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 honour.
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 honourable 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.
Today we are picking up where we left off in late December in our ongoing sermon series on the book of Romans. You might remember that as we began chapter 12 last time, there is a significant change in Paul’s teaching compared to the previous 11 chapters.
Just as a quick recap, I want to repeat something I said as we began chapter 12. “Paul’s focus in the first 11 chapters is on Christian doctrine, and he opens the next chapter by basically saying, ‘In light of all this, this is what it means for God’s elect. Because of what God has done for us, and because of the changes He has made within us, these are the things which should be evidence of these changes. This is how we are to live.’”
The second half of chapter 12 in the NIV translation is given the simple title “love,” while the sub-heading in the ESV is “Marks of the true Christian.” Along with 1 Corinthians 13, the second part of Romans 12 gives us the clearest and most concise summary of the kind of lives the redeemed should be living.
Paul’s opening statement in verse 9 sets the scene for the rest of the chapter. “Let love be genuine.” Other translations say, “Love must be sincere,” and “let love be without hypocrisy.”
When Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, the very first quality he mentions is love. Much of what Paul lists in Romans 12 echoes the teachings of Jesus. Just before going to the cross, Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
In Romans 12 Paul makes a practical application of the Gospel. The Christian life is much more than mere head knowledge. As we are transformed by the grace of God, there needs to be a practical application of this transformation.
Love is such an important part of the Christian life of faith. The law of God is summarised in the word love.
Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-40, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The Gospel is saturated with love, but not an emotional or a sentimental love. Authentic Christian love defines how we relate firstly to God, and towards each other, which is why Paul says our love is to be sincere and genuine.
When our love for fellow Christians is sincere, there is no room for hypocrisy. The problem is that we are naturally competitive. From simple egg and spoon races at nursery school to the posturing in high-powered business and commerce, we are trained throughout our lives to stand up for ourselves and strive to do the best we can. This in itself is not a bad thing, as we need to understand our value and our self-worth, but the problem is that as a result we so easily allow pride, ego and selfishness to dominate our behaviour.
This is why Paul says we should love, and love sincerely. We are to be devoted to each other and honour others above ourselves. Practice those qualities in the business world and you may well win a lot of friends, but your chances of climbing the corporate ladder will be dramatically reduced as a result. But these are precisely the things we are to do in the Church, because what we do as the Church is not about us. It’s about Him.
Verse 13 says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” It is crucial that we learn to put the interests of our fellow Christians above our own interests. We are to love and serve each other as God’s children, because then, and only then will we be able to face the challenges Paul poses to us from verse 14: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.”
Love, forgiveness and grace are not only to be shown and lived out within the Church, but also (and possibly even more importantly), outside the Church too. Reciting Christian doctrine and coming to Church week after week does not impress those who do not know Christ. But if as the Church we are ever going to make any real impact on the lives of those who do not know Jesus, they have to see Him at work in us and through us.
As we all know it’s hard enough at times to practice the qualities Paul talks about within the Church, but we’re to do it out there too. That is what it means to have a practical faith – a faith that people can see in action, because loving, forgiving and serving out there is what gives the Christian faith its authenticity.
Just look at the example of Jesus. He could have spent all His time in the Synagogue, talking to and praying with like-minded people, but He didn’t do that. He reached out with authentic love to the dregs of society, the outcasts and the rejected.
We’ve heard these words of Jesus many times, but just listen carefully to what He says in Luke 6: “I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:27-31)
I don’t think we realise just how radical and how revolutionary those words are. For those who heard Jesus speaking that day, it probably felt like they’d been slapped in the face.
Paul continues to teach how we are to relate to those outside of the Church when he says, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 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.” (Romans 12:17-19)
Have you ever wondered what kind of effect we would have on the lives of the unsaved if we actually did these things? I think we’d turn the world upside down.
