100:00:00,360 –> 00:00:03,360Christian odds?200:00:03,560 –> 00:00:08,600Christians loving each other would not have been at the top of my list,300:00:08,800 –> 00:00:12,280not at the top of my list of strategies for overcoming evil.400:00:12,480 –> 00:00:14,360So it is very, very striking to me that500:00:14,560 –> 00:00:18,160when God speaks about those things that lead to overcoming evil600:00:18,360 –> 00:00:22,000with good, the very first thing that God says,700:00:22,200 –> 00:00:24,000that love be genuine.800:00:24,200 –> 00:00:26,879Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith900:00:27,620 –> 00:00:29,240I’m glad you could be with us today.1000:00:29,440 –> 00:00:32,040And Colin, if love wouldn’t have been at the top1100:00:32,240 –> 00:00:34,799of your list, what would have been at the top?1200:00:35,000 –> 00:00:36,320Oh, I think probably prayer.1300:00:36,320 –> 00:00:38,080I think a lot of Christians would say,1400:00:38,279 –> 00:00:42,119if asked the question what do we have to do in seeking to overcome1500:00:42,320 –> 00:00:45,840evil in this very, very divided time in which we find ourselves living,1600:00:46,040 –> 00:00:47,439a lot of people would say prayer.1700:00:47,639 –> 00:00:51,680I would say prayer and prayer is in the list in Romans and Chapter 12.1800:00:51,759 –> 00:00:53,119Let’s be very clear about that.1900:00:53,360 –> 00:00:57,279What was striking to me was that the first thing is love.2000:00:57,480 –> 00:01:00,000That it begins with Christians who love2100:01:00,200 –> 00:01:03,080one another and learn to reach out to others in love.2200:01:03,259 –> 00:01:05,199And prayer comes out of that love.2300:01:05,320 –> 00:01:06,599I mean, it’s not an artificial thing.2400:01:06,680 –> 00:01:08,720How can you pray for those that you don’t love?2500:01:08,760 –> 00:01:12,440So if we are wanting to make a difference in this world in which we live,2600:01:12,639 –> 00:01:16,199the first thing we’re called to is let love be genuine.2700:01:16,400 –> 00:01:18,199And indeed, we’re looking at that today2800:01:18,199 –> 00:01:23,599in Romans chapter 12 as we begin the message, overcoming evil with love.2900:01:23,800 –> 00:01:24,639Here is Colin.3000:01:24,839 –> 00:01:29,959The Apostle Paul says, in Romans 12 verse 21 that we looked at last week,3100:01:30,160 –> 00:01:33,919do not be overcome by evil.3200:01:34,120 –> 00:01:37,160But overcome evil3300:01:37,360 –> 00:01:39,320with good.3400:01:39,519 –> 00:01:43,239And we saw what good news this is that God is saying to us,3500:01:43,440 –> 00:01:48,639you do not need to be overcome by the evil that is around you3600:01:48,839 –> 00:01:53,239or indeed the evil that may have happened to you.3700:01:53,440 –> 00:01:58,320Anyone who has suffered a great evil in life knows how easy it is for that evil3800:01:58,519 –> 00:02:01,639to overcome you, to dominate you, to become the biggest thing in your life.3900:02:01,839 –> 00:02:06,599To be like a cloud that casts a shadow over everything else in subsequent years4000:02:06,800 –> 00:02:11,320and therefore becomes determining of the way that your life is.4100:02:11,559 –> 00:02:14,119And God says to those who are in Jesus Christ,4200:02:14,320 –> 00:02:16,440now don’t let that happen to you.4300:02:16,639 –> 00:02:19,559No, don’t be overcome by evil4400:02:19,759 –> 00:02:21,880you are in Jesus Christ.4500:02:22,080 –> 00:02:25,360Something better is possible for you.4600:02:25,559 –> 00:02:27,960Don’t be overcome by evil.4700:02:28,160 –> 00:02:33,000You be the one who overcomes evil with good.4800:02:33,199 –> 00:02:35,119Now, that’s where we began our series4900:02:35,320 –> 00:02:38,479with the very last verse of Romans and chapter twelve.5000:02:38,479 –> 00:02:39,639And we’re going to be focusing5100:02:39,679 –> 00:02:41,600in these weeks on everything that leads5200:02:41,800 –> 00:02:46,279up to Romans, chapter twelve and verse 21.5300:02:46,479 –> 00:02:49,199And we will be picking up at various points in the series,5400:02:49,399 –> 00:02:52,000including today, the story of the church,5500:02:52,199 –> 00:02:54,720which gives remarkable testimony5600:02:54,919 –> 00:02:57,279to how what God said to His people5700:02:57,479 –> 00:02:59,800in Rome in the first century really5800:03:00,000 –> 