In II Samuel 4:8, we read of two men who killed Ishbosheth (Saul’s son) and brought his head to David hoping that David would reward them for it. But David was so angry with them that he commanded that they be killed immediately. David believed that vengeance belonged to God and he would never take vengeance himself or permit anyone else to take it.

This is an important principle that we must remember at all times. Romans 12:19 is very clear on this. God does not need our help to administer justice or to take vengeance. What would you do if somebody fell down at your feet to worship you? You would do what Peter did - lift him up and say, “Don’t worship me, worship belongs to God.” Just as much as worship belongs to God, vengeance also belongs to God? When we try to take revenge on someone, that’s not any different from accepting worship. We have no more right to take revenge than to receive worship. Whatever harm anyone may have done to us, we must leave it to God to deal with him in His own way and in His own time. We must not even desire anything evil for that person.

When we serve the Lord, we will come across other believers who speak evil of us or try to destroy our ministry. I have discovered that we cannot serve the Lord effectively, without having many people speaking evil of us, spreading false stories about us, accusing us of teaching false doctrine etc. We will then be tempted to take revenge on them. We must resist that temptation firmly. Leave them in God’s hands. The Bible says that there is only one Judge who has the right to destroy (James 4:12). So we must leave their fate in the hands of that one Judge.

If the Lord has anointed you, no-one can destroy your ministry, because it has come from heaven. Many people accused Jesus and Paul of being false teachers. Jesus was even accused of casting out demons by the power of the prince of devils. But Jesus never wasted His time answering them. The sincere were not led astray by such false accusations either. Only the insincere went astray.

We read in James 2:6 that rich believers were oppressing poor believers in those days and personally dragging them to court. This is unbelievable. But it is happening today too! One has to be both rich and wicked to drag another believer to court. It is amazing how blind believers can be. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 that the same thing was happening in Corinth. Such rich believers have not understood that there is only one Judge who has the right to judge and take revenge. They are sitting on God’s throne. So Paul warned them that those who do such things will never enter God’s kingdom (Read 1 Corinthians 6:9 in the context of the first 8 verses). If someone has done wrong to you, hasn’t God seen that? Isn’t He able to deal with that person? If you believe that and you believe in an Almighty God, then leave it to God to deal with him.

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SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

To bring this article close and personal, seeking revenge can often come in the form of crafting a smart reply to "correct" someone in the forum. If we feel someone has misrepresented our convictions, or has misconstrued our words, we need to learn to let it go. If we are correct, God will both validate and vindicate us. I find that when I try to "correct" someone, more times than not it spurs the other party to fire back, and suddenly we are in a debate.

One of the greatest morsels of wisdom the Lord has imparted unto me in recent times is to resist the urge to "correct" others or try to justify my teachings. It has given me great peace and has allowed God to tremendously bless my ministry. I am often reminded that Jesus Christ was probably the most misunderstood, misquoted, mistreated person who ever lived. Yet you never read of Him firing back at His detractors in self-justification or attempting to convince pharisaical naysayers of His legitimacy. He simply let them go.

Jesus should be our example; He must be - for He is our very life. If Christ indwells us, His unwillingness to correct religious adversity and self-justify must also indwell us and spiritually diffuse its fragrance. I have trusted God to keep me in this path, and He has been faithful. As the Lord instructed His disciples in dealing with the contentious pharisees, we too must learn to "leave them alone" and let God do the uprooting, if need be.

The blessings that flow from leaving revenge to God are remarkable. And an excellent place to train for this is in this very forum! The next time you are provoked, simply offer a blessing and move on. If you've felt you've explained your point the best you can, with all grace, and the other person just isn't tracking, your work is done. Leave the rest to God and go to bed that night with a clear conscience and a pure heart.

Brother Paul

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Paul Frederick West