What am I supposed to do? What is God’s will for my life? Have you ever wondered what God wants you to do with your life? Have you ever spoken with other Christians who say “I wish God would tell me what He wants me to do with my life, then I’ll do it!” Have you ever seen Christians paralysed in inaction, doing nothing, because God hasn’t told them what they are to do with their lives? - yet? Or have you been one of those ones?
But rather than seeking some special revelation, have you ever asked, “What does the Bible tell us to do with our lives?” Now I’m not saying that God may not have specific things planned for different individuals – but generally speaking, the Bible is full of the will of God for our lives. Many Christians get so hung up on finding a specific will for their lives, which is often elusive, they forget God’s clear commanded will in Bible.
Jesus gave us many commands. Some of the most famous are the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 and the Great Commandment in Matthew 22:34-40. Let’s look at Matthew 22:34-40.
MT 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
MT 22:37 Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: `Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (NIV)
Jesus summed up the law and the prophets with these two commands. The greatest command is to love. Firstly, to love God and secondly to love our neighbour. In some ways it is easy to love God. After all, He is perfect. He sent Jesus. God is very lovable! Not so our neighbour!
Tonight, we will be looking at some practical ways we can love our neighbours. A popular chapter on love is 1 Corinthians 13. But will not be looking at that passage tonight. Tonight we will look at Romans 12:9-21.
RO 12:9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
RO 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
RO 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
RO 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV)
Now Romans was written to – the Romans! It was the centre of the world at the time, equivalent to New York or London. It was a crowded city of over one million people.
The first half of the book of Romans is doctrine, concentrating on salvation through faith in Christ. Then there are a few chapters on the place of Israel in the history of salvation. The last five chapters concentrate on practical living. This is where we will be looking tonight. This section on practical living starts with Romans 12:1-2.
RO 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)
In verse 2 we see there is a reference to the will of God, and how to find it! It is found by not being conformed to the world’s behaviour, and by renewing our minds. What follows is how to practically renew our minds. It involves a change in our behaviour, in which we fulfil the will of God for our lives. Paul even re-iterates Jesus’ command we have just looked at.
RO 13:9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbour as yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. (NIV)
Our passage Rom 12:9-21, looks at some practical, aspects of love. We won’t be able to look at every detail in this passage, but we can look at some of the main themes.
Our passage starts in verse 9 with, “Love must be sincere”. The grammatical structure of these words suggests this statement is a heading for the whole passage. Therefore it is very important as these words lay the whole basis for our love. It probably comes as no surprise that the word for love here is αγαπη (agape). Αγαπη (Agape) was a rare word in secular Greek usage. It was taken over by Christians to express the love of God. We are to show the same sort of love God shows us, to others. What is even more striking though is what this love is – it is “sincere”. In the Greek the word for “sincere” is ανυποκριτος (anupokritos). This word is the opposite of υποκριτης (hupokrites). You can probably tell what the Greek word υποκριτης (hupokrites) means – it means “hypocrite”. So ανυποκριτος (anupokritos), the Greek behind “sincere”, means “non hypocritical”.
So that we know what the opposite of a hypocrite is, we first need to ask, “What is a hypocrite?” The origin of the word comes from Greek acting. Υποκριτης (hupokrites) was the word used for “actor”. That’s all it means – “actor”. In other words, it is someone pretending to be what he is not. Remember after 11/9 there were some “tough” actors who were too scared to fly! There were these people who had played fearless heroes in the movies but were too scared to hop on an aeroplane. They were literally “hypocrites”. They were only tough and brave in the movies, but not in reality.
In Romans we are commanded that our love is not to be only acting. It is to be for real. It is not to be a show. Not pretending. Not just words. Not just feelings.
It is to be our real selves who do the loving, and not some mask we put on.
Next Paul qualifies this love further, with “hate what is evil, cling to what is good.” The words chosen here are very strong. “Hate” has the meaning of “abhor” or “detest”. “Cling” has the meaning of being united with, and was often used of the unity between husband and wife. A better translation would be “absolutely detest what is evil – and be totally united with what is good”. Already in verse 9 we have the pattern for what is to follow – genuine love, totally opposed to evil, totally united with good.
