that I can be safe in Your intense presence. Glorify Your name in my life today.

(next in series)

Another Look at Resistance

As I have begun to see over the past few years, resistance is the greatest danger to my soul. Resistance in my heart is the fatal ingredient that will cause me pain and ultimate death when all will be exposed to the unveiling of God's glory in the final Day of Judgment.

But letting go of resistance is also the most difficult thing for most of us to do. We may cling to it in very different ways, some very forcefully and others more passively which sometimes masks its true identity, but resistance to the truth about God and acceptance of His ways in our life is part of the core essence of sin.

Sin causes us to believe that we can figure out life better than God can for us. Sin is not always averse to asking God for help to do things as long as the plans are originated in our own minds. This allows us to collect some of the credit if things appear to work out for the good. But it also masks our internal resistance to complete surrender to being led by the Spirit of God. Religion is a good cover for much resistance and provides us a social life that makes resistance in hidden areas of our life acceptable or even encouraged. Because so many people around us are in agreement about out collective beliefs about what is truth then it makes it very easy to resist anything that challenges our assumptions or long-held opinions.

On the other hand, we may be so filled with hidden resistance that we take pride in our independence from what everyone else thinks and bolster our positions by amassing knowledge and complicated arguments based on Scripture or other inspired sources to prove that we are right and everyone who disagrees with us is wrong. We may point to our extended years of education or extensive research on our favorite topic as proof that we are more likely to be correct than those who see things differently. But underlying our insistence of having more accurate truth than those around us is a hidden spirit of resistance that may even be masked under a personality of apparent humility and gentleness. But when probed or challenged that resistance can flash out in anger against those who would dare to challenge our assertions.

I have noticed in others and in myself that even if the position that we are taking may be technically true, that if the spirit is not right and submitted to the sweet Spirit of Jesus, especially when one is feeling attacked, then the effect of having “truth” easily loses it potency because of the negative message delivered by an offended spirit that is contaminated by resistance.

One of the most important verses in the Bible that presents the balance needed for true spirituality, in my opinion anyway, is the comment made by Jesus to the woman at Jacob's well in Samaria.

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24) It is so easy to believe that we can lean heavily to one side or the other on this issue, but it is never the design of God for us and will endanger the condition of our soul. Ignoring one side or the other will cause damage to our spiritual condition and will create great imbalance, but an imbalance that we are very seldom aware of.

The more my mind becomes aware of the existence of resistance within me the more alarmed I am at how much there must be. And I suspect I am only looking at the tip of an iceberg of what may be lurking underneath. But at the same time I am glad that God is showing it to me for it is only in the light of His presence that I can see anything that needs to be addressed in my heart.

This morning as I opened my Bible to again see what the Spirit wants to show me from this passage that I have been studying for so long, this issue of resistance and its link to evil seemed to jump out at me. That is no surprise given how much I must have inside, but I wanted to look for parallel verses that might help me understand it better and assist me in being more aware or give me more clues as to how to let go of this resistance. What came to my attention was again the last verse in chapter twelve about being overcome or overcoming evil. This is very closely linked with resistance as I am noticing.

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (Rom. 12:17)

See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. (1Thess. 5:15)

Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. (1Peter 3:9)

As I looked further in 1 Peter I found another passage that fits very well into this. ... all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7)

True humility is in essence letting go of all resistance. On the other hand, pride is another word for resistance. As I look over these various verses together – and there are certainly many more that could be included – I see more clearly a pattern of thinking and spirit that is needed when relating to authorities. And the bottom line is how much resistance is still within my heart.

Evil treatment by authorities is one of the quickest ways to expose resistance at the heart level. Some authorities seem to specialize in drawing out hidden resistance and then attempting to crush it by any means possible. This is the spirit of Satan's kingdom and is normal given the source. But it is also the same spirit that is resident in our own sinful flesh and infects every human being living on this planet.

There is an example that I must look to to learn how to respond to evil, whether from authorities or otherwise. It is an example not just intellectually but much more one that is meant to mentor my right brain. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24)

Salvation is the healing process whereby I am offered the opportunity to become free from this fatal disease of resistance in my heart. It is interesting to note that Paul declares that authorities are ministers of God to us. That is not to say that they can bring us healing or salvation, but they act as a means to expose our hearts to see how much resistance is still resident there. If I have an intense reaction to abusive authority and become angry then I am alerted that there is still a good deal of resistance that needs to be faced, uncovered and released by the healing work of the Holy Spirit. If God uses authorities to expose my faults I should not become resentful for being thus exposed but need to recognize that I still have pride and resistance that God desires to replace with the true humility of love and compassion.

