In the latest summer installment of the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction: A mechanic and his family join the transforming Autobots as they are targeted by a bounty hunter from another world. Following the plot of the three previous transformers movies, vehicles transform to fight evil. This transformation is necessitated by an attack by the evil Decepticons and in order to save humanity, people join with the transformers to repel the evil. But as one reviewer said of this whole enterprise: "The last time I saw something so long, so loud and so boring, it was digging a new subway tunnel". (http://arts.nationalpost.com/2014/06/27/transformers-age-of-extinction-reviewed-michael-bay-presents-three-hours-of-his-worst-work-so-far/)
The Christian life can feel at times, as shallow as a summer blockbuster. Acting out of mere duty, we can often lack direction and enthusiasm for what we do. After outlining eleven chapters of who God is and how He changes believers, chapter 12 of Romans begins to show how what God has done (the Indicative), enables what we must do (the Imperative). It does so not from mere duty, but inspired excitement for the wonderful power and potential in the believers calling.
Any believer who honestly appraises their life by these standards cannot help being convicted of falling far short of the perfection the inner person desires. On the other hand, however, the believer who is walking in the Spirit will see the Spirit working out these precepts in their life to a greater and greater extent. An honest look at our lives in light of these precepts will bring conviction about our failure to keep some of them and confidence about our success in keeping others. Where we fall short, we should ask the Lord’s help. Where we have been faithful, we should give Him thanks and praise.
In Romans 12:9-13 the Apostle Paul outlines how the service to other believers, as defined by the "One Anothers" of scripture, not only benefits them, glorifies God but also enables us to grow in godliness. In them we see: 1) Service in Love (Romans 12:9-10), 2) Service in the Lord (Romans 12:11), 3) Service in Loyalty (Romans 12:12), and finally 4) Service in Lack (Romans 12:13)
1) Service in Love (Romans 12:9-10),
Romans 12:9-10 [9]Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. [10]Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (ESV)
Because this is so central to the "One Anothers" in particular and Christianity in general, we will spend about half our time this morning on this one point.
The first duty is, Let love be genuine/without hypocrisy. The greatest virtue of the Christian life is love. The use of agapē (love) was rare in pagan Greek literature, doubtless because the concept it represented—unselfish, self-giving, willful devotion—was so uncommon in that culture it was even ridiculed and despised as a sign of weakness. But in the New Testament it is proclaimed as the supreme virtue, the virtue under which all others are subsumed. Agapē love centers on the needs and welfare of the one loved and will pay whatever personal price is necessary to meet those needs and foster that welfare. Paul’s purpose is to exhort, not simply to describe. Love for others, singled out by our Lord himself as the essence of the OT law (Mark 12:28–34 and pars.) and the central demand of the New Covenant (John 13:31–35), quickly became enshrined as the foundational and characteristic ethical norm of Christianity (1 Thess. 4:9; Gal. 5:13–14; 1 Cor. 13; Jas. 2:8–9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 2:7–11; 3:10–18; 4:7–12, 18–21; and see particularly, in Romans, 13:8–10.). The love of Christians for others was grounded in, and enabled by, the love of God expressed in the gift of his Son (see esp. John 13:34 and 1 John 4:9–11) (Moo, D. J. (1996). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 775). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
The love of which Paul, Peter, and John speak is genuine love, the sincere and fervent love that is completely genuine/without hypocrisy and untainted by self-centeredness. Love that is not genuine or out of Hypocrisy is the antithesis of and completely incompatible with agapē love. The two cannot coexist. “Hypocrite” was the term for show actor, and the ancient actors always wore a mask while they were on the stage (hence ὑπό in the compound). Genuine love is Paul’s bidding: Not stage-actor love; no mask of love! 1 John 3:18: “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”( Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (p. 766). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.)
• Sometimes Christians have a habit of pasting on a fake smile and faking friendly because we know how we ought to be. We use phrases like we "love someone in the lord", which is usually code for "I know I am supposed to be friendly with someone, but really can't stand them, so I will be polite".
• The world is tired of phoney and by in large, can spot a fake from a mile out. Nearly every song, story and movie is pointing out how the world is desperately searching for love. They sought it in pornography and gratuitous sex, but deep down know it did not provide what they were looking for.
• Unless our love is genuine and without hypocrisy we will lose our testimony and opportunity to share the truth. A genuine love opens the door to share the genuine truth.
