I want to begin reading in the twelfth chapter of the book of Romans, and I want to begin in verse nine, and let's see if we can finish this chapter tonight without keeping you too long. Verse nine says, Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love. in honor preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another.

Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to an old man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him, if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

I want to say a few things before we actually get into our study tonight, and I have a reason for saying this. The Apostle Paul, in the earlier parts of this epistle, made a distinction between law and grace. You remember that. He made a distinction as far as justification is concerned. It's very important. that we understand that. Luther said the church stands or falls on this doctrine of justification. And Paul was very careful to be clear on this matter of how a person is justified.

And he says it was not by the works of the law. By the works of the law, he said in chapter 3, no flesh, no man or woman or boy and a girl could ever be justified. We cannot be justified by our own works. And then in that chapter, he continued and said, being justified by faith, by grace, being justified by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Sin had to be paid for. The law had to be satisfied. And Jesus Christ did that upon the cross. And His grace comes to us now through Jesus Christ, through this crucified Savior. And it justifies us. We're justified by grace and not by the works of the law. Now, we need to be clear on that, don't we? We must be clear on that. And Luther was right when he made that statement. This is a critical doctrine.

And this is one of the places that we adamantly disagree with Catholicism And all the other isms that's out there that mixes law and grace or outright denies grace and said you better do the best you can if you expect God to justify and accept you. So it's, there's a distinction made between law and grace as far as our justification, the way we're justified. We're justified by Jesus Christ, by His blood, by His death, and by His grace. And then he made a distinction there in the third chapter also, how we justify, how does this come to us? If we say we're justified by Christ, we're justified by grace, well, personally, how do I obtain a part in that?

And this is important too, isn't it? Is it by the works of the law? Boy, here's where the Galatians got themselves in trouble, didn't they? They said, well, it's by Christ, it's by the death of Christ, and it's us being circumcised and keeping the law. But Paul made this distinction. He said this.

He said, we conclude, therefore, that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. So that's important of how this justification becomes ours, isn't it? It was earned for us. It was merited for us through Jesus Christ and His perfect obedience. He finished the work. And now it becomes mine personally by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for it and not working for it, not doing certain things for it. These truths are so, so very, very important. And I say this, brothers and sisters, for this reason.

Paul goes on in the sixth chapter. And there he is speaking of our lives. He concludes how we're justified through Christ and how we receive this justification by faith. And in the sixth chapter, he begins to deal with how we live our lives. Shall we continue in sin, he says in chapter six, verse one, that grace may abound? God forbid, he says. How shall we that are dead to sin live? They'll any longer they're in. He's speaking of the way we live our lives. And then he begins to tell us about this union that we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. And I said when we were studying that, I can't get into that. I can just declare it.

I can believe it. But if you're in Jesus Christ tonight, if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and the saving of your soul, you went to the cross with Christ. You suffered with Him. You died with Him. You went to the grave with Him. And you rose with Him, with the Lord Jesus Christ. And because of this union you have with Him, you cannot live any longer in sin. I don't know how it works, but Paul says since we're dead with Him, then we can't live any longer in sin. He even went as far as enough to say this, don't yield your body. as servants of sin, but yield your members as servants of righteousness.

And then he makes this statement. And this is so important to me personally, because I've had struggles with the law and the believer in my own life. And I've tried to study this out. But there in the sixth chapter in verse 14, Paul makes this statement.

Sin shall not have dominion over you. Now, remember the context. He's talking about living our lives, giving our bodies and the members of our bodies as servants. And he said, sin shall not have dominion over you because you are not under the law, but under grace.

What is a believer's rule of life? Well, it's not law. It cannot be law. Now let me tell you, brothers and sisters, if a believer is under the law, we're talking about the law of Moses, in any sense, then he's going to be condemned. He's going to be judged guilty. Bruce, why do you say that? Because the Bible says by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law wasn't given to puff a man up in his self-righteousness. The law wasn't given to make a man, fill a man with self-confidence. It was given to prove a man's guilt, to strip him in his conscience and send him to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If I profess to be under the law in any sense, then there's two things that I feel I need, that I'm doing. One, I'm diminishing the authority of the law. If I say that, well, I'm not under the law as a covenant, but I'm under the law as a rule. If I say I'm under the law, I'm under the law. It don't matter if it's a covenant of works or if it's my way of life. If I say I'm under the law in any sense, then you know what I do?

