Posted on 12/24/2022 12:18:11 AM PST by Pilgrim's Progress
“Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work” (Proverbs 24:28-29).
“Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause,” this is bearing false witness.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's” (Exodus 20:16-17).
That is, without good cause. If the cause is the personal gain or profit, or to get revenge then God will be against you. Don’t try to get others to turn against him.
“Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.”
Who renders to man according to his words? God does! So, you are taking the place of God. In 24:12 we read, “Shall not He render to every man according to his works?” When he says, “be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips, Say not I will do to him as he had done to me,” it’s revenge! You are lying about your neighbor for personal revenge. The Christian commandment on this is in Romans 12:17-21:
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth 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” (Romans 12:17-21).
There, when a Christian, or somebody else, does you wrong; what are you to do? Well, you are not to do unto them as they have done did unto you. That is wrong. Paul tells us that we are not to recompense any man, saved or lost, evil for evil; and provide things honest in the sight of all men. You be honest, and let God take care of the dishonest. “Dearly beloved, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
When you bring vengeance yourself, you are overcome with evil. That's just good advice and good counsel, and that's hard to do. When somebody does you in, rips you off, and does you dirty; talks about you behind your back, hurts your reputation, or hurts you financially; it's hard to give that thing to God, but that is god-li-ness. What is godliness? It's god-like-ness.
Do you know what Jesus Christ did when they accused him? And they did him dirty? He committed it to God.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin [He didn’t do anything wrong], neither was guile found in his mouth [He didn’t lie to, trick, or deceive anybody]: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (I Peter 2:21-23).
He sacrificed himself, and let God take care of the judgment. That is a safe way to stay out from under judgment. If you get involved that wrath business, that judgment business, then with what judgment you meet its meted unto you again. Hard, hard words for the flesh. It doesn’t want to hear that.
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