9月23日         

標　　題：報復

經　　節：親愛的弟兄，不要自己伸冤，寧可讓步，聽憑主怒；因為經上記著：『主說：「伸冤在我，我必報應。」』（羅馬書十二章19節）

在相信神的路上，其中最困難的一點是公義的問題。當我們遭遇不公平時，總想看到犯罪的一方受懲治。我們要伸張正義，特別當自己是受害者的時候。如果沒能很快地報仇雪恨，我們會變得很沒耐性。然而，神警告我們，報仇雪恨不是我們的特權。我們要渴慕公義，但是不可伸冤報仇雪恨（彌迦書六：8）。當某人傷害我們，要以饒恕回應傷害（馬太福音五：44）。伸張正義是神的事。神非常愛人類，以至於不允許罪不受抑制。

彼得斷言，神並不是耽擱祂給我們的應許，乃是在祂審判之前，耐心地寬容我們（彼得後書三：9）。然而，神已經預備好絕對的終極審判。到時候，沒有任何罪可以不受處罰的。刑罰不是落在祂兒子的身上，就是落在那犯罪者的身上。每個人最終都得為自己所做的每一件事負責任（哥林多後書五：10）。

神是絕對公正的，只有祂可以擔保公義完全得伸張。如果我們沒耐性，想自己伸冤，就是假定自己比神有智慧。如此一來，也就是公然地透露出自己不相信神會做對事。只有信任神擁有最高主權的智慧，才能由自己的憤怒和專注於加害者的情緒中，釋放出來。倘若拒絕相信神的公義，我們會變成苦毒與憤怒的奴隸。一定要管理自己的心，相信神必運行祂的審判在那敵對祂的人身上。

Revenge

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

One of the hardest areas in which to trust God is in the matter of justice. When we perceive an injustice, we want to see the guilty party punished. We want justice to prevail, especially if we are the victim. We become impatient if we are not avenged quickly. Yet God warns us that vengeance is not our prerogative. We are to desire justice, but we are not to seek vengeance (Mic. 6:8). When someone offends us, our responsibility is to respond to the offense with forgiveness (Matt. 5:44). God takes the responsibility to see that justice is done. God loves people too much to allow sin to go unchecked.

Peter claimed that God is not slow about His promises to us, but He is patient and long-suffering before He brings about judgment (2 Pet. 3:9). Yet ultimately God has prepared for absolute justice. There will be no sin committed that He will leave unpunished. Either the punishment will fall on His Son or it will be charged against the sinner, but everyone will ultimately give an account for everything they have done (2 Cor. 5:10).

God is absolutely just, and only He can ensure that justice is fully carried out. If we are impatient and seek revenge, we presume that we are wiser than God, and we reveal a blatant lack of trust that God will do the right thing. Only by trusting God’s sovereign wisdom will we be free from our anger and preoccupation toward those who have committed evil. If we refuse to trust God’s justice, we become enslaved to bitterness and anger. We must guard our hearts and trust God to exercise His judgment against those who oppose Him.