In verse 10 this love is further explained.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.
This love is described as “brotherly love”. This refers to the love of family relations. It also redefines family. You see, this love extends beyond family boundaries to all those in the church. It reminds of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:48.
MT 12:48 “He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."
This family of God goes beyond social and national boundaries. Think of the church in Rome. There were great differences in wealth and social status, from senators and nobility to slaves. The church probably had a wide cross section of social classes. It is easy for us to get carried away with our position in society. This is tendency we have even here in Australia where we pride ourselves on being a classless society. In reality that is untrue. We Australians very much value others on the basis of their finances and their job title. Verse 16 instructs us not to be proud but to associate with those of low position. The church crosses socio-economic divides. Let us make sure that here at Grace Bible Church that we welcome those from all walks of life.
The family of God also crosses racial divides. The church in Rome consisted of both Jews and Gentiles. From the overall tone of Romans there was probably some tension between these two groups. Each thought they were better than the other! The Jews thought they were better because the promises of God came through them. The Gentiles thought they were better because they were more responsive to the Gospel than the Jews. We see this tension in chapters 9-11. But they are both urged not to be proud, and to love each other with family love. This love is to extend to honouring one another above one’s self.
From verses 13 onwards, Paul gives us a list of practical ways we can love others. We don’t have time to look at them all, so let’s have a look at some of them.
Helping the needy
In verse 13 we are told to share with God’s people in need. We need to be generous with what we have towards those who don’t have. This is to both those in our congregation and those beyond it. In Romans 15:26 Paul discusses the collection he took up among the churches in Greece for their poor brethren in Jerusalem. In the same way we need to practically love our brethren in poorer countries. Some of our brethren overseas really need our help. Consider sponsoring a child, supporting the work of Voice of the Martyrs or providing Bibles through organisations such as The Bible League. But also look out for those in need in our own congregation too. It is not a matter of choosing between those here or those abroad, but helping both.
We are also to practise hospitality. This literally means to practise the love of strangers!
Dylan preached an excellent sermon on this last year so I won’t go into details.
While verse 13 is clearly directed at love amongst Christian brothers and sisters, we can see from verse 14 that this love is to extend to non-Christians as well. In verse 14 we are told to bless those who persecute us, which is something you would not expect from fellow Christians.
Empathising
Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
We are also called to empathise with others. That means we are to put ourselves in their shoes and to feel as they do. True Christian love will make us interested in the joys and sorrows of others. This applies in our dealings with non-Christians as well as Christians. Of course, these must be just and reasonable causes of joy and sorrow – we are not to feel joy with someone if his joy is in something sinful (refer to verse 9 “hate what is evil; cling to what is good”). We need to mourn with those who mourn. For instance when someone suffers the loss of a loved one, loses their job etc. Of course, if something is sinful we can’t mourn with that. I had a non-Christian friend who once shared with me his frustration that after wining and dining a girl she refused to sleep with him. He expected me to mourn with him but instead I rebuked him!
We also meed to rejoice with those who rejoice. Sometimes when something good happens to others, instead of rejoicing, we can be inclined to be jealous. Perhaps a friend gets that job you really wanted. Perhaps you friend gets engaged while you’re still single and you are feeling left on the shelf. Rather than being jealous we need to rejoice with them!
Living at peace with everyone
16a “Live in harmony with one another.” 17b-18 “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
What a challenge this is! Firstly, in verse 16, we are exhorted to live in harmony with one another. Literally this means to think the same amongst each other. Of course, there will be some diversity of opinion in areas where Scripture is not clear, and Paul discusses that in some detail in chapter 14. But on the Gospel itself, and in the clear injunctions of Scripture, we are to united in thought.
We are also to live at peace with those around us in the world. Rather than being the ones to assert our rights, we are as much as it is in our power to live at peace with others. Notice the “if it is possible”. Our efforts at living at peace with others do not mean we compromise the Gospel. We are not to compromise our faith for the sake of a quiet life. But in those areas where our faith is not at stake, let us not be the ones who pick the fight. Pursue peace whenever possible.
Forgiveness not revenge
This is probably the hardest part of the whole section!