The more I am healed of resistance the easier it will be for me to access the vision of heaven and perceive differently those who seem to be persecuting or attacking me. The more resistance I cling to or refuse to acknowledge in my heart the more defensive I will be which usually demonstrates itself by blaming others for my problems. Of course this is much easier to observe in other people's experience than in myself. But if I am willing and humble God is faithful to help me see my own fault's and will always have a means of bringing about the needed healing.

Having said all of this, I am intensely aware that it has been about 90% left-brain understanding and explanations. That is not all bad, but it is certainly nowhere near enough to be really effective and life-changing. My heart has been listening while I have been writing all of this and is feeling a little apprehensive as to the implications of what I am saying. In addition my flesh is trying to discount some of these things in its desire to maintain control over my life. I guess that all in all I am not completely congruent.

But I am glad to remind myself that it is God's work to heal me, to reveal my faults to me in ways that encourage me to come to Him for help, and it is not my job to figure out how to fix myself. The Word of God is indeed like a two-edged sword exposing what is at the deepest levels of my soul. And it is the job of the God of the Word to then accomplish the transformation that only He can do as I give Him permission and access to my heart. My part is to cooperate and choose to quit resisting His work in me.

(next in series)

Testing the Theory

This study in Romans 13 is one of the most difficult passages that I have spent time on, not just because it takes so much time to try to sort out the preconceptions from the truth buried in the Word but more so because the issue dealt with here is likely my most sensitive area and my greatest weakness. But saying that, after reading Wild at Heart a year or two ago I wonder if this also may be potentially my most important strength in some strange way.

In that book it is pointed out that Satan usually attacks us at a very early age with attempts to wound us deeply in the very area of our heart that God designed to be our greatest contribution, the unique part of our identity where we are to reflect some portion of God's character most clearly. Satan intends to wound us so deeply in that most important part of our heart that he hopes we will never recover so that the image of God in that area of our soul will stay incapacitated and not be a threat to Satan's kingdom.

If this proposition is true, then possibly the issue of authority might be the area in which I am supposed to reflect the image of God most clearly to others, for it has certainly been the area of my heart that seems to have received the most damage and contains the most volatile triggers. It is so sensitive and reactive that I am even writing these words with great trepidation wondering if it might be foolishness to ever share them with anyone. I will leave that up the the Spirit to guide me after I am finished. But I do know it is very helpful and important that I go through the process of expressing what is going on in the deeper levels of my heart as a means of processing what is in there and receiving the light of truth from God to enter places that otherwise have remained hidden or inaccessible for many years.

Whether planned by God or not, yesterday I had a small opportunity to have my buttons in this area pushed and found that they still work all too well. I am not surprised about that but neither do I feel at all good about it. While I cannot heal my own triggers I have been listening faithfully every day to the messages from the Spirit to my heart about these things as I meditate, process and write on this part of Romans. I intend to stay in this passage as long as the Spirit impresses me so that He can do a more thorough work of excavation, repair and restoration inside of me. I do sense that He is fitting me up with more useful equipment to meet such situations though I need to learn how to use them effectively. I have to trust God to be in charge of this project completely and I believe He has the ability and the plans to finish what He has started, and it will be with amazing results.

Without going into details, I was faced yesterday with a situation of needing to talk with some very abusive authorities that have control over a close friend of mine right now. I found out they had accused me of breaking their petty rules in relationship to my friend and then went on to take out their vengeance on him as if he had anything to do with it. Though the accusations were completely and absurdly false that makes no difference to corrupt, earthly, abusive people who get themselves into positions of power and absolute control over others.

When I found out about it yesterday my emotions of anger and resentment instantly flashed up as usual and I could not restrain all of the evil thoughts and feelings that flooded my mind. I consciously realized what was happening but still allowed some of the poison of bitterness to leak out which affected others who were listening. I knew that I needed divine help in this situation as did the other people I was speaking with (before I tried to contact the authorities) and I began praying for myself for God's Spirit to do an even more thorough work in me, and for a spirit of humility and the eyes of heaven to see the situation very differently – as God sees it. I needed the compassion of God in my heart toward these sick-minded people instead of the rage that was quickly infecting and blinding my heart.

