God Will Repay Those Who Hurt You
Friends, do not take revenge; instead, make place for God’s anger; as it is written, “It is mine to avenge; I will recompense,” declares the Lord (Romans 12:18-20). Expect God’s wrath, and give Him room to act. If you believe that God has things in His hands, there’s no reason to try to take matters into your own.
How Will God Repay Those Who Hurt You?
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Most Christians who have been injured in some manner have asked the question, “How will God recompense those who hurt me?”
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If terrible things have happened to you for no apparent reason, you may ask yourself the same thing.
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Unfortunately, many Christians wish to exact vengeance after they have been wronged, but this is not the reaction Jesus Christ wants from us, especially if we profess to be His disciples.
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Both the Old and New Testaments have much to say about how God punishes our enemies, and that’s what we’ll be talking about today.
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With that in mind, let’s try to answer our question of the day, “how God will reward those who injure you,” by referencing relevant passages from the Bible.
How God Repays Those Who Hurt Us?
I understand how difficult it may be to put your faith in God when others have wounded you. However, God is and will pay back those who wrong you in His own good time.
It is said in Romans 12:14 that we ought to bless those who persecute us rather than curse them. Because they need God’s mercy just as much as we are, we should pray for them and beg Him to bless them.
| By asking God for the strength to forgive those who have wronged you, you might dump a mound of coals of fire upon their heads (Proverbs 25:22). | |
| The implication is that if you help your adversaries and those who have wronged you, they would eventually feel guilty about their actions toward you and hence be unable to find inner peace. | |
| According to Romans 12:19, we are forbidden from taking vengeance on those who have wronged us because God will reward them in due time. | |
| Don’t grow bitter or seek revenge from those who have wronged or harmed you. Instead, beg God to shower His grace onto them. | |
| Try to emulate Jesus, who, instead of seeking retribution and destruction for His adversaries and persecutors, said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing” (Luke 23:24). | |
| God repays those who have wounded us in different ways, such as divine judgment, diseases, calamities, and much more, so they might get a taste of their own medicine. |
What if God is not dependent on us?
You could spend your whole life building a god to your liking—a god who loves what you love, says what you want to hear, and urges you to live as you are now living. But you are creating this deity.
The question is, what good is a deity that you created? If you create a deity, it will go the way you do for the same reason a deity created in my image will perish with me. Because your deity is dependent on you, they are powerless to assist you.
Our conceptions of God are called “idolatry” in the Bible. In ancient times, idols were often crafted from wood, stone, or metal. However, modern idols are more complex and nuanced. They are not physical but rather psychological. Introspectively, we shape our conceptions of God to reflect our ideals and values.
Many people dismiss Christianity as nothing more than a product of human imagination. And it is for this reason that they have turned their backs on Christianity. They would be justified in their scepticism if they discovered Christianity was nothing more than a church ploychurch’sintain its control.
God’s Existence
However, suppose God existed in the past before we did. So what if God exists apart from us? What if God exists regardless of whether we do or not? Maybe God doesn’t need us, but we need God. The world may rebel against God, but what if God is good to excess? Is it possible that God is love, and you are trying to avoid Him? What if He knows of some impending dom that you don’t, and He reaches out to protect you from it?
This is the message I have found in this book after devoting my life to its study, and it is the one I most want you to internalize. “I am that I am,” God declares. Not who you think I am. The whole point of Him communicating with us in this book is for you to ultimately discover Him, grow in your knowledge of Him, and spend eternity in joyful communion with Him.
If you have a Bible, turn to the book of 2 Thessalonians right now. As we saw last week, this letter was designed to encourage persecuted Christians (1:4). That which is persecuted is usually a dreadful thing. One set of people is singled out for abuse and harassment regularly.
People going through something like this naturally want to know, “Where is God in all this?” I mean, how are we expected to keep our feet beneath us? That’s the type of stuff that was going on at Thessalonica; thus, this letter was sent to offer advice.
Summary
Some verses in the Bible cause Christians to feel uneasy. Sometimes we read the Bible and question whether or not we have the ability to fulfil its mandates. Some Christians are inclined to give these passages interpretations that run counter to what they say so that they might avoid doing what they say. Nothing.
God’s Wrath
For it is stated, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” therefore beloved, never take revenge on your behalf but rather leave it to the wrath of God. If your opponent is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; in doing so, you will heap blazing coals on his head. Don’t let bad luck get the best of you; instead, use well to counter bad.
The word “wrath of God” appears in this context in verse 19. Never take revenge on someone else; rather, leave it up to God’s anger, as it is written: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay,” declares the Lord.
We concluded last time by discussing the psychological underpinnings of this passage and how they relieve us of the need to mete out our brand of justice. The word “for” in verse 19 was the centre of our attention as we considered its ramifications. Don’t take revenge on your enemies; instead, leave it up to God to deal out.
As the Bible says, “Vengeance is mine; I will recompense” (Lamentations 3:25). God will intervene and see that justice is served so that you can drop the case. You don’t need to hold on to hostility, wrath, and vengeance. You shouldn’t even try. Jesus said death is the eventual result of harbouring resentment toward others (Matthew 6:15; 18:35).
The Reality of God’s Wrath
Today, however, I want to draw attention not to the verse’s psychological implications but to the reality of God’s anger, which makes those implications possible. Leave it to the vengeance of God, Paul urges in verse 19. Once again, God’s anger is characterized as His vengeance: "I will get my revenge. Therefore, God’s wrath is linked to His justifiable retaliation.