I condemn myself because the law judges me. The law condemns me. Cursed is every man that continueth not in everything that's written in the book of the law to do it. The law doesn't recognize the best we can do. The law doesn't recognize repentance. You can't go to the law and say, I broke you and I'm sorry. It don't accept repentance, does it? He accepts perfection.

And if I say I'm under the law, then I must keep the law. And if I say I'm under the law, then if the law doesn't condemn me, doesn't judge me and find me to be guilty, then I personally feel like that I have diminished the authority of the law. If I say I'm under the law and turn around and say, well, it don't judge me, then why doesn't it judge me? Does the law judge sin?

Of course it does. So to say that Patrick is under the law or Larry is under the law or Wanda is under the law, but the law don't judge them, the law doesn't condemn them, that's to diminish the authority of the law. And the second thing it does is to diminish the work of Jesus Christ. He hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Free from the law. In what sense? Every sense. Free from the law. Oh, happy condition. Jesus has bled and now there's remission. Well, here's why I've said all this.

How does a believer know how to live then? I've had pastors ask me this. Especially among the Reformed Baptists, I've had pastors ask me this. I've had two pastors ask me this that I know of. Well, Bruce, if you don't look to the Law of Moses to regulate and rule your life, what is it that regulates your life? I just read them to you.

We call them gospel precepts. And to me, they're much more clear. They enter in more to the details of our daily life than the Ten Commandments ever could. We call them gospel precepts because they pertain to the gospel. And you see them in the Old Testament. You see them in the latter part of these epistles?

And that's what I want us to quickly look at tonight, these gospel precepts. If you want to know what rules my life, what regulates my daily life in this world, then I'm going to tell you tonight, right here is what does. And not only these, but in the latter part usually of all these epistles. But look at it now. In verse 9, he says this. This is what he says to believers. This is not to the world. This is not to unbelievers. But this is to the children of God, believers.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Let love be sincere. Let your love be genuine. If I was saying it tonight, I would say, just let your love be what love is. You don't have to put on, do you? You don't have to pump something up. If you're born of God, you're born of love, then just live out that love in your heart. If you're born of love, you've been given a new nature. You've been given a new heart and a new spirit. Just live out that in your life.

You say, Bruce, what is love? Boy, aren't we told that in the scriptures? Let love be without hypocrisy. What is love? Well, listen to this. 1 Corinthians 13. Love is long-suffering to people. Love is kind to people. Love is not jealous. Love does not pump itself up and give itself a high opinion. Love is never rude. It's never provoked. It burns all things. It rejoices not in sin, but the truth. And love never fails. Just live that out in your life. Let love be what it is because it's honest, it's sincere, and it's truthful. Let love be without dissimulation.

And look what else he says. Abhor that which is evil. Despise it. Detest it. Flee from it. Hate it in yourself. Hate it when you see it in others. Pray against it and don't yield to it. Don't give a place to it. Don't let it dwell in your heart. Don't let it dwell in your lives. Don't let it dwell in your relationships. Abhor everything that's evil.

And that makes us abhor ourselves sometimes, too, doesn't it? No wonder Job said, I abhor myself, because he saw the evil that was still in him. And look at this one, cleave to that which is good. Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good.

Listen to how Peter would say this. He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil. Let his lips refrain from speaking God. Let him turn away from evil and let him do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cries, their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."

Cleave to what's good. How do we know what's good? Well, this Bible will tell us one thing. That's what a Christian is to do. Let go of the evil and cleave to everything that's good. Look here in verse 10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honor preferring one another. This is speaking of the family. Be kindly affectioned. Cherish. Cherish your natural family.

God has given you a family. He's given you a wife. He's given you a husband. He's given you children. He's given you an extended family. Cherish that family that God's given you and put you into. But there's another family, isn't there? There's this heavenly family. God is our Father. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Brother. And you and I are brothers and sisters in Christ. What a family! What a heavenly family that we have! Cherish one another, brothers and sisters. Never falsely accuse each other. Think highly of one another. Cherish one another in your very hearts of hearts.

And look in verse 11. Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. This word, not slothful in business, I don't know why our translators translated the word here, business, in verse 11. And in verse 8, they translated it, diligence. I have no idea what they did that. But this word, not slothful in business, it means don't be slack in earnestness.

