The Sin of Striking Back

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When someone hurts you, the natural, carnal reaction is to strike back. No one needs to teach us this; we learn it from Adam. And even though we are in the new Adam, with this new way of being human being renewed in us, we still have regular provocations to the old Adam.

As we come to worship God, He cares whether we are coming in this frame of mind or not. There are times when we must fight, must contend for the faith, and must defend ourselves. All this can be found in Scripture, and in multiple places.

But also found in Scripture is the admonition to guard our hearts. We do not want to be like the disciples who, concerned for their own dignity disguised as concern for the dignity of Jesus, wanted to call down fire from heaven because of the slight that had been given to Christ. Jesus chided them—saying that they did not know what spirit they were of. They were in the right, but they were not right. This is because there is always a deeper right than being right.

This is why Jesus teaches us that when we are hurt, our first reaction should be to bless. Love your enemies, we are taught. Bless those who persecute you. Bless those who have reviled you. How is this to be harmonized with the requirement to pray as the psalmist does, sometimes with fierce imprecations? It does harmonize, but only if we give ourselves (fiercely) to the entirety of Scripture, and to the entirety of Scripture in our worship service. We must internalize the Word of God—that is one of the reasons why we are here.

If you sing imprecatory psalms at those who took your parking place, you are either a fool or diabolical. If you “agree to disagree” with Jezebel, Nero, or the devil, then you are trying to adulterate the Word of God.

And if you are hurt by a brother, this is the place and the time to ask God to bless that brother according to His Word.

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