The second longing of the new nature and personal duty of supernatural living is to abhor what is evil. The child of God abhors evil because God abhors evil. . It is for that reason the psalmist commands, “Hate evil, you who love the Lord” (Ps. 97:10). True virtue is not passive about evil but has an intense revulsion of it. Evil is not tolerated but despised as that which is injurious and wicked. “Where there is love, evil is abhorred, not merely lamented, much less covered up, but hated” Conversely, the righteous have a strong affinity for what is good, so that they seek it fervently and cling to it no matter what the cost (cf. Prov. 8:13, 9:10; 1 Cor. 13:6) (Schreiner, T. R. (1998). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 664). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
Quote: Someone has said that the only security against sin is to be shocked by it. The constant bombardment of our senses through advertising, the internet, news commentary, movies, and TV programs with the gross sexuality, violence, and perversions of modern society makes it difficult to be shocked by anything. Tragically, many Christians regularly entertain themselves with sheer ungodliness, perhaps rationalizing that, simply by being a Christian, they are somehow immune from sinful infection.
The third personal duty of supernatural living is to hold fast/cling to what is good. The verb kollaō (to hold fast/cling) is from kolla (glue) and came to be used of any bond—physical, emotional, or spiritual. As servants of Jesus Christ, we are to bind ourselves to what is good (agathos), that which is inherently right and worthy.
Please turn to Philippians 4 (p.982)
How can we abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good? The only way possible is if we filled with what is good. As Paul has already explained, the key to finding and following what is good is in not being “conformed to this world, but [being] transformed by the renewing of [our] mind, that [we] may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). As we separate ourselves from the things of the world and saturate ourselves with the Word of God, the things that are good will more and more replace the things that are evil. Goodness must be what we read, see, listen to and think upon. Paul put it like this:
Philippians 4:4-9 [4]Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. [5]Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6]do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7]And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [8]Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. [9]What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (ESV)
Paul’s list of ten “family” obligations begins in verse 10 with the command: Love one another with brotherly affection Brotherly affection/love translates philadelphia, another compound—phileō (to have tender affection) and adelphos (brother). We are to have a loving filial affection for one another in the family of God. Brotherly affection/love is one of the marks by which the world will know that we belong to Christ. “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). This love is not optional for believers. It not only is required but is inescapable, because “whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him” (1 John 5:1). In fact, as John has just declared, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (John 4:20). As a spiritual family, the church is to exhibit the intimacy and tenderness toward one another that mark the best earthly families (Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 409). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
If we are truly “devoted to one another in brotherly love,” it almost goes without saying that we will Outdo one another/give preference to one another in showing honor. The virtue here is humility, not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Rom. 12:3). It is doing “nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind,” regarding “one another as more important than” oneself (Phil. 2:3). In other words, each of us should not be centering on our own personal status in the community but instead should go out of our way in esteeming others. This is desperately needed in an age of personal achievement when most of us feel unappreciated (Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (p. 331). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press).
Proēgeomai (Outdo/give preference) has the basic meaning of going before, or leading. But the idea here is not that of putting ourselves before others in regard to importance or worth but the very opposite idea of giving honor to fellow believers by putting them first.
To honor is not to flatter, to give hypocritical praise in hope of having the compliment returned or of gaining favor with the one honored. Again, the very opposite is in mind. To honor is to show genuine appreciation and admiration for one another in the family of God. We are to be quick to show respect, quick to acknowledge the accomplishments of others, quick to demonstrate genuine love by not being jealous or envious, which have no part in love, whether agapē or philadelphia.
Hymn: Christians are our family, of course, regardless of their background, race, nationality, occupation, wealth, or education—or even whether we are attracted to or like another believer. That is irrelevant. The first verse of “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds” explains: "Blessed be the tie that binds, Our hearts in Christian love; The fellowship of kindred minds, Is like to that above". “Kindred minds” means the minds of those who are spiritual kin—members of God’s new family on earth. So our devotion to one another is not to be a matter of liking but of life. The contemporary church will never have the power of the early church until today’s Christians love one another as a close-knit family (Boice, J. M. (1991–). Romans: The New Humanity (Vol. 4, pp. 1598–1599). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.).
2) Service in the Lord (Romans 12:11)
Romans 12:11 [11]Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. (ESV)
To not be slothful/lagging behind in zeal/diligence could be rendered, “not lazy in zeal and intensity.” A few verses earlier, Paul declares that the Christian who has the gift of ruling, or leading, should exercise it with diligence (v. 8).
In the context of Romans 12, zeal/diligence refers to whatever believers do in their supernatural living. Whatever is worth doing in the Lord’s service is worth doing with enthusiasm and care. Paul admonished believers in the Galatian churches: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10; cf. 2 Thess. 3:13).
Please turn to Hebrews 6 (p.1004)
There is no room for sloth and laziness in the Lord’s work. “Whatever your hand finds to do,” Solomon counseled, “verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the grave]” (Eccles. 9:10). Whatever we do for the Lord must be done in this present life. Slothfulness in Christian living not only prevents good from being done but allows evil to prosper. “Therefore be careful how you walk,” Paul charged the Ephesians, “not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:15–16). “He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys” (Prov. 18:9). For weeds to prosper, the gardener need only leave the garden alone.
