How To Deal With Bad People Rom 12:17-21

Introduction Have you ever tried your best to get along with someone but they seem to not cooperate No matter what you do it seems like the other person is intent on being difficult Have you ever been in a situation where you were doing your best to be a Christian and the other person mistreated you What should you do when people treat you bad? In these next few verses Paul gives us instructions on what to do or how to deal with bad people You feel like no matter how nice you are people stab you in the back No matter how much you try to get along, people do you wrong Mistreat you, abuse you, and use you This is what God wants you to do

Reaction v17 Recompense means to give back. It means to give a reward. We should not treat people bad because they mistreat us. Read Lev 24:19-20 People were not rewarding others fairly Kill my child –and I wipe out your entire family. Jesus taught us how we should react when bad people mistreat us. Matt 5:39-44, 46 Providing things honest means to present things that are good To take though before hand (predetermine to good) All men excludes no one Doing things that are honorable and good is not limited to man’s standards II Cor 8:21

Reason v18 We must use judgment when dealing with people Everyone is different. Some people, no matter how hard you try you cannot get along with them and they can’t get along with anybody. If possible means that there is a possibility that it will not work As much in you means we must give our very best effort To live peacefully means getting along We should be peacemakers not problem makers Mat 5:9 The gospel will cause us not to live in peace with some people Matt 10:34-37 Family Friends Denominations, Muslims

Responsibility v19 Man Avenge means to retaliate We should not take things into our own hands (vigilante justice) God will work things out on his own time table Give place to wrath (it is o.k. to be angry) Anger can be therapeutic But we cannot let it fester Eph 4:26; Ps 7:11 God God will punish the wicked! God knows how to bring bad people down in way to cause them to know him We are not always a part of the process We should not think that God does not know about all of our problems I Pet 5:6-7

Responsibility v20 Man If we see someone in need we should help them! It does not matter whether they are a friend or an enemy Pro 3:27 Ex: The parable of the Good Samaritan When we do good to those who mistreat us it will effect their conscience We should not do good for this reason (to make them ashamed) We do good because God commands us to do so We do good because God expects us to treat people good Matt 7:12 Gal 6:10

Resistance v21 It is easy to let evil into our minds and into our lives Eph 4:26-27 There is evil all around us and the god of this world is constantly influencing people Mark 4:19 If we are not careful we will be suspicious of everybody because of few bad experiences When we commit evil acts toward others who have wronged us we have become overcome with evil! Paul tells us to overcome evil with GOOD This is how we overcome the evil system of this world---by doing good Doing good to those who have wronged us will not save souls but it will serve as a testimony to our belief in God Our example can cause people to become interested in trying to obtain the same peace that we have Matt 5:16

Conclusion Joseph Despised by his brothers because of his coat Sold into slavery Treated his brothers good when they needed help David and Saul Saul was king and became jealous of David Saul tried to kill David David did not retaliate----would not lay hands on God’s anointed Jesus Came unto his own and his own received him not During his ministry his life was threatened on several occasions Experienced suffering during trial and on the cross demonstrated the ultimate example for us

How To Deal With Bad People Rom 12:17-21