Paul goes into great detail as he emphasises the need for our love to be genuine, and the reason is that these things stand directly opposed to our selfish nature, which is why he begins chapter 12 by exhorting us to be living sacrifices.
Any form of ministry or service is a sacrifice, simply because you’re doing it for someone other than yourself. The idea of sacrifice was familiar to his readers, but Paul asks for a different kind of sacrifice to the one they were used to. They were to offer themselves, their own bodies and not that of an animal. In other words we are to offer more than things, but ourselves in practical ways too. The sacrifice we bring is meant to be alive, a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Paul actually goes on to say that this is worship.
At the same time we are to have a humble attitude towards ourselves. It’s all about the attitude of a serving heart. Verse 16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” Humility includes a willingness to serve, even if that means doing menial tasks that others might feel are below their station.
Also, are we prepared to be taught? Being teachable is vital, because it means we’re prepared to accept that we actually don’t know it all. To be teachable is to be wise. Proverbs 15:31-32 says, “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.”
Teachability includes an eagerness to learn and grow as well as the ability to learn from our mistakes, to profit from advice and even criticism. Our natural reaction when criticised is to fight back, regardless of whether the criticism is valid or not. But if we learn to practice humility in our lives, we’re able to learn from those times.
An important point to remember when it comes to humility is that even though we’re to consider others better than ourselves, that doesn’t mean we have no worth or value. On the contrary, we are of infinite worth and value. Jesus died for you. Your worth and your value is to be found in who you are in Christ. You are of infinite value to God, and when you have that healthy attitude towards yourself, it becomes so much easier to serve with a true servant heart.
It is only when we love and trust God fully and are able to practice humility that we’re able to have a Godly, loving relationship with each other. Tension between people within the Church is a reality, for the simple reason that we’re sinners, but in and through Christ we’re able to rise above those things. Jesus commanded us to love one another - it was not a request or a suggestion.
It’s a command, and when we obey His command to love one another, how can we not work together for God’s glory? It’s hardly rocket science. We need to forget about our own little agendas, rise above what we want and love each other. That will free us to serve God, each other and the world to the glory of God.
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul uses the analogy of the human body to teach how we all form different functions and ministries in the Church.
When we love each other and work together the way that God intended, there will be no resentment and envy. Christian love is not an emotion. It is a choice, and we all have to decide whether we are going to love one another or not. When we allow personal friction to hamper our ministries and work in the Church, they will not be effective, and they will certainly not glorify God – again, remember that God by His Spirit enables us to choose to love each other and to forgive as we have been forgiven.
A key word when it comes to our attitudes towards each other is submission. In the secular world, submission is a negative word. Those who submit are regarded as people who have no substance and no backbone. But in the life of a Christian, submission is a glorious thing. When Jesus wrestled in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane before facing His execution, He submitted to His Father’s will. Was Jesus’ submission to the Father negative? Hardly. It was a glorious thing. In Ephesians 5 Paul is writing to the Christian Church when he says, “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:18-21) Christian submission is not negative. Christian submission brings glory to God as we submit to and serve each other in love.
Peace and harmony within the Church can only be a good thing, as Paul urges us in Ephesians 4:1-3, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
When we practice virtues like forgiveness, patience and longsuffering in the Church they will help to smooth out the bumps and obstacles that satan can and does put in our way in his efforts to destroy the Church.
At the end of chapter 12, Paul deals with an issue that we all struggle with - this idea of exacting revenge when we have been wronged.
His point is that as Christians, we must be free from the desire to get even. Now of course, this is a lot easier said than done, but the truth is that we know that God will right all wrongs in His own perfect judgment. Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.”
Not only that, but we are instructed to show grace to those who wrong us. One of the most misunderstood principles in the Old Testament is the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” law. This was never meant to be applied by individuals, even in Old Testament times. It was a standard for society as a whole to use to enforce good conduct among the people. It did not give people license to seek revenge for themselves.