I remembered one of the previous times I had been forced to have a major face-off with some arrogant authorities and how I had failed to listen to the small voice inside of me instructing me to go somewhere alone first and spend whatever time needed in prayer to receive a right spirit before plunging into that situation. I failed to take that time and the consequences were less than honorable. The next day I woke up with remorse and shame for how my words had discredited the reputation of the God I claimed to be in control of my life. Even though I had exercised a lot of self-restraint I had mixed in enough bitterness that I had in effect denied my Lord under fire and dishonored His reputation.

Yesterday I found myself back at a similar place in my mind, though far less intense or potentially volatile. But I was warned that these people are skilled at pushing people's buttons and deliberately try to induce anger and resentment in people. They seem to almost take sadistic pride in being able to irritate and make life miserable for those under their total control as well as everyone trying to relate to their victims. This kind of injustice and open evil induces such strong feelings within me that I know God has a great deal more repair work to do for me to reflect the spirit of Jesus that He demonstrated during His abusive trial and crucifixion. But I also know that is what He fully intends to do in my heart, to prepare me for any similar situations that I may meet in my life.

I found myself wrestling between my urgent need to wait and spend time in calming prayer and my flesh's desire to immediately call these ?/!# people and attempt to manipulate and abuse them like they do to others. Of course my mind clearly understands that this is unreasonable and will only make things worse for my friend as well as for me, but the flesh doesn't really care about things like that – which is exactly why the flesh and its lusts need to be constantly crucified inside of my own mind on a continuous basis. If allowed to infect my spirit it will always try to “fix” things for me in a way that will only make things worse.

I did take time to pray and seek the calming influence of the Spirit of Jesus to fill my heart and override the urgency that my flesh was demanding. I struggled to know how long this needed to go on before I would be safe to pick up the phone and make the call. Finally with some fear I did make the phone call and, possibly providentially, the people I needed to speak with were all out for a long week-end and I was only able to leave messages for them. Of course this precluded their being able to tempt me or push the buttons in my weak area and I was able to leave a respectful, informative message attempting to clear up the misunderstanding and hopefully make things a little easier for my friend. Of course this issue is not over yet. I may yet have to talk with them on Tuesday. But then I will have had much more time to have therapy from the Spirit of Jesus to do its work in my heart.

As I thought about this while waking up this morning I was encouraged that as I prayed, God empowered me to begin to view these people in my mind more clearly through the eyes of heaven and truly see them as very hurting, damaged people themselves who mistakenly feel they can find satisfaction through abuse of others. Anyone who abuses others is doing so from unresolved pain within their own heart, likely from abuse they have received, and they desperately need the healing that comes from God. The same is true for me which means that I am no better than they are. I have the same tendencies and the same potential for evil as every other human being and when I fail to listen to and absorb the grace and kindness of God, when I fail to seek to sense His face and His presence, I will act out the same tragic, abusive, toxic behaviors that I find so offensive to my own heart from others.

I remember hearing a story about a famous Jewish Nazi-hunter who had spent much of his life searching and tracking down some of the most notorious suspects from Germany who had escaped to various places in the world to hide from justice. When one of the worst ones was finally caught and brought to trial in Israel, this Jewish man went to the courtroom to see him for the first time. It is reported that when he walked into the courtroom and took a good look at the Nazi he fell on the floor weeping – but for very different reasons than anyone suspected. He later said that what shocked him most was not the wickedness and evil that he had expected to see in the Nazi's face, but that the Nazi looked so normal that the Jewish man suddenly realized that he possessed in his own heart the very same capacity for evil that had enabled the Nazi to commit so many unspeakable crimes against so many others. He realized that the evil of sin was not just resident in a few, high-profile criminals as many like to believe, but that everyone of us has the very same potential for evil atrocities if we found ourselves in a similar situation with similar opportunities.

If it were not for the grace of God restraining the human heart everyone of us would more fully reflect the hateful spirit of Satan and the whole world would quickly self-annihilate. The natural results of sin really is death. Satan's ways and spirit are destructive but also very infectious. Because of that I need the healing balm from the divine Physician just as much as the abusive people who find themselves in places of power to make life hell for those under their domination. My greatest temptation is to become infected with the same spirit that makes them so obnoxious and this is the area of my heart that needs the most repair and healing.