00:03:01,759worked out in practice.5900:03:01,960 –> 00:03:04,320It is simply a matter of history and6000:03:04,520 –> 00:03:07,360we must recall this for our encouragement.6100:03:07,600 –> 00:03:10,479It is a matter of history that in the years6200:03:10,679 –> 00:03:13,000following the writing of Romans around6300:03:13,199 –> 00:03:16,399A.D. 56, 57,6400:03:16,600 –> 00:03:18,839that the light of the gospel did shine6500:03:19,039 –> 00:03:21,240in the dark days of the Roman empire6600:03:21,440 –> 00:03:23,839and that the darkness did not overcome the light.6700:03:24,039 –> 00:03:26,960And here we are sitting here today, folks.6800:03:27,160 –> 00:03:29,399More than two thousand years6900:03:29,600 –> 00:03:32,720after the book of Romans was written7000:03:32,919 –> 00:03:35,240and the Roman Empire is long7100:03:35,279 –> 00:03:37,639since dead and gone7200:03:37,839 –> 00:03:39,960and the Church of Jesus Christ is alive7300:03:40,160 –> 00:03:42,279and well on planet earth.7400:03:42,479 –> 00:03:44,520The light did shine in the darkness7500:03:44,720 –> 00:03:47,479and the darkness — great as it was —7600:03:47,679 –> 00:03:51,000did not overcome it.7700:03:51,199 –> 00:03:53,360Do not be overcome by evil, God says.7800:03:53,559 –> 00:03:57,160But overcome evil with good!7900:03:58,160 –> 00:04:00,360Now we are going to look then in these weeks at everything8000:04:00,559 –> 00:04:03,160that leads up to overcoming evil with good.8100:04:03,320 –> 00:04:04,199That’s where we’re headed.8200:04:04,399 –> 00:04:06,479That’s what we want to see happen.8300:04:06,679 –> 00:04:07,919What gets us there?8400:04:08,119 –> 00:04:11,279And we begin in verses 9 and 108500:04:11,479 –> 00:04:13,880today, which really tell us8600:04:14,080 –> 00:04:16,679the first step, as it were, of moving8700:04:16,880 –> 00:04:19,160towards overcoming evil8800:04:19,359 –> 00:04:20,880with good.8900:04:21,079 –> 00:04:23,679But before I read these two verses, I want you to imagine9000:04:23,880 –> 00:04:26,279for a moment that you were chosen9100:04:26,480 –> 00:04:30,000to serve on a focus group9200:04:30,200 –> 00:04:31,839of first century Christians.9300:04:32,160 –> 00:04:34,600I’m not even sure that they had focused groups in the first9400:04:34,799 –> 00:04:35,799century. You understand.9500:04:36,000 –> 00:04:39,239But let’s just let that one go and use your imagination.9600:04:39,440 –> 00:04:41,799So here you are and you are in a room with these 129700:04:42,000 –> 00:04:44,399people who are serving with you on this group.9800:04:44,600 –> 00:04:47,160And the facilitator comes in and she says,9900:04:47,359 –> 00:04:50,000now, look, folks, the challenge that we’re facing10000:04:50,200 –> 00:04:52,320here today is that10100:04:52,519 –> 00:04:55,920there is obviously a growing tide of evil all around us.10200:04:56,119 –> 00:04:58,839And here we are, Christian people.10300:04:59,040 –> 00:05:01,559Let’s face it. There isn’t one of us in this room who would have10400:05:01,679 –> 00:05:04,920chosen to of Nero as our emperor.10500:05:05,119 –> 00:05:07,920But the reality is that’s what we’re facing.10600:05:08,119 –> 00:05:10,640And so the task that we have in this group is10700:05:10,839 –> 00:05:14,519I want us to work together to come up with some strategies10800:05:14,720 –> 00:05:17,480for overcoming the ever increasing evil that10900:05:17,679 –> 00:05:20,239is clearly all around us.11000:05:20,440 –> 00:05:23,040Now says the facilitator, all of you have a pad of paper11100:05:23,239 –> 00:05:24,640and none of you have a pencil.11200:05:24,839 –> 00:05:27,119I want you to take five minutes11300:05:27,320 –> 00:05:29,720to write down the top five strategies11400:05:29,799 –> 00:05:32,679that you think we as Christians should pursue in these dark11500:05:32,880 –> 00:05:36,160and difficult days in order that we may overcome11600:05:36,359 –> 00:05:38,640the evil that is increasingly around us.11700:05:38,839 –> 00:05:41,760What would be on your list?11800:05:42,000 –> 00:05:43,480Now, I took some time to think about it.11900:05:43,679 –> 00:05:44,679What would I write down?12000:05:44,880 –> 00:05:47,359And I’ve actually asked several people12100:05:47,559 –> 00:05:49,880in the course of this week just to check, you know,12200:05:50,079 –> 00:05:51,160what