How Should Christians Deal With the Wicked?

A Study Outline

 

I. Who are the “wicked”?

 

A. Genesis 6:1-8

v. 4. Nephalim were on the earth.

v. 5. Wickedness was great on the earth, and the thoughts and imaginations of men were evil continually.

Wickedness (Strong 7451) = ra’, “ bad or evil”

Evil (Strong 7451) = ra’

Continually (Strong 3117) = yowm, “to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literally (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figuratively (as space in time defined by an associated term).”

B. Job 21:1-34

v. 14-15. The wicked tell God to leave them alone, and do not want to acknowledge His ways and obey Him; prayer to them is futile.

v. 16. Wicked (Strong 7563) = rasha, “morally wrong; an actively bad person.”

v. 30. Wicked (Strong 7451) = ra’

C. Job 18:21. The wicked do not know God.

Wicked (Strong 5767) = ‘avval, “evil (morally)”.

D. Psalm 73:8-9. They speak wickedly against God.

II. Realize that the wicked are sometimes born that way, and there is no way that they can be turned from doing evil.

 

A. Psalm 58:3.

B. Matthew 13:36-43. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares; the tares are of the devil and thus are wicked, and will be destroyed at the end of the age.

III. Many of the wicked live in prosperity and apparent success in this life, but their end will be destruction; therefore, do not envy them.

 

A. Job 8:22. The dwelling place of the wicked will come to nothing.

B. Job 15:20. The wicked live in pain all of their lives.

C. Job 18:5-19. Bildad gives his comments on wicked people.

D. Job 20:5-29. Zophar gives his comments on wicked people.

E. Job 21:1-34. Job points out that the wicked prosper on the earth, but their end is not pleasant.

F. Job 27: 13-23. The fate of the wicked is ignominious.

G. Psalm 37:1-11.

H. Psalm 73:1-12.

IV. The wicked hate the righteous and bless their own, so do not expect them to be your friends.

 

A. Psalm 10:2-3. The wicked persecute the poor and bless the covetous.

B. Psalm 11:2.

C. Psalm 37:12-14, 32.

D. I John 3:7-10

V. We should avoid associating with the wicked.

 

A. Psalm 1:1-6.

B. Psalm 26:1-5.

VI. Our hatred should be against them, but vengeance against them must be of God.

 

A. Psalm 58:1-11.

B. Romans 12:19. Vengeance belongs to God.

C. Hebrews 10:30.

VII. Do good to the wicked, even if they do evil to you, and so “heap coals of fire on their heads”.

 

A. Romans 12:20-21. Overcome evil with good.

B. Matthew 5:38-42.

C. Proverbs 25:21-22. Heap coals of fire on the heads of your enemies.

VIII. Pray for the demise of the wicked. Psalm 109:1-31.

A. Matthew 5:43-48. Pray for your enemies.

B. Luke 23:33-34. Christ asked the Father to forgive His enemies.

C. Acts 7:54-60. Stephen asked the Father to forgive those that stoned Him.

XIV. Expect persecution from the wicked, for they hate you for your obedience to, and reliance upon, Almighty God.

 

A. Matthew 5:10-12

B. Matthew 10:16-23

C. John 15:18-21