Fortunately for me God is totally faithful even when I am not. God is all forgiveness even when I fall short or even resent His forgiveness to others. (I felt compelled to write extensively on forgiveness yesterday.) God is compassionate when I want to seek vengeance (just ask Jonah). God is patient even when I fall victim to urgency. What I am continually learning is that my primary focus must be on seeking God's face and dwelling on His perfect attributes instead of having my mind filled with the faults and sins of fallen humans. I must have the viewpoint of heaven or I will be guaranteed to be sucked into the very sins that I so much abhor in others. Sin is a cancer in my heart that reproduces itself wildly out of control if not stopped by the intervention of Jesus.

Father, I have laid myself out this morning and have glimpsed some of the internal garbage that still lies unresolved within my own heart. I confess these things and do not hide them from You. I ask You to do whatever You need to do to heal and rebuild Your image in my soul so that Your reputation as a Healer and Saver will be honored. Continue Your therapy in my life and show me Your face and Your beauty much more clearly. Keep me very close to You and I choose to submit to Your authority in my life. Please give me the glasses of heaven so that I can see past the abusive ways of men and not be intimidated or angered by their evil. Give me the heart of Jesus to love my enemies unconditionally with the love that only You can provide. Make me a channel of Your love and fill me with Your peace.

(next in series)

To Overcome or to be Overcome

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

I want to explore a number of links from this verse to other places in this passage that it will shed light on, particularly in chapter 13. I still believe this is the pivotal verse in this whole section and everything must be seen in the light of this.

To be in subjection to the governing authorities (v. 1) is how to overcome evil with good.

To resist authority (v. 2) is to be overcome by evil.

To oppose the ordinance of God (v. 2) is to be overcome by evil and receive condemnation.

Rulers are a cause of fear for evil behavior (v. 3) – for those who are overcome by evil.

Do what is good and you will have no fear of authority (v. 3) and will overcome evil with good.

Authority is a minister of God to you for good, the overcomer of evil with good (v. 4).

Authority is a minister of God as an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil, the one overcome by evil (v. 4).

To overcome evil with good involves subjection to authority for conscience' sake (v. 5).

Overcoming evil with good involves paying taxes that financially support the authorities who devote themselves to be ministers of God to you for good and as an avengers to those who practice evil (v. 6, 4).

Overcoming evil with good will involve rendering to all what is due them (v. 7).

Being in debt is one way of being overcome by evil (v. 8).

Staying free of debt is one way of overcoming evil with good (v. 8).

Overcoming evil with good is fulfilling the law by loving one another (v. 8).

I find it interesting that the law referred to in this passage is the Ten Commandment Law of God. I would think that it should be a safe assumption that the authorities just referred to are considered, or at least include, law-enforcers. But other than a reference to taxes the only law mentioned here is the Law of God and the phrase, if there is any other commandment. Where does that place the millions of laws, regulations, statutes, codes, edicts, ordinances, rules, decrees, enactments, etc. ad nauseam? Are all of them to be considered in the same position and due the same obligation for obedience as the perfect law of our Creator? And if not, then what is our proper relationship to them?

Again, I am not looking for the platitude answers I have been fed all of my life about this issue. I know them pretty well but they have not satisfied my desire to know the real truth here. Just because some person or group of people decides to dream up yet another new requirement – no matter how petty, self-serving or conflicting it may be – to impose on others does not seem to me to necessarily legitimize their claim to be a God-ordained authority for my life. My real question still lingers, “How do I know what is a legitimate authority that this passage would require me to be in subjection to and what is an illegitimate authority? And I don't think the answer is as easy as most people would like to assume.

But beyond that I also realize that whether or not any given authority trying to assert control over my life is legitimate or not, the most important message of this chapter is the condition of the spirit in my own heart irregardless of what is going on externally. That is the real message that I need to absorb from my study of this passage and is one reason I am spending so much time meditating on it.

(next in series)

Authority and Love

In talking about this chapter with my sister yesterday it occurred to me that much of this passage could be viewed as applying primarily to authority within the body of Christ that has been described in previous verses maybe far more than authorities outside that body. In fact, there is nothing in the passage that explicitly denotes that Paul is talking about worldly authorities until verse six where he begins to talk about taxes at which point he could be making the transition. Since I am quite certain that the Christian church never employed the use of taxes on its members this is clearly a shift to applying these principles to our relationship with earthly authorities.

