The Core Character of the Church
Romans 12:9
“Perhaps you've seen this Peanuts cartoon: Linus announces to his cranky sister, Lucy, that he's going to be a doctor. "You, a doctor?" she asks. "How can you be a doctor? You don't love mankind." Linus replies, "I do too love mankind. It's people I can't stand." (From a sermon by Dennis Davidson, The Elements of Love, 6/14/2010)
I have actually heard a version of this cartoon in our community. I’m sure you have, too. It goes something like this: “I get along better with animals than I do people.” I guess to paraphrase the Peanuts cartoon, Linus might be a better animal doctor than a people doctor!
The Biblical fact remains, we are commanded to love God and our neighbors as ourselves and today we are going to concentrate on the truth directed to the Church with is found in Romans 12: 9: “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.”NAS)
We are going to have a quick (David Platt-type) update of Romans 12:1-8. Verse 1 began: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.”
The Love of God is revealed
A. The Love of God has been revealed In His GREAT and Rich Mercy in Election. God chooses to save some through Christ and the Gospel of Grace, instead of destroying every sinful human being. This PERFECT, HOLY, Righteous, Loving God of the UNIVERSE has chosen to save sinners through the LIFE AND DEATH of the Lord Jesus Christ, BY FAITH, not works: RICH MERCY to the undeserving!!!!!!!
B. That RICH Mercy has been given and received in Christ to the Church, whom God has drawn to the Cross of Christ and by His Spirit they are bound together by ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM by His Spirit to be the Body of Christ, The Church, the Bride of Christ. The TRUE CHURCH are those who have been saved by the Sacrificial, Substitutional Life and Death of Christ which they have received in God’s Love and Mercy!
C. As if that isn’t enough even More Mercy from God is revealed in Spiritual Gifts Given to the Church for edification and for Loving each other and building each other up to be strong in their walk with God. There is strength in the Church because of the Gifts given to each member. Secondly, these gifts are given to bring glory and honor to the Giver. The glory is due to God Alone, because of His Great Mercy!!!
The Nature of the Love of Christ in the Church
We are going to take a few minutes to look at The Nature of the Love of Christ which is REVEALED in the Church. What is the Core Characteristic which is found in the Church? It is the LOVE of God in Christ: It is God’s LOVE.
1. This Love must be SINCERE. We often sign our letters with the word “SINCERELY”. What does it mean to be “SINCERE”? It is used in our text to describe the type of LOVE that Christians are supposed to reveal: It is Christian Love that is “without wax”.
In Latin, the words “sine cera” meant without wax. Two different ancient examples have been cited to explain the word “sincere. One was of the Greek’s attempt to make some false-marble statues out of wax which they offered to the Romans as tribute: These fake wax models promptly melted in the warm sun because they were NOT “sincere”. They were NOT genuine.
The second was of another attempt to betray or deceive: Dishonest Greek and Roman sculptors and makers of pottery would often cover flaws in their work with wax to deceive the viewer and to increase the value. Supposedly, the wax would soften in the sun and reveal the dishonest work. Often, craftsmen of integrity would proudly present their wares in the public market place, and they would be marked on the bottom: “SINE CERA” (without WAX).
Because God IS LOVE (Greek:” agape”1 John 4:8), LOVE is not a quality that God has refined; It is God’s very essence. It is the way that God exists. It is not “eros” love (shallow erotic or sensual love). His love is not a “feeling”, although when His Love comes into your being it will definitely CHANGE and effect your emotions. His Love is certainly more constant and abiding than ‘Philos’ , which consists of an earthly love that is found through bonding together with friends, marriages and family ties. “Philos” love is imperfect when placed in comparison to Agape love.
God’s Love does not melt away under pressure. It does not melt like wax when a little heat is applied. Jeremiah 31:3 says: “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.(Mercy)”
We are a people who have been born again by the Spirit of God: That means that our Love and our Lives should be marked “SINE CERA”, without WAX. Our lives should be GENUINE, with Christ-like love, because WE HAVE BEEN TOUCHED and filled with the GIFT OF God’s everlasting LOVE.
2. In the same way, Christian Love is “without a mask”. The Greek word for “sincere” is “Anupokritos” and means “WITHOUT hypocrisy”. The play-actors in Greek and roman times used to wear masks in order to play different roles on the stage. They were called “hypokritçs”. The Christian’s Love for others is TRUE-FACED love. (There’s a book by that title, “TRUE-FACED”, by Thrall, McNicol, and Lynch). We come totally exposed before God and He accepts us by His Grace and Love. We know we can’t hide from Him and His “Agape Love” is not deceptive but authentic. It doesn’t bluff or pretend like actors on a stage. It is love that is without falsehood. Not Pretentious, not judgmental.
Jesus gave a clear example of the opposite, namely a hypocrite in Luke 6:42: "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye ? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.” Someone with the Love of Christ does not strain to take the speck out of someone else’s eye, without first examining their own heart and life.