Whatever you find to do, if it's right, if you're obligated to do it and you need to do it, put your whole heart in it. Solomon said, whatever you find to do, do it with all your might. We come here and worship, we do it with all of our hearts, don't we? We want a heart into it. Some of you will get up in the morning and you'll go to work. Some of you work from home. No matter what you're doing, put your heart in it. And why is that?

Well, he said in the last portion of verse 11, because we serve the Lord. That's the difference between the believer and a non-believer, isn't it? That's why a believer should be content with his wages. That's why a believer should give his employer a good day's work for a day's pay. Because we serve the Lord in everything we do. We serve Him. Ain't that a good rule to live by? And here in that last part, it says, Firmament in spirit, serving the Lord.

This word firmament means to bubble. It means to boil. It's like when you put water on a kettle and it begins to boil. That's what that means. Bubble with warmness, with heat as you serve the Lord. And it also means to glow, like you put a piece of metal in a fire until it turns red and it glows. That's the way we're to serve the Lord. Bubbling and glowing, permanency in our hearts and in our souls, in our spirits.

In verse 12, look at this. Rejoicing in hope. Well, I've said this so many times. Rejoicing in hope. Knowing what we know tonight. Knowing how much we need salvation. I mean, the most important thing in my life is being saved. Isn't it, you? If I'm not saved, nothing else matters. I'm in trouble. And knowing my salvation rests in a sovereign God, in the will of God. Salvation is of the Lord. Knowing something about dying. I'm 75 years old. I'm not going to live much longer in this world. I'm going to die and I'm going out into eternity. That's serious, isn't it? If you could be here tonight and knowing what you know now and having no hope, what would that do to you? That would break your heart, wouldn't it?

But how does it affect you knowing you've got a good hope? That rejoices your heart, doesn't it? Oh, my, to have a good hope in Jesus Christ through His grace, that just thrills my soul, doesn't it, you? Rejoice in hope. And look what he says, you're patient in tribulation. And I think if you put both of these together, he says, boy, if you have a good hope, You have a good hope in eternity. You've got to have a good hope of being with Christ and being like Him someday.

That's going to help you be patient during tribulation. When you get in trouble, when trials come and you've got no way out and you just have to wait on the Lord. When your car breaks down and you can't get any help for it and you've just got to wait. But in times like that, what do you do?

You remember. You've got hope. We've been made dear for a night, but what's coming in the morning? Joy is coming in the morning. So when you think of what's waiting, you brothers and sisters, it will help you be patient. The sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Patient in tribulation. And notice this. Continuing instruct in prayer. Right in the middle of these instructions, these precepts, you've got this. And if somebody thinks, boy, this is going to be an easy life.

Paul said it's going to drive you to the throne of grace. It's going to keep you at the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help to live like this and these remaining verses in these Bible. You think this is why David said, I pray seven times a day? You reckon this is why Daniel opened his window towards the east three times a day, even when they said, we're going to put you in a lion's den if you do?

In every joy that crowns my day, in every pain I bear, my heart shall find delight in praise or seek relief in prayer. When gladness fills my favored hour, Thy love my thoughts shall fill. Resign when storms of sorrow come, My soul submits to Thy will. My lifted eye without a tear, The gathering storm I see, My steadfast heart shall know no fear, For my heart is trusting on Thee.

Continue an instant in prayer. And look what he says in verse 13. Distributing to the necessity of the saints. There's four things I thought about this as I thought about this. Distributing to the necessity of things. I thought four blessings in this. Isn't it a blessing just to find somebody that needs some help? That's a blessing, isn't it? You say, Bruce, why is that?

Those people go through this life and never help anybody because they never see anybody that needs help. There's people that need help, but some people just don't see it. You remember on the day when they stood before the Lord and the Lord said, I was hungry and you didn't feed me. I was in prison and you didn't visit me. I was thirsty and you never gave me a sip of water. Remember what the unbeliever said, Lord, when did we see this? When did we see you like that? They didn't see the Lord that way and they never saw the Lord's children that way.

I'm just saying, brothers and sisters, to run upon a dear saint that needs your help is a blessing. And here's the second thing about that, isn't it a blessing when God provides us the means to help? That's a blessing, isn't it? One thing I've always noticed, if the Lord has a needy saint, He has somebody with a means to provide their need. You ever seen that? Happens every time, doesn't it? He plans all of this out. Thirdly, here's the blessing.

