| Romans 16:17-20 "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." Obedience is good, but it is different from following blindly. Paul said that we should be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. In other words, we should be obedient in what is good, but be resistant in what is evil. What is good mentioned in the Bible is not to build roads and bridges, but to do what God has asked us to do, which is from what God tells us through the Bible. Many people just follow their impulses. Actually they need basis for their impulses; otherwise the world will become chaotic if everyone just follows his impulse. If what is inside us is contradictory to the Biblical teaching, then it is the lust that we need to reject. We must go back to the Bible and use it as our guide for daily life. On the other hand, we should be resistant in what is evil. The so-called evil is the temptation and attack from the evil one. In the early churches, Peter and John were taken to the officials, who then threatened them not to preach in the name of the Nazarene Jesus. But Peter and John replied: "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!" In other words, they refused to listen to the world, but they listened to God. God has already given us the power to overcome the evil. But when we are under all kinds of threats, we would always be afraid to say no, nor follow the truth. We would always be trapped in the stage where we know but we can't do. But our Lord has already conquered all the enemies and fears. The Lord says that he is "the Lord that gives peace", and "the God who crushes Satan under our feet". Hallelujah! What a privilege we have to come to God and only trust in Him! Pray with Pastor Tong Liu 
Lord, we praise you, for you are not only the God that gives peace, but also the God that crushes Satan under our feet. May the Lord give us a brave heart so that we choose only to obey truth, and resist the evil and all temptations from the evil one, so as to just come back to you and follow your Words every day. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen! |
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