James 3: 17: “The wisdom from above is first pure, (sophia- who is our wisdom from above? The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s Wisdom come down for sin) the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
How did God reveal HIs pure sincere love? His LOVE is perfectly revealed from heaven in the Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ. Jesus made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. At the Cross, the Love of God is UNMASKED! (Phil 2:7-8). Jesus said in John 15:13: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Could God have proven His love in any stronger terms?
3. Now look at the verse again: “Love must be sincere.” That’s all well and good, but then the close follow-up is this: “Hate what is evil.” Christian Love also HATES evil. True love does NOT love everything. True Love Discriminates and distinguishes between good and between evil between TRUTH and FALSEHOOD. Matthew 6:13: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The word for hate is “apostygeô” from which we get the word “apostasy”: Apostasy is the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief. Christian Love hates that which departs or abandons the truth.
Revelation 2: 6 “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” In Amos 5:21, God said; "I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies.”
We do not hate the PEOPLE but would have them return to the TRUTH. We were once sinners who did not have an ounce of truth but God still loved us and sent His Son to die for us. (Rom. 5:8: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”) WE EVEN LOVE OUR ENEMIES, but hate the injustice, suffering, pain and hurt that people inflict on others, and in which they live. Don’t you HATE it that Christians have to be imprisoned and tortured for believing in Christ, YET, WE PRAY FOR the tormentors. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!”
4. Last of all: “Cling to what is good.” Christian Love is glued to goodness. As Christians, we have to “own” the influence that we have to LOVING OTHERS as Christ first has loved us. “CLINGING to the GOOD” is being cemented (the word actually has the connotation of being MARRIED) to Genuine Christ-Like, God-Like, Love-filled Living. Eph. 5:31: “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.”
You cling to the Lord Jesus (HE IS GOOD) because you are the Bride of Christ. You have been joined to Him by His Shed Blood for You. The Body of Christ, the Church clings to HIM as Savior and LORD. We ALL respond in LOVE to Him because He gave HIMSELF for US, so that TOGETHER, we might become PURE and HOLY.
We SHOW OTHERS the love that Christ has had for us in LOVING THEM with genuine and sincere love. The Love of God is revealed to the World in and through US. Jesus is not here, but if Christ is in YOU, the Hope of Glory, there CAN be Christ-like love in the World today. It is most often rejected and misunderstood, but so was Jesus.
Christ’s Love dwelling in you, does not dwell on the weakness or flaws of others, it does not exalt itself, but seeks to exalt Christ, and It hurts and serves those who are hurting. Loving others as Christ has loved you is the core characteristic of the Church: As you continually look to the Love of Christ, you will overflow with His Love to others.
1 John 3: 1: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God ; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer ; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”
“Believers are moved by God’s Love toward us, to love others WITH God’s Love.”
OUTLINE
Intro: Recap of Romans 12:1-8:
I. The Love of God is revealed:
A. In His Rich Mercy in Election. (God chooses to save some through Christ and the Gospel.)
B. In Mercy given and received in Christ in the Church.
C. In More Mercy revealed in Spiritual Gifts Given to the Church (for edification and for Loving each other and building each other up) and glorification (the honor and love that is due to God Alone.)
II. The Nature of the Love of Christ in the Church
A. Christian Love is “without wax”. (sincere-“sine cera”)
• God IS Love. (1 John 4:8)
B. Christian Love is “without a mask”. ( without hypocrisy) (Anupokritos) “hypokritçs”: actor, hypocrite
• The Cross unmasks God’s Love.
C. Christian Love HATES evil. (apostygeô –apostasy) (John 3:19, Matt 6:13, Amos 5:21) Distinguishes between TRUTH and Falsehood
D. Christian Love is GLUED to Goodness: “CLINGING to the GOOD” is being cemented (MARRIED) to Genuine Christ-Like, God-Like, Love-filled Living. Eph. 5:31, 1 John 3:13-18)
Christ is not in the World, but YOU are; His Spirit Lives in you and when you Love others with Christ-like Love, you introduce them to the Person who holds on to you. The LORD JESUS Christ in you, THE HOPE of Glory.
1 Corinthians 13 uses God’s “agape” 9 times in 6 verses. He tells us that His Love is patient: People are difficult and exasperating but God’s love is wonderfully patient. His love is kind, speaking encouragement and offering outstretched hands with nail holes. His love is not envious of others but instead it rejoices to see others blessed. It doesn’t boast about receiving glory, but in giving honor and glory.
God’s love is not proud. God’s Love is not rude but holds its tongue and temper and waits for others patiently. God’s Love is not self-seeking but it is serving. It is not angered or irritable nor easily provoked. For this reason, it does not deep a record of wrongs, but instead FORGIVES. It does not delight in evil and is not amused by wrongdoing, but always rejoices in the truth and not lies. This love protects the oppressed and sides with the hurt and humbled. It always trusts and is never suspicious. It is Love that always hopes and doesn’t stop because it is deceived or misplaced. It is God’s Love, which perseveres until the end: it can outlast hatred, evil, and indifference, because it the Love that Comes only from God.
