“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” -Romans 12:19 (ESV)
We are considering again the action of revenge or vengeance. Getting even. Paying someone back. Any of many codes of conduct held by many who believe that we are to watch out for ourselves. God promises in our verse that the job of getting even, paying back a nasty deed is His job. This promise answers one of the most powerful impulses behind anger — an impulse that is not entirely wrong. In many cases, real wrongs are done to us. Therefore, it is not entirely wrong to feel that justice should be done. What we need to avoid is to feel that we must make it happen and that we may feel bitter until we get that justice. “No justice, no peace,” is much more than a chant of the protesters’ march mantra. The grace of God’s judgment is our promise here in Romans 12. It’s a means of helping us overcome a deadly spirit of revenge and bitterness. This promise frees us from an unforgiving, bitter, vengeful spirit. It is the promise that God will settle our accounts. “I will repay, says the Lord.” We can back off and leave room for God to do His perfect work.
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