What Does the Bible Say About Revenge?
When Innocent Blood Cries Out
Charlie Kirk is dead. Assassinated on September 10, 2025. A man who boldly proclaimed Jesus on college campuses—gone. Pastor Benjamin Francis—shot to death September 14th. Pastor Felipe Asencio—killed in his home on September 16th.
Your heart screams for justice. Your flesh wants revenge. But what does God say?
God's Direct Command About Revenge
Romans 12:19 couldn't be clearer: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
Three times in Romans 12, God tells us:
- "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not" (v.14)
- "Recompense to no man evil for evil" (v.17)
- "Avenge not yourselves" (v.19)
This is hard. When innocent blood is shed—and Proverbs 6:16-17 tells us God hates "hands that shed innocent blood"—everything in us wants to strike back.
But God says: "Vengeance is MINE."
Why Christians Don't Retaliate
Jesus warned us in Matthew 10:34: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."
He knew we'd face this. Romans 8:36 says we're "accounted as sheep for the slaughter." The world views Christians as targets. They celebrate when we fall.
Yet verse 37 declares: "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
We conquer by NOT retaliating. We overcome evil with good.
Your Response When Everything Screams for Revenge
Psalm 37 gives four commands when evildoers prosper:
- "Trust in the LORD" (v.3)
- "Delight thyself also in the LORD" (v.4)
- "Commit thy way unto the LORD" (v.5)
- "Rest in the LORD" (v.7)
Not fret. Not retaliate. Not seek revenge.
Trust. Delight. Commit. Rest.
When Jesus addressed tragedy in Luke 13:3, He didn't explain why. He said: "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." The urgency isn't revenge—it's salvation.
The Promise That Changes Everything
Romans 8:18: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
Charlie Kirk knew where he was going. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
But his killer? Without Christ, he faces eternal judgment far worse than any earthly revenge.
That's why we don't retaliate. God's justice is perfect. Complete. Eternal.
We leave room for God's wrath because His justice infinitely surpasses anything we could inflict.
🔥 Need more biblical wisdom for processing this tragedy? This condensed message only touches the surface. Hear the complete verse-by-verse Bible teaching on how God's people should respond when evil strikes.
👉 Listen to the full expository sermon here for deep, biblical answers that will anchor your soul when everything in you cries for revenge. This powerful sermon will transform how you view justice, suffering, and God's sovereignty. 🙏