You can't out-give God. We don't give for God to give back to us, do we? Everything we have is His. David said, Lord, we just give a very small portion of what You've given us. Everything is His. But here's the thing. You can't out-give God. He's blessed us with so much and we give so little, and yet He blesses us for giving. He puts a poor saint in our way, and He puts something in our pocket to give to the poor saint, then He blesses us for giving it. Ain't that amazing? And it seemed like the more you give, the more you have.

Gail was telling me, I didn't get the report, and she was telling me how much we gave to Chapel Library last year. What was it, Gail? $22,000? Can you imagine? We've got five or six missionaries. This little old congregation gave $22,000 to one church to print up tracts. $22,000. Isn't that amazing?

And I said, well, I guess, I thought, well, I guess we're sort of running low. She said, no, we've got more than we had when we started. Can you believe that? There was a man, some say was mad. The more he gave, the more he had. And that's what it's saying here. You see somebody in need, boy, just help them. You ain't going to go broke because of it. Because I'm talking to the choir.

But lastly is this, it's always more blessed to give than to receive. Distributed to the necessity of the saints because it's always more blessed to give than to receive. Brother Don Fortner used to say, you have givers, you have some saints that's givers and you have people that's takers. I heard somebody talking the other day in one of the videos and he talked about the poor widows, especially the poor widows.

That's lonely. That's in need. And they're sending their money to these preachers on TV. And those poor widows are so poor, they can't already buy groceries. And those preachers are taking that money and getting rich with it. And they're not sending a dime back to those poor widows. Ain't that a shame? That's a shame. Distributed unto the necessity of saints.

And look at this. Given to hospitality. This word hospitality, they say, where we get our word hospital. I don't know that. You'll have to check on that. But this word given, this word hospitality, it means to entertain. And the word given is to pursue. Pursue entertainment. Pursue to entertain God's children. It's the same word in Hebrews chapter 13. Be careful to entertain strangers. For some have entertained angels unaware. Peter says this, use hospitality one to another without grudging. I bet this has happened to you. I know this has happened to me. I know I ain't the only one guilty of this.

Next time I invite some of you over, I know you're going to think about this, what I'm telling you. But we have had people sometime over at the house, through the years I've done this, and I thought, Man, we can't afford to have them over. You ever think of that? We just can't afford to have them over. Then I thought of this. This is going to take up a lot of my time. You ever think of that? I've got my own time. This is going to take some needs I have. You think the same way I do.

And you have to go to the throne of grace and get your heart fixed. and fill your heart with love, then you're going to count their needs over your own. You're going to take your time, you want it for you, and give it to them. You're going to be hospitable. You're going to entertain the Lord's children.

14 through 20, Paul is mainly going to deal here with our attitude when we're mistreated, when somebody persecutes us. For the most part, that's what he's going to do. But look here what he says in verse 14. Bless them which persecute you. Bless and curse not.

I was listening to a Jewish rabbi not long ago, and he didn't count that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. But what he was doing, he said, he was making a distinction between Jesus of Nazareth and Paul the Apostle. And he said Jesus Christ and Paul the Apostle was two different people in their whole attitude. He said look at Jesus and his teaching. He was a very humble and meek man. Paul was a renegade and a proud man. He said these two can't be associated with one another. But you know how Paul said that?

Pray for those who persecute you. Don't cuss them. Don't be mad at them. Who else said that? Listen to the Lord Jesus Christ with His Sermon on the Mount. Bless them that curse you. That sounds like Paul, doesn't it? And pray for them that despitefully use you. That's what Christians have done all through the New Testament. Remember Stephen? The Lord laid not their sins to the charge when they were stoning him. Our Lord Jesus Himself, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they do.

You read Foxe's Book of Martyrs. And a man that come around and set the fire to the wood that was burning a dear saint. And the dear saint burning was praying for that man that lit that fire. Praying for them was despitefully used. They persecute you. They hate you. What shall I respond? Lord, forgive that man. Lord, open that man's heart. I would be there if it wasn't for your grace. Pray for them which despitefully gives you.

