Roll Call For Christian Love

Roll Call For Christian Love

Text: Romans 12:9-21

Introduction

Illustration (changing love): The story of is told of a girl who regretted breaking her engagement and wrote this letter:

“Dearest Tommy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! I love you!”

Yours forever, Marie

PS: And congratulations on winning the state lottery.

It is fair to say that humanity rarely experiences love without there ever being moments when it lacks a genuine nature.

It is fair to say that humanity naturally responds to opposition with the desire to get back or get even.

However, Christ has conquered the law and sin with a perfect love. Here is the exciting thing: those who confess a trusting faith alone in Jesus as their Savior has experienced not only forgiveness but has also experienced the law of His love written on their heart.

We are ambassadors for Christ toward those outside of our brotherhood as well as within it. Paul is primarily speaking to those who belong to the family of God. This includes those who are part of God’s church.

What I want to submit to you today is this reality: Because the law of God’s love is written on the believer’s heart, the duty of God’s love is committed to our trust. God has called you to duty and equipped you for it.

So, what are our marching orders when it comes to loving our brother and our enemy?

1) The Foundation Of Our Duty

Our duty towards one another can be wrapped up in one word; LOVE.

A. No hypocrisy

1 John 3:18 “18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

deed and dependability.

To remove either of these is provide something less than genuine.

This love is not merely a compliment, but the very means by which we could be redeemed.

We should be glad for an opportunity to prove…

2 Corinthians 8:8 “8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”

You must ask the question, “Is the love Jesus showed me and continues to show me sincere?” YES!

Remember — God, others, then yourself

B. A love of affection (v10)

Not only to love, but the sense of living with the “readiness and inclination” to love.

The most genuine and free kind of affection.

This sense deals with the kind of love you would see a parent giving their children (tender, natural, unforced).

What can be sweeter on this side of heaven than to love and be loved? NOTHING!!!

C. A love of respect (v10)

Philippians 2:3 “3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

To always esteem ourselves provides the opportunity to advance a lot of evil.

Let us be honest. We know plenty enough evil just be communing with our own heart.

We should be inclined to take notice of someones gifts and be intentional to encourage and praise them.

It should please our hearts more to see others rewarded than ourselves.

However, let us not allow this positive action posture us to live lazy.

D. A love of liberality

James 2:15-16 “15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

1 John 3:17 “17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

They have the same wants God has satisfied in your life.

We should suffer with them in feeling because if not for God, you would be in the same want today!

This is where HOSPITALITY comes in.

Philippians 4:14 “14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.”

Quote: There is a common love owing to our fellow-creatures, but a special love owing to our fellow-christians [Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 2228.]

E. A love of sympathy

1 Corinthians 12:26 “26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”

True love is interested in the sorrows as well as the joys of one another; making them our own.

We do not look down upon their sorrow, nor envy their prosperity.

Psalm 35:27 “27 Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: Yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”

Isaiah 63:9 “9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, And the angel of his presence saved them: In his love and in his pity he redeemed them; And he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”

F. A love of unity

Wishing the same good to others you would wish for yourself.

Before you cause tension or disruption between you and someone else, it pays to put yourself in their shoes and walk a few miles in them.

Desire the same welfare for them as you would yourself.

G. A love of lowliness

When a local church decides it wants only a certain “high class” of people, it departs from the Christian ideal for ministry. [Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 556.]

Ephesians 4:1-2 “1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”

John 13:5, 14 “5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed you…”

Love is a CONDESCENDING grace!!!

We are not to MIND HIGH THINGS.

Not to be ambitious of preferment.

Psalm 131:1 “1 Lord, My heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.”

Quote: Be reconciled to the place which God in his providence hath put us in, whatever it be. We must account nothing below us but sin (Matthew Henry)

Content with the condition God has granted us in our homes, clothing and not grudge those who may have better things than you.

Our condition lies in the hands of providence. The same hands who works all thing out for the best good.

H. An engaging love

Who believe the wisdom from God is the best wisdom?

James 3:17 “17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Hebrews 12:14 “14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”

Ephesians 4:3 “3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

However, notice the limitation

Quote: It is not possible to preserve the peace when we cannot do it without offending God and wounding conscience. (Matthew Henry)

You may ask the question, “How do I know when I reach a brick wall?”

Ans. — When you can confess to God that you have done all to preserve the peace.

Paul goes on to say that there is a chance of being overtaken when “doing GOOD” is of lesser value than getting even.

Do not bow down to your emotions and live as if vengeful responses are you only option.

Through Christ you ARE THE OVERCOMER!

God’s love is written on you heart, therefore His love should be seen in your life.