would you put on your list?12300:05:51,160 –> 00:05:52,640If you were asked that question.12400:05:52,839 –> 00:05:55,160Everyone came up with the same thing as I12500:05:55,359 –> 00:05:57,679came up with for the top of the list.12600:05:57,839 –> 00:05:59,920I would put, well, we have to pray.12700:06:00,119 –> 00:06:01,600How many of you would have said the same thing?12800:06:01,799 –> 00:06:03,720Everyone I asked said, that’s what I put top of my list.12900:06:03,920 –> 00:06:05,440We’ve got to pray.13000:06:05,640 –> 00:06:08,040What else would you put on your list?13100:06:08,239 –> 00:06:09,440Well, here’s some things I wrote down.13200:06:09,640 –> 00:06:11,799We need to raise up Godly leaders in every13300:06:12,000 –> 00:06:14,559sphere of life, the schools, business arts13400:06:14,760 –> 00:06:17,160and politics.13500:06:17,359 –> 00:06:19,679We need to teach our children the difference between13600:06:19,880 –> 00:06:20,519right and wrong.13700:06:20,720 –> 00:06:23,079We need to thoroughly ground a new generation13800:06:23,279 –> 00:06:26,399in a knowledge of the truth.13900:06:26,600 –> 00:06:29,160We need a new surge of evangelism.14000:06:29,359 –> 00:06:31,679We need a new surge of church planting.14100:06:31,880 –> 00:06:34,279I wonder what else you would put down on your14200:06:34,480 –> 00:06:38,559list of five strategies.14300:06:38,760 –> 00:06:41,200Now here is what has been most striking to me14400:06:41,399 –> 00:06:42,880as I’ve reflected on this.14500:06:43,079 –> 00:06:45,519Obviously all of these things are14600:06:45,720 –> 00:06:49,079good and necessary things.14700:06:49,279 –> 00:06:53,279But none of them is what God says here.14800:06:53,480 –> 00:06:55,839Where do you begin14900:06:56,119 –> 00:06:58,640if you are to overcome evil with good?15000:06:58,839 –> 00:07:01,079Here’s the first step that’s going to get us to Romans Chapter15100:07:01,279 –> 00:07:03,92012 in verse 21 what is it?15200:07:04,119 –> 00:07:08,239Let love be genuine, verse 9.15300:07:08,440 –> 00:07:11,720Let love be genuine.15400:07:11,920 –> 00:07:14,799Abhor what is evil.15500:07:15,279 –> 00:07:18,519Hold fast to what is good.15600:07:18,720 –> 00:07:21,880Love one another15700:07:22,079 –> 00:07:24,880with brotherly affection and15800:07:25,160 –> 00:07:27,720outdo one another in15900:07:27,920 –> 00:07:30,720showing honor.’16000:07:30,920 –> 00:07:33,640So that gave me pause.16100:07:33,839 –> 00:07:36,119Christians loving each other would not have been16200:07:36,320 –> 00:07:39,480at the top of my list.16300:07:39,679 –> 00:07:42,880Not at the top of my list of strategies for overcoming evil.16400:07:43,079 –> 00:07:45,640So it is very, very striking to me that when God16500:07:45,839 –> 00:07:48,480speaks about those things that lead to overcoming16600:07:48,679 –> 00:07:53,679evil with good, the very first thing that God says16700:07:53,839 –> 00:07:56,279let love be genuine.16800:07:56,480 –> 00:07:58,799If you want to overcome evil with good, if you want to get16900:07:59,000 –> 00:08:01,600to Romans chapter 12 and verse 21, this is17000:08:01,799 –> 00:08:06,079where you must begin.17100:08:06,279 –> 00:08:09,200Let love be genuine.’17200:08:09,399 –> 00:08:13,160Now another way to say that would be let love be sincere17300:08:13,359 –> 00:08:17,600or of course the word that we use today is the word authentic.17400:08:17,799 –> 00:08:19,399There must be no pretense.17500:08:19,600 –> 00:08:22,079There must be no play acting about this, nothing fake,17600:08:22,279 –> 00:08:23,359nothing false.17700:08:23,559 –> 00:08:29,880Let your love God says be the real deal.17800:08:30,079 –> 00:08:32,640Now here obviously is something that is immensely attractive.17900:08:32,840 –> 00:08:34,799Something surely that all of us are drawn to.18000:08:35,000 –> 00:08:36,159All of us are drawn to love.18100:08:36,359 –> 00:08:37,520We all want to be authentic.18200:08:37,719 –> 00:08:40,239No one wants to be false, live behind a mask18300:08:40,440 –> 00:08:43,320or be a play actor.18400:08:43,520 –> 00:08:46,119For the millennial generation the two words love18500:08:46,320 –> 00:08:49,039and authentic are probably the banner words18600:08:49,359 –> 00:08:53,239for an entire generation and culture.18700:08:53,440 –> 