Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Love Romans Style” Romans 12
The twelfth chapter of Romans follows eleven chapters of direct teaching on the work of Christ and the unfolding merciful plan of God to restore both Jew and Gentile alike to fellowship with Him. In light of these great truths, Paul encourages a course of practical responses fitting one who truly comprehends the magnitude of the marvelous mercies of God.
RESPONSE ONE – present your bodies a living sacrifice
RESPONSE TWO – renew your thinking
RESPONSE THREE – properly use your gifting in Christ
RESPONSE FOUR –love one another without hypocrisy
Paul calls us to love without hypocrisy. Paul provides the details of this unhypocritical love in the following 12 verses and I think possibly through the next two chapters. Hypocritical love is when I say that I love someone, and even THINK I love someone, and yet fail to display any of the attributes or actions of true sacrificial love. If I say that I really love, and yet few of the daily attitudes and actions detailed in this chapter flow from my life, I only deceive myself. Paul used the same word for “love” here as we find in 1 Corinthians 13.
HYPOCRISY (Geek -- hupokritos) An actor on stage, to impersonate anyone, to play a part, to simulate, feign or pretend
Paul follows his admonition to love with a string of 12 “ing” words each intended to expand our understanding of “unhypocritical love” or genuine love. Paul then adds more specifics regarding the nature of unhypocritical love that broaden even more our understanding of how genuine love functions in real life.
Each phrase develops our understanding of what unhypocritical love does.
"Abhors whatever is evil"
Paul selects a term for evil that indicates a deliberate defiance of the moral law for personal gain, without regard to the pain or suffering brought to others by it; selfish greed often with mean and criminal intentions; the active outworking of an inherent evil. In this context, it is used to describe any evil actions that hurt and destroy people and relationships.
“ABHOR “ an expressed hatred, a demonstrated disgust or dislike, to experience a horror of something.
Genuine love feels disgust for those things that are evil and hurtful in God's eyes; especially those things that hurt the very people made in God's image. We struggle in our day with the natural human tendency to adapt to our surroundings and grow accustomed to evil by continual passive exposure to it. Evil attitudes, actions and philosophies bombard our senses almost daily. They often slip right past our God-given defenses because of the medium in which they are clothed and effectively dull our senses
We cannot discern what is evil and what is good on our own. We must rely on special revelation from the Creator.
God left us a standard -- the absolute written word to guide us.
God sent an example -- the perfect God/Man to model it for us.
God grants an inner witness or conscience -- the Holy Spirit to illumine us.
As we practice what GOD calls good, we our senses become trained to discern good and evil. Our actions become the actions of Jesus and therefore the actions of love.
"Clings to whatever is good"
Here Paul presents the flip side of "abhorring whatever is evil". We sin both by doing what God prohibits and not doing what God prescribes. Genuine love abhors evil and clings to the good.
GOOD-- that which is inwardly good, that which provides benefit, that which brings genuinely good effect, that which is practically and morally good
CLING - to glue to, to cement, to join or fasten together firmly
In our relationship with people, there must be a continual disgust for what is grim and hurtful and a concrete devotion to the things good and helpful. Abhorring whatever is evil and clinging to whatever is good requires that we resist responses in relationships that dampen the relationship and cling to those responses that develop deeper relationship.
Things like:
• Resisting withdrawal of my affection and gestures of love when hurt
• Curbing my cutting, critical tongue
• Resetting the angry tone of voice that resonates rejection
• Speaking when I am tempted to punish by my silence
• Keeping silent when I am tempted to punish by my speaking
• Offering specific effective encouragement to keep going
• Looking for opportunities to express genuine praise
• Remembering to continually recognize a job well done
• Caring enough to risk sharing the truth in genuine, unselfish love
• Making a call that says, "I really care enough to take the time"
• Sending a card that reminds, "I'm thinking of you"
• Prayer that follows all the way through someone's difficult times.
"Loves one another warmly and loyally"
The next phrase describing unhypocritical love combines two Greek terms for love.
