Winning Darkness Over To Light Through Love, Not Condemnation, Part 2
Facing trouble at work? Just as in times of old, Satan is still manipulating people into committing evils against Christians in the workplace, even in ways that bring up legal questions. Some Christians commit sin in the workplace and bring unjust treatment upon themselves rather than the enemy having to do it. But those who serve the Lord Jesus Christ honorably will be attacked regardless, and all manner of lies and slanders may be used against them to justify mistreatment. But the call of God was never to return evil for evil, nor fall victim to the strategies of evil spirits, but to overcome evil with good. Such was the case with slaves who had to endure abusive masters, and it was something Peter now began to address.
18 Slaves, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps 22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18-25)
Notice that the exhortation here was to act in such a way that it would return others, even the cruel and the harsh, back to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what overcoming evil with good was all about. But it was often easier said that done, because mistreatment of slaves was common in ancient times, just as it was in the United States before eventually being abolished.
The fate of a slave depended largely on the temperament of his or her master. Masters could punish slaves brutally for real or perceived infractions. Sexual abuse of slaves was also common. Slave work included hard labor as well as skilled service like tutoring, bookkeeping, and estate managing. Masters often freed slaves—and for numerous reasons, including as a reward for obedience and loyalty... Some parables depict cruel treatment of slaves, such as the parable of the wicked tenants. Slaves are disposable: they suffer beatings and death at the hands of tenants (Matt 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-18). (Slavery In The New Testament, Bible Odyssey. org)
That slaves could be imprisoned and tortured by their masters is plainly seen in the parable of the unforgiving servant, who never had pity on his fellow slave even after his master had shown pity to him. The parable teaches that we must show mercy to others as the Lord has shown mercy to us, of course, but underlying the entire story is the fact that masters could sometimes be quite heavy handed with those slaves they took great displeasure in.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:23-35)
Are these principles still being taught today concerning seeking to convert the unsaved from darkness into Light, even if it means having to endure mistreatment? Those in the West live in free countries where slavery has been abolished now, so the mentality is more to fight for one's rights as a free citizen. But does this help in converting the lost, or have we abandoned Christian teachings in the process of growing used to enjoying our freedoms?
The Non-Christian Response
The Satanist mantra is to take matters into your one's hands, and if one has been done an injustice to take vengeance upon the evil doer, so that they won't do it again. This seems reasonable to men, so they adopt it and adhere to it. The trouble is that it instead of overcoming evil with good, it simply teaches men to acquiesce to evil and knuckle under to it, becoming just as evil or even more evil than the next man if necessary in order to see that justice is served.
This filters down into milder forms, such as the bad "scriptural" advice some legal firms are giving to Christians these days.
Sometimes, devout Christians let their faith convince them that they do not need to seek justice here on Earth. If they endure abuse or discrimination in the workplace, they may tell themselves that their suffering now may translate into heavenly rewards later. However, the lessons Christ offered during His life include recommendations that people make use of the systems in place for their protection. The parable of the talents is a famous biblical story in which Jesus discusses a master giving three servants funds in the form of talents. The ones who took risks ultimately secured the greatest return on the investment and are the ones praised the most. They properly analyzed the circumstances and took assertive actions based on their understanding of the world. The one who simply held onto what he was given, on the other hand, received nothing but castigation for being too lazy and fearful to act. It’s clear from the parable that Jesus wants his followers to do something similar. God does not involve Himself in the minutia of day-to-day human life. It is therefore incumbent upon the faithful to make use of the systems and tools in place for their protection on Earth to make the most of what they have in life. Workplace protection laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on protected characteristics like their race, sex and religion. Instead of accepting mistreatment meekly and forgiving an employer, it is often better for workers to leverage the systems in place for their protection by taking legal action. Not only does proper action protect that specific worker from misconduct, but it could reimburse them for the losses they have experienced because of unfair workplace behavior. (How fighting workplace discrimination reflects Christian values, on behalf of Randle & Randle Attorneys At Law, LLC)
This is incredibly bad interpretation and spiritual advice from a supposedly Christian source, but to the natural mind it sounds quite reasonable. Defend yourself. Don't allow yourself to be cheated. But the focus is entirely upon self, and while bringing litigation may be within our legal rights, how does it work to help overcome evil with good and lead darkness into Light? There is an inherent condemnation in bringing litigation against others, and what effect will it have? What if the one who did us wrong has better lawyers and the injustice committed against us goes unpunished? What if evil spirits help sway a judge against us? Bitterness could take root when we expected to receive justice yet received none, and evil ends up overcoming good in our hearts over being cheated even worse. And what of the evil-doer? Will they see the error of their ways in cheating an innocent person, or will they just see the need to defend themselves against accusations of wrong-doing?
The apostle Paul understood these things, and knew that the end goal was to overcome evil with good, which is why he commanded the Corinthians much differently. His instruction was that they handle their own legal affairs, and if it was going to lead to resentment, just accept the wrong so that bitterness never take root.
