Practical Christianity

Paul is turning from exposition to exhortation - he shows practical implications for the Christian life.

He talks about the individual and how we should live

He talks about the Kingdom and how the Body of Christ is to relate to one another and society as a whole.

Last time we talked about;

Our relationship to GOd - consecrated bodies and renewed minds

Our relationship to the Church - Romans 12:3-8

Today we will talk about:

3. Marks of a true Christian in Relationship to Others

Marks of a True Christian Relationship to Others

Marked by Genuine Love - Love is an affectionate concern that leads to appropriate action (Forlines)

Let love be without dissimulation - genuine, not hypocritical.

Part of loving - means not loving that which is evil - but that which is good.

How do we determine what is good and what is evil? (ALLOW DISCUSSION?)

Be kindly affectioned one to another - (in brotherly love)

In honor preferring one another - we often take that to mean let someone who is better or let the other go first. But according to the Greek used here it actually means, “We are to lead in bestowing honor and respect on the other person....They should also pay us the proper respect, but we should not wait for it.”

Not slothful in business - I have often heard this in regard to a persons business dealings and certainly the Bible talks about proper Christian work and business ethics, but this is actually talking about your spiritual fervor and zeal -

I take the word “spirit” here to be talking about our spirit not the Holy Spirit.

Rejoicing in Hope - Hope refers to the joyful, confident expectation of “the glory of God” as it relates to the eschatological future.

Distributing to the necessity - Notice who receives this distribution. I’m afraid sometimes we miss it.

- Heap coals of fire - some people think it refers to shaming or embarrassing your enemy - others think it refers to the ancient custom of carrying live coals in a vessel on the head. This was life and death - when you help your enemy you are showing them life. You are overcoming evil with good.