{"id":935,"date":"2019-09-15T14:35:37","date_gmt":"2019-09-15T13:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/?page_id=935"},"modified":"2019-09-15T14:35:37","modified_gmt":"2019-09-15T13:35:37","slug":"how-to-handle-those-who-have-wronged-you","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/?page_id=935","title":{"rendered":"How to handle those who have wronged you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sunday\nMorning Service Sermon 5 May: \u201cHow to handle those who have wronged you\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone wrongs or mistreats you or says things\nthat will end up hurting you, how do you respond? Being mistreated happens in\nlife amidst this fallen world that we live in. It can occur within the church, within\nour marriage, within our family or anywhere where we have relationships with\nothers. So what we need to ask is this, are we responding rightly when we are\nwronged by another by the things they say or the things they do?  How are believers supposed to respond when\nsomeone has wronged us? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I once\nread that the best argument for Christianity is Christians. But the strongest\nargument against Christianity is also Christians. We\nare the billboard God wants to use to tell the world about Him. What story are\nwe telling? I want to encourage you to examine yourselves in light of Jesus\u2019\nteaching and to think of at least one sustainable step of obedience God wants\nyou to take. Ask God to help you develop the habits as he uses his word to\nreshape you into the image of Jesus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\ngives strong words to the believer concerning our response to those who are against\nus or have wronged us either in what they have said or what they have done. Turn\nback to Luke 6:27-36. Now, we learn from 17th<\/sup> verse of\nthis chapter that Jesus at this moment is speaking to a large gathering of\npeople, some true disciples, some not and likely some moving toward genuine\nfaith. To put this into context, the Jews of Jesus\u2019 day had a direction to\nwhich most of their hatred was going. It went towards the Romans. They didn\u2019t\nlike being occupied and they didn\u2019t like the Roman presence. They didn\u2019t like\nit for lots of reasons. They oppressed God\u2019s people. They didn\u2019t like how the\nRomans had taken away their self-rule. They had appointed Herodian rulers and\nplaced them around Israel to rule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\nread in the parallel passage in Matthew 5:43 that the system of Jewish law\nconsidered it a sin to love your enemy. But here, Jesus steps into this\nenvironment and says: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I\ntell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless\nthose who curse you, pray for those who ill-treat you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nthrust of the passage is, because Jesus loves those who are against him, we\nshould act in the best interests of those who are against us as this is a\ndistinguishing characteristic of a true<\/em>\nbeliever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\nfunction being to reassert the truth and lead people to repentance so that true\ninstruction is restored and ultimately God is honoured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, isn\u2019t\nthat the opposite of what human nature tells us to do? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three typical responses which are influenced by our human\nnature to being wronged or mistreated 1) to defensively confront back 2) to\nyield 3) to withdraw or flee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the three normal human instinctive responses has the potential\nto bring discord into our relationships because the one wronged is often left\nwith ill feeling towards the one who has wronged them which can be lasting. Although\nthe expression of submission can be an effective Christian witness in some\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s\nimportant to note here that built\ninto us there are self-defence mechanisms that God has given us for the sake of\nself-protection from harm or death. If someone intends to physically harm or\nmistreat me I\u2019m going to defend myself or run away. This is good. It\u2019s not\nabout that.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is\nthe passage saying? To obtain a deeper understanding of the passage we need to\nhear first, what Jesus is saying to those who were listening and, second, what\nhe wants to say to us today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly,\nbeginning in verse 27 \u201cBut I tell you who hear me: love your enemies.\u201d  It\u2019s clear who Jesus is instructing because\nverse 27 begins with \u201cBut I tell you who\nhear me<\/em>.\u201d He is referring to people whose ears\nhave been opened by the transforming power of God. Those who are\nwilling to listen and have the ability to hear the voice of God and respond vs.\npeople who don\u2019t. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 Paul says: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe man without the Spirit does not\naccept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolish to him\nand he cannot understand them.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So\nJesus narrows his audience here and says I am talking to you<\/em> who have spiritual understanding, the true believer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now\nwe\u2019re not simply talking about loving someone who doesn\u2019t think you\u2019re the\ngreatest person in the world or when someone just doesn\u2019t seem to like you.\nJesus says love your enemies, in other words, they are positioning themselves\nby attitude to be against you. Your enemies are the ones who hate you, express\ncontempt toward or about you, and mistreat you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nresponse does this passage call for? It\u2019s important to note that the words\nJesus commands describe a call to act or behave; \u201clove\u201d, \u201cdo good\u201d, \u201cbless\u201d,\n\u201cpray for\u201d – why? Because it\u2019s not normal. This will be a demonstration that\nyou\u2019re not normal because others don\u2019t do that. Unbelievers don\u2019t love their\nenemies. They hate them. Unbelievers, verse 32, \u2018love those who love them\u2019. \nUnbelievers, verse 33, \u2018do good to those who do good to them\u2019.  