Romans 12: Part 7

Romans 12: Part 7

After telling us that love must be sincere, Paul continues by instructing us to A) hate what is evil and B) cling to what is good. 

Hate Evil

It is important to note that Paul did not say "Hate those who are evil" or "Hate evil people". We are to hate evil THINGS/PRACTICES, not PEOPLE. Let us, as the Church, move away from the cliché of "hating the sin, loving the sinner", because the people doing the sin that we hate aren't picking up on the love part. They are just absorbing the hate, judgment, and condemnation we are throwing their way. To put it another way, we tend to identify other people by the way they sin. This is a thief, gambler, murderer, etc. When we do this, we are equating the sin and the sinner, making it impossible for us to hate the sin without also hating the person. We are boiling the entirety of a person down to the sin they have committed. That is the opposite of "loving our neighbor as ourselves". 

When we look at the Bible, what kinds of evil should we hate? The first thing that comes to my mind is INJUSTICE and OPPRESSION. God is actively against injustice and oppression, so we should be against systems and acts that dehumanize, use, and belittle people. VIOLENCE is another clear kind of evil we should be against, particularly wielded against those on the margins of society. IDOLATRY is another frequent evil mentioned in the Bible. Anytime someone depends on or reveres someone or something instead of God, we are seeing idolatry in play. 

The temptation is to pick on evils that we don't particularly struggle with. When we do this, we are attempting to disassociate with the people struggling with that sin. We are saying THEY ARE SINNING... as we gossip about them, or YOU ARE SINNING... as we condemn them to their faces. But instead we should be saying WE ARE SINNING...

Cling to Good

In our lives, it is not enough to just avoid the bad, we must actively embrace the good. The Church is good about preaching on the "sins of commission" (doing bad things), but we must also learn about the "sins of omission" (not doing good things). James 4:17 tells us that we know the good that we should be doing and yet don't do it, then we are sinning. So if the Holy Spirit nudges us to pay for someone's groceries and we refuse, then we have disobeyed and therefore sinned. 

We can identify the good we should be clinging to, by looking at the inverse of the evil above. Instead of injustice, we must support JUSTICE. Instead of oppression, we need to work towards FREEDOM. Instead of violence, we should be agents of PEACE. Instead of idolatry, we choose to WORSHIP God as we turn to Him instead of systems, people, and things. 

We can get ideas from Scripture about the good we should cling to: we can use the WHATEVERs in Philippians 4:8 and the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT in Galatians 5:22-23 to tease out the good. If things are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, then we should think about (and dare I add act on) these things. If things are training us to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled, then they are good things.

Society is encouraging us to fear, distrust, and hate each other. We are fed this diet through the news and through social media, but we must choose to cling to what is good. If we read that line and thought, "Oh yeah, that's definitely true about my political opponents!", then we are missing the point. We need to "pull the plank out of your own eye" before trying to point out the problems with the others, even if they are our political opponents. This won't happen by accident or chance, but rather, we must actively choose to embrace the good.

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-Do you tend to hate people or hate things/practices? 

-Have you used the cliché "hate the sin, love the sinner"? 

-Have the people doing that particular sin felt your love? 

-What kinds of things does the Bible say about injustice? Oppression? Violence? Idolatry? 

-How do you struggle with these sins? 

-How do you benefit from the systems that use these things against others for your benefit? 

-What sins do you tend to condemn in others? 

-What are sins that you struggle with? 

-Do you tend to focus on avoiding the bad things or doing the good things? 

-What sins of commission do you need to repent of? 

-What sins of omission do you need to repent of? 

-How can you cling to justice, freedom, peace, and worship? 

-How does Philippians 4:8 and Ephesians 5:22-23 show us the good that we must cling to? 

-How have you actively chosen to cling to what is good this day? This week? This year? 

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 6

Romans 12: Part 6

After giving concrete examples of spiritual gifts and encouraging people to use their gifts, Paul urges his audience to have sincere love. Literally he says "Love must be sincere." (Romans 12:9a) There is more to this verse, but I wanted to dive into this topic, before continuing with the rest of the verse next week. 

