God's Wrath. Not Man's
A Sermon on Romans 12:19-20
Originally preached Nov. 4, 1966
Scripture
19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on …
Sermon Description
While some popular streams of so-called Christianity claim that becoming a Christian means a care-free life, the New Testament is clear that Christians are likely to have more troubles. In this passage, the apostle Paul assumes Christians faithfully living in this fallen world will inevitably encounter evil against them. In this sermon on Romans 12:19–20 titled “God’s Wrath, Not Man’s,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds Paul’s teaching on the topic. Negatively, Christians are to respond to evil by not avenging. Positively, they are to give place to God’s wrath. But what do these things mean? Why should the Christian never seek personal vengeance and does this teaching support Christian pacifism? What about questions about the wrath of God and how are Christians to understand imprecatory prayers in light of this teaching regarding personal vengeance? In all these complex questions, Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings the Scriptures to bear in a cohesive manner by allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. Listen to this thought-provoking message as he challenges Christians to a distinct way of life in a world where they will encounter evil.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul exhorted Christians to not avenge themselves in Romans 12:19-20.
- Paul pleaded with Christians to not seek personal vengeance.
- Christians are to make room for God's wrath and judgment. Vengeance belongs to God, not us.
- We are sinful and unfit to properly judge and punish. God's judgment is holy, just and controlled.
- We must have the right spirit in leaving judgment to God. We should not desire punishment of others.
- Though we leave personal wrongs to God, we must stand for truth, righteousness and justice.
- We should desire God's reign to be extended and His glory manifested.
- We can be comforted that God will ultimately punish the wicked and vindicate Himself.
- We must distinguish between personal wrongs and standing for God's glory. The imprecatory Psalms show this.
- This teaching answers the error of pacifism. The command not to kill is for individuals, not states. God commanded killing of enemies at times.
- It is wrong to divide the Old and New Testaments. The same God is in both. Jesus accepted the Old Testament.
- Old Testament figures like David showed restraint in not avenging themselves.
- The New Testament also teaches God's wrath and judgment, e.g. parable of tares, rich man and Lazarus, sheep and goats.
- 2 Thessalonians 1 and Revelation show God's vengeance on the disobedient.
- We must have zeal for God's glory and judgment or our faith is defective. We await God's vindication.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Christian Response to Offenses
What does "avenge not yourselves" mean in Romans 12:19?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans 12:19 ("Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath") teaches Christians never to seek personal vengeance. Lloyd-Jones explains that the apostle Paul is instructing believers to stand aside and allow God to administer justice instead. The phrase "give place unto wrath" means "make room for the wrath of God" - a significant clarification since the Authorized Version omitted the definite article "the" before "wrath." This shows that vengeance belongs to God alone, not to us.
Why should Christians leave vengeance to God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why Christians should leave vengeance to God:
- As sinful beings, we are unfit to exercise just judgment
- We are naturally biased judges, especially in our own cases
- We are incapable of seeing the whole situation objectively
- God's judgment is always holy, just, righteous, and controlled
- Unlike human wrath which is passionate and uncontrolled, God's wrath is always judicial and never vindictive
As Lloyd-Jones states: "Vengeance is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord. The emphasis is upon the 'mine.' Mine is the vengeance, not yours."
How is the Christian approach to personal offenses different from standing for God's truth?
Lloyd-Jones makes an important distinction between:
- Personal wrongs (where we must never seek vengeance)
- Standing for God's truth and righteousness
He explains: "Though I am never to avenge a personal wrong or desire my enemy any harm, I am at the same time to be concerned about truth, about righteousness, about justice, and about the glory of God."
Lloyd-Jones provides biblical examples, including Paul refusing to leave prison quietly in Acts 16 (not for personal vengeance but to uphold justice), and his different responses to Alexander the Coppersmith (whom he left to God's judgment) versus the Christians who abandoned him (for whom he prayed for mercy).
Does this teaching mean Christians should be passive in the face of evil?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects the idea that this teaching promotes "flabby passivity." He explains that this distinction between personal vengeance and concern for God's righteousness helps explain:
- The "imprecatory psalms" where the psalmist calls for judgment on God's enemies
- Why pacifism misinterprets Scripture by failing to distinguish between personal behavior and societal justice
- Why both Old and New Testaments teach about God's righteous judgment
Lloyd-Jones concludes: "If you and I haven't got a zeal for the name of God, if we haven't a zeal for the righteous judgment of God, our Christianity is seriously defective. We must never feel personal vengeance or a desire for personal vengeance. But if you don't feel that you look for the day when God will vindicate himself... I say your understanding of the scripture is defective and your worship of God is seriously defective."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.