Knowing God - Romans 12:19

(from pastor)

Dearly beloved,

avenge not yourselves.

Romans 12:19

The word "avenge" makes me think of violence and revenge. Fortunately, I'm not too prone to that.

What I am prone to -- maybe what we're all more prone to -- is a different kind of avenging -- justification. Have you ever felt like you needed to explain your actions ... to justify ... defend?

I had someone turn to me once and say, "Do you know why we justify ourselves so much?" "No." "Because we don't trust God's justification of us. He declares us just, whole, forgiven, clean, and worthy. But when we doubt our own worth -- i.e. when we doubt God's justifying love for us -- we must work hard to keep explaining, justifying, and defending ourselves."

Dearly beloved, don't justify yourself; trust God to justify you instead.

In Christ's Love

the caped avenger

(it sounds better than the caped justifer)

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There have been very few times when I was filled with the desire for revenge, but oh was the anger powerful!  I do get mad/angry and want to throw, hit, break.  The second part of the verse says, "Do not avenge, I will pay."  Now if we can get from our head to our heart the knowledge that God will carry out the payment.  


Pastor then turns to justification.  I feel as if I am constantly defending my actions.  Especially to folks who aren't Christians or have a religious belief (I can't stand that word religious, but I can't think of a better one).  And maybe we can't accept that God has made us just, whole, forgiven, clean, and worthy.  We are stubborn hard headed humans.  We do doubt ourselves. Constantly.  And ....  we shouldn't.  We need to learn to stand back and watch God take care of us.  (hey pot, it's kettle again. we keep meeting like this!)