00:08:58,440Let love be genuine, authentic.18800:08:58,640 –> 00:09:01,000Now the plane implication of these words let love18900:09:01,200 –> 00:09:03,760be genuine is that we may discover in the course19000:09:03,960 –> 00:09:06,320of our lives something that looks19100:09:06,520 –> 00:09:08,960and sounds like love but19200:09:09,159 –> 00:09:13,479proves not to be the real deal.19300:09:13,679 –> 00:09:17,320So what does genuine love look like?19400:09:17,520 –> 00:09:20,000Well if you ask that question our culture has a very clear19500:09:20,200 –> 00:09:21,799answer.19600:09:22,000 –> 00:09:23,640What does genuine love look like?19700:09:23,840 –> 00:09:27,000Our culture says Well it’s acceptance19800:09:27,200 –> 00:09:29,880and it is affirmation.19900:09:30,080 –> 00:09:33,200And this is all around us, Love20000:09:33,400 –> 00:09:35,760the culture says is acceptance and20100:09:35,960 –> 00:09:36,599affirmation.20200:09:36,799 –> 00:09:39,479So if you really love me20300:09:39,679 –> 00:09:42,039then you must accept me and you must affirm20400:09:42,239 –> 00:09:44,799me as I am.20500:09:45,000 –> 00:09:47,400And don’t attempt to change me because20600:09:47,599 –> 00:09:49,880if in any way you attempt to change me then20700:09:50,080 –> 00:09:52,200you are not really accepting me and that’s20800:09:52,400 –> 00:09:56,359if that’s the case you are not really loving me.20900:09:56,559 –> 00:09:58,799Now when we hear that love is acceptance21000:09:59,000 –> 00:10:01,159and affirmation this is so widely21100:10:01,359 –> 00:10:03,559perceived around us in the culture that I21200:10:03,760 –> 00:10:05,840think that many people would have as a natural21300:10:06,039 –> 00:10:08,119reaction to say well of course of course I mean21400:10:08,320 –> 00:10:10,880what else would love be but we accept and affirm21500:10:11,080 –> 00:10:12,599a person as they are.21600:10:12,599 –> 00:10:15,200Love Is acceptance and affirmation is21700:10:15,400 –> 00:10:17,400it not.21800:10:17,799 –> 00:10:21,559Well let’s think about that just for a moment.21900:10:21,760 –> 00:10:23,679If we were all little22000:10:23,880 –> 00:10:26,440peregrines of virtue22100:10:26,640 –> 00:10:28,679quietly fulfilling everything that God22200:10:28,880 –> 00:10:31,479calls us to do then22300:10:31,679 –> 00:10:34,200a love that is acceptance and affirmation22400:10:34,400 –> 00:10:37,200would be entirely appropriate.22500:10:37,400 –> 00:10:39,719But surely the state of the world today makes22600:10:39,919 –> 00:10:42,119it very clear to all of us as we observe it22700:10:42,340 –> 00:10:44,880that the world is not filled22800:10:45,080 –> 00:10:47,200with little peregrines of virtue who are quietly22900:10:47,400 –> 00:10:50,640doing everything that God calls us to do.23000:10:50,840 –> 00:10:53,039Now the reality of our position and the Bible makes this23100:10:53,239 –> 00:10:56,280very clear is quite different.23200:10:56,479 –> 00:11:00,119The way God says it is this all have sinned23300:11:00,320 –> 00:11:02,919and fall short of the glory23400:11:03,119 –> 00:11:05,239of God.23500:11:05,440 –> 00:11:07,640So when Jesus came into the world he23600:11:07,840 –> 00:11:10,080was very clear about our23700:11:10,320 –> 00:11:12,000position.23800:11:12,200 –> 00:11:14,960He used many analogies to make it clear.23900:11:15,159 –> 00:11:17,559He said this is the reality of our lives we’re24000:11:17,760 –> 00:11:20,840like sheep who are lost.24100:11:21,039 –> 00:11:24,799We are like patients who are sick.24200:11:25,000 –> 00:11:27,559We are like captives who24300:11:27,760 –> 00:11:30,919are bound the power of sin.24400:11:31,119 –> 00:11:33,520And we are like offenders who are24500:11:33,719 –> 00:11:38,200under a sentence of condemnation.24600:11:38,440 –> 00:11:40,719Now think this through with me for a moment if24700:11:40,919 –> 00:11:43,520Jesus had embraced24800:11:43,719 –> 00:11:47,559our culture’s definition of love.24900:11:47,760 –> 00:11:50,119He would have come into the world and25000:11:50,320 –> 00:11:52,359would have said something like this.25100:11:52,559 –> 00:11:57,000Well note the truth about you is that you are lost25200:11:57,200 –> 00:12:01,919and I accept this and I have come to affirm it25300:12:02,119 –> 00:12:05,919the reality of your condition