Christian Ethics (Part 1)

Over the last couple of weeks we have camped out in Romans 12. In the beginning of the passage we saw how to maintain a consistent walk with Christ by developing the correct mindset about who we are in light of the mercy of God.

1.Daily remind yourself of the mercy of God

2.Remember your intended pattern for living, not conformed - transformed

3.Remember the proper perspective on life comes as a result of denying the flesh and the worlds pattern of life.

4.Have a proper perspective of oneself

5.Live life on purpose - make it a priority to use your gifts

In the remaining verses in the chapter Paul move into the practical ways that this mindset will manifest itself in every day living. We call this “Christian Ethics”. Since this is quite a long list we will make this a two part message.

Let’s look at the text together.

Romans 12 CSB

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. 11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. 13 Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. 21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Ethic - “a set of moral principles or values that guide behavior, often specific to a culture, group, or individual”

to get even more specific

Christian Ethic - The discipline that aids the church in pursuing the example of Christ in wisdom, holiness, and justice as empowered by the Holy Spirit and directed by Scripture.

A Christian ethic requires a Non-Hypocritical Love

Hypocrisy is Hideous. What cancer is to the body, hypocrisy is to the church. It is a killing agent. Unfortunately, hypocrisy is also addictive. And even though Jesus reserved His most severe words of condemnation for the hypocrite, we still seem to prefer that lifestyle to truth and authenticity. —John R. W. Stott, Sermon on the Mount

John Robert Walmsley Stott (English Preacher)

When we think of hypocrisy we think of something that is not true. We think of an actor that wears a mask when convenient and then takes it off when no one is looking. This is how the religious person behaves. They do what they think is expected of them without doing the hard part of actual heart change. Paul says this should not be the case. Love should be without hypocrisy. In fact, it is only true love that is antidote for hypocrisy.

So Paul describes for us the type of love that is free from hypocrisy. So we are going to look at these principles today in how to develope this type of love

1. Develop a deep love for the community of Christ.

Romans 12:9–10 CSB

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. 10 Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.

The word deeply here holds the weight of loving each other as family. Notice I didn’t say “like” family. I chose my words carefully because in Christ we are not “like family” we are family.

Just like in any family you may have that strange uncle or annoying cousin but at the end of the day they are family and so you take care of them and you love them. This is how the church is to operate.

But this deep type of love only flourishes under one type of environment, an environment of commitment to each other.

Just like any commited relationship the key to this type of familial love and experience takes time.

If we choose to keep people at a distance we cannot fulfill this command. If you hold people at arms length, you are not giving others the opportunity to love you and you are not giving them the opportunity to be loved by you.

It’s a two-way relationship.

In that type environment hypocrisy flourishes. We feel that we cannot be ourselves and thus must work hard at putting on heirs. but when we spend time with one another those barriers drop and we can form real meaningful relationships. Relationships where we can love imperfect people and they can love us.

Notice the next part of this verse

Romans 12:10 CSB

.....Take the lead in honoring one another.

Take the lead in honoring each other. This means take the lead in putting others first.

John Macarthur - defined it this way:

Romans: Grace, Truth, and Redemption Bible Passage

showing genuine appreciation and admiration for fellow believers by putting them first.

Just like you would give priority “honor” to an important guest treat all believers this way and lead the way in doing so. Put others first in all of your decisions.

So If I am on the sidelines waiting for relationships to come to me. complaining that I don’t feel connected. Am I obeying this command of love?

no. Take the lead...If you don’t feel connected its because you are not taking the lead. So in other words, be toward others what you want them to be like toward you.

Well Pastor Brett you don’t understand. I’m just not an outgoing person. Maybe not, but are you willing to sacrifice your discomfort on the alter of love and obedience for the sake of Christ’s Church? Isn’t that the point of the command?

So then what are you doing to develop this type of relationships among those in your church in our church?

Here at CRBC We want to be an Acts 2:42 church

Acts 2:42 CSB

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

So this past year, We added an additional time of prayer to our service. Then this year we have added a few new opportunities to better get to know each other.

We have three additional gatherings on top of the Sunday service.

We have Sunday School on Sunday morning - Some of you are saying yeah but its hard to get up on Sunday morning. I really need that extra hour of sleep. Listen I get it. You work hard all week and you could use an extra hour.