Subject: Love

Love. This seems like a simple enough concept, but let's dive into the Greek language. There are 3 main types of love: eros (physical/sexual love), phileo (brotherly love), and agape (Godly or unconditional love). Paul uses Agape here. We can look up this verse using Strong's Numbers (G26) thanks to online resources such as Blue Letter Bible. This can give us a deeper understanding of the text as we can read the definitions, as well as see how else it was translated in the Bible and what the other verses say. 

Now Paul did not put a possessive adjective in front of this subject. He didn't say "Our love..." or "Your love..." or even "God's love..." Without a qualifier like that, we can take a very broad approach. Are we loving people and God with an unconditional love? Even when we disapprove of the choices that they make? Even when we are annoyed or frustrated by them? Even when they don't talk or act like we want them to? Unconditional love means that nothing that a person says or does could diminish our love for them. This is a powerful love that Paul uses as his subject here.

Verb: Must Be

One way to approach a study of Scripture is to note what is not said. This can be just as informative as what is actually in the text. For example, Paul said "Love MUST BE Sincere". 

He didn't say "Love SHOULD BE Sincere" (i.e. this is our goal/ideal, but we won't always reach it)

He didn't say "Love WILL BE Sincere" (i.e. if we love someone, we will ALWAYS have this sincere love)

He didn't say "Love IS Sincere" (i.e. this is a core trait of love) 

He didn't say "Love MIGHT/COULD BE Sincere" (i.e. some Christians could possibly have this trait, but it's not universal to ALL Christians)

He said "Love MUST BE Sincere". (i.e. this is a critical trait of love, that we need to ensure is present in our love)

MUST BE implies a necessity, something that has to be present. In order for Agape love to be present, it needs the trait (sincerity) that comes after this verb. 

Adjective: Sincere

The Strong's Number for "Sincere" is G505. These numbers are tied to the KJV translation of the Bible, so while the NIV translates this word as "sincere", the KJV uses "without dissimulation". Other parts of Scripture translate this word as  "unfeigned" and "without hypocrisy". In other words "sincere". If something is sincere, it is free from deceit, hypocrisy, and falseness. In other words, it is earnest, genuine, and real. 

This is what our love MUST BE. 

It must be without deceit, hypocrisy, and falseness. Sometimes it hurts to be told the truth, but if we keep the truth from people, we are preventing them from learning the information that can allow them to grow into more Christ-like disciples. Hiding the truth or actively speaking falsely reeks of insincerity. 

It must be earnest, genuine, and real. This kind of love has a real reaction to people. It may not be the reaction they want or expect, but it is truly your own reaction. Sometimes people expect a big greeting or "thank you", when some of us prefer to give a simple greeting or "thank you". Being sincere means we give the genuine response instead of trying to fit ourselves into other people's molds of how we *should be*. 

We must love each other and God sincerely.

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-In what ways do you love God and those around you unconditionally? 

-In what ways do you try to put conditions and limits on your love for God and others? 

-How did the different verbs change the meaning of the sentence? 

-Which verb has the highest requirement for a Christ-follower? 

-Why do you think Paul chose this phrasing for the verb? 

-In what ways does your love have deceit, hypocrisy, and falseness? 

-In what ways does your love need to be more earnest, genuine, and real? 

-Is your love for God and others sincere? 

Romans 12:9a

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 5

Romans 12: Part 5

After discussing how one body has many parts and how each member belongs to the others, Paul continues with some more concrete examples in verses 6-8.

Different Gifts

We have been given different gifts. Like a body, we do not all have the same function in the Church. We have these gifts through the grace of God. This is a gift, not a salary or requirement. God did not HAVE to give us a gift, but He chose to give them to us anyway. We know that it's rude to tell the giver of a gift "You gave me ____, but I was hoping for ____ instead", likewise it is rude to tell that to God. As a side tangent, it is still rude to tell a third party our complaints about a gift we received. So let us consider our gifts with appreciation and gratitude.

