The meaning of this verse seems to be that we should so demean  ourselves  toward all men that we shall not  be  the cause  of  trouble.  "As much as lieth in you."   We  cannot govern  the  conduct of others, but even when they  are  not disposed  to  do right by us, if it be possible  for  us  to placate  them  and  get them in better  frame  of  mind  and disposition,  we are to do it.  We are to do all that  lieth in us, that is, use our utmost endeavor, to keep peace.

     It  is all right to plead our rights, but we are to  do this in such manner that it will show a Christian character, and not give way to anger and a fighting disposition.   Paul used his rights as a Roman citizen, and appealed to  Caesar. Some seem to think this would justify going to law against a brother.   But not so.  Paul appealed from the lowest  Roman courts to the highest.  This was a civil privilege.

     While  Jerusalem was being rebuilt,  Nehemiah  defended those  who  worked on the walls against those  who  attacked them.   These rights are not abridged by the exhortation  to live peaceably with all men so far as we are able to do  so. We are not to become common brawlers and trouble makers, nor to keep the company of such.

     I once knew a member of a church who had many  lawsuits with his neighbors, and was always in trouble with some one. A brother who was a member of the same church said to me, "I do  not  see  any  use of  having  so  much  trouble.   When differences  come up with me and any one, I try to get  them to see as I do, but if I cannot, then I let them have  their way  that time and I try not to have any more business  with them,  and  so  can get along with  them  peaceably."   This brother  was doing all he could to live peaceably  with  all men, and he succeeded to a good degree.

     It  gives you, your church, and your profession  a  bad reputation  if  you  are  of  a  "fussy"  disposition,   and contrariwise,  it  is to your credit, and adds to  the  good name of your church, and people are much more likely to have confidence in your profession if you live in peace with  all men  as far as IN YOU LIES.  The religion of Jesus is  peace and  goodwill toward men, and was so heralded when  he  came into the world.      Some persons who have an experience of grace should not be  allowed  membership in a church because they  let  their natural  disposition to make trouble, rule them.   One  such person can keep up trouble in a church, and two of them have often  brought about divisions.  There is usually a  way  to adjust  matters  peaceably if we seek it  in  a  Christ-like spirit.  When once the flesh takes a hand then peace is soon broken.  Some of our churches are now having trouble because some of the members are not trying honestly and  prayerfully to maintain peace.  I will notice this more in the study  on the next verse.  It would be well for individuals when  they have been drawn into trouble to ask themselves if they  have exhausted  all  effort to maintain the peace  and  keep  the matter from spreading into the church and being known in the world.   The more publicity the matter has the more it  will be  exaggerated,  for talkers will talk, and  they  may  not either understand or try to hold to the truth.

     Verse 19.  "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,  but rather  give place unto wrath, for it is written,  Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord."  Avenging an injury, which  is a natural, fleshly course, instead  of  exercising forbearance  and Christian judgment, has made  much  trouble for  individuals  and  for the  churches.   The  spirit  for revenge  banishes the desire for peace and stops  effort  in that  direction, and soon spreads the matter like a  plague. One  member in a church may have suffered some injustice  at the hands of another in word or deed, and the flesh at  once gets  on fire to make him suffer for it.  This fire  spreads and  soon  there is a conflagration in the church  and  many hearts  and minds are beyond the reach of reason.  The  life of some one is demanded to satisfy the avenging spirit.

     Passing  by  the critical opinions on  the  expression, "but  rather give place to wrath,"  it is safe to  take  the impressions  one would get from the verse as a whole,  which seems to be, Avenge not yourselves, for vengeance belongs to God;  he  will repay.  He who cannot do any wrong,  and  who knows  all hearts, will either bring to repentance  him  who has  given  the injury, or cause him to suffer  an  adequate chastisement.  To question that the Lord will do this, is to question  the  righteousness of the great  Judge  who  shall judge all hearts.

     If  we attempt to avenge, or to bring what we  consider righteous  judgment, we are likely to take such a course  as will  drive away all likelihood of repentance, because  hate and vengeful spirit beget their kind usually, and hearts are not  softened.   When Thomas was filled with  unbelief,  and Peter denied his Lord, Jesus did not use abusive terms,  nor reproach  in  bitterness, but with tender words  and  loving looks broke their hearts and brought a proper disposition to make amends for their wrongs.

     So,  if we cannot approach those who have offended,  or whom we imagine to have given injury, without doing so in  a vengeful  spirit  it  is better to endure  in  patience  the moving  of the divine hand which will always be on the  side of  right, and who will not suffer that wrong shall  finally go  unchastened.  Finally, we ourselves may be able to  have Christ so formed in us that we may go forth in the spirit of meekness even as our dear Lord would go.  Then, we are ready to take to ourselves the exhortation in the next verse.

    Verse 20.  "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."   The  basis  for  this exhortation  is to be found in the preceding verse.  We  are not  to  avenge  ourselves,  but to  put  off  this  spirit, trusting  that  the Lord shall sustain the  right  and  deal justly  with  those  who seek to injure  us,  and  take  the opposite course which we are assured will be successful.  It is  to  follow the course which Jesus taught and  which  has been  noticed in a preceding verse.  "Bless them that  curse you; bless and curse not."  Jesus said we should do good for evil and pray for them which use us despitefully.

