.png)
The Christian Life: Color Outside the Lines (3 of 3)
Radical Love in Action
Romans 12:9-21
Romans 12:2 (ESV) –
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind...”
The world is in sinful rebellion against God and we must guard against allowing the default assumptions of the world to form our thinking.
Romans 12:9-21 (ESV) –
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:9 (ESV) –
“Let love be genuine.”
Romans 12:9 (NIV) –
“Love must be sincere.”
The only fitting response to experiencing and considering the grace of God is the total commitment to live for the glory of God – living a life of worship. We must resist the temptation to allow the sinful patterns of this age to form us. God’s Word needs to form us and lead us into living differently from the world around us.
We need to see ourselves rightly. Pride is a deadly trap we must guard against. The Gospel compels us to see ourselves with sober judgment. Our default condition is rebellion against our Creator but God, in His grace, offers forgiveness and eternal life. We are sinners and God loves us.
Romans 12:3 (ESV) –
“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment...”
We’re to not allow the default thinking of this world to form our thinking and behavior. In verses 9-21 we’re face-to-face with a fast-moving list of what it looks like to live as Christians and resist the pattern of the world in different areas. This paints a picture of love in action.
1. Fast moving commands that paint a picture of genuine love in action.
Romans 12:9 (NIV) –
“Love must be sincere…”
What does it actually look like to be loving? This passage sketches out an answer to this question and what’s pictured is a way of life, a lifestyle of genuine love.
This passage has a fast-moving style intended to force us to wrestle with each command. Each abrupt instruction is designed to move us to face the question – Am I doing this?
Romans 12:19 (ESV) –
“Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”
Romans 12:21 (ESV) –
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Genuine love doesn’t ignore evil, it abhors it.
Romans 12:9 (NIV) –
“Hate what is evil...”
It’s loving to hate evil because of the damage it does and the destruction it brings to people who are created in the image of God. Love does not affirm or celebrate lies and sinful choices.
Romans 12:10 (ESV) –
“Love one another with brotherly affection.”
John 13:34-35 (ESV) –
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Romans 12:10 (ESV) –
“Outdo one another in showing honor.”
Genuine love calls us to humility in relationships with fellow believers.
Romans 12:10 (NIV) –
“Honor one another above yourselves…”
Romans 12:10 (NLT) –
“ ...take delight in honoring each other.”
Ask – Am I doing this? Do I wrongly see myself as more important than others?
In verse 11 the focus shifts to being zealous. We’re to be enthusiastic and hardworking in serving the Lord, we’re not to be lazy. Ask – Does this describe me?
Ask – Am I passionate about the Lord and His work? Sometimes there’s boiling passion in other areas of life but if our enthusiasm is strong in other areas, it ought to be stronger in our relationship with the Lord and for things of eternal value.
Romans 12:12 (ESV) –
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 (NIV) –
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Ask – Do I need some joy? Take your eyes off the momentary circumstances and look to our heavenly inheritance. Our Blessed Hope is the promised and glorious return of Jesus Christ.
John 16:33 (ESV) –
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Living is as a follower of Jesus means being patient in difficulty and in the midst this, we’re to be faithful in prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV, emphasis mine) –
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) –
“...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 12:12 summarizes how to persevere in a sinful and broken world.
Romans 12:12 (ESV) –
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
In verse 13 we come to the subject of hospitality and sharing with fellow Christians in need.
Romans 12:13 (ESV) –
“Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
1 John 3:17-18 (ESV) –
“But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
Romans 12:13 (ESV) –
“...seek to show hospitality...”
Ask – How can I pursue this hospitality?
The love described in verses 9-13 is much more than an emotion. This is love in action.
2. Genuine love will be lived out in our relationships with others.
Romans 12:14 (ESV) –
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”
Luke 6:27-28 (ESV) –
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
Matthew 5:43-44 (ESV) –
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...”
Ask – Do I desire good for those who would harm me? Do I long to see their salvation rather than their destruction? Do I truly love them?
Romans 12:14 (ESV) –
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”
Romans 12:15 (ESV) –
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
Rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn means celebrating times of rejoicing and also being a shoulder to cry on.
It’s natural when others rejoice to find ourselves struggling with jealousy, asking – Why not me? When others are mourning, we can wrongly find ourselves thinking – That’s not my problem.
Romans 8:28 (ESV) –
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 12:16 (ESV) –
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”
Romans 12:16 (NIV) –
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) –
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Ask – Have I allowed myself to wrongly and in pride think too highly of myself? Prideful thinking leads away from the Gospel. Pride says – I’ve got this. The Gospel says – I don’t.
Romans 12:17 (ESV) –
“Repay no one evil for evil…”
Romans 12:17 (ESV) –
“…but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
Romans 12:17 (NIV) –
“Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
Romans 12:18 (ESV) –
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
We’re not to repay evil with evil! We leave our desire for revenge in God’s hands.
Proverbs 25:21-22 (ESV) –
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
We’re to do good to our enemies with the goal that they will be ashamed of their conduct and will repent and turn to the Lord Jesus and be saved. We don’t take vengeance; we leave room for God’s wrath.
Nahum 1:2 (ESV) –
“The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies.”
Romans 2:5 (ESV) –
“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.”
We don’t take vengeance; we leave room for God’s wrath.
1 John 4:19 (ESV) –
“We love because he first loved us.”
Ask – What steps of obedience do I need to take? What do I need to put into action right now?