More than half of our life is spent in reactions. When we feel happy about what others are saying, we are reacting. When we feel angry about what others are saying, we are reacting as well. Whether we feel good or bad about a certain thing, we are reacting. We react when we are agitated, and we react when we resent mistreatment. When others accuse us unjustly, we try to defend ourselves. This is one reaction. When others persecute us, we try to endure it. This is another reaction. When we analyze human living carefully, we find that we live in our reactions more than half the time.
As Christians we also react. However, believers have one kind of reaction, while unbelievers have another kind of reaction. We can know a person by the way he reacts. No Christian should ever react as a unbeliever, and no unbeliever can react as a Christian. If you want to know a person, just observe the way he reacts.
Believers should have their own way of reacting. The Lord has commanded us to react according to specific ways. The Lord does not want us to react in any way we want. The Christian life is made up of a series of reactions. You are a good Christian if you react properly, and you are a poor Christian if you react improperly.
We have believed in the Lord and we are now Christians. When we encounter events, trials, persecution, opposition, or are challenged by any situation, we should know the Lord’s commandment concerning how to react. A Christian should be disciplined by God not only in his walk but also in his reactions. All our reactions should be strictly directed by the Lord and governed by His discipline. We should react only as God has directed us. This is the kind of life that the Lord has given us.
Let us read Matthew 5:38-48. This section of the Word deals with reactions. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’” (v. 38). “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” means that if anyone hurts my eye, I will also hurt his eye. If anyone breaks my tooth, I will also break his tooth. I will do to others as they have done to me. This is one kind of reaction. Men in the Old Testament age reacted this way under the law.
However, the Lord said, “But I tell you not to resist him who is evil” (v. 39). The Lord said that our reaction should be different. We should be different in the way we react. We should not resist those who are evil. Then the Lord spoke of three more things. These three things have become the most famous words in the Bible. Many people are familiar with these words. “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And to him who wishes to sue you and take your tunic, yield to him your cloak also; and whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (vv. 39-41). Do you realize that the left cheek, the cloak, and the second mile are all Christian reactions? The right cheek, the tunic, and the first mile are man’s demand. Man’s demand is the right cheek, but our reaction is to give the left cheek as well. Man’s demand is the tunic, but our reaction is an additional cloak. Man’s demand is one mile, but the Christian reaction is two miles. The whole of Matthew 5 reminds us of one thing—our reactions have to be different. The Christian life is expressed through a totally different set of reactions.
I would like to show you what Christian reactions are. It is wrong to go on living as a Christian for eight to ten years without knowing what Christian reactions are. A person should know what reactions are demanded by the Lord from the first days of his Christian life. We can never be proper Christians if our reactions are not proper. If our reactions are not proper, we are not acting according to God’s nature or life within us, and we are not meeting God’s standard. We must react in a Christian way in our living. It is wrong for us to claim to be Christians yet react the same as worldly people.
“To him who asks of you, give; and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away” (v. 42). These are reactions. When others ask of you, you should give to them. When others want to borrow from you, you should not reject them. You cannot refuse anyone unless you do not have the means yourself.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’” (v. 43). This is how men under the law react. If one is a neighbor, they react with love. If one is an enemy, they react with hate.
“But I say to you, Love your enemies” (v. 44). The Christian reaction is different. Even if a person is your enemy, you still need to love him. “And pray for those who persecute you.” They may persecute you, but your reaction must be to pray for them.
“So that you may become sons of your Father who is in the heavens, because He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (v. 45). This is God’s reaction. God sends rain on the just as well as on the unjust. The sun shines on the good ones and on the evil ones. God does not react in an evil way toward men.
Following this it says, “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” (v. 46). If others love you, your natural reaction is to love them. But what reward do you receive? “Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” If this is all that a Christian can do, he is the same as the tax collectors. Such a reaction is too cheap and easy.
“If you greet only your brothers, what better thing are you doing?” (v. 47). If someone is your brother, you greet him. If he is not your brother, you do not greet him. Or you may greet a person when you have nothing against him but turn away from him when there is something against him. If you do this, how are you different from the Gentiles? Such conduct is too low.
“You therefore shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). This means that we should react as God reacts.