Mark #3: "Love and Hate"

Review:

Mark #1: Humility

Romans 12:3 ESV

3 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, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Mark #2: Service

Romans 12:4–8 ESV

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Mark #3: “Let love be genuine”

Romans 12:9 (ESV)

9 Let love be genuine.

Literal Translation = “Love Genuine”

Translations:

“Love without hypocrisy”

“Love sincere”

“Love without dissimulation”

Some translations take a more prescriptive approach:

“LET love be genuine”

While others take a much stronger approach:

“Love MUST BE without hypocrisy”

Where does a genuine love originate? How is one to love in this way? How do you love without hypocrisy?

It requires us to sincerely desire the best for others. It carries the idea of placing the well being of others before our own.

Illustrations of this are made clear in God the Father, Jesus Christ, and even Paul himself.

Paul was constantly enduring hardship, abuse, and pain partly out of “genuine love” for his audience.

“Genuine Love” for our fellow Christians is only possible through a confirmation of the Love of God in Christ…through the working of the Spirit…and through reflection and focus on God’s love for us in Christ.

John 13:34–35 (ESV)

34 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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How can Jesus be so sure his disciples will be recognized by their love for each other?

Whose example is to be our motivation and instruction for loving our fellow believers?

This is why I love the “MUST BE” translation…because it really focuses on Paul’s heart in writing this imperative…namely, “As those who identify as ‘Followers or students of Christ, we MUST love others as Jesus loved our fellow brothers and sisters.” Not with an insincere, hypocritical love (by word only), but with genuine love that manifested into action and deed. The world’s first experience with the Love of Christ is seeing how we love each other!

Mark #4: “Abhor what is evil”

Other Translations: “Detest”, “Hate”

Do you hate evil? Do you detest it? Does it make you nauseous? Does it shake you to your very core? Do you mourn over its very presence? Do you desire for it to be destroyed?

To often, this is not true of us. In fact, not only do we not “hate” and “detest” evil…at times we participate in it! This must not be! As Christians, at the very least, we must be a people defined by this umbrella characteristic… “They hate evil, and hold fast to good.”

Therefore, we are not called to simply “not participate” in that which is evil…we are called to “hate” all evil. However, this begs another question, “how do we know what is evil?”

Did you know that there are many who are praying to God for abortion to continue?

Do you not remember, that both the Confederate and Union soldiers were praying to God to honor their cause?

Let’s get even more personal, think about the small things in our lives…the tiny evils we do not detest. TV shows, music, ungodly jokes, idolatry, addictions, selfishness, immodesty, gluttony...

How do we get to this point where we are not hating evil as we must?

Temptation of Worldly Acceptance

Don’t want to be labeled an “extremist” or “Bigot”

Appeal of evil to our depraved bodies

This brings us back to our original question of “how do we know what is evil?”

Is it a feeling? Is it a majority vote? Is it dictated to us by our government or other regulative offices?

Example of Ben Shapiro

We must understand and commit to the authority of the Word of God (Rightly interpreted) as THE sole authority over establishing good and evil in our lives.

As the Bible tells us, it is the Spirit of God that will rightly apply that Word in our hearts and minds to lead us into Good in every circumstance.

Mark #5: “Hold fast to what is good.”

Purposeful

This requires purposeful action on the part of the believer.

This very statement implies a force impeding this effort…a force drawing you away from what is good. A force longing to pull you toward evil and away from what is good.

The lazy will never succeed and the ignorant will never prevail. Too many had attempted to slothfully coast through life expecting to effortlessly maintain the path of good and righteousness. It will never be so!

Not only does this requires the “renewing of the mind” through much study and prayer, but also the “disciplining of the body”

1 Cor 9:27 “27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

There is nothing idle about this imperative.

Example of Rope

Possible

There is a good and evil in this life. And it is still possible…not matter how much they try to blur the lines....it is still possible to know and hold fast to what is good.