"Storge" (a family loyal love) is combined with "philia" (a friendly warm fondness). The combined terms describe love as a strong, loyal "blood relation" kind of love that develops deep warm friendships. Genuine love adopts an attitude of loyal friendship toward people.
We are family. As family we continually seek to develop our camaraderie with each other.
"Prefers one another in honor"
PREFERRING -- to go before, take the lead, out do one another
Paul exhorts to continually work at showing honor to one another. Make it a contest to see who can honor the other the most. Wouldn't that be some sort of contest?
TO HONOR (verb) to value, to ascribe worth, to be deemed worthy (passive)
HONOR (noun) worth, evaluation, honor, price, appraisal, assessment
The pervading idea expressed by this word is "value".
It is used in I Cor 6:20; 7:23 speaking of the fact that Christians have been bought with a "price", the very blood of Jesus. In this present application, all Christians are to work hard at valuing one another. In Philippians we are instructed to consider the other more important than ourselves. Here, we see that love manifests through honoring, valuing one another. In their great book "The Gift of Honor", Gary Smalley and John Trent offer a working description of what it means to honor.
Honor is a decision we make to place high value, worth, and importance on another person by viewing him or her as a priceless gift and granting him or her a position in our lives worthy of great respect; and Love involves putting that decision into action.
We treat with respect, people and things we consider of value or high position. This is not primarily an emotion but a decision to value based on eternal criteria. Christ raises our conceptions of what it means to honor by asking us to treasure and value even those who do not deserve it.
• God instructs us to honor our parents regardless of whether they deserve it or not.
• Slaves were instructed to honor their masters even those who were unreasonable.
• All Christians were charged to honor the governmental authorities (the same ones who crucified their Lord) whether they were worthy or not.
Biblical, supernatural obedience to the instructions to honor must go beyond honoring the honorable to the demonstration of honor to all people. We are in a culture where dishonor seems the fashionable and even entertaining thing to do. Valuing people in a culture that devalues people grabs attention. The word for dishonor is the picture of a vapor, a steam, something of little substance. How often we devalue people by our words and actions and thoughts. The more we devalue a person by thinking of how much they bother us, the more our heart turns cold against them and the more we communicate rejection and worthlessness.
Genuine love views fellow Christians as valuable members of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are "blood" brothers and sisters, accepted and precious in the sight of our Father in spite of their actions and weakness. On the basis of our great love and honor of Jesus Christ we choose to enter into a contest to see who can value the other the most.
"Is not slothful or lazy"
The next two “ing” words are two sides of a single coin. Negative and positive! Genuine love works hard; not at the source of it, but the demonstration of it. Genuine love diligently pursues deeper relationships.
Webster defines lazy as follows: Disinclined to action or exertion; adverse to labor; indolent, idle, slothful
We normally view laziness from a purely physical aspect regarding someone who won't work. This is only one aspect of laziness. Laziness lurks in all spheres of one's life.
Laziness is the tendency to remain where we are instead of moving toward where we should be. A lazy spirit fails to make conscious effort to move ahead or grow in maturity. I claim to really love the Lord and yet I keep putting off dealing with habits and sins that I know displease the God I claim to love. Hypocritical love for God easily postpones until tomorrow those things that God has asked me to do today. Who knows what opportunity I may lose tomorrow simply because I was too busy making up past assignments. Hypocritical love claims to want to know God above all but continually neglects the very things that cause us to know Him at all. Does our love for God drive us to pursue the things that please Him?
The core of procrastination and laziness is rebellion. It is a selfish rebellious spirit committed to doing my own thing in my own time for my own benefit. I just simply refuse (consciously or unconsciously) to do what I am called to do when I am called to do it.
Unhypocritical love does not lag behind laziness.
"Remains fervent in spirit as if serving the Lord"
Here is the underlying motivating factor behind genuine love. As opposed to a lazy spirit, I love others with a fervent spirit. The word means to boil or be hot, on fire. To do everything as if Jesus Himself asked me to do it!
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Col 3:17
Is my love for the Lord characterized by fervency or am I doing just enough to get by?
Jesus exposed the mediocrity of the early church and advised them to repent and replace their hypocritical self-generated love with His supernatural love. Do I serve others with the same fervor I would serve the Lord?
