Third Way Wisdom: A Better Way to Fight

In Romans 12, Paul calls Christians to a love that is genuine—not a performance to keep up appearances, but a real commitment to seek the good of others. As an expression of this love, Paul calls believers to hate what is evil and cling to what is good, refusing to participate in what harms people. He then prepares us for a difficult reality: following Jesus may bring hostility - even when our love for one another is genuine and real. How are Christians to respond? When evil is directed toward us, our instinct is to retaliate—to mirror the very evil we have endured. But Paul calls the church to a different response: bless instead of curse, refuse revenge, and overcome evil with good. Rather than multiplying evil, we are to become living “dead ends,” places where evil finds no way forward. The church becomes the community where we learn this way of life together, supporting one another so that when we face evil in the world, we do not mirror it. Instead, we break its cycle through genuine love, mercy, and goodness.