Love In Action
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we are continuing our study out of the book of Romans. Last week we closed with Romans 12:1-2, which are two of my favorite verses in all of Paul’s writings!
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
When we come to our passage today (and honestly next week as well), Paul is going to develop exactly what a living sacrifice looks like.
So, if you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Romans chapter 12, and we’ll begin our reading with verse 3.
Working as a Body
Working as a Body
We just looked at verse 2. There Paul told us that we are not to conform to the world around us. Now he is going to help us understand how we avoid being squeezed into the world’s mold.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
First, he tells us to not think more highly about ourselves. Paul tells us in view of all that God has done for us, an inflated view of one’s self is out of place!
By contrast, we are to exercise sober judgment which is actually right thinking or sound judgment in the evaluation of ourselves.
This right thinking comes out of the faith that God gives to each of us.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
An example from our own bodies.
Each person has a body--and only one body (v. 4a).
But our one body has many different parts (v. 4b).
And each part has its own unique function (or job; i.e. a hand does not have the same job as a foot) (v. 4c).
so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Paul says it’s the same way in the “body of Christ.”
There are many different individuals that form the single body of Christ.
And each part is connected to the other parts--so we belong to each other!
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Each believer that is part of the Body of Christ is given different gifts.
The “gifts” are given by (or through) God’s grace to be used for the benefit of the entire body.
Now Paul gives examples:
—If the gift is prophesying, then we are to prophesy in accordance to our level of faith.
—If our gift is serving we are to serve.
—If it is teaching we are to teach.
—If it is encouraging we are to encourage.
—If it is giving we are to give generously.
—If it is leading we are to lead with diligence.
—If our gift is the gift of mercy, we are to extend mercy cheerfully!
We are to use whatever gifts God has given us to lovingly care for His people !
Love In Action
Love In Action
Loving Other Believers
Loving Other Believers
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
When we are transformed by the power of the Gospel, one of the significant changes that should take place in our lives is who we love.
Love (agapo—unconditional) must be sincere (Gk. sense--not hypocritical, but genuinely felt and expressed) (v. 9a).
We are to HATE (Gk. sense—to abhor or to find repugnant) what is evil! (v. 9b)
We are to cling to what is good—that is hold on tightly (v. 9c).
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Next we are to be devoted to one another in love (cf. Ps. 133:1) (v. 10a).
This kind of devotion in love will cause us to be more concerned about others than we are about ourselves (cf. Phil. 2:3) (v. 10b).
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Not lacking zeal--(Gk. sense--always eager and earnest to do something or accomplish something (v. 11a).
Keeping our spiritual fervor (Gk. sense--never lose our great spiritual enthusiasm (v. 11b).
In our unending zeal and spiritual enthusiasm we are to work at being a servant of the Lord (NOTE: being a loving servant of the Lord doesn’t just happen. We must constantly work at it) (v. 11c).
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
We are to be joyful in hope. No matter what is happening around us we should be able to find great joy because of the hope that we have in Jesus! (cf. 1 Peter 1:6-9) (v. 12a)
Next we are to be patient (Gk. sense--never stop or never give up) in affliction (Gk. sense--an oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity) (v. 12b).
Faithful in prayer. We are to faithfully in our prayer life (cf. Lk. 18:1) (v. 12c).
Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Next we are to share or help our fellow brothers and sisters that are in need (cf. Acts 4:32-37) (v. 13a).
And we are to practice hospitality (Gk. sense—we are to pursue welcoming guests into our homes) (v. 13b).
For the most part these 5 verses are focused on how believers are to treat believers. The next set of verses will widen the focus to our reaction of both believers and non-believers.
Loving Everyone
Loving Everyone
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Bless those who persecute you. This was just as completely counter-cultural in Paul’s day as it is in ours. Usually, angry persecution is met with angry resolve! (v. 14a)
Paul uses repetition as emphasis! Bless and do not curse! (v. 14b)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Next, he says that we are to share the emotions of those who are around us— Rejoice with those who rejoice; and mourn with those who are mourning (v. 15).
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Live in harmony with one another. This literally means have the same mind (cf. Phil. 2:2; 1 Pet. 3:8). While this seems better suited for our attitude towards other believers, it is also suited for our attitude towards outsiders, especially given the fact that we are to empathize with those around us (v. 16a).
Paul then uses two negatives to emphasize his point.
—We are not to be proud, too proud to associate with people of “lower class” than us,
—And we are not be be conceited! We are not to become proud and arrogant.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
When we come to verse 17, Paul continues to talk more specifically about how we are to respond to those who are set against us.
Do not repay anyone for evil (v. 17a). This is hard. The world we live in believes that we are to treat others like they treat us. Paul tells us that we are not to repay evil with evil!
Instead, we are to be careful (Gk. pronoeo, to plan for or to take action) to do what is “right” (Gk. moral excellence) in the eyes of “everyone”--this is an all inclusive term, and refers to both believes and unbelievers (v. 17b).
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
We are to live at peace with everyone (v. 18a).
—If at all possible (this suggests that sometimes it won’t be possible).
—As far as depends on us--I am to take actions to be peaceable!
Paul tells us that we are NOT to take revenge--we are not to avenge ourselves (v. 18b).
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Instead, we are to leave room for God’s wrath (v. 19). Quote of Deuteronomy 32:35.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Paul now says instead of taking “negative action suggests that we “do good.” To make his point, he quotes from another Old Testament Scripture (Proverbs 25:21-22) (v. 20).
—If your enemy is hungry, feed him!
—If your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink.
—By doing this you are heaping burning coals on his head. Your enemy won’t be able to stand it!
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
In verse 21, Paul gives us the conclusion of verses 14-20! The conclusion is that the way we keep evil from overcoming us is to overcome evil with good!
—Evil in this passage refers to “morally objectionable behaviors.”
—Good in this passage refers to “morally excellent behaviors.”
The reality, is that we going to influence the behaviors of people around us to be morally pure or the people around us are going to draw us into morally corrupt behaviors.
So What?
So What?
There are so many things that we can take away from this passage.
We are told that those of us who are “believers” need to function like one body!
Just like the various parts of the body have different functions, so too each one of us have various jobs to do. I may have one function in the body, and you might have a completely different function. And that is okay!
Jesus told His disciples that the mark of being a follower of Him would be the love they would have for each other. Paul echos this idea in our passage today. Our LOVE must be genuine (“sincere”).
As such we should hate evil while holding onto what is good.
Paul says that believers should be devoted to each other in love—even to the point of putting their concerns and needs above our own.
Next we’re told that we should never lack our spiritual zeal, or lose our spiritual fervor (spiritual enthusiasm).
He tells us that to keep our spiritual enthusiasm we should be:
Joyful in our hope in Jesus.
We are to have a never stop, or never give up.
And we are to be faithful in prayer.
Like the early church, we are to help our brothers and sisters that are in need.
Then we are to reach out to those who in the world persecute us.
Bless those who persecute us—we don’t really know about or understand persecution but all around the world people are being persecuted for the name of Jesus—VOM
Paul says that we are to bless and not curse.
We are to share in other people’s joy and sorrow.
Live in harmony—as much as possible
Not repay evil for evil!
Seeking to live at peace with everyone.
Christians are supposed to be counter cultural:
Enemy hungry? Feed him!
Enemy thirsty? Give him something to drink.
Don’t be over come by evil, instead overcome evil with good!