Using Our Gifts

Paul goes through 7 examples of gifts here: Prophesying, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading, and Showing Mercy. (In addition to this passage, we can learn about spiritual gifts by reading 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Ephesians 4 as well). There are plenty of books and even online surveys that are available to test and see what our gifts are, but that is outside of the scope of this series. The short version of Paul's message: if you have a gift, use it! 

Prophesying: If you want to dive deeper into the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers), I recommend reading Primal Fire: Reigniting the Church with the Five Gifts of Jesus by Neil Cole. It goes more in depth into these five roles/gifts, and you'll note that the gifts of prophesying and teaching are also in this list in Romans 12. That book taught me that a prophet isn't just someone who knows the future or can tell you things about yourself that you never told anyone. A prophet is someone who hears God's voice and a prophet's role is to teach others in the Church to do the same. If you are upset by the injustices that you see in the world and want to see people doing something about them, you might have the prophet's gift. 

Serving: Some people have this gift. Others have "Acts of Service" as a "Love Language" as Gary Chapman has taught us. When we serve someone, we are meeting their needs or sometimes even their wants. Sometimes we are doing something that they can't do for themselves. Other times we are doing something that they can do for themselves, but it is nice to not have to do it. 

Teaching: Theology is the study of God. As Christians, we are all supposed to be theologians, or studiers of God. People with this gift can teach about God, the Bible, the historical context around events in the Bible, as well as lessons from the saints throughout the ages. Primal Fire also notes that the role of a teacher is to teach people to teach themselves. We should be equipping our students to do their own research and learn on their own, instead of merely giving them a lesson every week. 

Encouraging: The world is a discouraging place. Encouragement isn't just about praising someone for something they have achieved; it's also about challenging and spurring people on to continue to stay faithful to God. As long as we are alive, we have more to learn, grow, and do. Encouragers affirm the work we have done, even as they encourage us to stay the course until the end. 

Giving: We do not all have access to the same amount of resources. Some people are in severe poverty, while others are living in over-stuffed houses. Some people are starving, while others are throwing spoiled food away. When we give, we do not expect something in return, nor we are attaching strings and conditions to our gifts. 

Leading: Some are leaders and some are followers. We are called to be subject and to submit to earthly authorities, as long as they are in line with God's commands. Those who are leaders need to be sure that they are calling people to be obedient to God's will, not their human will. 

Showing Mercy: When we show mercy to someone, we do not give them the punishment or condemnation that they deserve. We do not say that zinger that would put them in their place. But mercy is more than just not distributing a punishment that someone deserves. It is also walking with someone through their pain. It is choosing to believe the best about someone until proven otherwise. It is offering a smile and forgiveness when someone confesses that they have wronged you.

A Note about Adverbs

Part of my job is teaching English, so please bear with me while I nerd out about the grammar of this passage. Three of these gifts are commanded to be used in conjunction with an adverb. An adverb takes an adjective and adds an "-ly" to the end. So it changes the sentence from "She is generous" (Subject-verb-adjective) to "She gives generously" (Subject-verb-adverb). In this case GENEROUS describes an attribute that she has, whereas GENEROUSLY describes the manner in which she gives. 

Paul tells us to Give Generously, Lead Diligently, and Cheerfully Show Mercy. He also tells us to Prophesy In Accordance With Our Faith, but that's not quite an adverb. 

Generously: When we give generously, we are giving more than the bare minimum. We are giving above and beyond what is required of us. Instead of giving a can of about-to-expire cranberry sauce, we give newly bought canned food that the person likes. 

Diligently: When we lead diligently, we do not just tell people what to do while scrolling through social media. We are active and involved. We are modeling, coaching, and directing. This takes intentionality and focus. 

Cheerfully: When we show mercy cheerfully, we are not manipulating or sending out "guilt trip" vibes. We are pleasant and trying to make the situation pleasant for the person involved. The person should leave feeling better, not worse. (To be fair, you cannot control how the other person feels, but you can do what you can to not make the other person feel dehumanized, belittled, or patronized).

In accordance with your faith: When we prophesy, in accordance with our faith, we are making sure that we are staying in step with God. We are not saying what WE want God to do or what WE think will happen, but we are telling people what God has clearly communicated in His Word and through His Holy Spirit. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-What gift(s) has God given you? 