Facing trouble at work? Just as in times of old, Satan is still manipulating people into committing evils against Christians in the workplace, even in ways that bring up legal questions. Some Christians commit sin in the workplace and bring unjust treatment upon themselves rather than the enemy having to do it. But those who serve the Lord Jesus Christ honorably will be attacked regardless, and all manner of lies and slanders may be used against them to justify mistreatment. But the call of God was never to return evil for evil, nor fall victim to the strategies of evil spirits, but to overcome evil with good. Such was the case with slaves who had to endure abusive masters, and it was something Peter now began to address.
18 Slaves, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps 22 “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18-25)
Notice that the exhortation here was to act in such a way that it would return others, even the cruel and the harsh, back to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what overcoming evil with good was all about. But it was often easier said that done, because mistreatment of slaves was common in ancient times, just as it was in the United States before eventually being abolished.
The fate of a slave depended largely on the temperament of his or her master. Masters could punish slaves brutally for real or perceived infractions. Sexual abuse of slaves was also common. Slave work included hard labor as well as skilled service like tutoring, bookkeeping, and estate managing. Masters often freed slaves—and for numerous reasons, including as a reward for obedience and loyalty... Some parables depict cruel treatment of slaves, such as the parable of the wicked tenants. Slaves are disposable: they suffer beatings and death at the hands of tenants (Matt 21:33-44, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-18). (Slavery In The New Testament, Bible Odyssey. org)
That slaves could be imprisoned and tortured by their masters is plainly seen in the parable of the unforgiving servant, who never had pity on his fellow slave even after his master had shown pity to him. The parable teaches that we must show mercy to others as the Lord has shown mercy to us, of course, but underlying the entire story is the fact that masters could sometimes be quite heavy handed with those slaves they took great displeasure in.
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” (Matthew 18:23-35)
Are these principles still being taught today concerning seeking to convert the unsaved from darkness into Light, even if it means having to endure mistreatment? Those in the West live in free countries where slavery has been abolished now, so the mentality is more to fight for one's rights as a free citizen. But does this help in converting the lost, or have we abandoned Christian teachings in the process of growing used to enjoying our freedoms?
The Non-Christian Response
The Satanist mantra is to take matters into your one's hands, and if one has been done an injustice to take vengeance upon the evil doer, so that they won't do it again. This seems reasonable to men, so they adopt it and adhere to it. The trouble is that it instead of overcoming evil with good, it simply teaches men to acquiesce to evil and knuckle under to it, becoming just as evil or even more evil than the next man if necessary in order to see that justice is served.
This filters down into milder forms, such as the bad "scriptural" advice some legal firms are giving to Christians these days.
Sometimes, devout Christians let their faith convince them that they do not need to seek justice here on Earth. If they endure abuse or discrimination in the workplace, they may tell themselves that their suffering now may translate into heavenly rewards later. However, the lessons Christ offered during His life include recommendations that people make use of the systems in place for their protection. The parable of the talents is a famous biblical story in which Jesus discusses a master giving three servants funds in the form of talents. The ones who took risks ultimately secured the greatest return on the investment and are the ones praised the most. They properly analyzed the circumstances and took assertive actions based on their understanding of the world. The one who simply held onto what he was given, on the other hand, received nothing but castigation for being too lazy and fearful to act. It’s clear from the parable that Jesus wants his followers to do something similar. God does not involve Himself in the minutia of day-to-day human life. It is therefore incumbent upon the faithful to make use of the systems and tools in place for their protection on Earth to make the most of what they have in life. Workplace protection laws prohibit employers from discriminating against workers based on protected characteristics like their race, sex and religion. Instead of accepting mistreatment meekly and forgiving an employer, it is often better for workers to leverage the systems in place for their protection by taking legal action. Not only does proper action protect that specific worker from misconduct, but it could reimburse them for the losses they have experienced because of unfair workplace behavior. (How fighting workplace discrimination reflects Christian values, on behalf of Randle & Randle Attorneys At Law, LLC)
This is incredibly bad interpretation and spiritual advice from a supposedly Christian source, but to the natural mind it sounds quite reasonable. Defend yourself. Don't allow yourself to be cheated. But the focus is entirely upon self, and while bringing litigation may be within our legal rights, how does it work to help overcome evil with good and lead darkness into Light? There is an inherent condemnation in bringing litigation against others, and what effect will it have? What if the one who did us wrong has better lawyers and the injustice committed against us goes unpunished? What if evil spirits help sway a judge against us? Bitterness could take root when we expected to receive justice yet received none, and evil ends up overcoming good in our hearts over being cheated even worse. And what of the evil-doer? Will they see the error of their ways in cheating an innocent person, or will they just see the need to defend themselves against accusations of wrong-doing?
The apostle Paul understood these things, and knew that the end goal was to overcome evil with good, which is why he commanded the Corinthians much differently. His instruction was that they handle their own legal affairs, and if it was going to lead to resentment, just accept the wrong so that bitterness never take root.
