‘Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord . Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.’ Romans 12:9-21(NLT)
Read: Romans 12:9-21
This series of exhortations offers a no-nonsense vision of Christian living that is practical and challenging. Love heads the list and penetrates the entire sequence. This sacrificial, other-centered love (agape in Greek) forms the lifeblood of the Christian way of life. This love is shaped neither by the natural inclinations of our fallen nature nor by the standards of the world but by the power of God’s Spirit transforming the minds and wills of believers according to the way of Jesus Christ.
Paul first describes love within the Christian community (vv. 9-13), exhorting Christians to imitate within the church the affectionate love of the family, the generous love of spouses and the patient care of siblings for one another. He promotes a practical charity between fellow disciples, encouraging them toward mutual affection and even a healthy competition at showing honor to others. He warns believers to remain fervent as they serve the Lord in season and out. They must find joy in the hope of their salvation, remain steadfast in their times of suffering, and remain constant in a life of prayer.
Paul then describes love within the wider society (vv. 14-21), offering more practical applications of Jesus’s command to love one’s enemies and his call for nonretaliation in the face of opposition and persecution. Christians living in the world should be good neighbors, prepared to rejoice when someone has good news and to be there to support and weep alongside those who face tragedy. Living in accord with others, making company with the lowly, residing peaceably with all—this is the kind of simple witness that disciples of Jesus can offer daily to the world. The converted believer is able to discern God’s will in all sorts of practical situations, learning how to “conquer evil with good” (v. 21) through union with the resurrected Lord and the power of his Spirit within.
REFLECT: Which three of these exhortations should I seek to practice during the coming week?
PRAY: O God, who calls your people to live radically different from the ways of the world, guide me to discern in every instant how you desire me to live in imitation of Jesus my Lord.
from Into The Breach – How A Christian Man Loves