Deciding To Do Good - Romans 12:21 (Part 4)
Dear Friends,
We are back for a fourth article discussing all that is ‘Good” and how to “...not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” In our first article in the series, we took the time to define from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon that the word “overcome” means “to conquer, overcome; to carry off the victory; to come off victorious.”
Now, in our key verse, we are first instructed to “...not be overcome by evil.” This means that we are not, under any circumstances, to let evil get the upper hand. We are not to let evil conquer us, overcome us, carry off the victory, or become victorious over our lives. Evil is indeed a strong force, fueled by Satan himself. But, those who have set their faith in Christ’s victory over all evil, when He became a sacrifice on the cross for sin, can now live victoriously through Him. Jesus conquered Satan, sin, evil, sickness and death on the cross, and those who have faith in Him are enabled to live in that same victory and will not be overcome by evil. We covered much of this teaching in (Discovering Grace Weekly #5). As I have mentioned before, evil may try to come and pick a fight with you, but you have a decisive victory already in the bag. Just hold fast to your faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work, and you will win. Look at this instruction and sustaining promise in 1 Peter 5:8-11…
“Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour.
But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be].
To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:8-11 AMP
It is by His grace and through our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) that we come out victorious over any temptation or onslaught of the devil. It is God Himself who will complete, confirm, strengthen and establish us in Christ’s victory. When Jesus is reigning by His power at work in and through us, the devil cannot rule and reign. Jesus has been given “dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever.” This is a great comfort and an anchor for our faith.
Just meditate on this promise “...the God of all grace...will Himself, complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you…” What a promise! This truth is a confirmation of all that we learned in the second and third articles of this series (see Discovering Grace Weekly #6 and Discovering Grace Weekly #7). The only true source of goodness is in God Himself. It is through His grace and salvation that His immeasurable goodness is imparted to all who have placed their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Friend, if this is the first time you have joined in reading this series and you deeply desire to experience this kind of victory in your life, we encourage you to…
“Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe].” - Acts 16:31 AMP
The Father has made salvation so easy for anyone who has a sincere heart that desires to be saved from the power of sin, Satan, sickness and disease, and all things evil. Simply follow this instruction from Scripture and you will be on your way to a loving, faith-filled relationship with the Father God Who deeply loves you and His Son Who gave His own life to save you…
“...if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation.
For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].”
For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer].
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.” - Romans 10:9-13 AMP
I have enjoyed the benefit of this passage for over 40 years now, but it is still a powerful promise and always gives me goose-bumps! There is no maybe here...if you follow this instruction, you “will be saved.” We encourage you to also read our articles Get Saved Now...Ask Questions Later and All Who Are Weary. These will really help you.
Now, once we have come to the realization that in our own strength and efforts, we are unable to “...not be overcome by evil,” and that we are sorely lacking in any real ability to “overcome evil with good,” we can now move forward in rest and remain convinced that in Christ and through His divine energy, we will be able to accomplish both. Now, let’s get started!
Just like the first part of Romans 12:21, that same word for “overcome” is used in the second part of the exhortation, where we are instructed to “overcome evil with good.” Let’s remember that this is a fighting word. We are not to allow sin, Satan or anything evil to conquer us, overcome us, carry off the victory, or become victorious over our lives, rather we are to do the quelling of evil. We are to overcome every form of evil. We are to be the ones who carry off the victory and come out victorious over evil. This will be a battle, but God views the victory as already ours in Christ. Yes, my Friends...this is what we are commanded, by Our Heavenly Commander in Chief, to do! But how do we do this? We are to accomplish this through the power of Christ working in and through our actions by doing… “Good!” The good news is that God has already programmed “good works” into the life of every believer.
“For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].” - Ephesians 2:10 AMP
Yes...Even now, Jesus continues to carry out His ministry to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mark 16:15) and “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” (Acts 10:38) He is accomplishing this ministry through His Body, the Church of believing ones who are “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:23). Look at the things that Jesus said His believing ones would do…
“These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.