But the Lord rewards those who serve Him with zeal/diligence.
Hebrews 6:10-12 [10]For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. [11]And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, [12]so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (ESV)
Whereas zeal/diligence pertains mainly to action, being fervent in spirit pertains to attitude. Fervent (zeō) literally means to boil. The idea here is not of being overheated to the point of boiling over and out of control but, like a steam engine, of having sufficient heat to produce the energy necessary to get the work done. Paul himself. “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim,” he said; “I box in such a way, as not beating the air” (1 Cor. 9:26); “And for this purpose also I labor” (Col. 1:29).
• One of the oldest blights on earth is lack of enthusiasm. Most people could make a sizable list of their failures that were simply casualties to indifference and lack of commitment. Fervency requires resolve and persistence, not mere good intention. “Let us not lose heart in doing good,” Paul admonishes, “for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal. 6:9).
Like fervency in spirit, to serve the Lord has to do with perspective and priority. Everything we do should, first of all, be consistent with God’s Word and, second, be truly in His service and to His glory. Strict devotion to the Lord would eliminate a great deal of fruitless church activity. Paul never lost sight of that foundational mission. He begins this letter with the affirmation that he served God “in [his] spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son” (Rom. 1:9).
In Romans 12, Paul uses three different words to describe Christian service. In verse 1 he uses latreia, which is translated, “service of worship,” and emphasizes reverential awe. The second word is diakonia, which pertains to practical service. Here in verse 11, he uses douleu[ma]o, which refers to the service of a bondslave, whose very reason for existence is to do his master’s will. Above all else, Paul considered himself a bondslave of Jesus Christ. It is with that description that he first identifies himself in this letter (Rom. 1:1), as well as in Philippians (1:1) and Titus (1:1).
• We do not serve the Lord in our own power any more than we came to Him in our own power. Our supreme purpose is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and our power to fulfill that service is from Him. “For this purpose also I labor,” Paul testified, “striving according to His power, which mightily works within me” (Col. 1:29).
Illustration: It is a puzzle to me how anyone can take on the most important business of all, the business of being a follower of Jesus Christ, and do it in a passive, apathetic, part-time, or careless manner. Yet many do. What we should do is follow after Jesus Christ with all our hearts and minds and with all the energy at our disposal. We should work at being Christians. Robert Candlish writes about this wisely: “Your sanctification must be made a matter of business. It must be cared for (and prosecuted) in a business-like way; not (indolently and) slothfully, as if it were a process that might be left to itself, but industriously, (sedulously), diligently, with regularity and punctuality, as you would manage a worldly concern, on the common principles of worldly energy and worldly care and worldly zeal.” (Robert S. Candlish, Studies in Romans 12: The Christian’s Sacrifice and Service of Praise (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1989), p. 168. Original edition 1867..)
3) Service in Loyalty (Romans 12:12)
Romans 12:12 [12]Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (ESV)
Living the supernatural life inevitably brings opposition from the world and sometimes even sparks resentment by fellow Christians. Even after years of faithful service to the Lord, some see few, if any, apparent results from their labors. Without hope we could never survive. To rejoice in hope, is when we know that, if we are “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” our “toil is not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:58). We can therefore look forward to one day hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). We know that “in the future there is laid up for [us] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to [us] on that day; and… to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8). Therefore, this is a PRESENT ACTIVE PARTICIPLE used in the sense of an IMPERATIVE. It is not hope in the English sense of a wish, but in the NT sense of a certain event, but with an ambiguous time element (Utley, R. J. (1998). The Gospel according to Paul: Romans (Vol. Volume 5, Ro 12:12). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.)
Please turn back to Romans 5 (p.942)
It is because we can rejoice in hope that we also can persevere to be patient in tribulation, whatever its form or severity. Patient may give a wrong impression; Paul’s word denotes not a passive putting up with things but an active, steadfast endurance, to “remain instead of fleeing … stand one’s ground, hold out, endure in trouble, affliction, persecution. And something like that is needed, for tribulation/affliction denotes not some minor pinprick, but deep and serious trouble (Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 447). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.)
Because we have perfect assurance concerning the ultimate outcome of our lives, we are able to persist against any obstacle and endure any suffering. That is why Paul could declare with perfect confidence for Christians because of Christ:
Romans 5:2-5 [2]Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3]More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4]and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5]and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)
Doubtless one of the reasons the Lord allows His children to go through tribulation is to drive them to Himself. The believer who has the strength to persevere in trials, afflictions, and adversity—sometimes even deprivation and destitution—will pray more than occasionally. Such a person will be constant in/devoted to prayer, in communion with his Lord as a constant part of life.
