Trust justice to a just God, African American Fellowship admonished

WACO—Even though revenge seems sweet and payback fair, God commands his followers to let him take control of unjust situations, John Ogletree told the African American Fellowship of Texas worship rally.

John Ogletree pastor of First Metropolitan Church in Houston. (BGCT Photo)Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Waco served as host to the rally preceding the 2014 Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

“This message is to people who know something about being a victim,” said Ogletree pastor of First Metropolitan Church in Houston. “As believers, we have to understand it’s all right to be a victim, but we cannot be vindictive.”

He directed their concentration to the words of the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

The challenge to do so often comes when believers become doubtful of God’s promise to pour out his wrath on those who do wrong, Ogletree said. When the human inclination to take control arises, a Christian may think: “God may take too long,” “God may not take our advice” or “God might decide to be merciful when we don’t want him to be.”

Although revenge seems sweet—even to Christians—that sweetness only lasts a short while, he said, and typically leaves a bitter feeling afterward.

Vengeance rightly belongs to God alone, he added.

“What we’ve got to do is let God handle it,” Ogletree said. “Vengeance is God’s demonstration of his righteousness in compensating for a wrong. It reflects the justice of God, … and God is a God of justice.”

God not only is holy, but also just, an attribute often overlooked, he said. There is no righteousness without justice because the original Greek and Hebrew words for “righteous” also are the words for “justice,” he explained.

The two cannot be separated, he stressed.