They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” - Mark 16:17-18 NLT
It is very exciting to me that my Father God re-created me in Christ and gave me His awesome nature, so I would be ready for all the good works He has already planned ahead of time for me to be a part of. He calls me His own handiwork or workmanship. This gives me such a loving sense of His good intentions for my life and the assurance that “good” has been, and always will be, a part of His plan for me. Continuing the good work of Jesus on the earth, filled with His power working through me, is the good works God has planned. If you have ever had the opportunity to partner with Jesus through His name to see someone healed or delivered from the devil’s oppression and witness their life being transformed through an encounter with the living God, it is an exhilarating experience and brings untold joy, happiness and the desire to continue in His good work. The Father desires to have all of His children participating in these “good works.”
It is so important that we see His good intentions and His heart of love for us and for others, because the trouble we will likely experience in the world, as we go forth accomplishing His good plans, may cause us to doubt His good plans, or to wrongly conclude that our loving Heavenly Father is somehow behind the trouble we face. The devil does not sit quietly while we “overcome evil with good.” But, we must not be discouraged, because...
“... we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.” - Romans 8:28 AMP
The verses prior to this reveal that even when life is challenging, and I can’t even muster a decent prayer, His Holy Spirit in me takes over and places my situation before the Father as He prays for me, and my situation turns around for my good according to God’s good will for my life. (see Romans 8:26-27) You see...His good works for me are not just for me, but to benefit someone else… maybe even someone like you. The good works He has designed ahead of time for you, are not just for you either, but perhaps to bless someone else...maybe even someone like me. Oh, what a good and intelligent and purposeful heart God has for each one of us. No longer are we enslaved by the selfish nature imparted to us through Adam’s sin, rather through faith in Jesus Christ, the Father has re-created us to live in the perfect, good nature of His Son, accomplishing all of the good that Jesus set as an example for us to do.
I am trying to drill deep enough for us to be firmly established in the truth that any “good” that we attempt to do will only be truly “good” if it is generated through the divine energy, supplied by the Son’s righteousness. It is His power that flows from His Spirit within us, through our yielded hearts, to those who need the “good” that God wants to share with them through us. That statement was powerful, but necessary to understand before we proceed.
Next, we want to dive back into the context surrounding the exhortation of
Romans 12:21. Keeping things in the context of the Scripture gives us the clearest picture of what God meant by what He said. I want to start with the final verse in the eleventh chapter of Romans, and then head into the twelfth chapter. It makes very clear what has been stated thus far…
“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it).
I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].” - Romans 11:36-12:2 AMPC
This passage is loaded with wisdom for us in our pursuit to “...not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Now that we have plenty of Scripture confirmation that all things come to us and flow through us through Jesus, the first thing we are asked to do is to make a decisive decision that our blood-bought bodies are for the service of the Lord, not for selfish desires (the flesh) or for evil desires (for Satan’s service). Our mindset is to be in agreement with the great mercy God has bestowed upon us through the sacrifice of Jesus. We are to see ourselves as a sacrifice that is made alive and is holy, just as He is holy, and well pleasing to the Father. That’s right… We are well pleasing to the Father, and God wants us to walk this out in our daily life through our own body that we’ve devoted to Him for His work. God calls this worship. This is what He considers to be our reasonable service in light of all that has been done for us. Yet, again, this is expected through the divine energy and love that Jesus produces in us.
Dedicating our bodies solely to the Lord is so counter to our current cultural mindset to cancel everything that isn’t rooted in the evil of self-centeredness, greed and prideful hatred of others.The number one indicator of true spiritual transformation is whether our heart is willing to submit first of all to the God Who created us, and commit ourselves to living our life for Him in complete submission to His beautiful plan for us. Remember, that His plan is “good.”
In order to worship God through our holy and well pleasing service, we are going to have to let God change the way we are used to thinking. We’ve been raised in this world, and this world teaches us to look primarily at our own self, our own actions, our own desires, our self-preservation, and our self-advancement. While we may have dabbled a bit in serving others, there is usually a motivational benefit to self, even in serving another. We’ve been raised to make situational decisions which appeal to how our senses interpret a circumstance before us. Our actions are mostly governed by the limited scope of information fed to our mind through our senses, our emotions or what someone else tells us to think or believe. Yet God’s Word informs us that this mode of thinking is not going to get us to the destination of “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
Getting our thoughts to line up with God’s thoughts is how we will be certain that we are moving and functioning in “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The obvious way to do this is to read and study the Word of God, because “the Word of God is the Will of God.” I would like to point out for the second time that His will is “good.” It is also “acceptable and perfect.” I can’t stress enough how important it is right now that we bring back the honest study of the Word of God. To submit your mind to the direction the world is turning currently will be dangerous and damning to those who do not heed the Word of God, but reject His good counsel for the evil ideologies of the world. We must know the Word to know the difference!