And here in verse 15 and verse 16, Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mine not how things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceit. I think the best way that I could explain this to you would give you example of something, an incident that happened with me.

I'd known a dear couple. They were so precious, but they were very wealthy. He owned several thousand acres, huge ranch. And they went to this little gospel church. I got acquainted with them because I went there and preached quite often. And boy, they Even though they were wealthy, they dressed just like everybody else. Their attitude was just like everybody else. And they knew the congregation. They knew the people that was under burden. They could weep with those who were weeping. They rejoiced with those who rejoiced because they could relate to the congregation. They were involved with the congregation. A very precious couple.

I was out one time preaching for them and they started associating with people on a higher worldly scale. They started associating with politicians and bankers and businessmen and they quit coming to the congregation. Last time I was there, they hadn't seen them for a long time. What happened to them? Oh my, they're in big times now. And they started looking at their riches, started looking at their businesses, started looking at the life in this world.

They couldn't condescend. They couldn't relate anymore. They wouldn't to the God's little flock. That's what this means. No matter what your standing is in this world, if you're a believer, then condescend to people just like this. Relate to them. Associate with them. See how they feel. See how you can help them.

I'll give you a good example. Henry Mahan. Some of you may not know this. Henry Mahan would never tell you. You'd almost have to get in private and get him to tell you about some of the people he knew. Henry Mahan was personal friends with some famous people. He knew famous baseball coaches and managers. He knew famous baseball pitchers and players. He knew some famous country music fans. And you wouldn't know who I was talking about if I told you.

There's a group that wanted Henry to have their pitcher, and they gave Henry a pitcher, and I guess they thought he was going to put it on his wall in his study. He hid it! And yet He came here and preached to us. Some of you remember Him coming here and relating to us. He stayed with Gail and Clarence. Every time I've seen Him after that, He said, Boy, that's the best food I've ever eaten in my life. And He prayed with us. And He condescended to see what we needed and who we were.

That's what this verse is saying here. Don't let this world and don't let conceit Don't let pride take you away from the Lord's people. Look in verse 17. Recompense to no man, evil for evil. Why would Paul have to tell us that? Well, I tell you, if somebody cuts me off, I'm going to try to get in front of them and cut them off. That's just the way we are. If somebody honks at me when I'm sitting in the red light, I'll honk right back at them. Ain't that the way we are? We want to recompense. I want to get the last word. And he said, don't do that. Don't do that. Don't recompense evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. This word provide, some of these words you really don't know exactly what they mean or detail until you look them up. This word provide, it means to give thought beforehand. Provide, to give thought beforehand.

And what it is pertaining to is your attitude. I talked with a dear brother today, And he said, boy, I got in trouble. I lost my attitude. I got an attitude, lost a good one, got a bad one. He said it happened so suddenly. You know, this word simply means think beforehand how you're going to react when you go out into the world. How are you going to act when you come to the worship service? If we thought beforehand, and give some thought to this, and we would pray, Lord, please keep me in the right attitude. I don't know what's going to happen to me today, but I know I'm going to face some time.

I'm going to lose my temper. So, Lord, I'm thinking about this. A lady sent me, it was a very funny thing, a lady sent me a little comical article, and this lady was praying, and she said, Well, I've done so good today. I haven't told anybody off and I've lost my temper. And she went on and on, told how good she was doing. And she said, but Lord, I'm ready to get out of bed and I'm going to need your help. That's the way we are, isn't it? So think about this beforehand.

Lord, I don't want to bring shame on your name. And I don't want to live in such a way that I have to go back and apologize to somebody when I shouldn't have never had this attitude. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Proverbs says this in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 3, let not mercy and truth forsake thee.

Bind it about your neck, he said. Write it upon the tables of your heart. Honesty, mercy, kindness. So shall thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Verses 19 through verse 21. I want to read you a statement today I got from one of the commentators, and I thought it was very good.

In verse 19, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay. Therefore, if your enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirsts, give him to drink. For in so doing you will heap colds of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

And this is what this commentator said. He said, to avenge is to take satisfaction for an injury by inflicting punishment on the offender. To take such satisfaction for injuries done to society is lawful and proper for the justice system, for the magistrate. And to take satisfaction for injuries done by sin to the universe, in the universe, is the right of God, the judge of the whole earth.

