“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?”
And who is he who will harm you
“And” is an inference from the quote running from 3:10-12. If God sovereignly and providentially cares for the righteous, no one can do anything to us that God disapproves of.
“Harm” in this context means the discrediting of our testimony.
Christians will face harm even though we attempt to live at peace with our enemies, but our testimony will stand in the face of affliction. The issue here is how the Christian responds to suffering.
PRINCIPLE:
God promises Christians immunity, not from difficulty but the discrediting of their testimony.
APPLICATION:
This verse does not say that the Christian will be free from pain or suffering. That is against everything he says in the book. The point is that no harm can come to our testimony if we follow God’s will.
Much pain that comes to Christians is due to our own problems, not our testimony. People find it hard to work side by side with us. We may be arrogant and contrary. Others of us may be inert or unprofessional. If we do what is “good,” we will not suffer for these things.
Do you rest in God’s providential care? Do you believe that God cares for you in such a way as to manage the circumstances of your life so that everything comes out to the good?
Ro. 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