Proskartereō (constant/devoted) means literally to be strong toward something, and it also carries the ideas of steadfast and unwavering. Constant, steadfast prayer should be as continual a part of a Christian’s spiritual life as breathing is a part of his physical life. The victorious Christian prays “with the spirit and… with the mind” (1Cor. 14:15). As he prays with his own spirit, he also prays “in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20; cf. Eph. 6:18). He prays “without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Paul therefore admonished Timothy to have “the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands” (1 Tim. 2:8).
Illustration: One of the great shaping personalities of Protestantism was Martin Luther. We sometimes have the impression that all this brilliant monk did was nail a list of protests on the church door in Wittenberg. Nothing could be further from the truth. He worked as an inspired man, preaching, lecturing, and writing daily. The complete edition of his papers runs into thousands of pages. He worked inconceivably hard, and yet in spite of all this, Luther managed to pray for an hour or two every day. He said he prayed because he had so much to accomplish. We are recipients of this hope, and in a world that is so corrupt and needy, we also need to pray (Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 174). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
4) Service in Lack (Romans 12:13)
Romans 12:13 [13]Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (ESV)
The final two principles Paul mentions in this list seem rather mundane. But they are qualities that the Lord personified during His earthly ministry and for which Paul himself was lovingly known. The flow of the supernatural life is outward, not inward, and meeting the needs of fellow believers is more important than meeting our own.
In speaking of Contributing to the needs of the saints, to Contribute is from koinōneō, which means to share in, or share with, and the noun koinōnia is often translated “fellowship” or “communion.” The basic meaning is that of commonality or partnership, which involves mutual sharing. The spirit of sharing was immediately evident in the early church, as believers after Pentecost “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship [koinōnia], to the breaking of bread and prayer.… And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common [koina]” (Acts 2:42, 44; cf. 4:32). In the eyes of society, we rightfully own certain things, but before the Lord we own nothing. We are simply stewards of what He has blessed us with. And one of our most important responsibilities as His stewards is using our personal resources to contribute to the needs of the saints, our brothers and sisters in Christ. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus made clear that we have a responsibility, to the best of our ability, to help anyone in need whom we encounter. But we have a still greater responsibility to serve fellow Christians. “So then, while we have opportunity,” Paul says, “let us do good to all, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10).
The last responsibility to fellow believers that Paul mentions in this list is to show/practice hospitality. The literal meaning of that phrase in the Greek is, “pursuing the love of strangers.” In other words, we not only are to meet the needs of those people, believers and unbelievers, who come across our paths but are to look for opportunities to help.
Please turn to 2 Timothy 1 (p.995)
Because inns in New Testament times were scarce, expensive, and often dangerous, Christian families commonly opened their homes to believers who passed through their towns. Yet, we are to “be hospitable to one another without complaint,” Peter admonishes (1 Pet. 4:9). That is, we should look upon our hospitality as a happy privilege, not a drudging duty. Onesiphorus demonstrated that sort of beneficence in ministering to Paul, about whom the apostle wrote:
2 Timothy 1:16-18 [16]May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, [17]but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me-- [18]may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!--and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. (ESV)
We are not to "neglect to show hospitality to strangers,” the writer of Hebrews admonishes us, “for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Heb. 13:2). Yet, as with all virtues, this one must be exercised without hypocrisy or self-interest for what we may get in return. (cf. Lk. 14:12-14)
Quotation: In summing all this up, Henry Drummond, in his book entitled: The Greatest Thing in the World, put it all together like this: "Take any of the commandments. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” If a man love God, you will not have to tell him that. Love is the fulfilling of that law. “Take not his name in vain.” Would he ever dream of taking his name in vain if he loved him? “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Would he not be too glad to have one day in seven to dedicate more exclusively to the object of his affection? Love would fulfill all these laws regarding God. And so, if he loved man, you would never think of telling him to honor his father and mother. He could not do anything else. It would be preposterous to tell him not to kill. You could only insult him if you suggested that he should not steal—how could he steal from those he loved? It would be superfluous to beg him not to bear false witness against his neighbor. If he loved him, it would be the last thing he would do. And you would never dream of urging him not to covet what his neighbors had. He would rather they possessed it than himself. In this way, “Love is the fulfilling of the law.” It is the rule for fulfilling all rules, the new commandment for keeping all the old commandments, Christ’s one secret of the Christian life". (Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World with other selected essays, ed. William R. Webb (Kansas City, Mo.: Halmark Editions, 1967), pp. 10–11.).
At the end of this essay Drummond said that, as he looked back over his life and all the beautiful things he had seen and enjoyed, he was convinced that it was only the small, seemingly insignificant acts of the love of one individual for another that will last forever (Boice, J. M. (1991–). Romans: The New Humanity (Vol. 4, pp. 1590–1591). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.).
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1991). Romans. Chicago: Moody Press.)