is that you are sick.25400:12:06,080 –> 00:12:08,559And since that’s what you are far be it25500:12:08,760 –> 00:12:11,200from me to change it.25600:12:11,400 –> 00:12:14,000The explanation of your experience of life25700:12:14,200 –> 00:12:18,799and all the conflict that you find is that you have been taken captive.25800:12:19,000 –> 00:12:21,599I want you to know that but is certainly25900:12:21,799 –> 00:12:25,479not for me to interfere.26000:12:25,679 –> 00:12:29,359I want you to know that you are under condemnation26100:12:29,559 –> 00:12:33,559and I simply want to affirm you in it.26200:12:33,599 –> 00:12:35,679You see your laugh, but26300:12:35,880 –> 00:12:40,239don’t you thank God with me today that Jesus Christ did not embrace26400:12:40,440 –> 00:12:43,400our cultures definition of life.26500:12:43,840 –> 00:12:47,719Jesus Christ did not come into the world and say, I come to affirm the lost.26600:12:47,919 –> 00:12:52,080He said, I’ve come to save the lost, that’s very different.26700:12:52,280 –> 00:12:54,919He didn’t come into the world to affirm our sickness.26800:12:55,119 –> 00:12:57,359He came to heal it.26900:12:57,559 –> 00:13:00,400He did not come into the world to affirm our captivity.27000:13:00,599 –> 00:13:03,080He came into the world, he says, to set us free.27100:13:03,200 –> 00:13:06,760He did not come into the world to affirm our condemnation.27200:13:06,960 –> 00:13:09,320He came into the world to take it away.27300:13:09,520 –> 00:13:12,400God did not send his Son into the world27400:13:12,599 –> 00:13:17,799to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.27500:13:18,000 –> 00:13:21,679So you see, Jesus Christ came into the world to change something that was terribly27600:13:21,880 –> 00:13:25,799wrong in us and to put it right.27700:13:26,000 –> 00:13:28,039That’s what the love of God does.27800:13:28,239 –> 00:13:30,919And so clearly the biblical understanding27900:13:31,119 –> 00:13:35,679of love is very, very different from our culture’s understanding of love.28000:13:35,880 –> 00:13:37,799What does genuine love look like?28100:13:38,000 –> 00:13:41,880The culture says its acceptance and affirmation.28200:13:42,080 –> 00:13:47,479The Bible says it’s acceptance and transformation.28300:13:47,679 –> 00:13:48,520What does that mean?28400:13:48,719 –> 00:13:51,159God accepts us as we are.28500:13:51,359 –> 00:13:55,640We come to him in all of our lostness and all of our sin and in all of our need.28600:13:55,840 –> 00:13:57,760He embraces us as we are.28700:13:57,760 –> 00:14:00,359He doesn’t say clean yourself up before you come.28800:14:00,479 –> 00:14:01,919He says, come to Me.28900:14:02,119 –> 00:14:03,960He accepts us as we are.29000:14:04,159 –> 00:14:08,039But He does not, thank God, leave us as we are.29100:14:08,239 –> 00:14:10,080And leave us in our lostness and then29200:14:10,280 –> 00:14:14,000our sickness and in our condemnation,29300:14:14,200 –> 00:14:17,640a love that accepts and a love that transforms,29400:14:17,840 –> 00:14:21,880a love in which the lost are found, a love in which the sick are made well,29500:14:22,080 –> 00:14:25,760a love in which the captives are set free, a love in which there is no29600:14:25,919 –> 00:14:32,080condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.29700:14:32,280 –> 00:14:34,440Let love be genuine.29800:14:34,640 –> 00:14:36,119And here’s what it looks like29900:14:36,320 –> 00:14:43,919as you have learned it and received it from your father himself in Jesus Christ.30000:14:44,119 –> 00:14:45,760You’re listening to Open the Bible with30100:14:45,960 –> 00:14:50,320Pastor Colin Smith and the message called Overcoming Evil with Love.30200:14:50,520 –> 00:14:53,880It’s part of our series simply called Overcoming Evil.30300:14:54,039 –> 00:14:55,799Our Love needs to be genuine,30400:14:56,000 –> 00:14:58,719but what does genuine love look like?30500:14:58,919 –> 00:15:01,520We’ll come back shortly to answer that question.30600:15:01,719 –> 00:15:05,200If you ever miss any of the series or if you want to go back and listen again,30700:15:05,400 –> 00:15:10,239you can do that by coming online to our website OpenTheBible.org.uk30800:15:10,479 –> 00:15:13,640and there you’ll find all the messages that have already gone out on air.30900:15:13,840 –> 00:15:15,760You can also find us as a podcast,31000:15:15,880 –> 00:15:19,760and those are available on all the main podcast sites by searching for Open31100:15:19,799 –> 00:15:21,400The Bible UK.31200:15:21,599 –> 00:15:24,479Back to the message, now we’re in Romans, Chapter 12.31300:15:24,679 –> 00:15:26,159Here’s Colin.31400:15:26,359 –> 00:15:28,559Now, let me simply make three observations31500:15:28,760 –> 00:15:35,679about this genuine love from these verses today as we try to apply them together.31600:15:35,880 –> 00:15:38,320The first is that quite clearly,31700:15:38,520 –> 00:15:42,320genuine love hates what is evil.31800:15:42,320 –> 00:15:44,760Notice verse 9.31900:15:45,000 –> 00:15:50,080Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil.32000:15:50,280 –> 00:15:53,200Hold fast to what is good.32100:15:53,400 –> 00:15:56,000Isn’t that very striking that love and an32200:15:56,159 –> 00:15:58,840abhorrence of evil are put right side by side.32300:15:58,840 –> 00:15:59,760You wouldn’t expect that,32400:15:59,760 –> 00:16:01,640but that’s what it’s here in the Bible.32500:16:01,840 –> 00:16:03,400And that teaches us something.32600:16:03,599 –> 00:16:08,640To abhor of course, is to have a horror of something.32700:16:08,840 –> 00:16:11,799And of course, when you think about it, if you love what is good,32800:16:11,799 –> 00:16:15,200you have a horror of that which would destroy the good.32900:16:15,400 –> 00:16:18,440If you love truth, you’re going to hate lies.33000:16:18,640 –> 00:16:22,080If you love peace, you’re going to hate war.33100:16:22,280 –> 00:16:25,559To abhor what is evil, to have a horror of what is evil,33200:16:25,760 –> 00:16:30,080is part of loving what is good.33300:16:30,280 –> 00:16:31,840Now, here’s something very important in33400:16:32,039 –> 00:16:34,880this verse that’s open in front of us, friends.33500:16:35,080 –> 00:16:39,400Notice that God says abhor what?33600:16:39,599 –> 00:16:41,520is evil.33700:16:42,039 –> 00:16:43,679What?33800:16:43,960 –> 00:16:47,239Not who.33900:16:48,039 –> 00:16:50,520Peter Kreeft, who is a Catholic writer34000:16:50,719 –> 00:16:54,000that I find very, very helpful in many places,34100:16:54,200 –> 00:16:57,520and I’m summarizing what he says here, he lists34200:16:57,719 –> 00:17:00,320folks that Christians have often34300:17:00,520 –> 00:17:04,359identified as the enemy, and he says this,34400:17:04,560 –> 00:17:07,280abortionists, homosexual34500:17:07,479 –> 00:17:10,160activists, pornographers, school34600:17:10,280 –> 00:17:14,280boards, and the media are not the enemy.34700:17:14,479 –> 00:17:17,280They are the victims of34800:17:17,479 –> 00:17:19,199our enemy.34900:17:19,400 –> 00:17:21,839And do you see the reason he says that is because of Ephesians35000:17:22,040 –> 00:17:24,520chapter six and verse 12 We35100:17:24,719 –> 00:17:28,319do not wrestle against flesh and blood.35200:17:28,520 –> 00:17:31,079Our battle is against the invisible35300:17:31,280 –> 00:17:33,760dark powers, the35400:17:33,959 –> 00:17:36,640spiritual forces of evil in heavenly35500:17:36,839 –> 00:17:38,920places.35600:17:39,319 –> 00:17:41,719Now let’s go back to the first century because sometimes it’s35700:17:41,920 –> 00:17:44,239easier to see a point from a distance than when35800:17:44,439 –> 00:17:46,680you’re right up close to it, but how35900:17:46,880 –> 00:17:49,000easy it would have been36000:17:49,199 –> 00:17:51,680for the Christians in Rome to think36100:17:51,880 –> 00:17:55,599if we could just get rid of Nero36200:17:55,800 –> 00:17:57,400he’s the worst we’ve ever had.36300:17:57,599 –> 00:18:01,479How did we get to a place where we had him as the emperor?36400:18:01,680 –> 00:18:05,280If we could just get rid of Nero.36500:18:05,479 –> 00:18:07,160That’s instinctively how we think.36600:18:07,280 –> 00:18:11,000We live in the culture of personality.36700:18:11,199 –> 00:18:13,520And of course the reality that Christians36800:18:13,719 –> 00:18:16,000in the early church understood was that36900:18:16,199 –> 00:18:19,479actually Nero was not the problem.37000:18:19,680 –> 00:18:22,280That behind Nero37100:18:22,479 –> 00:18:25,040there were dark powers37200:18:25,239 –> 00:18:27,520and that these were the powers that were at work37300:18:27,719 –> 