Loving our\nenemies is how we display transformation, regeneration, salvation; by an\nunnatural, supernatural love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus\nis not talking about having affection for our enemies. When he says the word\n\u201clove\u201d he means the Greek word agape and so he is talking about a deeper level\nof love. He teaches us to respond to them in a manner that is for their benefit\nand not for ours. We\u2019re going to respond in love because if we respond in anger\nand bitterness and resentment we do not become a part of the redemptive work of\nGod in the life of that person and we become engaged in a process of becoming their<\/em> enemy.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\ncan\u2019t love our enemies like we love our spouse, family or friends. When Jesus\nsays I am to love my enemies we are going to have to make a choice by an act of\nour will to love them. If I can lovingly help the other person in how I respond\nin such a manner that builds them up, and in doing so God may somehow change\ntheir attitude, then we are freed from the animosity and bitterness which comes\nfrom being wronged. Anytime we respond with defensiveness, animosity\nand bitterness we <\/em>are the ones who\nwill suffer, we become unhappy, regardless of how our enemies may suffer, we\ntake on the unnecessary suffering when we follow the same attitudes that they\nhave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is\na price to be paid to love those who have wronged us. We give up something of\nourselves for the greater good. It is a willingness to turn away from our own\nprerogatives in order that we might focus on others. This is the kind of\nhumility and servant hood necessary to preserve love in relationships. The\nChristian is the person who reasons that it is better to suffer wrong than to\ninflict wrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Jesus had a greater capacity to love his\nenemies than we do, he did give us the responsibility to do so. Genuine agape\nlove is a strong kind of love. Even though Jesus loved everybody, including his\nenemies, sometimes he confronted them in love, such as towards the Pharisees.\nLove isn\u2019t weak. It is a quality of love that because it is redemptive by\nnature, it\u2019s ready, able and bold enough to lovingly confront the other person\nwhen confrontation with them is for their best benefit. So we\u2019re not talking\nabout being passive and always backing up. God loves you and me and he\nconfronts us. In our love for even our enemies we may need to confront them,\nnot in an aggressive attack, but to ask the question for example \u201cwhy do you\nfeel this away about me, what have I done to you?\u201d This is not defending ourselves;\nit is simply asking the question to seek understanding that you may be able to\nredeem the whole situation. For example, in John 18:22-23 we read of Jesus\u2019\nresponse when he was accused of answering inappropriately the high priest\u2019s\nquestion about his teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen one\nof the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. \u201cIs that\nthe way to answer the high priest?\u201d he demanded. Jesus replied, if I said\nanything wrong, you must prove it. But if I\u2019m speaking the truth, why are you\nbeating me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So firstly, he says we are to \u201clove our enemies\u201d. Secondly,\nhe says \u201cdo good to those who hate you\u201d. Hatred is an extreme, overwhelming\nsense of dislike for another person. Jews had developed a hatred of people who\nviolated their law and traditions and they thought that this was a righteous\nthing to do.  Jesus says the proper response is that we do good to those\nwho hate us which means that I take the initiative to find every means possible\nto do good, to show that I can overcome their evil with good.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says I am to love them, I am to do good to them\nand the third thing he says is to \u201cbless those who curse you.\u201d Blessing here\nmeans that I am to say something good to those who have said something wrong\nabout me. What is that?  That\u2019s the gospel.  You speak that which\nbrings about their ultimate good. Speaking goodness into their life may\ninvolve helping them understand their sin and the consequences as the Holy\nSpirit convicts that way.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So not only are we to love our enemies, not only\nare we to do good to them, we are to bless them and then he says we are to\n\u201cpray for those who ill-treat you.\u201d How do we pray for our enemies? The most\npowerful weapon you have as a believer is prayer but we won\u2019t pray for them\nlong if our attitude doesn\u2019t go from anger to love. We must put away our\ncritical attitude when we come to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is not going to answer our prayers if they would\nviolate his own nature or will. Instead of begging the Father to defeat our\nenemy we can ask him for the strength to express genuine Christ-like love in\nthe face of opposition or pray \u201cLord can you provide me with an opportunity to\nprovide them with love in accordance with their needs.\u201d When you start\ninterceding in the life of those who have wronged you through Godly prayer and\nyour motivation is to see redemptive work occur in their heart, God will get to\nwork in the life of that person because we are consistent with the teaching of\nhis will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In loving our enemies, Jesus is not saying we\nshould never be discerning. He is not saying that you and I must never make a\njudgement about someone. Luke 6:37 \u201cDo\nnot judge, and you will not be judged\u201d<\/em> is often misunderstood. You and I\nmay come into contact with somebody and we may make a judgement that there is\nsomething wrong in their behaviour, attitude or speech. The question is what\nmotivates our opinion and secondly even if my opinion about this person is not\ngood, I\u2019m to \u201cBe merciful, just as your\nFather is merciful\u201d<\/em> as Jesus says in Luke 6:36, and not to be judgemental<\/em> in a condemning manner. That\nis, in loving our enemies we are to be compassionate and sympathetic just as\nyour Father is. And what does the Bible say, \u201cGod blesses those who are\nmerciful, for they will be shown mercy.