     In  this  verse  we are told  this  course  will  bring conviction  to those who are evilly inclined  toward  us--it will  heap coals of fire on their heads.  Any one can  treat his  friends  well,  but it is a Christ-like  spirit  to  be gracious to one's enemies, leaving them to settle for  their course with him who has all power on high.

     You cannot feed him when he is not hungry, nor give him drink when he is not thirsty, but the opportunity will  come if  your  patience  and  faith  will  have  brought  you   a willingness  to use it.  When the time does come,  the  deed must be done in the spirit of kindness if it is to do  good, and not in the hateful show of stooping for a victory.  That would ruin it all for it would be avenging with a vengeance.

     Verse  21.   "Be not overcome with evil,  but  overcome evil  with  good."   This is, as  it  were,  uncovering  the principle  which  lies beneath all these  exhortations.   In whatever  direction we look--within  ourselves or about  us-- there  is  the evil influence whose tendency is to  lead  us away from the Christ character in heart or in deed.  Life is one  constant struggle against this stream which will  carry us  down and away from what we should be if Christ is to  be formed in us.

     One  great warning sounds from all the scriptures:   Be not overcome of evil.  Adam had warning of the  consequences of not standing against it, but he yielded to it, and so sin came  and death by sin.  Principles have not changed.   Evil leads  to  sin,  and sin to death.  "If ye  live  after  the flesh, ye shall die."  This is a warning in the gospel  day. The  devil  tried to overcome Jesus, but he could  not.   So Paul travailed in spirit that the brethren to whom he  wrote might  have  the Christ character formed in them  that  they might  overcome the evil that is in the world.  Yielding  to the  evil  will  destroy their joy and  happiness  here  and defeat the purposes of the church.  Churches sometimes  fail to  yield  happiness to the members because they  have  been overcome   with   evil.    Heresies   and   all   forms   of unrighteousness which destroy the peace of saints are evil.

     Is  there any hope of resistance against the floods  of evil?   It  is written, "Resist the devil and he  will  flee from you."  If through faith in God and strength through him we can resist the devil, as the word of God assures us, then certainly there is encouragement to accept this  exhortation as suitable for our banner and rally to it, trusting in  the Lord that it is not a hollow delusion.

     Paul encourages to believe that the shield of faith  is capable of quenching all the fiery darts of the wicked  one, and  assures  us that he can do all things through  him  who strengthens him.  With man this is impossible, but with  God all things are possible.

     The  life of the saints of God is not all a  battle  of defense; there is an aggressive movement--"But overcome evil with good."  Of course all evil can never be overcome during this  life  journey.  Jesus will destroy the  works  of  the devil.   How far reaching this will be we can never know  in this  world,  but these exhortations have to do  with  God's people  here  in this life.  As before  said,  keeping  from being  overcome  with evil is a great struggle.   This  last clause  gives  us  the best weapon we can put  into  use  in fighting evil, and that is by doing good.

     Doing  good is doing anything that God  approves.   The things  he  tells  us to do are what  he  approves,  and  in keeping  his commandment there is great reward.  We  do  not put  away  sin  nor win heaven, but  while  engaged  in  the service  of God we are overcoming evil.  Even thinking  upon his name keeps evil from working in the mind during the time thus  occupied.  When engaged in prayer, if the heart is  in the  matter,  we  draw near to God--and  near  his  feet  is safety.   Listening  to the gospel preached, our  minds  are refreshed upon spiritual matters, and we think and see  more clearly on the things of Christ's kingdom, and so are put on our guard concerning the evil that would rob us of the  joys of  the  Lord's salvation.  The love and fellowship  of  the Lord's  people  help to strengthen us against  unbelief  and disobedience, which are evils.

     We are exhorted to "every good work," for all and  each of  these  are  resisting Satan, crucifying  to  the  flesh, forming a character that will the better enable us to stand. Of  course, the children of God can do none of these  things of  themselves.   They are exhorted to work  out  their  own salvation, for it is God that worketh in them to will and to do.  So they do not have to walk alone, or to stand in their own  strength, but they are to work out their salvation,  -- manifest  what the Lord has worked in them to do, that  they may show their love and devotion to him and his cause.   The way they are to do this is to press toward the high mark  of the character of Jesus.  While it is true that it is so high that  they  can  never  reach it, yet  every  step  in  that direction  brings  its own great reward.  To  be  nearer  to Jesus  brings a blessing that the world cannot give nor  can it  take it away.  The nearer the child of God is to  Jesus, the  more fully is the world and evil beneath his feet,  and the  greater  the  peace and security  felt  in  his  strong promises to never leave nor forsake.

     With this brief study of the verses I close this series of articles.  I feel that it is a mere surface  examination, but realize that this has been beneficial to me, and I  hope the consideration of them has interested others who will  go deeper into the meaning of having Christ formed in us.   May the  lifting  up  of  its power,  the  sweet  peace  of  its presence,   and  the  joy  that  comes  with  the   hallowed overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, be with all that love  our Lord  Jesus Christ.  May we redouble our  prayerful  efforts not  only  to  overcome evil in our own lives,  but  in  the church and among our brethren and sisters.