Peter instructs the church…
Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart… Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
"Rejoices in hope"
Scripture calls us to rejoice even in times of difficult through a firm grasp on the hope of grace and glory. 1 Peter 1:13 Col. 1:27
Rejoicing is the natural external expression of inward joy. Unhypocritical love fills our hearts with joy that expresses itself in some way.
"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be made full."
Joy is a state of being generated by our perception of life around us. Paul perceived what appeared on the surface as destructive as a tool for the advancement of the kingdom and experienced joy that produced rejoicing. Our hope that God can and does orchestrate every event of this fallen world for His glory and our good generates joy that in turn inspires rejoicing. Unhypocritical love hopes in God and therefore rejoices even in difficult times.
This rejoicing can be infectious. This hope in God enables us to hope for the best in relationships. God can make a difference. People can change for the better.
"Perseveres in tribulation"
When hope is tested by time and trouble, genuine love remains. It is so easy after time and trouble to withhold the manifestation of our love. It is so easy to stop trying and abandon hope of deepening relationships. We then retreat to a comfortable distance that does not generate pain. Like two porcupines in the cold we move toward one another in hope of escaping the pain of the cold only to back off again as we encounter the pain of the quills.
A love that flees is not love at all. Genuine love perseveres in tribulation
TRIBULATION-- Those actions of people or those events of life
that produce physical, psychological, or spiritual pain and/or pressure in my life.
Simply stated, tribulation is any person or circumstance that produces pain or pressure
When these painful events plop in front my path I am compelled to respond.
1--I respond in love as prompted by the Spirit according to the pattern of Christ.
2--I respond in selfishness as prompted by Satan according to the pattern of the flesh.
Scripture encourages a variety of responses to tribulation:
1--Rejoice in tribulation 1Pet 4:12-13; James 1:2
2--Worship (Job)
3--Don't lose heart 2Cor 4:1-16; Heb 12:3
4--Comfort others 2Cor 1:3-11
5--Pray James 5:13
6--Persevere
Paul calls us here to “persevere” using the merging of two Greek terms.
1--Remain, make your home, abide, stay, live.
2--Preposition "under"
The resulting meaning of this union of terms is to remain under, to stay under, abide under trial. We are told, when it comes to tribulations namely the pain and pressure resulting from people and circumstances of life, we must persevere, endure, remain under, keep in there, make your home there, live under, hang in there, don't try to squirm out form under it.
Endurance is the ability to continue pursuing and doing what we know is right before God, in spite of my feelings, or fatigue and in spite of any pressure to escape, grumble, or crumble under the load
When I am fully aware of the depth of Christ's love for me and filled to all the fullness of God through His Spirit's filling, then I am able to properly respond to people and events with unhypocritical love. This kind of love bears under and continues to do what is right in God's eyes, no matter what. No excuses that I am too hungry or tired or stressed out or pressured or busy to love others. Genuine love keeps loving and considering others even under stress and tribulation. This is Christianity as it was meant to be -- supernatural.
"Devotes to prayer"
The word recruited here to illuminate the outward demonstration of unhypocritical of love is a strong word. It comes from the root "to be strong or endure". The basic meaning is intensified with the attachment of the preposition "pros" meaning "toward". We thus arrive at the meaning "to be devoted to", "to focus on", "to hold fast to", or “to be in continually." The most frequent use of this verb is in connection with prayer.
Luke 11:1; Acts 1:14; Luke 18:1; Acts 6:4;2:42, Here in Romans 12:12 and also in Col 4:2. The noun form of this same word is found in Eph 6:18 "watching with all perseverance."
Love perceives and takes the time to pray persistently for one another. To fail to pray is to fail to love. How often have we promised to pray for someone and then completely forget? That only illustrates our need for God’s genuine love. Paul, in his hectic life, seems to find the time to continually pray for others. If we really love we will faithfully pray. We will devote ourselves to the practice of praying for one another.
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints
Get a system or schedule. If you fail to plan to pray you plan to fail to pray. Satan gets nervous when we begin to truly intercede and bring men before God.
