Christian community in love, fervour and in doing good to all
Romans 12:9-21 - Thoughts
Difficulties are in our lives for a reason. They are there to mold us, form us, and give us faith in God's ways, not ours. Who would sign up for evacuation of a whole state? As we think and pray for those who are fleeing the storm, we too have storms to deal with in our own situations. Sometimes they are things we could avoid if we did things correctly, but sometimes they are things not of our own making. It hurts and we cry out. We come to the end of our own selves and efforts and as Christians we turn to the ways and will of God. But in these circumstances of our lives we grow if we see them as opportunities for good and not for evil. There is enough of sin and death in our world that we do not need to be part of the problem. As Christians, we should be part of the solution . We read in Romans that our love should be real.
1. " Let love be without dissimulation. That English word means to feign, or to simulate, disguise or conceal. The Greek word is hypocrisy or to play act. How are we to reveal a love that is not ours? We often do have hate and play a role. Our true feelings are not always known by others. " Hate what is evil; cleave to that which is good."
" The believer, in the full conscious action of his renewed "intelligence," is to ponder the call to seek "transfiguration" in a life of unworldly love, and to attain it in detail by using the new insight of a regenerated heart. He is to look, with the eyes of the soul, straight through every mist of self-will to the now beloved Will of God, as his deliberate choice, seen to be welcome, seen to be perfect, not because all is understood, but because tahe man is joyfully surrendered to the all-trusted Master. Thus he is to move along the path of an ever-brightening transfiguration; at once open eyed, and in the dark; seeing the Lord, and so with a sure instinct gravitating to His will, yet content to let the mists of the unknown always hang over the next step but one." Bible hub commentary
We have fake news today, and we have fake Christians. That may sound too harsh, but think where you were at one point in your life. Were you a believer? If not, how did you live? If you are one now, how do you live? A saying I have often heard is , " We have to walk the talk."
A pastor I used to have said remember James has God's math, " Count it all joy when ye fall into trials of many kinds, knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh patience..." 1:2-3
2. Be fervent in Spirit (spirit) 12:11 " serving the Lord"
After reminding the Christians that they are to be kindly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another , that is letting others go before you. ( Leaders do that. ) He says something that I think I needed and perhaps you do too.
Literally the word means to boil over and to be deeply committed to something. To be earnest, to set one's heart upon, to be completely intent upon....
I know we lag and have less than adequate resources to accomplish what God has told us to do here while we are here. We are let the Holy Spirit heat us up to service for Christ. Fervent action, not sitting around waiting for others to do things, but when something needs doing or someone needs help, we pray, we act and we do not sit and watch someone else do it.
3. vs 18-21 caught my eye as well. Do we show anger and wrath toward others? Or do we realize that it is not our job to avenge, but it is God's . " Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." One day all the workers of iniquity will be shown for who they really are. There is a judgment of God to come . It is His wrath.
But our job is to do what it says in vs 20-21, " Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink...Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
These are hard sayings. Others will often speak ill of us for whatever reason and we have not deserved it, but one day God will bring all the wrongs to right, and the justice of His will is known by all. Our response is to do good even to those who do ill to us knowingly.
Romans 12 is a statement of our Christian behavior and conduct in the world. We have great privilege as the son or daughter of God. Love without dissimulation, be fervent in spirit, and do good. There are some that do that. They are role models for us in the Christian community, and we do well to follow their good examples.
Difficulties are in our lives for a reason. They are there to mold us, form us, and give us faith in God's ways, not ours. Who would sign up for evacuation of a whole state? As we think and pray for those who are fleeing the storm, we too have storms to deal with in our own situations. Sometimes they are things we could avoid if we did things correctly, but sometimes they are things not of our own making. It hurts and we cry out. We come to the end of our own selves and efforts and as Christians we turn to the ways and will of God. But in these circumstances of our lives we grow if we see them as opportunities for good and not for evil. There is enough of sin and death in our world that we do not need to be part of the problem. As Christians, we should be part of the solution . We read in Romans that our love should be real.
1. " Let love be without dissimulation. That English word means to feign, or to simulate, disguise or conceal. The Greek word is hypocrisy or to play act. How are we to reveal a love that is not ours? We often do have hate and play a role. Our true feelings are not always known by others. " Hate what is evil; cleave to that which is good."
" The believer, in the full conscious action of his renewed "intelligence," is to ponder the call to seek "transfiguration" in a life of unworldly love, and to attain it in detail by using the new insight of a regenerated heart. He is to look, with the eyes of the soul, straight through every mist of self-will to the now beloved Will of God, as his deliberate choice, seen to be welcome, seen to be perfect, not because all is understood, but because tahe man is joyfully surrendered to the all-trusted Master. Thus he is to move along the path of an ever-brightening transfiguration; at once open eyed, and in the dark; seeing the Lord, and so with a sure instinct gravitating to His will, yet content to let the mists of the unknown always hang over the next step but one." Bible hub commentary
We have fake news today, and we have fake Christians. That may sound too harsh, but think where you were at one point in your life. Were you a believer? If not, how did you live? If you are one now, how do you live? A saying I have often heard is , " We have to walk the talk."
A pastor I used to have said remember James has God's math, " Count it all joy when ye fall into trials of many kinds, knowing this, that the trying (testing) of your faith worketh patience..." 1:2-3
2. Be fervent in Spirit (spirit) 12:11 " serving the Lord"
After reminding the Christians that they are to be kindly affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one another , that is letting others go before you. ( Leaders do that. ) He says something that I think I needed and perhaps you do too.
Literally the word means to boil over and to be deeply committed to something. To be earnest, to set one's heart upon, to be completely intent upon....
I know we lag and have less than adequate resources to accomplish what God has told us to do here while we are here. We are let the Holy Spirit heat us up to service for Christ. Fervent action, not sitting around waiting for others to do things, but when something needs doing or someone needs help, we pray, we act and we do not sit and watch someone else do it.
3. vs 18-21 caught my eye as well. Do we show anger and wrath toward others? Or do we realize that it is not our job to avenge, but it is God's . " Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." One day all the workers of iniquity will be shown for who they really are. There is a judgment of God to come . It is His wrath.
But our job is to do what it says in vs 20-21, " Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink...Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
These are hard sayings. Others will often speak ill of us for whatever reason and we have not deserved it, but one day God will bring all the wrongs to right, and the justice of His will is known by all. Our response is to do good even to those who do ill to us knowingly.
Romans 12 is a statement of our Christian behavior and conduct in the world. We have great privilege as the son or daughter of God. Love without dissimulation, be fervent in spirit, and do good. There are some that do that. They are role models for us in the Christian community, and we do well to follow their good examples.
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