-Do you treat it as what you're due or as a gift? 

-When have you expressed dissatisfaction with your gift, either to a friend or to God? 

-Which of these gifts might you have? 

-How have you been using this gift? 

-Which of these adverbs is easy for you? 

-Which of these adverbs is difficult for you? 

-Which one do you need to put into practice? 

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Romans 12: Part 4

Romans 12: Part 4

Paul continues after his warning to not think too highly of ourselves with an analogy. He compares our one body (with its many parts with different functions) to the one body we form in Christ (where each member belongs to the all others).

Different Functions

We live in an amazingly diverse world. If everyone in the world was a farmer growing food, we would have no clothes to wear. If everyone in the world was a math teacher, we would not learn about history. Just like we have bodies with different parts and functions, so are we different parts with different functions in the body of Christ. If we had eyes everywhere, we wouldn't know the sweet sound of a gentle rain. If we had noses everywhere, we would live in darkness.

We often get caught in the comparison trap. We look at a different member in the body and we are jealous or discouraged that we don't have as spectacular of a role as they have. But God formed each of us and gave us the gifts He saw fit to bless us with. When we are discontent with our function or jealous of someone else, we aren't just belittling ourselves, we are also spurning God's blessings. 

It is beneficial to know our spiritual gifts (more on this later in this series), but our gifts or lack thereof do not excuse us from the general commands that God gives to all believers (more on this later in the series). Our body parts serve many diverse functions, but they all work in unity to do the task set before them, whether cooking and serving a meal or visiting with a friend over a cup of tea.

One Body

There is one body in Christ. We are not divided by nationality, continent, gender, age, or ethnicity. So let us learn what the body is doing around the world and across denomination lines. Let us be known as Christians, instead of as our denominational labels. Let us be concerned about our Christian brothers and sisters in North Korea, Afghanistan, Belarus, Egypt, Brazil, Guatemala, Canada, and elsewhere. Let us rejoice over the joys and celebrations happening throughout this one body, as well as mourn for those struggling with poverty, addiction, racism, and persecution in any part.

Belonging to All Others

Each member in the one body in Christ belongs to all of the others. May we not stand by and refuse to help those in need. May we share our time, resources, and knowledge with each other. We have a call to help each other and spur each other on. 

Search in the Bible for the "one another" passages. These are the "be kind to one another", "share with one another", "pray for one another" passages. This shows our interconnectedness, the bond we share with each other, and the requirements upon us as one body. 

As Christians, we should have deeper bonds than just friends. We are more than a social club meeting on Sundays. We are supposed to be living life together: sharing meals, sharing resources, holding each other accountable, and so much more. Yet, many Christians show up for a Sunday School class and church service, and then leave to their own homes, their own lives, their own preferences. We struggle through difficulties on our own, going through seasons of scarcity and pain instead of sharing our burdens with the body we are a part of. 

Questions to Wrestle With

Take time this week to consider: 

-What is your function in the body? 

-What would happen if everyone in the world had your job and skillset? What holes in your knowledge are covered by others? 

-Do you tend to disparage your role in the body?

-Do you tend to idolize someone else's role/gifting? 

-What does our dissatisfaction with our role communicate to God? 

-Do you already know your spiritual gift(s)? 

-Do you use this knowledge as an excuse to not perform some roles/tasks? 

-How are you working in unison with the body of Christ? 

-Are you connected with the struggles and triumphs of the body of Christ through the world? 

-What are the young/middle-aged/old dealing with? 

-What is the experience of people who do not look like you? 

-Are you willing to go through the highs and lows of those in the body? 

-How do you identify your relationship to Christ? Do you claim your denomination first or the name of Christian? 

-Do you help those in need, even those you don't know? 

-Do you share your time, resources, and knowledge with others? 

-How do you spur other Christians on? 

-Are you familiar with the "one another" passages? 

-What do you owe the other members of the body? 

-Does your congregation go deeper than a social club meeting? 

-How do you live life together with other Christians? 

-How have you offered help to other parts of the body who were struggling? 

-How have you asked for (and accepted) help from other parts of the body? 

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.