Romans 12:9-21
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (ESV)
This whole chapter is about believers living lives with their bodies that are pleasing to the Lord.
In verses 9-21 Paul continues with the same theme. Having thought about the believer and the body, he now tells us to think about the brethren, of which we see three aspects:
- Our Actions towards the Brethren
a. Social actions:
(i) Be honest – no pretense – not manipulating other people. we must love like Jesus Jesus loved us.
(ii) Be loving with a faithful devotion, being blood related in Christ.
(iii) Be humble – not making other people feel bad in order to lord it over them. Being humble always makes people feel better after they’ve been in your company.
(iv) Be diligent – serve God with fervency in whatever work our hands find to do, whether secular or spiritual.
(v) Be helpful and open – assisting in one another’s needs. Be open to one another and hospitable, being available to one another and kind – not easily angered.
(iv) Be kind and compassionate – rejoicing and weeping with those who do.
b. Spiritual actions:
(i) Be holy and on fire for the Lord – hate what’s evil and associate with what’s honorable.
(ii) Be faithful – in a position of servant-hood.
(iii) Be joyful – as Christians having more reason to be joyful than anyone else.
(iv) Be hopeful – faith flung into the future.
(v) Be prayerful – involved in a prayer life that is vibrant and consistent. - Our Attitude towards the Brethren
We are to walk:
a. As a Family, not being wise in your own eyes.
b. In Fellowship, associating with the lowly. No one has the right to think that they are better than others. All believers are cut from the same cloth.
c. In Forgiveness, repaying no one evil for evil, always putting the best construct on people’s actions. Love keeps no record of wrongs.
d. In Faithfulness, giving thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. - Our Affections towards the Brethren
Lord willing, next week we’ll see that we need to be peaceful, patient, positive and pleasant.