Because of the wide diversity of gifts and personalities within the body, it will be necessary, at least until the final perfection of all things, to have some sort of organization that is based on authority in some way. The issue of authority was one of the main problems that Lucifer had in heaven and became the main reason he could no longer live there. But he has poisoned humanity with very negative and skewed feelings and beliefs about authority that has infected us with the same bitterness that he has toward God. The gospel and the process of salvation is the healing truth that is to bring us into proper alignment and relationship with true authority so that harmony, peace and joy can once again flourish in a universe free from all rebellion and sin.

But the way many Christians have gone about trying to address this problem has exacerbated it instead of improving it. Because they have utilized the methods of Satan to enforce authority they have misrepresented God and perpetuated the lies of Satan about His character. By resorting to use of force, fear and intimidation to induce respect for authority they have actually promoted the spread of rebellion instead of quelling it as they thought they could do. Only the pure methods based totally on the uncompromising love and unchangeableness of the compassion and goodness of God will effectively rid the universe of all rebellion and fear. All the steps toward that end need to be reflective of that spirit.

If it is true that Paul is referring primarily to authority within the body more than that outside the body in the first five verses of chapter thirteen, it would give a different nuance to why he describes authority in such idealistic terms. For any authority exercised within the body of believers should be reflective of the kindness and goodness of God. Yes it will include justice and even sometimes involve perceptions of wrath. But that must be understood from God's perspective of what the word wrath means or we will inevitably misinterpret this passage as we do so many other passages that talk about that issue. (For more discussion of the Bible's version of wrath refer to another website at surpriseending.blogspot.com devoted to this subject.)

Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:7-8)

I find this to be a very delicate issue to properly understand given all the abuse and misapplications that it has been used for over many years, even centuries. This whole chapter is one that is best appreciated if we can lay aside as much as possible our preconceived beliefs and ideas of what it means and listen to what God wants to teach us in the context of the book of Romans. Lifting it out of context to enforce someone's agenda is one of the worst ways to apply scriptures of any kind. But unfortunately that is often the case. I want to have enough humility and openness to hear whatever the Spirit has to say to mentor my heart into perfect unity with the body of Christ.

The key words that I see here are due and owe. Behind the use of these words are a lot of assumptions that need to be challenged or else we may find ourselves racing down the wrong track to wrong-headed conclusions like so many have before us. Implicit within these words themselves is the truth that some are not owed or due these things from us. Just because someone makes a demand on us does not necessarily mean that we owe them what they ask for or it is their legitimate due. This issue is the crux of many of the problems that confuse people when applying this passage to various situations.

But more important than figuring out who is owed and who is not is the condition of my spirit in while doing this. While I believe it is not wrong to check the validity of someone's demands on me for any of these things listed here – taxes, custom, fear, honor – it is even more important, extremely important, that I not allow my own spirit to become poisoned during the process of analyzing or seeking to know about that validity. If I become infected with a spirit of dissension and strife and resentment while legitimately seeking to know the validity of someone's claims on me, I will suffer from the baleful effects of the poison of bitterness in my soul and I will soon have the fruit of hatred springing up from those roots growing my heart.

This passage all the way from chapter twelve through chapter thirteen contrasts the polar opposite conditions of the condition that my spirit will be in depending on the choices I make concerning the issues raised in this passage. It also hinges in the central verse of this passage, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21) It is starting to look a lot different than the typical ways this chapter has been taught, but then when I first arrived at this chapter I was pretty sure there was a lot more to this than what I have seen in the past.

What is most crucial, I believe, is to be insistent on keeping the whole passage tightly interconnected while trying to understand how to relate properly to authority along with the other instructions in here. One of the biggest problems has been the dissection of this passage into sound-bites to accommodate a particular agenda instead of seeking to discover the truth about God consistent with the rest of His revelations in the Word.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8) Is loving your neighbor the fulfillment of all human laws? Are all the human laws enforced by human authorities encompassed in the instructions in this chapter? How do I relate to the friction caused by the obvious inconsistencies of unjust human demands incorporated into abusive human regulations with the perfect law of heaven encapsulated in the expression of perfect love? I believe the answers are here if I can properly perceive them with the right spirit and enlightened by the Spirit of the One who inspired this to be written down.

