Romans 12:9-21: Authentic Christianity

Romans 12:9-21: Authentic Christianity

Please turn with me to Romans 12. If you’re using one of the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 785. We’ve been working our way passage by passage through Paul’s letter to the Romans, and this morning we come to Romans 12:9-21. 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 honor. 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 honorable 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. 

One of the things that’s always intrigued me about the early church is how quickly it grew from 120 people in Acts chapter 1 to somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 million people by the year 300. And what’s even more amazing is that the church experienced this astronomical growth despite facing severe persecution. Because of this persecution, churches generally weren’t able to own buildings during those first few centuries. They usually met either in people’s homes or in public places—kind of like our church does. In addition, churches often lost their best leaders on a regular basis because of the persecution. Typically, whenever a new wave of persecution broke out, the leaders were the first ones to be imprisoned or even killed. And yet, despite these hardships and against all odds, the number of early Christians multiplied exponentially. So the question that’s always intrigued me is how did that happen? Of course, it happened through the Holy Spirit, but humanly speaking, what was it about the early Christians that caused them to be so effective in penetrating the darkness of the Roman Empire with the light of the gospel? 

Well, here’s the conclusion I’ve come to—both by studying the book of Acts as well as by reading history books from our modern era. The reason the early Christians multiplied exponentially is because their lives were strikingly distinct from those of the rest of society. They didn’t just go through the motions on Sundays only to revert back to living like their pagan neighbors the rest of the week. No, their daily lifestyle was an expression of the gospel they proclaimed. They were distinct. And I’ll tell you right now: if we want to see the gospel make an impact in our circles of influence and even, on a larger scale, in our society as a whole, we have to recover the distinctness of those early Christians. 

And as we look at the Bible, we see that perhaps the main way in which we should be distinct from the world around us is in the depth of love we have for others and especially for one another. In verse 9 of our main passage, Paul tells us, “Let love be genuine.” A more literal translation of that would be, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” “Let love be without hypocrisy.” In the original language, that word “hypocrisy” actually referred to the theater and to the actors who would perform in the theater. Because, whenever an actor acts out a part in a play, what’s he doing? He’s pretending to be someone he’s not, right? That’s what an actor does. And that, by definition, is hypocrisy. Hypocrites are people who pretend to be someone that they’re not. They put on a mask, so to speak, just like an actor in an ancient play would often put on a mask. So Paul says, “Don’t be like that in your love for others. Let your love be without hypocrisy.”

You know, I wonder how often we in the church are guilty of hypocrisy in the supposed “love” we display. How often do we say nice and polite things to a person’s face only to turn around and gossip about that person behind their back? How often do we tell people about how much we care for them only to be conveniently unavailable on a consistent basis whenever they have a significant need? Or how often do we do nice things for a person but actually do those things with a begrudging heart? Paul says, “Don’t be like that. Let your love be without hypocrisy. Love others from your heart.” And I believe this command really is the heartbeat of the Christian life. This passage of Romans 12:9-21 describes what the life of a Christian should look like, and this command stated right at the beginning here in verse 9 is at the heart of it all. Everything else in the passage flows out of this. So the main idea for us to take away from the text before us is that authentic love for others is the truest expression of Christianity. Authentic love for others is the truest expression of Christianity. And as we’ll see from the subsequent verses, there are two kinds of love Christians are called to have: love for one another and love for the world.

Love for One Another

So let’s look first at love for one another. That’s the general theme of verses 9-13. Now these verses are bound together a bit loosely. Paul addresses a fairly wide variety of things here. But I believe most of what Paul writes in these verses is related in some way to Christians loving one another. First, he says, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” So we see that you can’t really separate Christian love from other Christian virtues such as goodness or righteousness. You can’t be a loving person if you tolerate evil in your own life or if you’re okay with evil being done to others. 

Then Paul says, “Love one another with brotherly affection.” And it’s here that we see the difference between our love for one another as Christians and our love for the rest of the world. Even though we’re called to love everyone in the world, there should be something special about our love for one another. Our love for one another should involve brotherly and sisterly affection. It should be the kind of love we would often associate with a family—or at least a family that’s functioning in a healthy way. 

After that, Paul instructs his readers, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” So instead of trying to make yourself look good and advance your own reputation, think about how you can, in all sincerity, show honor to other Christians. How can you make them look good? And of course, you’re not ultimately honoring that person but rather God as the one who made that person what they are. You’re recognizing God’s transforming work in that person’s life. Then, continuing on: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” So as Christians love and serve one another, who are they ultimately serving? They’re ultimately serving the Lord. And as they serve the Lord, they shouldn’t be “slothful in zeal” but rather “fervent in spirit.” 

Then Paul says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” You know, it’s quite apparent—as we’re going to see later on in the passage—that these early Christians were facing significant trials. As Paul says here, they were facing “tribulation.” And many times, in the midst of tribulation, it’s easy to become very self-focused and think only of our own needs and our own welfare. Yet as Christians, we have something that allows us to be “patient in tribulation”—and that is the hope of a glorious future in heaven. And our attention is turned toward that glorious future when we’re “constant in prayer,” as Paul says. So we pray, our prayers turn our attention toward our glorious future, that strengthens us to be “patient in tribulation,” and that enables us to not be so self-focused but instead to think more about the needs and the welfare of others and to love them. Hence, Paul’s instruction to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Paul then writes, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” In other words, make sure your love is more than just lip service. If another Christian has a legitimate need and you’re in a position to meet that need, then do that, even if it requires sacrifice. Show your love in practical ways. 

