How to overcome evil

Romans 12:14-21 NLT

Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. [15] Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! [17] Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. [18] Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. [19] Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD. [20] Instead, "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads." [21] Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

After the Manchester synagogue terrorist attack there was a

mosque set on fire in Peacehaven of all places!

That is exactly the opposite of what is espoused in the above passage.

Someone said "and eye for an eye makes the whole world blind!"

This passage in Romans is a reiteration of the values Jesus laid out in His Sermon on the Mount.

His response to evil was to overcome it with His Eternal Goodness. Even when He was falsely accused, physically abused and agonisingly crucified He was steadfast in His love.

Determinedly laying down His life once for all as a sin-offering.

It wasn't the nails that held Him on the Cross. He could have called ten thousand angels to rescue Him. It was redeeming loving kindness which was determined to overcome evil with good that kept Him there.

The sinless, spotless Lamb of God stayed on the Cross to overcome the seed of evil hiding in each one of us.

At last we can be free from seething revenge, knowing that the Lord will sort out each injustice in His perfect timing.

That doesn't mean we should let evil run riot and dispense with fair policing, or never go to war to defeat evil, but our lives in Christ are to reflect our conviction that the Judge of all will avenge rightly and fairly.

Psalm 96:13 NKJV

For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.

Even so come Lord Jesus!