There is so much more to share, which we will continue next week, but I’d like to close this article with a quick summary. God is good! He is the only true source of good and it is through the divine energy and righteousness of Jesus Christ that we are enabled to move forward in this life of giving ourselves to the holy and well-pleasing service of God. As we devote our minds, not to the devastating and corrupt mentality of the world systems and the Satanic ideologies being presented today, but to the truths plainly detailed in the Word of God, we will find ourselves living and walking out our amazing life in “the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
I hope you are being built up in your faith as you read this series on all that is “Good,” so you will be equipped to navigate the dark times that appear to be on the horizon. Friend, if you have yet to give your life to God through faith in Jesus Christ, I pray you will join the ranks of the redeemed and justified soon. All of the prophesies of the Word of God will soon be coming to pass, and Jesus will be returning shortly to take His Church home. I hope you will be with us! I’d like to share with you this powerful Psalm. Since it is the very first Psalm recorded, it carries a tremendous amount of weight in God’s heart and is a stern warning to us about whose counsel we are presenting our believing hearts and minds to.
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.
But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.
And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].
Not so the wicked [those disobedient and living without God are not so]. But they are like the chaff [worthless, dead, without substance] which the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].
For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly [those living outside God’s will] shall perish (end in ruin and come to nought).” - Psalm 1 AMPC
Finally, as we move forward in our journey to “...not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” we must keep our minds solely fixed upon God’s counsel. He will guide and direct us at every turn, if we are submitted to hearing Him. The alternative to God’s good counsel is not pleasant. We must not be deceived by rhetoric that only has the appearance of good for the sake of others. Examine everything through the test of the root motivation. If a work or idea isn’t first rooted and grounded in the love of God and the truth revealed in Scripture, it is not a good thing. Go back to the anchor of Scripture!
Professing Christian... Let me encourage you to believe that this Psalm is just as crucial for you to heed as it is for the person who has not received salvation in Christ yet. Ungodly counsel will lead us down a path of destruction. Long life and God’s protection are promised to those who seek His counsel, believe His counsel by faith, and follow His counsel right into His safety. Let me leave you with this final Scripture to gladden your heart and give you a firm foundation of faith to set your mind upon this week...
“Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, gladden yourselves in Him]; again I say, Rejoice!
Let all men know and perceive and recognize your unselfishness (your considerateness, your forbearing spirit). The Lord is near [He is coming soon].
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:4-7 AMPC
Now that, dear Friends, is Grace!
written by
Eileen R. Jacobs (February 2021)
Copyright © 2021 Eileen Jacobs Ministries. All rights reserved.
Note:
One last note...if today you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, we encourage you to write the date down somewhere important to you. Many people like to write the date of their salvation on the inside cover of their Bible. I can’t stress enough how important this is to do. Not only does it help you remember the day you became a Child of God, but it is a marker of your New Birth like a birth certificate, which is a legal proof of your existence. This marker is important because, whether you know it or not, there actually is a devil. Since he is a spirit, he has an ability to speak to our minds by way of deceptive thoughts. I can almost guarantee that there will come a time when a suggestive thought will come to your mind that will cause you to question whether you are really saved or not. This is where that date recorded or marker or New Birth certificate becomes important. You can simply go back to your Bible or wherever you wrote it down, and remind yourself or say to the devil...”Nope, you’re wrong! This date is the day I received Jesus, the day of my New Birth, the day I became a Child of God, the day I was saved, the day my name was written in the Lamb’s book of life...end of discussion!”
Finally, we would love to know that you have joined the family of God. We are so excited for you and we want to keep you in our prayers. Email us to let us know!
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