Let Love Be Genuine
Scripture Texts: Romans 12:9-13
We just spent five weeks discussing our different spiritual gifts. Gifts given to each Christian by the Holy Spirit for serving the body for the common good of all and for the glory of God. Now Paul speaks to us about how we are to get along together while serving. How should we relate, how should we behave? What does Christlikeness look like in the midst of Spirit-giftedness?
The rest of chapter twelve is like running into a buzz saw. Remember what I said when we started chapter twelve about the difference between the indicative mood and the imperative mood in grammar. The indicative mood states a fact, it says this is true. The imperative says this must be done.
Romans 1-11 were almost entirely in the indicative mood, telling us truth about what God has said and done, Paul gave us the Gospel. Romans 12-15 tells us what we must now do in response to what God has done. God’s done is the fuel for our doing. The fire for doing the Christian life comes from being soaked in the lighter fluid of what God has already done.
Romans 12:1 started with “Therefore, in light of the mercies of God, now present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” And this is what that looks like in spades.
25 authoritative imperatives, rapid fire, one after another. Like when mom and dad leave the kids with a babysitter.
25 applications. The problem with all these exhortations is they are not too hard to understand. They are too plain, clear, straightforward, understandable. We would rather they were hard to figure out so we could have an excuse for not obeying them.
This is not a list of rules. This is a description of Christian character. I was recently asked to write a character reference for a person applying for a job. If someone was writing one for you, this is a list of things they should write about you as a Christian.
When we love God, when we are changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, this is what it looks like. This is what life looks like when Christ has become the foundation and summation of all your hopes. We do this because of what He has done.
These should be read slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully. Seriously mediate on and pray over these verses these next few weeks. Read them at your dinner table each night, talk about them, read them in your own private devotions. Read different translations. Soak in this in September.