Our Living Sacrifice, Pt. 4

April 3rd, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 12:19-21 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In Romans 12:19-21 Paul continues the exhortations he began in 12:14-18, telling Christians to react kindly to the persecution and judgment against them by the unbelieving world where they dwell. To be sure, there is no indication in Paul’s letter to the Roman church of persecution at the time of his writing (circa AD 57), but in later years it intensified depending upon the emperor. So, Paul’s exhortations were preparing Christians in Rome, and in every succeeding generation, for a Christian response to the horrific persecutions that were forthcoming.

Whereas most red-blooded people are tempted to retaliate against a person who has wronged them, Paul cautions against this, saying, “Never take revenge.” The reason is simple: revenge belongs to God alone. So when man seeks revenge against his enemies, he is literally stealing from God what rightfully belongs to Him. Yet man in his depravity, even as a child of God in Christ, is tempted to seek revenge against those who have hurt him. Christians are therefore to “leave room for the wrath of God.” Quoting God from Deuteronomy 32:35 in v. 19, God says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” This leaves no room for believers to avenge themselves.

In v. 20 Paul tells Christians that when they are wronged, they are not to just stand idly by per se but to proactively love the one who has done them wrong. Quoting Proverbs 25:21-22, Paul most likely also had in mind Jesus’ Sermon (Matt. 5-7; Luke 6), for He taught His disciples to turn the other cheek when struck and to go two miles for those who only required them to go one mile (Matt. 5:38-48). In teaching Christians to return good upon those who dole out evil upon them, Paul (and Jesus) is simply reiterating the importance of what he taught in Romans 12:14-17. If the enemy steals because he is hungry or thirsty, then Christians should not resist but should go the extra mile to give more. This is, again, how believers worship with their own lives.

The result of this kind of godly behavior not only reveals genuine love for what God has commanded His people to do and be, it also has a positive result on the persecutor. Paul says that when Christians do good to those who use and abuse them, they “heap burning coals” on the heads of their enemies. This could mean one of two things, perhaps both. First, burning coals in the OT refers to God’s presence and power (2 Sam. 22:9, 13; Ps. 18:8, 12) and judgment (Ps. 140:10; Isa. 5:24). Perhaps Paul is saying that if the positive actions of a Christian toward his enemy do not bring about repentance, then the enemy’s guilt before God will be intensified. This might, however, bring a false motive for Christians to do good in order that God might judge.

A second interpretation for coals in this context might be a metaphor for “burning shame.” In other words, acting kindly toward one’s enemy will lead them to embarrassment and shame for their hateful actions. Perhaps at that point they would repent, become friendly, and thus the enemy would be destroyed! This interpretation fits the context better, promoting a positive action toward negative behavior for the purpose of leading another to repentance, not judgment. It embodies Paul’s final command: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Food For Thought
In the Christian race, we as God’s people are to be known by our love for one another and hatred toward that which is evil. We are not to be “overcome with evil.” We are to “overcome evil with good” (12:21). This is our battle, and it is an intense battle indeed! But we can, and must, rise to the occasion, being filled with the Holy Spirit and manifesting the Spirit’s fruits.