It is a principle of life that what goes around comes around, and the way in which we deal with others, we ourselves will be dealt with. And even though as Christians we should never repay in kind, when we are illtreated, yet for some reason, the very same measure we use in interacting with other folk is the same measure that comes back to our doorstep.
Many of us have made grave mistakes, and errors in judgment in times past, but if we have had Christ in or hearts, being formed within, there must be made manifest, a substantial difference in our characters and habits, with the passage of many years. In other words, walking with Jesus for ten, twenty, or thirty years ought to translate into literal benefits for the kingdom of God, as well as for society.
When God says “Ye are my witnesses”, He is saying to the world that the professed Christian should be an exemplification of the principles, statutes, and laws of the Bible. And therefore, the fundamentals such as truthfulness, paying our bills on time, not writing bounced checks, together with honesty and integrity in our interactions with our fellowmen, are to be part of our everyday experience.
Some of the problems, adverse circumstances and actions which we receive from others, are often a reflection of our own dealing with others, and the root cause can often be traced back to the man in the mirror. Love begets love, friendliness produces friendliness, gossip breeds more gossip, and if we are quick to forgive and forget, others will be quick to forgive and forget, wrongs we have done.
If we have continuous problems collecting money we have worked hard for, it may be that we have a problem with paying our own bills promptly, for if we delay with others, others will delay with us. If we defraud others, we will be defrauded too, and if we are in the habit of not answering our cellphones when people call, we will find it difficult to get folks on the line when we need them most.
Again, if we forgive not men their trespasses, when we stand in need of forgiveness, we will discover it to be a rare commodity. Liars are met with lying lips and honesty is recompensed with honesty. Truthful words and actions tend to reproduce the same kind, and those who may cheat on their spouses will be cheated on themselves. If we gossip about others, the same thing will take place behind our backs. The Bible is pregnant with such teaching. Let’s read:
Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete it shall be measured to you again.
Proverbs 11:24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
If we sow corn, we will reap corn; but it is true in some cases, that we may not have done anything to trigger adverse reactions from others, against our own persons, but as a general rule of thumb, the same measure with which we deal with others is the same measure with which we will be dealt. It is not that God sets these actions and reactions in motion, it’s just the working out of the natural, and spiritual laws in the temporal realm. This fact of life is revealed in the scriptures, with the intent that we would reason soberly from cause to effect, and then make straight paths for our feet.
After David sinned by taking Bathsheba and slaying her husband, some other person would also take his wife, and family members dear to him would die as a direct result of his actions. But for David to believe that he would enjoy the pleasures of sin without the consequential reactions was a delusion.
In the old testament, laws were given to govern the human relationships, and the interactions between friends, neighbors, and families. And because God is just, as well as merciful, a tit for tat system was put in place so that those who were wronged could find redress in the judicial system. Thus, many examples were given so that the administration of justice will not be left to chance. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 19:19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
21 But life shall go for life.
Exodus 21:24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
This brings us to the core of our study, for we must assess the Christian’s response to these teachings. In His sermon on the mount Jesus sought to teach the people about the spiritual nature of the Royal law, instead of focusing on the letter, for if we were to adopt the letter as it is written there would be a tendency to crave justice rather than craving mercy.
Therefore, it was necessary for Christ to show forth the far-reaching claims of God’s law of love, and to expound on those Royal principles given to govern the conduct of all who should desire the character, and The Person of Christ. In harmony with His amplified expositions, Jesus sought to show us the Royal way of interacting with others, in order that we may live in harmony with the principles of love, God’s own ideal as it were, which governs all the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds.
Thus, very often we will find these words being repeated: “But I say unto you”, denoting the sharp contrast between the Royal way of doing things, as opposed to what the strict letter of the law would require. Several examples of these contrasts are therefore given, that we may see the big difference between what is strictly just, and what is merciful and Christ-like.
We must remember that God delights in mercy, and as such, He prefers that we do the same. Many folks seem to be obsessed with justice, as is evidenced by the multitude of shows featuring judgment, such as Judge Judy, Judge Alex, Judge Mathis, divorce court, You be the Judge, etc. But God desires instead, that we be obsessed with mercy.
And while it is true that God is also just, He desires that we as Christians deal in the currency of heaven, by preferring mercy over justice. It is important to note in the following passages, that Christ is not doing away with what was written by them of old time, He is just highlighting the royal way of doing things.
Thus, as Christians, we’ll discover that there are two ways to live, and to interact with our friends, family and neighbors, either by adopting that which may be strictly just, or by subscribing to that which is godly and merciful. The choice is ours. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Some theologians have erroneously concluded that Christ was here setting aside the laws of sowing and reaping, or what we refer to as tit for tat laws, given to the Hebrews anciently. However, nothing can be further from the truth, for what Christ did was to show the far-reaching claims of the law, and to establish the much more preferable royal law of love. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Thus, the principle of repaying evil with good, which Christ is asking us to adopt is not fair, or even just, but it is merciful, it being a reflection of who God really is. If someone was to steal another person’s wallet with $1000.00, the just thing for the offender to do is to restore at least $1000.00. Human nature will crave restitution, while a godly character will be craving the redemption of the offender.
But for the innocent to forgive the debt is merciful, not just. Thus, even though the law of justice is still in place, Christ bids us choose the merciful, Royal route just as He so often does with us. This goes contrary to our fallen human nature, but it can be adopted and practiced through Christ. Let’s read:
Romans 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink.
1st Corinthians 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong?
Christians should not deal retributively in the same currency as they are dealt, when wrongs are done, or committed against their persons. The buck has to stop with the Christian, or else the cycle of evil will continue. But we will often find that to accomplish this, we must go against our own natural grain, for it is not natural, nor easy for us to render good for evil.
Therefore, whenever mercy is to be preferred over justice, we will soon discover that we must pray like never before, so that the sincere spirit of Christ may pervade, and guide our thoughts and actions, or else, we will find ourselves acting the right part, but boiling with rage, enmity, and animosity on the inside.
One of the questions that will certainly arise in this presentation is the administration of justice as it may pertain to the Christian. Do we void justice for mercy’s sake, and are we never to seek recompense for injustices against our persons? We are not to be merciful to the point of stupidity, because kindness is not foolishness, and there is a limit even to God’s forbearance.
The thief on the cross was fully forgiven by Christ, and when Jesus returns the second time, he will be saved in God’s kingdom. However, because fellow citizens, friends, and neighbors had suffered on account of his robberies, he also had to suffer for his crimes, because God’s mercy does not make Him naïve to justice.
In fact, one of the byproducts of walking with Christ is the development of a keen sense of justice. But as a general rule of thumb, we are to defer to God to handle such matters as injustices against ourselves, in His own time and way. And if we truly have a deep relationship with Christ, we will think as He does, by not being obsessed with retribution, but rather being obsessed with redemption. Let’s read:
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
1st Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
In closing, it’s important for us to remember that we can choose strict justice, or we may choose the Royal route, but one thing is certain, however we treat others, it will return as the ocean tide to the shores of our own souls. Therefore, we close with a quote from the pen of inspiration, which should be remembered, and practiced by all. Let’s read:
[Test vol. 5] Love not only bears with others’ faults, but cheerfully submits to whatever suffering or inconvenience such forbearance makes necessary. This love “never faileth.” It can never lose its value; it is the attribute of heaven. As a precious treasure it will be carried by its possessor through the portals of the city of God.
God bless!