What should the Christian do

The saint is to step back and leave room for God’s wrath, not responding in rage. Rage is of Satan. The Christian is not to seek revenge. In time of distress the saint is to turn to the Lord, seeking peace with other people—even enemies—as God gives the grace to do so.

If the Christian will refrain from seeking revenge, from being vindictive, from holding a grudge, from adopting an unforgiving attitude, God shallexercise His wrath, His vengeance.

. . . for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19).

There is no more critical area of the Christian discipleship than that of vengeance for wrong done. Many saints, who cannot be tempted by immorality or worldly riches are brought into jeopardy of their redemption by either inability or unwillingness to forgive real or imagined wrongs done to them.

Numerous Christian assemblies throughout the earth are characterized by congregations that are full of the venom of bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, suspicion, distrust, hardness of heart.

Brother against sister, sister against sister, pastor against congregation, church board member against pastor, deacon against deacon, and on and on it goes.

The tales of church strife and bitterness are legion. Has the accuser of the brothers succeeded? Have the gates of Hell overcome the Church of Christ?

Is a church that is filled with unforgiveness and bitterness actually an assembly of believers in Christ?

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35). What can we say of an assembly that is full of hatred?

From the Word of Christ we can state that such a church is not of God. It is filled with Satan. It is a synagogue of Satan, to use a phrase from the Book of Revelation.

When a Christian church becomes full of people seeking revenge, being filled with unforgiveness, that church has lost its testimony. Its light has gone out. It may be "ministering" but it is not bearing witness of Christ.

The disciples of Christ are known by their love one for another. Apart from such love there is no Church of Christ.

Did not the Pharisees obey Moses? Were they not of the elect, the chosen people? Yet they murdered the Lord Jesus Christ. Who actually was their "father"?

So it is true today that many "Christian" assemblies have little love for God, for Christ, and for the saints. They are as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They bear the name of the true God but they are murderers of Christ. Is it possible to be saved by grace and still have unforgiveness toward an individual? No, it is not.

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:15). Are we saved by grace? If we hate our brother, we are filled with spiritual death, not spiritual life.

Whoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him (I John 3:15).

Whoever is filled with hatred and unforgiveness toward another individual, whether that individual is a Christian or an unbeliever, is under condemnation from God. He is in spiritual trouble. He is holding himself in bondage and also may be holding in bondage the object of his hatred and Unforgiveness.

He is not walking in Divine light. He is walking in sin regardless of his statement of faith in Christ.

What should a believer in Christ do if he discovers he is harbouring unforgiveness or hatred in his heart and mind toward another person? He must confess to God that his attitude is sinful and has no place in the Kingdom of God.

Immediately, through the grace of Christ, forgive that individual, letting go of all animosity.

If he has said or done something to harm the object of his hatred, he must pray for the wisdom and strength to go and attempt to make restitution and restore the broken fellowship.

He must ask God’s forgiveness for the sin of unforgiveness and allow the blood of Christ and the resurrection life of the Holy Spirit to cleanse his heart from all malice toward the individual.

He must draw near to God in order to receive more of the Divine Nature of Christ, more of the eternal love of God that is powerful enough to overcome all the power of Satan.

He must resist the devil the next time Satan attempts to destroy the loving unity of the members of the Body of Christ.

There are few issues in the Kingdom of God as important as the maintaining of an attitude of forgiveness and love. One of the predominant characteristics of the mature Christian, the one in whom Christ has been formed, is the power of Divine love—love mighty enough to overcome death itself. Here is the image of Christ.

If we will stand back and not take matters into our own hands, the Lord God of Heaven will take care of all injustices, and He will bring forth our righteousness as the light and our judgment as the noonday.

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