Let’s say I steal something that belongs to you. The proper process to follow would be for you to report the theft to the authorities, and allow the police and justice system to deal with me. Just because I’ve stolen from you does not give you the right to take the law into your own hands and lock me up in your garage until you decide I’ve learnt my lesson.
This is exactly how this idea of an eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth is so badly misinterpreted. God is the one who will deal with those who do wrong, and one of the ways He does that is through governing authorities which He places over us. We’ll get into this subject next week.
We should do everything possible to be at peace with others, regardless of whether the other person responds to our attitude of peace, because there is a difference between forgiveness offered and forgiveness received.
We are to offer forgiveness to everybody, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we are restored in relationship with them. Sometimes the wrongs committed against us are serious and deeply hurtful. This doesn’t mean we are required to simply let bygones be bygones and pretend nothing happened.
Our Christian duty is to offer forgiveness. Restoring the relationship depends on their repentance and their transformation, and this means praying for that person, and allowing God to deal with them. Some people don’t want your forgiveness, and there will be times when they are not interested in restoring a relationship, but you can still be at peace in your own heart, knowing that you have released them.
Verse 19 again: “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.’”
Our part in forgiveness is in acknowledging God’s role as the sovereign judge, and as hard as it is, there are times when we need to learn to offer forgiveness and to then simply walk away and leave it in the hands of the Lord.
Paul says in verse 18 that we are to live peaceably with all. This is what we are to strive for, but the reality is that harmony is not always possible. Truth not only unites, but it also divides, and it’s important that we recognise this. We are not called to be doormats, just allowing others to do or say what they like, but we are called to strive for peace wherever possible, and we need Godly wisdom to do this.
Romans chapter 12 challenges us in so many ways, and one of the great dangers for Christians is to look read it like a list of demands from God.
So how do we do it? How do we do these things without slipping into legalism? The answer is the cross, and what happened there. Because of the cross you are justified.
God has made a legal declaration over you, as Jesus’ perfect righteousness is given to you. That is where we begin this new journey of grace. Don’t make the mistake of saying to God, “Okay, I’m justified and saved. Thank you so much for what you have done, but now can I have the rules to live by.” Don’t pursue sanctification because you will fail. Rather, get to grips with what it really means to be forgiven and justified.
Throughout the book of Romans Paul has emphasised the doctrine of justification, and we need to become experts, if you like, on this vital doctrine of the Christian faith. Our lives are rooted in the cross of Christ, and when we understand just what it means to be justified, we are able to live lives which reflect love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
You forgive those who have wronged you, not because you feel like it, but because of who you are in Christ.
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 13 are not lists of demands that we are duty bound to obey. Rather, when we understand who we are in Christ because of His death on the cross for us, the lifelong process of sanctification becomes a reality, but it all starts with Jesus, who He is, what He did on the cross for you, and His righteousness which has been given to you as a gift of grace.
Once we truly get to grips with the reality of our justification, living a life which honours God is not an obligation, but a joy and a privilege, because this is what pleases Him.
Homegroup Study Notes
Read Romans 12:9-21
Discuss the notable transition from doctrine (theory) in the first 11 chapters, to the commands to apply our faith in practical ways in the following few chapters.
What are some of the reasons for Christians to live out our faith in the world?
The word “love” in the Bible is often confused with emotional attraction we have for others, or the protective love we have for family.
We are given a hint that Christian love is to be different in verse 9. (Different translations say our love is to be sincere, genuine and without hypocrisy).
What does Christian love look like?
Verses 14 to 17 deal with how Christians are to behave toward unbelievers.
How are we to do these things if our love is not returned, or if we face persecution, ridicule or even hatred for our faith?
The last three verses of chapter 12 are particularly challenging, as we all struggle to forgive those who have wronged us.
Discuss the basic principles Paul is teaching here.
While we all would agree with what he writes, our struggles in this area are real, and often very painful.
So how do we do it?