Next, the words “I shall repay” appear. Therefore, God’s anger is viewed as compensation for humankind’s wrongdoing. Taking this text at its value, we might be able to define God’s wrath as follows: God’s relentless displeasure toward sin manifested in the meting out of due punishment to the guilty.
Characteristics of the Final Wrath of God
Because the Hebrew terms for anger (orge) and wrath (thumos) appear over a hundred times close to one another in the Bible, I use the word anger to identify a facet of God’s wrath. Some are so similar that telling them apart is next to impossible. Psalm 6:1 says as an illustration, “O Lord, chastise me not in your fury, nor discipline me in your wrath.”
According to Psalm 90:7, “we are brought to an end by your rage; by your wrath, we are appalled.” As it says in Hosea 13:11, “I gave you a king in my rage, and I snatched him away in my wrath.” Romans 2:8, “for those who are self-seeking and do not follow the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury [anger].”
When God’s last wrath is poured out, it will be escapable.
Since that is the case, you can find a way out. If you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Master and greatest treasure, you can avoid suffering God’s wrath for all eternity. What gives? How is it even possible? God brought his only Son into the world so that he would take on the whole weight of God’s wrath on behalf of those who put their faith in him.
Read Galatians 3:13 with awe and awestruck appreciation and faith: Christ became a curse in our place so that we may be free from the law’s condemnation; because it is stated, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.”
To those who trust in him and take refuge in his blood and righteousness, Christ took on himself the curse of God’s anger. Come. Come. He deserves immense respect and admiration.
God is the creator of that life; therefore, when you aid, people should realize that you’re really helping Christ and not that individual. Don’t waste your time trying to get even with people who have wronged you; instead, leave judgment to God and keep up your good deeds. Don’t let your hurt stop you from helping others and accomplishing God’s job.
Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ
Following are the most commonly asked questions about this topic:
1 - Will God punish those who have wronged you?
Friends, do not take revenge; instead, make place for God’s anger, as it is written, “It is mine to avenge; I will recompense,” declares the Lord (Romans 12:18-20). Expect God’s vengeance, and allow Him to act. If you believe that God has things in His hands, there’s no reason to try to take matters into your own.
2 - In God’s eyes, what should we do when we encounter individuals who damage us?
God commands His people to provide mercy to those who have wronged them. Kaci, age 11, says, "Jesus forgave all who mocked and injured him. Jesus on the cross was the only person who could have just been vindicated.
3 - What is the biblical passage about loving your enemies?
Those verses in Ephesians 4:31-32 (A lovely Bible passage on letting go of grudges and forgiving people) Cleanse your mind and heart of any resentment, hatred, anger, harsh words, slander, and every other kind of evil. Instead, let us show each other mercy and compassion, forgiving one another as God in Christ has forgiven us.
4 - Is God looking for vengeance against us?
It would help if you didn’t get back at someone by being bad yourself. Do not seek vengeance, but rather make place for God’s anger, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge; I will recompense,” the Lord declares. On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.”
5 - What does God do with our shattered lives?
God can turn something broken into something useful: a broken soul can generate a harvest, a broken cloud can provide rain, a broken grain can make bread, a broken loaf of bread may provide strength, and a broken person can do great things.
6 - Just how does God take someone out of your life?
There’s a straightforward initial explanation: to carry out his ordained will. God’s ultimate goal is for us to spend eternity in his heavenly kingdom with him. When we surrender to God, we allow him to shape our lives whichever way he sees fit. Therefore, God will take away anything or anybody that stands in the way of you accomplishing his plan for your life.
7 - When forgiving people who have wronged us, what does God say?
If we come clean and ask for forgiveness, God is loyal and to wash away our sins and make us righteous in his sight. Therefore, I will forget the iniquity of that generation, and their transgressions will be erased from my memory. “Love grows stronger when wrongs are forgiven, but holding grudges drives a wedge between people.”
8 - When a man wrongs a woman, what does the Bible say about it?
In the Bible, all violence is considered a transgression against God and humanity. Violence is often linked to evil and called “detestable to the Lord” in the Bible (Psalm 11, Proverbs 3 & 10). We strongly reject any form of violence, especially towards women.
9 - Should I Be kind to your enemies?
On the other hand, the Church has always had affection for them. Pray for those who persecute and unjustly accuse you; do nicely to those who hate you; and love your enemies."
10 - A human becoming an angel?
When you die, you won’t be transformed into an angel. God created two distinct kinds of beings, humans and angels. Comparing the idea that people transform into angels in the afterlife to the idea that dogs transform into horses is absurd. Since interspecies mating is impossible, this is not possible.
Conclusion
It’s easy to start reading what Jesus never said in the Bible because what he demanded of us is challenging. The instinct of a natural man is to resent those who seek to harm him and to curse his foes. When it comes to his enemies, he has no intention of making things better for them. He has no interest in praying for the people who are using and persecuting him out of spite. He has no interest in following Jesus’ instructions. Yet no amount of hostility or misinterpretation can alter the inerrancy of the Scriptures.
I understand how difficult it may be to put your faith in God when others have wounded you. However, God is just and will pay back those who wrong you in His own good time. It is said in Romans 12:14 that we ought to bless those who persecute us rather than curse them. Because they need God’s mercy just as much as we are, we should pray for them and beg Him to bless them.
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