There is a very clear warning given to those people who oppose the righteous. “Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.” (Psalm 34:21, NIV84) They will be condemned. They will be marked guilty. They will be held responsible to God for their actions.
The righteous are those who love God deeply in their hearts. They may not be perfect, but like David, their heart’s cry is for a heart perfectly set to God. The righteous submit to God’s correction and receive God’s love. The righteous live a life controlled by God. Through a relationship with Jesus that is intimate, vibrant and alive, we become righteous. “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” (Romans 6:16–18, NIV84)
I am a righteous person in Christ. I have had many oppose me. Sadly at times, the opposition came from people who were in the church but were motivated by envy, jealousy, ambition and self-promotion. These people became manipulative and controlling.
This is their outcome according to Scripture. “May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me, may ruin overtake them by surprise— may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.” (Psalm 35:4–8, NIV84)
Those who oppose the righteous will be disgraced. The will move into confusion and disappointment. They will be shamed. They will be humiliated and dishonored. Every plan against me will be thwarted. The angel of the Lord will drive them away from me. They will blow like dead brush in the wind with no root to hold them. They will be chased to their destruction by the angel of the Lord. They will come to ruin.
Vindication belongs to God. As a righteous person, I leave all those who have harmed me in the hands of God.
Paul understood that God deals harshly with those who oppose the righteous. “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.” (2 Timothy 4:14–15, NIV84)
We live by grace and faith. However that grace is not excuse to sin or to harm others. “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!” (Romans 6:1–2, NIV84)
God deals with those who oppose us. Our job as righteous people is to keep seeking God in every battle, challenge and difficulty. We surrender the situation to God and He empowers us with grace.
“But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:6–8, NIV84)
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