00:18:30,239in the world that needed to be overcome and for that37400:18:30,439 –> 00:18:32,880purpose the Christians must put on the37500:18:33,079 –> 00:18:36,640whole armor of God.37600:18:36,880 –> 00:18:38,839So the song O church arise that will sing37700:18:39,040 –> 00:18:41,199at the end of the service this morning has37800:18:41,400 –> 00:18:43,880a couple of lines in it that I think are profoundly37900:18:44,079 –> 00:18:47,479helpful and very very important.38000:18:47,680 –> 00:18:50,079Our call to war.38100:18:50,280 –> 00:18:52,839What’s the fight that we’re in?38200:18:53,040 –> 00:18:55,599It is to love the38300:18:55,800 –> 00:18:58,319captive soul.38400:18:58,520 –> 00:19:03,000And to rage against the captor.38500:19:03,199 –> 00:19:05,640Here’s the great struggle in which we’re involved38600:19:05,800 –> 00:19:08,719if we’ve understood it properly we ask to love38700:19:08,920 –> 00:19:11,079the captive soul.38800:19:11,280 –> 00:19:13,560We’re not to rage against the captive soul.38900:19:13,760 –> 00:19:18,439You don’t rage against those whom Satan has taken captive.39000:19:18,640 –> 00:19:20,400You love the captive soul.39100:19:20,599 –> 00:19:21,400And where do you.39200:19:21,599 –> 00:19:22,959Where do you put your rage?39300:19:23,160 –> 00:19:24,560Where does the abhors go.39400:19:24,760 –> 00:19:28,839It goes towards Satan himself towards the evil one.39500:19:29,040 –> 00:19:31,719Towards the dark powers that are at work in the world.39600:19:31,880 –> 00:19:35,680Well, Ephesians 6 and verse 12.39700:19:35,880 –> 00:19:40,079We are not called to rage against the captive soul.39800:19:40,280 –> 00:19:43,479But to love the captive soul.39900:19:43,680 –> 00:19:47,560And to rage against the captor, let love be genuine.40000:19:47,760 –> 00:19:50,599Abhor what is evil.40100:19:50,800 –> 00:19:56,319And cling, hold fast to what is good.40200:19:56,760 –> 00:20:00,040Friends, it is very, very difficult40300:20:00,239 –> 00:20:05,359to win people to Jesus if we have branded them the enemy.40400:20:06,079 –> 00:20:09,520And our calling is to win everyone we can,40500:20:09,719 –> 00:20:13,760from every persuasion and from every walk of life and from every40600:20:13,959 –> 00:20:19,000subgroup within the culture, our calling and our task is to win40700:20:19,199 –> 00:20:21,880and to woo people40800:20:22,079 –> 00:20:24,520to Jesus Christ.40900:20:25,079 –> 00:20:27,800Now, as we think about this, we are to abhor41000:20:27,800 –> 00:20:30,160what is evil, not only in the world around us,41100:20:30,280 –> 00:20:31,880it’s always instinctive for us to think41200:20:32,079 –> 00:20:36,160about what’s out there first, but we are to abhor what is in here41300:20:36,359 –> 00:20:41,839as well that is dark, and that is evil and that is displeasing to God.41400:20:42,040 –> 00:20:43,680Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this,41500:20:43,880 –> 00:20:49,400it is possible to avoid doing things that are evil.41600:20:49,599 –> 00:20:56,199While taking pleasure in them in our mind and in our imagination.41700:20:56,400 –> 00:20:57,400And let’s face it, Friends.41800:20:57,599 –> 00:21:01,119How easy it is for us to pick on certain evils41900:21:01,319 –> 00:21:07,839which will invariably be the ones of which we are not guilty and to hate only them.42000:21:08,040 –> 00:21:13,239How easy it is for the sexually pure to hate promiscuity.42100:21:13,439 –> 00:21:18,599How easy it is for those who live simply to hate greed.42200:21:18,920 –> 00:21:23,079How easy it is to hate what we can see very, very clearly in others and to be42300:21:23,079 –> 00:21:27,800completely and utterly blind to the dark places within our own souls.42400:21:28,040 –> 00:21:34,160How do you learn to hate what is evil by seeing what it did to Jesus Christ?42500:21:34,359 –> 00:21:36,359You come and see a particular evil.42600:21:36,560 –> 00:21:39,439You say, look at what it did to him42700:21:40,079 –> 00:21:42,400and learn to hate what is evil42800:21:42,599 –> 00:21:44,319and cling42900:21:44,520 –> 00:21:46,439to what is good.43000:21:46,839 –> 00:21:48,800Pastor Colin Smith there reminding us that43100:21:49,400 –> 00:21:53,359if we regard people who don’t share our faith as our enemies,43200:21:53,599 –> 00:21:58,280we’re really