\u201d God will respond to us in the same\nway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are\nwe going to be able to do this? There isn\u2019t anyone alive who can love their\nenemies as Jesus teaches in their own strength and in their own human nature\nbecause following the fall thousands of years ago you and I are simply not\nable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My resource to love those who have wronged me,\ndoing good to them, blessing them, being merciful to them and forgiving them is\nChrist. Nothing comes our way without his knowledge. Colossians 3:4 says that\nChrist is my life. So how can I respond in the way Jesus wants me to respond\nwhen my old sinful human nature still abides in me? Only because Christ is my\nlife. And what does Paul say in Galatians 5:22-23?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut the\nHoly Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace,\npatience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says this is the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>, not of you, not of me. We know\nJesus\u2019 teaching on the vine and the branches. Fruit is what a branch supports\nor bears, not produces \u2013 Jesus said \u201cNo branch can bear fruit by itself; it\nmust remain in the vine.\u201d The sap that runs in the vine runs in the branch and\nso the fruit is produced. You and I can\u2019t do all the things Jesus has just\nrequired of us. That\u2019s why the Holy Spirit (the sap) came at Pentecost and\nthereafter indwells every single believer. As we allow Him to live His life in\nand through us Christ becomes our resource. The Holy Spirit is our guardian,\nGod\u2019s divine energy and authority released in your life for the purpose of\nGodly living and fruitful service. Whatever you face, you never face it alone.\nWhatever the battle, you can\u2019t lose when you have the whole trinity working in\nyou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how am I able to think before I speak, listen\nmore and defend less, give more and receive less, compromise more and argue\nless? Jesus said in John 15:5<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201capart\nfrom me you can do nothing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James 1:5 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you\nneed wisdom ask our generous God and he will give it to you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christ is my life! He is our resource.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, how do I respond even though I know that\nChrist is my life and I\u2019m under pressure from someone who has wronged me and\nI\u2019m struggling to obey God, what then? You respond by faith. Paul says in\nGalatians 2:20<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have\nbeen crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The\nlife I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and\ngave himself for me.\u201d    <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

God has not left us alone in our struggles to do\nhis will. He wants to come alongside us and be within us to help. God gives us\nthe desire and the power to do what pleases him. Submit to his control and let\nhim work. Pray, \u201cFather, it\u2019s not in me. I submit myself to you. I\u2019m trusting\nyou to respond through me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, why does God allow me to be criticised, put\ndown or wronged in some way – what\u2019s he doing that for? He\u2019s using this as a\ntool to work out something good in my life \u2013 to sand and to sift and to mould my\ncharacter. God wants to make me mature and complete not keep me from all pain. James\n1:2-3 says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cwhen\ntroubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know\nthat when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, Christian love\nsays, \u201cYou may be harming me, but I\u2019m not<\/em>\ngoing to give you back what you\u2019re giving me.  I\u2019m going to love<\/em> you in the way that I would like\nyou to love me.\u201d Overwhelm that wrong with responding\ngoodness.  This isn\u2019t normal.  And isn\u2019t that the point? The\npoint being, they will recognise that this is not human, and it will become\nclear that this identifies you as having a supernatural love which reveals\nChrist who is working in you and through you which brings much praise and glory\nto God. We become witnesses of the risen Christ. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you rely on Christ responding through you out of\nHis love you\u2019ll not grow bitter, you\u2019ll not get resentful. As God grows\ncharacter in your life it is a believer\u2019s opportunity to grow up and become\nlike God and to receive God\u2019s promise of a Heavenly reward which \u201cwill be\ngreat\u201d (Luke 6:35). A reward greater than anything you will lose on earth by\nloving your enemies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Paul says in Ephesians 5:1<\/a>, we are to be imitators of God walking\nin love as Christ loved and gave himself up for us.  While we were enemies,\n(when we positioned ourselves against him), he loved us.  While we were\nenemies, (when we mistreated him), Christ gave His life for us.  Jesus has\nset the example for his followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Father, how grateful we are that you didn\u2019t leave\nus on our own to handle those who have wronged us leaving us to respond in our\nown way. We thank you that you have given us the Holy Spirit with your Word and\ninstruction and the opportunity to apply it. I pray that we will keep growing\nin knowledge and understanding so that we may live pure and blameless lives\nwhich will bring glory and praise to you. Help us to meditate upon what you\nhave taught us on loving our enemies. In Jesus name, Amen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sunday Morning Service Sermon 5 May: \u201cHow to handle those who have wronged you\u201d When someone wrongs or mistreats you or says things that will end up hurting you, how do you respond? Being mistreated happens in life amidst this fallen world that we live in. It can occur within the church, within our marriage, … Continue reading How to handle those who have wronged you<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-935","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":936,"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/935\/revisions\/936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/broughtybaptist.org\/wpsite\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}