(next in series)

Good and Evil

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9)

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (Romans 12:17)

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God.... (Romans 12:19)

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

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil.... If you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. (Romans 13:3-4)

It looks to me like I need to draw out of this passage its own definitions of what is viewed as good and what is truly evil. Part of the problem with properly understanding the Bible is our nasty little habit of assuming that we already know the definitions to the terms used when really those definitions are seriously skewed by our culture and upbringing and often are not close at all to heaven's view of things. Defining good and evil is maybe one of the most distorted areas of definition in life and most people tend to approach these words from the external arena far more than in relation to the condition of the spirit within us.

So while I write I am looking over the contextual passage here to find clues of what it teaches within itself about what is meant by good and evil. The list could very quickly get enormously long just from chapter 12 so I am not sure how to put it down in a condensed form. But I do believe that it hinges on the difference laid out in 12:2 between conformity and transformation. Conformity generally focuses on external behavior and performance but transformation requires a radical new way of life emerging from a heart transplant and lived in the spirit.

Chapter 12 seems to focus more on what the transformed life will look like within the body of believers while chapter 13 moves on to describe what it will look like outside of that body. It reminds us that it is not only within the company of others learning to become like Christ that we should strive to imitate His example ourselves, but we are also to display the spirit and actions of Jesus in the presence of authorities that quite often are deeply contaminated with evil. Romans 13:5 gives the means for being able to do this – co-perception. That is what the meaning of the Greek word for conscience means. It is only through the eyes of heaven, through co-perceiving reality by accessing heaven's better perspective joined with our own that we will ever be able to live out the radical Christianity described in this passage.

So let me attempt to compile a few of the clues that I see so far as to the meaning of these two words as I look over these two chapters.

Evil is conformity to this world, thinking more highly myself than I ought to think, trying to appear to be loving without a transformed heart (hypocrisy), cursing those who persecute me, having a haughty mind, being wise in my own estimation, reflecting the evil of others back onto them. Evil is taking, or even desiring to take, revenge – taking things into my own hands instead of leaving it all up to God. Along with all these things from chapter 12 evil would also include failing to do all the good things described there that I will include in the next list.

Evil is failing to be properly subject to authority from heaven's perspective; it is resistance to authority which brings into my soul a sense of condemnation. Evil includes fear which is both a cause and a result of being out of line in my relationship to God-ordained authority. Evil brings wrath and a perception of wrath which distorts our concept of God as well. Initially God may use that perception of wrath to move us toward a right relationship with Him and with authority, but He wants to grow us far past that stage to live life in co-perception with His Spirit.

So, what about good? This may be a much longer list but that is good itself. Too often we dwell on evil so much that we are left thinking that good is simply the absence of doing bad things. I know that is the assumption I was lead to feel many times in my life. But goodness is really only a reflection of the only One who is really good if we believe the words of Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. (Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19) We are creatures designed in the image of God so it only makes sense that good is to be like the original that we were modeled after.

Good is presenting our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is an act of worship. Good is being transformed by the renewing of our mind and proving the will of God – what is good, acceptable and perfect. It is thinking with sound judgment using the measure of faith given to us by God.

Good is learning to utilize the gifts we have received from God within the body of Christ to develop and help each other mature and bond with each other. It is doing this according to the grace we have been given, according to our proportion of faith. Good is selflessly loving without faking it, being devoted to one another in family-like love preferring others with honor. Good includes being fervent in spirit while serving our Lord, the head of our body.

Good is rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoting ourselves to prayer, contributing to the needs of other believers and practicing hospitality. Beyond that, it is blessing those who persecute us. It is rejoicing with those who rejoice as well as weeping with those who weep with the emphasis on with. Good is have a balanced mind with others in the body, having synchronization with them. Good causes us to not feel ashamed to associate with those others view as lowly.

Good will raise us above paying back evil to those who do evil to us. Good respects what is right in the sight of all men and strives as much as possible to live at peace with everyone. Good releases our rights for justice into God's hands when we are abused or hurt by others and instead, receiving the Spirit of Jesus so that we can treat our enemies with the revenge of kindness.

Good looks past the corruption of earthly authorities to see the bigger picture of where all authority originates. From that co-perspective it can give us rest with inner peace and without resistance in the face of unreasonable force and even abuse from authorities contaminated by evil. Good will allow us to become free of inner condemnation and fear. Good will lift our hearts above the fear that makes us think we are seeing wrath everywhere to instead, seeing God's passionate, relentless love for us behind the scenes. Only thus can we avoid being overcome by evil but will overcome evil with good.

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