They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done.
Summary: God’s nature is such that He is not capable of desiring revenge. Instead, we condemn ourselves if we reject His Son and His Word.
In “Star Trek II, The Wrath of Kahn,” (1982 – I can’t believe it has been that long! — je) Kahn says, “Kirk, old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb, ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’?” The origins of the saying about revenge are shrouded in the mists of history, but we can be certain of one thing: It’s not Klingon. Instead, it comes from the depths of the human desire to see justice. Another thing we can be certain of is that God has no need for revenge.
How do we know?
Think about who God is for a minute. If you wanted to hurt God, how would you do it? Everything that exists belongs to Him. Nothing exists without Him. God sustains us in existence from moment to moment. Without Him, there is nothing.
Now, think about how God interacts with His creation.
In one sense, God is above His creation. “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) The Creation is a subset of God’s spiritual realm, not the other way around. In this sense, God is out of our reach. He is unassailable. We cannot grasp Him in any way that would give us control over Him.
In another sense, God is part of His creation. This is the mind-bending message of the Gospel! God becomes a man in the form of Jesus Christ. He is born a baby, grows to become a child, develops into a man, is revealed to be the Messiah. When His message of salvation threatens to undermine the power and position of the religious leaders, they put an end to God by hanging him on a cross. In short, they hurt God. This could not have happened if God had not allowed it.
Does God need revenge? Does he need to hurt people back to “get even” for what they did to Him when He walked among us?
No.
He doesn’t.
Nothing happened to Jesus that God the Father did not allow to happen. There is no reason for “revenge” if God was in control the entire time. God knew what was going to happen. He foretold it would happen. He arranged the stars in the sky to mark the time it would happen.
There is another reason God does not need to get revenge; it is against His nature. He wants everyone to be saved (Joel 2:32, Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13). This reason, strangely enough, is tied to one more aspect of God that helps us understand why He would never need or want to take revenge.
From a human standpoint, revenge is about making sure that someone suffers for what they have done while they are still living. We want to see that justice is done. People who engage in revenge do not trust God to take care of ensuring justice. Instead, they take “justice” into their own hands.
Of course, human justice is flawed. There are things we cannot know. Humans make mistakes. It is impossible for a human being to be totally objective or fair. When a human is personally involved, when they have been hurt or suffered loss, they become emotionally vested. Emotions cloud our thinking even more.
God is not human. He is not limited by human constraints. God knows everything.
One of the things God knows is what happens to people who reject Him and reject his Son. He knows that the death of the body is not the end. He sees us when we are in the flesh and when we are without the flesh. God’s view of us is eternal.
As discussed in our meditation titled, “Judgment,” the end game for those who reject God’s offer of salvation is not pleasant. Is this God’s revenge? No, it is not. It is simply the consequence of rejecting God. When Peter says that false teachers will be “paid back with harm for the harm they have done,” he is speaking to us in human terms. He is warning us to avoid being a false teacher.
There will be payback. To quote another old saying, “Payback is hell.” Literally. But in the final analysis, this payback is self-inflicted.
Application: Leave judgment in God’s hands. Trust Him.
Food for Thought: What is the danger of becoming emotionally vested in wanting revenge?
You don’t think clearly, you become quick to react, fall into sin, hatred, evil thoughts, you let it take captive of your mind. You begin to fall away from love. You start to hate someone made in the image of God.
Well said, Mr. T!
What you are describing is a barrier between us and God. We don’t want that!
To utilize a previous blog day, I would say the danger is becoming unreasoning. No logic, no mercy, no trust. Just revenge. Someone seeking revenge is usually tunnel visioned and refuses to see anything beyond that.
Thank you A.
Like Mr. T mentioned, it takes us captive.
Hebrews 12: 14 – 15. The root of bitterness is a killer.
Rich,
I agree. Sugar is better. 🙂
What is the danger of becoming emotionally vested in wanting revenge? There is justice and then there is revenge. Courts try and “make us whole” but as we know, human justice is flawed. People’s perception of what is just differs, and society’s perception of what is just changes. God’s justice is just and everlasting. Revenge is a fire that no amount of justice can put out. Your emotions will keep feeding it. If you are seeking revenge, there is never enough.
Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
I do want to point out the difference between “vengeance” and “revenge.” Vengeance is done in justice and follows the spirit of “an eye for an eye.” Revenge is personal, and there is no guiding principles.
Chris,
You make a very interesting point in the difference between revenge and vengeance. Thank you!
I also appreciate the comment, “Revenge is a fire that no amount of justice can put out.” Well said!
I think of that passage often, I just forget where it is. Thank you!
11-10-2021, 2 Peter 2:12b, What is the danger of becoming emotionally vested in wanting revenge?
WE EXCHANGE SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY FOR PHYSICAL POVERTY.
All who seek revenge, reject God as their perfect judge, reject Christ’s command to be humble and meek, and make themselves the judge as they become the source of revenge to the degree they feel satisfied.
The Bible tells us, beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.
Do not say, I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.
It is His to avenge; He will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near.
Romans 12:19, Proverbs 24:29, Deuteronomy 32:35
Jesus teaches, Those who serve Him, must follow Him. He will always be with us and we will be honored by the Father as we worship the Lord our God and serve Him only.
John 12:26, Luke 4:8
We are to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Put away all anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:2, 3:8, Philippians 4:6-7
Thank you, Ron!
Great reference verses!! Excellent point, too, about “spiritual prosperity.” I hadn’t thought about spiritual matters like that before. The riches God shares with us are good to meditate on. (Ephesians 3: 16-17)
Well,..it’s been said before,..gentlemen take it to the ring,..
Not sure if that fits here but the way I see it,..revenge is taking it out on someone in the form of pain and suffering,..and that’s what I understand the ring to mean,..I am emotionally disturbed by the behavior of another so that it makes me want to punch them in the face,..but there again that gets me nowhere,..WWE uses it as a platform for entertainment and it works for the most part because the moves really do work,..
One day while out at the coast on a work project at the other fence company I used to work for,..one other guy and myself were sharing a room together,..he got up in my face and just started slap boxing me for no reason and kept saying come on John show me what you know,..I got so emotionally disturbed that I took revenge by giving him a hip toss, he landed on the floor up against next to the other bed in the room,..he looked up at me and said,..that’s enough,..you don’t need to show me anything anymore,..here again it may not fit but revenge causes the testosterone to kick in and that’s a natural steroid and we can do things we never thought we could do when that kicks in,..so maybe there is a reason not to take revenge out on someone ever,..God only knows what we are capable of,..keep smiling,..
John,
Thank you!
I have a question about your story: Were you getting revenge, or were you defending yourself? It sounds like a weird situation that you handled the best way you could.
Now if you had done something to “get” the guy the next day, that might be what I would consider revenge.
I get what you mean though. Sometimes our response to a situation can surprise us.
Again, thank you! You have given me something to think about!
Not sure if it was revenge or self defense,..but it sure made me do something that I wasn’t expecting to do,..it was a weird situation,..