not going to be effective in reaching them with the Gospel.43300:21:58,439 –> 00:21:59,920Our love has to be genuine.43400:22:00,119 –> 00:22:06,000If we love people, they will see Jesus’ love reflected in us and be drawn to Him.43500:22:06,199 –> 00:22:07,959You’re listening to Open The Bible with43600:22:08,160 –> 00:22:12,599Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Overcoming Evil with Love.43700:22:12,800 –> 00:22:15,680It’s part of our series, simply called Overcoming Evil.43800:22:15,920 –> 00:22:17,640And if you’ve missed any of the series,43900:22:17,640 –> 00:22:19,640or if you want to get back and listen again,44000:22:19,839 –> 00:22:25,079you can do that by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk44100:22:25,280 –> 00:22:26,839or find us as a podcast.44200:22:27,040 –> 00:22:29,119And those were on all the main podcast sites.44300:22:29,319 –> 00:22:31,680Search for Open The Bible UK44400:22:31,880 –> 00:22:35,400and you can also find a link to the podcast on our website.44500:22:35,599 –> 00:22:37,719Just a reminder that we love hearing from44600:22:37,800 –> 00:22:41,520our listeners, so if you’d like to get in touch, this is how you can do it.44700:22:41,680 –> 00:22:43,199You can write to us44800:22:51,400 –> 00:22:53,319Again, that address is44900:23:01,839 –> 00:23:05,680Open the Bible depends on the generous support of our listeners45000:23:05,880 –> 00:23:09,800and if supporting Open the Bible financially is something you’ve been45100:23:10,119 –> 00:23:12,680about we have an offer for you this month.45200:23:12,880 –> 00:23:14,800If you’re able to set up a new direct45300:23:15,000 –> 00:23:19,160debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds per month or45400:23:19,359 –> 00:23:24,199more or a one off gift of fifty pounds or more we’d love to say thank you by sending45500:23:24,400 –> 00:23:30,520you three copies of pastor Colin Smith’s devotional Green Pastures Still Waters.45600:23:30,719 –> 00:23:33,079Colin, why did you write this devotional?45700:23:33,280 –> 00:23:37,560This goes back to the pandemic and in these dark days,45800:23:37,760 –> 00:23:39,800I guess along with every other pastor,45900:23:40,000 –> 00:23:44,839I was asking the question what will help and encourage God’s people to get through46000:23:45,040 –> 00:23:46,079these difficult days?46100:23:46,280 –> 00:23:53,079And I turned to some twenty three and just found such joy and help in mining46200:23:53,280 –> 00:23:58,119the wonderful treasures that are in this marvellous chapter of the Bible.46300:23:58,319 –> 00:24:01,160And my colleague Tim Augustine has now46400:24:01,359 –> 00:24:05,599arranged that material in the form of a 31 day devotional.46500:24:05,800 –> 00:24:07,199And I’m just delighted that we’re46600:24:07,199 –> 00:24:13,760able to offer this looking at the Lord Jesus Christ through Psalm 23 will bring46700:24:13,959 –> 00:24:17,040strength and encouragement and peace and joy.46800:24:17,239 –> 00:24:19,359And to do that for thirty one days to46900:24:19,359 –> 00:24:22,880meditate on one of the best known and best loved chapters in all of the Bible47000:24:23,079 –> 00:24:26,000and to get our eyes fixed on the Lord Jesus Christ.47100:24:26,199 –> 00:24:28,040So if you need some encouragement,47200:24:28,239 –> 00:24:31,880green pastures, still waters is going to be a great help to you.47300:24:32,079 –> 00:24:34,239Well, we’d love to send you three copies47400:24:34,239 –> 00:24:38,199of Pastor Colin Smith’s devotional green pastures, still waters,47500:24:38,400 –> 00:24:43,359along with a special open the Bible pen and bookmark, to say thank you for setting47600:24:43,560 –> 00:24:47,599up a new direct debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of five pounds47700:24:47,800 –> 00:24:51,599per month or more, or a one off gift of fifty pounds or more.47800:24:51,800 –> 00:24:55,640Full details, terms and conditions are on our website.47900:24:55,839 –> 00:25:01,640Open the Bible dot org dot UK for open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith.48000:25:01,839 –> 00:25:06,439I’m David Pick, and I hope you’ll join us again next time.48100:25:09,760 –> 00:25:12,280What does genuine love look like?48200:25:12,479 –> 00:25:14,839Find out next time on Open the Bible.