“RO 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
RO 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
This is a whole philosophy which is in opposition to our natural way of thinking! Naturally, when we are wronged, we want to seek revenge. This comes out in me most while driving. Who can identify with that? How do you feel when someone cuts you off? How do you feel when you are stuck behind someone doing 60 in an 80 zone and you’re running late? Does your blood boil? Well it shouldn’t! Now there are far worse things that people can do to us than cutting us off in traffic. We can be cheated. We can be slandered. We can be taken advantage of. Many in history have suffered such terrible things we today cannot even imagine. Many in other countries are still suffering such unimaginable injustices. They’ve suffered such things as torture and rape and witness loved ones being brutally killed. We’ve seen that in World War 2, in Rwanda, and even now Christians as close to us as Indonesia suffer terrible things. Yet we are called to repay evil with good. We are to remember that vengeance is the Lord’s job – it is not our job.
Overcoming
RO 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We have two choices for our lives in the face of injustice. We can be overcome by evil. Some people get bitter and twisted at what the world dishes out to them and are overcome by evil, and they hate. Others overcome evil with good. It’s your choice.
Well, tonight we have looked at some aspects of love. We have seen that love must be sincere – that is, it is without hypocrisy. It is not acting. We have seen that we are to treat members of the body of Christ as family members. We have seen that we are not to look down on others but to regard others as more important than ourselves. We have looked at some practical ways this love is manifested in everyday life, such as helping the needy, empathising with others, living at peace with each other and not seeking vengeance but repaying evil with good. And we have concluded that we are commanded to overcome evil with good.
How does all that sound? Easy???? No worries? Do you think you can all do that from tomorrow onwards? If you’re like me, you’ll look at that list and say, “no way! – I can’t do that! It’s too hard!” These few verses are a big ask. The problem is, there are a few verses I haven’t discussed yet, which are the key to being able to love.
Let’s go back to verses 11 and 12.
11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
These verses are the key to the whole passage. These six little phrases, if literally translated from the Greek mean:
In zeal, not slothful.
In the Spirit, burning.
In the Lord, serving.
In hope, rejoicing.
In affliction, enduring
In prayer, steadfastly continuing.
Firstly – in our zeal for the Lord, we must not be slothful. We must work at maintaining our zeal for the Lord.
Secondly – in the Spirit, burning. Quite literally, it means, boiling in the Spirit! Now when we hear an expression like this we may think of something Paul didn’t have in mind! When we hear an expression like, “boiling in the Spirit” we might think of some of the more extreme charismatic manifestations. But let us not ignore or miss what Paul is saying just because some people have hijacked the term. Paul is not talking here of extreme charismatic manifestations – but of love! The Biblical definition of being filled with the Spirit is not about laughing uncontrollably – but it is about how we live. We are to live holy lives, full of love. We must be walking in the Holy Spirit. It is only as we do this that we will have the ability to truly love. It is the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives that enables us to love. The same Holy Spirit who enabled us to believe in Christ, gives us the ability to change our lives, and to overcome evil with good.
Thirdly – our zeal, and our burning in the Holy Spirit, are to be directed towards the service of the Lord.
Fourthly – we are to be rejoicing in our hope. The Christian hope is a sure hope. It is the certain knowledge of eternal life with Christ. We have a sure hope of a better day beyond the trials of today. We need to remember this especially as we are commanded not to seek vengeance, and to repay evil with good. We can be assured that one day evil will be done away with. One day, we will be vindicated. Being sure of that hope helps us not to seek vengeance now. It is God’s job to effect vengeance, not ours.
Fifthly - we are to endure affliction. Again, we have a better hope to look forward to.
And finally – in prayer, steadfastly continuing. It is through prayer that we can ask God to help change us through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who transforms us by renewing our mind. It is through prayer that we resist the patterns of this world. It is through prayer that we ask for our minds to be filled with the hope of our future with Him. It is through prayer that we ask the Lord to help us repay evil with good, and we ask Him to help us forgive others. It is through prayer that we ask the Lord to help us to love others.
So in closing, let me ask you again – what is the will of God for your life? What does God want you to do with your life? I hope the answer is obvious now. We are to love God, and to love others. This love is to be sincere – not a love of words only, but of action. And this ability to love is given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit as He changes us to be more like Him.
