Bill Acton :: Romans 12:17-21 - The Christian and God

Sermon Outline for Romans 12:17-21

1. The Christian and God – Rom 12:1-2
2. The Christian and Self – Rom 12:3
3. The Christian and the Body of Christ – Rom 12:4-16
   1. Exercising gifts – Rom 12:4-8
   2. Expressing love – Rom 12:9-16
4. The Christian and Society – Rom 12:17-21
   1. Attitudes toward society
      1. Isolation – Jhn 17:9-23
      2. Identification – 1Jo 2:14-17
      3. Penetration – 1Jo 5:4-5
   2. Love is forgiving – Rom 12:17
      1. Natural reaction – Evil for evil
      2. Christian response – Forgiving love
   3. Love is honorable – Rom 12:17
      1. “Abstain from all appearance of evil” – 1Th 5:22
      2. “In the sight of all” – they are watching
   4. Love is peaceable – Rom 12:18
      1. Peace with God
      2. Peace with self
      3. Peace with others
      4. Blessed are the peacemakers
      5. Not peace at any price – “If it be possible”
      6. The Prince of Peace
   5. Love is non-avenging – Rom 12:19-20
      1. Vengeance does not belong to us
         1. Vengeance is God’s
         2. Give way to God’s wrath – let it rule
         3. “I will repay” – pay back – personally and accurately Deu 32:35; 2Ti 1:5-9
      2. Kindness is the heart’s tenderizer
      3. Vengeance means we have stooped to the same evil
      4. Revenge becomes wild and uncontrollable
      5. The natural man – has a spirit of retaliation
   6. Love overcomes evil – Rom 12:20-21
      1. Treats enemies with kindness
      2. Gives to the enemy – food, drink
      3. The coals of fire – the healing shame
      4. The overcoming
         1. We are overcome by evil when we are brought to commit the same
            1. Evil can never be conquered by evil
            2. When hatred is met by hatred, hatred increases
         2. We overcome evil with good
            1. The way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend
            2. Kill enemies with kindness
         3. There is a war between good and evil
            1. No one is neutral
            2. We must live a positive godly and good life
      5. The national application
      6. The personal application