Injustice is part of life. Every believer eventually faces unfair treatment from people in authority, broken systems or leaders who misuse their position. Scripture never denies that reality. What it does address, over and over, is how we respond when it happens and what offense can do to our hearts if we’re not careful.
Ministry leader John Bevere addressed these issues on a recent episode of the John Bevere Podcast, where he was joined by his son Arden Bevere. The focus was simple but challenging: how believers handle injustice without letting bitterness take root.
What the Bible Calls Unfair Treatment
Bevere made an important distinction many people miss. Not all suffering is injustice in the biblical sense.
“What is unfair treatment?” he said. “When I’m doing what is right and I get punished for doing what is wrong.”
That matters because Scripture speaks directly to how believers are meant to respond in those moments. Enduring injustice isn’t weakness. It’s obedience.
Honor Without Excusing Sin
One of the clearest points Bevere made is that honor does not mean approval.
“You’re not honoring his behavior,” he said. “You’re honoring his position.”
The Bible allows, and sometimes requires, calling out sin. But it never gives permission to mock, slander or treat authority with contempt. Honor and truth are not opposites. Scripture holds them together.
When God Must Come First
Submission has limits. When authority demands sin, obedience to God comes first.
“If authority tells us to sin, there’s a higher authority,” Bevere said.
That doesn’t lead to rebellion or rage. It leads to faithfulness marked by restraint and humility.
Why Retaliation Backfires
Scripture is clear about vengeance, and Bevere did not soften it.
“It’s an unrighteous thing when we defend ourselves and avenge ourselves,” he said. “It’s a righteous thing when we let God defend us.”
Retaliation feels justified in the moment, but it damages the heart and clouds judgment. God never asked His people to win arguments. He asked them to trust Him.
Offense Is the Real Danger
Offense isn’t harmless. Bevere warned plainly, “The number one thing that will get you out of the will of God is offense.”
Offense changes how we see everything. Leaders. Scripture. Even God. Left alone, it hardens the heart and drains love, exactly as Jesus warned.
Leaving the Outcome to God
At the center of the message is one hard but freeing truth: “He left his case in the hands of God.”
That choice defines spiritual maturity. Justice may not come quickly, but it always comes fully when God handles it.
“This world is filled with injustice,” Bevere said. “How we respond to the injustice determines our future.”
Injustice will come. Offense doesn’t have to stay. Scripture is clear on which path leads to life.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