"Contributes to the needs of the saints"
The word for “need” in this verse indicates the lack of something vital or necessary for life. It can be reference to basic spiritual or physical needs. Phil 4:19 speaks of God supplying our every need as we give attention to helping others. How does God supply basic needs? He does it through people. 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 describe this function.
The reason for employment and working is that we may share with God and others.Eph 4:28 The word for "contributing" is a relative of our word "fellowship" or "koinonia" meaning to share, join together. Are we even aware of our family's need let alone contributing to it?
We have a great deal to learn about sharing. In the early church there was great need because many lost everything to follow Christ. They were willing to sell property and houses to see that the needs of the family were satisfied. Act 2:45 Act 4:35
John is clear about the fallacy of claim to love while neglecting to contribute to needs.
1 John 3:17-18
"Practices hospitality"
The word used here literally means "lover of strangers". There was a critical need for those willing to take in displaced saints who gave up or lost everything for their faith in Christ. Many times these were strangers and required lodging and basic help. Love makes a practice of opening their homes to those in needs to make them feel welcome and cared for. Heb 13:2
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1Pe 4:9
Paul now adds some direct instruction regarding an unhypocritical love. Paul focuses on how love acts in difficult circumstances.
“Blesses & does not curse those who persecute”
Literal--"Bless the ones persecuting you" The word "bless" is translated from the Greek word "eulogeo" from which we get the term Eulogy. It means, "to speak well of" someone or something. To eulogize someone is to speak well of them. Who are we to speak well of or say good things concerning? We are to stop "cursing" or speaking evil about our persecutors and speak well of them instead. A curse is an utterance that calls forth hurt or punishment on a person. A blessing is an utterance of good will that calls forth help or praise for a person.
"The ones persecuting"
The present tense participle indicates we are to bless even while the persecution is taking place.
PERSECUTE -- To ride, march, hasten, persecute, expel, accuse. The word was used to express religious persecution.
We are to speak well and wish well, not speak evil and wish evil upon those who "ride" us and inflict pain into our life. How easy it is to curse those who curse us. It is not just a good idea, it is SIN.
"Rejoices with those who rejoice"
"Weeps with those who weep"
These are present tense verbs indicating a continual action. Unhypocritical lovers enter in to such relationship with people that they feel with them whatever they may be feeling. This kind of love is not afraid to hurt with someone. This love presses past the protective barriers and enters into the pain of someone else's life in order that they may direct them to Jesus, the only source of help and healing. The rejoicing with others part is easy, for the most part, unless I am dealing with a spirit of jealousy and self-promotion then it is not so easy to rejoice. In this case, supernatural love is necessary. To resist jealousy and envy and coveting and truly rejoice takes unhypocritical love. The weeping with others is even harder. Besides, I have problems of my own. I don’t have the emotional energy to empathize with others.
“Thinks properly toward one another”
Paul deals with our perceptions and thought processes our process of reasoning.
• Thinking the same toward one another avoiding favoritism.
• Not thinking too high but thinking that includes the lowly as vital to the whole.
• Not thinking I have all the answers but listening to others opinions
“Responds properly to evil”
• Never pays back evil for evil to anyone
• Does not be overcome by evil with good.
• Respects others
• Meets the basic needs even of one’s enemies
• Lets God handle the revenge business
• Lives in peace with all men as far as possible.
“Submits to earthly authorities”
“Owes nothing but to love”
“Loves our neighbors as ourselves”
“Responds properly to the weaker brother”
• Accepts
• Does not judge
• Bears their weakness
“Seeks to build up one another”
“Accepts others as Christ accepted us”
It is clear to see the truth of the passage in Galatians 5:14
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
Can you see how such a love became like what we have been studying could attract attention?
This is Jesus living and loving through us.
This is God Himself flooding our life with His love that we may become channels of that love to others.
It is a love that flows from His throne.
Take the list and begin to pray your love will be like this love.
When I come back in three weeks we will first add a few balancing blossoms to this garden of love and then find out how this garden could become planted and blossom in our lives on a daily basis.
