This morning I received an email from a fellow PCA pastor. In it he wrote:
Never forget this verse: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom 12:21). We are here to overcome in His name. All of us. This biblical command is preceded by such a description of LOVE (12:9-20) that there can be no mistake what the author (and the Lord in him) meant by "doing good." So, if you would see evil, ANY evil, abated, thwarted, removed and replaced--then, do good in love. Goodness as depicted in the text. Because such goodness, compelled by the love of Christ within us, IS the language, the building blocks of the new creation. It is how the Spirit redeems this world through those He indwells. Goodness propelled by love is the power of the new creation, the risen Christ, at work TODAY. Through us--His "Body." So, brothers, if there is evil dogging YOUR life--do good. Kill it by ignoring it. Bore it to death. Get out of your office and into the community. And do good. Say it. Work it. Think it. Let your heart be filled with it. Goodness driven by love. If you would overcome evil. If there is evil in the home--get the family united in doing good. In the church--look for the closest obvious need to your physical church building and mobilize the people (or some of them) to doing good THERE in the name of Jesus.
May we be "overcomers" today!
Jonathan