Listen I have been thinking hard about a solution to this for years. I have consulted professionals, I searched ancient text, I scoured the interwebs, even used AI to calculate the answer to the complex problem. Nothing. No answer could be found anywhere. this problem seemed to be even more complex then answering “What is the meaning of life?”

then one night, i had a vision. The sky opened up and I saw people everywhere doing something strange. At first I couldn't make heads or tales of thier strange behavior until a prophet came to me and interpreted my vision for me.

What I saw was indeed hard to describe.

It was people looking at the clock and then choosing to go to bed an hour earlier on Saturday night.

I then quickly wrote down my vision so I wouldnt forget what is saw. I was so exhausted from this vision that I almost didn’t make in time myself today but I had to get here to deliver this message.

We have a Wednesday Morning Small group that meets @ 10:30

Now this year we added a monthly Sunday Evening Small group, including dinner and the Lords Supper and a small group for children.

Teens and children you too are not off the hook from obeying this command we have youth group and youth Sunday school for you, which hopefully mom and dad are helping you to be obedient to this command by example. Hopefully they are teaching you how to be devoted to the gathering and each other by they themselves being devoted to it.

This is part of having zeal or love for the Lord.

B. Develop a deep commitment to the Lord.

Romans 12:11 CSB

11 Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord.

Do not lack diligence in zeal modern translation is this...Don’t be lazy when it comes to your relationship with God and others. Be diligent or eager to use your time and energy for the right things.

This includes but is not limited to the gathering. You should be eager but Listen even you think that Sunday school or small groups, church events are a waste of time.

At least waste your time in something that at least has potential . TV, sports, late night Saturday binge watching has no eternal potential, right?

Listen if that extra hour of sleep is so important to you on Sunday mornings, than get it on the front side. Turn off the screens and go to to bed an hour earlier...problem solved.

But in all seriousness we are to have an eagerness about us for the things of God. In fact look at the next phrase

Romans 12:11 CSB

11 ...be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord.

The word fervent has the idea of bubbling over. Kind of like a soda that is shaken up. When it opens watch out.… Its going everywhere.

This is the idea here. We should see the Holy Spirit just getting all over everything. God’s people should be filled and drenched with the holy Spirit so much so that service is a natural result of our filling.

When is the last time you have felt this way? Or maybe better yet, have you ever felt this way. Or even better still do you desire to feel this way?

Maybe you lack diligence in your walk with Christ or maybe if you don’t desire to feel this way, this means your still walking in rebellion and maybe you don’t have a walk with Christ?

Church family do you desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit? I mean filled right to the top boiling over? Do you desire a day when our church is just overflowing with holy spirit power so much so that the our families, neighbors, and local community can no longer ignore what they see in us?

Did you know this can happen like right now? Its not as if God is waiting for the perfect moment when everything is as it should be before he moves. No he moves when his people will simply turn their faces toward him. When thier eyes are lifted up from earth toward heavens glory.

God is not waiting for us to be perfect, he’s just waiting until we give Him the rightful place in our lives. when we do that he is the one the makes us like himself.

Senior Adults...Do you want to see a holy spirit movement in this church in your lifetime? Everyone else do you want to be part of a holy spirit movement in this place?

Then look with me at our last verse for today.

C. Develop a deep persistence in Prayer

Romans 12:12 CSB

12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Church family there is hope for this very thing.…Be patient in the struggles that you are going through remain faithful.....Sometimes we use struggles as a means to justify our pulling away from the community of Christ and his work.

No struggle is a sign that you need to persist in them. Don’t let your love for the Lord and each other grow cold. Don’t be a christian that allows struggle to steal your zeal for His work and each other.

How do you do this....2 ways,

You rejoice in the hope of Christ.

You become persistent in prayer.

But be persistent in prayer. So if you want to see the holy spirit move persist in asking him.

Ask him today, then tomorrow, and the next day. Let’s keep asking him until he moves. Then once he moves we will persist in asking him to continue to move.

In view of the mercy of God....

Lets be a people who lay everything at the alter. A people that love each other and our God without hypocrisy, people who are patient in the trials of life and rejoice in the hope of Christ And finally a people who persist in prayer.