But the apostle here is addressing private individual Christians, and the command is to avoid a spirit and purpose of revenge. Don't be possessed with the spirit and the attitude of revenge. But this commandment is not to be understood that we may not seek for justice in a regular and proper way before civil tribunals, before the civil authorities. If our character is assaulted, if we are robbed and plundered, if we are oppressed contrary to the law of the land, religion does not require us to submit to such oppression and injury without seeking our rights as in an orderly and regular manner. If it did, now listen to this, it would be to give a premium to iniquity, to countenance wickedness, and require a man by becoming a Christian to abandon his just rights. I think that's good, don't you?

We don't have this attitude of revenge. We don't want to do that. We want to love people and forgive people. But also, we have to be careful. We don't want to be like the poor Amish. I'm sorry, I don't. There are laws that rule society. And if evil people treat you in a bad way, then sometimes the best way to overcome that evil is holding evil accountable. That church up in Minnesota the other night, did you see where all the people went in and stopped the worship service? You know what I hope those people do? Whatever the authority does for those people, I hope every member of that congregation soothes the daylights out of those people.

You say, Bruce, is that not seeking revenge? That's seeking justice in society. And if Christians do not stand for justice, then are we going to give it away? We're not to be sissies. It's the whole attitude. I want to show you in closing, I want you to look over in the book of Acts chapter 16. Evil needs to be held accountable. If somebody comes in this place, to do you harm? Somebody will probably call the ambulance. And you say, Bruce, why would you say that? Are you bragging? I'm not bragging about that at all. But I'm saying this.

What would be the evil if somebody come through that back door to shoot some of you? And I stood here and you in the back stood there and watched them kill and kill and kill. If I had the means to stop them and I didn't, which is the greatest evil? It's good that evil is stopped, isn't it?

And we as Christians of all people should be able and wise enough to stop it and know how to stop it. Now if I'm out here and I'm witnessing somebody out here in the grocery store and I'm telling them about the Lord and he slaps my face, I'm going to say, I'm sorry, buddy, I can't help you and walk away. But there's a time to confront evil and to put a check to it and stop to it. And that's what the Apostle Paul did here in Acts chapter 16.

Remember they threw Paul and Silas in jail and I mean they beat them. They beat them bad. About midnight, they threw them in the back of the prison and put them in stonks. They couldn't even wash one another's wounds. And the next day, those law enforcement people that did that to Paul and Silas, they sent a message in and said, let them go. We've whipped them enough.

And you know what Paul did? I want you to look at it. In Acts chapter 16. And look in verse 35. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, O no!

Oh no, he thinks we're sisters. They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans. We've got rights, that's what he said. And have cast us into prison, and now do they thrust us out privately? Nay, verily, but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.

And I'm saying, brothers and sisters, there comes a time when we have to stand against evil, when the law of the land is on our side. And we said, no, you're not going to do that. You're not going to do it for our sakes. You're not going to do it for society's sake. We're going to hold you accountable.

Verse 39, And they came, and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they were seen to brethren, they comforted them, and departed. Now what if Paul hadn't of did this? What if he hadn't of stood and put a check to this evil? Then he did it again. Next time they may have did it to Lydia and her family.

So there comes a time when God gives us wisdom and gives us grace where there's evil in the land, we should stand up and put a stop to it. Sometimes by rebuking it and sometimes through our court system. And we can do that with a loving attitude. I'll send your backside to prison if you come in here and cause trouble. I will. And I'll do it lovingly. And I'll rejoice to do it because we put a stop to your rotten evil. OK, we better quit before I quit preaching and go to meddling on something. Lord, we do thank you. Oh, how gracious, how merciful you are. How good you are to us. Thank you for these wonderful instructions. Lord, you remind us that without you we can do nothing.

We know there comes a time and there'll come a time maybe in our lives, the life of this country, that even the law enforcement will turn upon us, the wicked will turn on us, religion will turn on us, and we can't do anything. But help us while we can, never to seek vengeance, never to mistreat anyone. But give us wisdom to know how to put a check upon evil. Lord, how we need wisdom.

And you said, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God. And we do. Bless these dear people. Oh, Lord, bless and visit them in their homes. Cause them to be true Christians. If they're not Christians, make Christians of them. Help us as we live in this world. that men will know that we have been with Jesus. For His name's sake we pray, Amen.