“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13)
Paul uses strong words in this portion of his letter; love, hate, cling, devotion, honor, joyful, patient, faithful. We are to take heed of such words and seriously strive to apply these characteristics to our walk with Christ. Genuine love should be the driving force in our lives when it comes to dealing with others. We are not to be phonies for God knows the motivation of our heart and our disingenuous behavior will hinder rather than help those we are intending to assist. Hate is a strong emotion. Defining it as “strongly disliking someone or something” (1) doesn’t adequately describe the word. It is an ugly word that should have no place in a believer’s vocabulary. Devotion is to be “dedicated and loyal” (2). To honor others is to show them respect; however, Paul says that we are not just to honor them, but rather honor them above ourselves. Paul instructs us to keep our enthusiasm, energy and effort strong as we serve God. We are to be joyful, patient and faithful in our walk with the Lord. When affliction strikes us, we are to ride it out knowing that God is with us. This can be much easier said than done; however, we can know that God takes good care of His children and will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Paul intended to systematically present the gospel to the Romans and also instruct believers whom he had undoubtedly met at one point or another during his missionary travels. These believers apparently had since moved to Rome from outlying areas. The most important aspect of a Christian’s life, which holds true for us today just as it did to those in the early church, is a genuineness of our faith. It is to be sincere and honest, not false or fake in any way. Nonbelievers can smell a phony from a mile away, so being diligent in our sincerity is vitally important. If we don’t live our lives differently than the world around us, we give non-believers no reason to feel compelled to accept Christ. When the Holy Spirit draws people in, what will they find in you that will make them want to join you on your walk down the narrow road?
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!
(1) Cambridge Dictionary; (2) Merriam-Webster Dictionary
* Romans 12:9 - be genuine - In classical Greek drama, the hypokrites (actor) wore a face-mask. The Christian’s loving behavior should not be acting a part or wearing a mask, but an authentic expression of goodwill. (The Reformation Study Bible)