Then, skipping down to verse 15, Paul writes, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” You know, I think this command, perhaps more than any of the others, really shows us the depth of love we’re supposed to have for each other. Paul tells us that our hearts are supposed to be so tied to one another’s well being that we find ourselves joining them in whatever kind of situation they’re going through—whether it’s one that produces rejoicing or weeping. It reminds me of verse 5, where Paul referred to Christians in a church as “members one of another.” Not just members of one body but “members one of another.” Last week, I used the illustration of stubbing your toe. When you stub your toe, your whole body sort of feels that and reacts to that. I know when I stub my toe, I usually express the pain I feel by gritting my teeth and straining my neck muscles and squinting my eyes. Why does the body do that? Why do parts of your body way up here react so strongly and instinctively to something that happened way down here? Well, that’s just the way our body functions. Our body functions as a unit. When something happens to one part, all of the other parts share in that experience. And that’s the way the church should be as well. Our love for one another should bring us together to such a degree that we instinctively find ourselves rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. 

Then finally, Paul writes in verse 16, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” Now certainly, this command to “live in harmony” applies to everyone in the church, both rich and poor, but Paul seems to specifically be thinking of the rich here. So never think of yourself as too good or too successful or too educated or too rich to develop real friendships with those in the church who haven’t been blessed the way you’ve been blessed. Those kinds of things may serve as unofficial dividing lines in society in general, but we dare not allow them to function that way in the church. The church should be a place where the richest and the poorest, where the most educated and the least educated, where the person at the top of the corporate ladder and the person who doesn’t even have a job are able to come together and have fellowship as equals. Because, in reality, everybody’s equal at the foot of the cross. Every single one of us—no matter how rich or successful by the standards of this world—is utterly destitute spiritually apart from Jesus. We’ve all had to come to Jesus with the empty hands of a beggar and receive salvation as a free gift from him. We’re all sinners saved by grace and will never be anything more than sinners saved by grace. So, in reality, every Christian is on equal footing, and we want to remember that as we interact with one another. That’s what Paul means when he says to “live in harmony with one another” without being “haughty” or “wise in your own sight.”

Love for the World

So all of these commands relate to the love Christians should have for one another. However, as we see in the rest of the passage, Christians should have not only love for one another but also love for the world. That’s the second kind of love we see described here. Love for the world. And more specifically, Paul focuses on those in the world who don’t treat us in a very friendly way. He writes in verse 14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” To say the least, that’s pretty radical. And honestly, we might have a hard time understanding just how radical that is because few, if any, of us have ever really experienced significant persecution. So maybe try this as a mental exercise. Imagine a close family member of yours has just been killed for being a Christian. Imagine the hurt you’d feel because of that. And imagine you’ve also just lost your job and your home for being a Christian. So you’re now bereaved, unemployed, and homeless while those who treated you unjustly continue to prosper. And in the midst of the turmoil of your life, you start reading the Bible looking for comfort. And in the course of your reading, you stumble upon Paul’s words in verse 14: “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” That’s a radical command. In fact, it’s so radical, it would be downright impossible for us to obey apart from God’s enablement. And yet, that’s what the Bible instructs us to do. 

Verses 17-21 then sketch out some of the details of what that looks like: 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable 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. 

And by the way, all of this in Romans 12 is very similar to what Jesus taught his disciples in Luke 6:27-30. Jesus said, 27 But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 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. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

So “love your enemies,” Jesus says. You know, there are a lot of groups in our society that love their own tribe. There are a lot of groups that support each other and help each other and stand together in solidarity for their cause. But, with the exception of some Christian groups, I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard or seen any of these groups demonstrate love not just for each other but for their enemies. That’s just not something you see out in the world. People know how to love their friends and those who are just like them, but the idea of loving your enemies is usually a foreign concept to them. Yet that’s what Jesus calls us to do. And that’s also basically what Paul tells us to do back in Romans 12 as he talks about blessing those who persecute you. 

And yes, it is possible to do that even in extreme situations through the Holy Spirit’s power. I recently came across a story about a young girl from Iraq named Myriam. Like many Christians in Iraq, Myriam and her family were forced to flee their home when ISIS came to power. They were now living in an unfinished shopping mall far from their home that had been made available for use by refugees and were sharing that mall with 400 other refugee families. And yet, despite her circumstances and the suffering and sorrow ISIS had caused in her life, Myriam demonstrated an attitude toward ISIS that exemplifies what we’ve been talking about. As she was being interviewed by the Middle Eastern television station SAT 7, Myriam said this. She was asked about what her feelings are toward those who drove her from her home and responded, “I won’t do anything to them. I will only ask God to forgive them.” She then said that she too is able to forgive them. No hatred, no anger, no desire for revenge. Just forgiveness—even toward those who took so much away from her. So, even at 10 years old, Myriam was able to forgive her enemies and bless those who were persecuting her for her Christian faith. And what a powerful testimony that is for the gospel. 

And of course the ultimate example of blessing those who persecute us and loving our enemies is Jesus himself. The Bible teaches us that Jesus suffered unjustly when he died on the cross. Even though he never did anything deserving of punishment—much less crucifixion—Jesus was beaten, mocked, and crucified. You see, the Bible teaches that you and me and everyone else in this world have sinned against God and that our sins cry out for God’s judgment. But in an act of extraordinary love, Jesus left the glories of heaven, came to this earth in human form, and died on the cross to bear the punishment for our sins. The full force of God the Father’s judgment came down on him so it wouldn’t have to come down on us. He died on our place. And as Jesus hung on that cross, he offered up a prayer for his enemies. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus used one of his final breaths to pray for the very people who had just crucified him. He then died there on that cross but, three days later, would actually rise from the dead in order to defeat sin and death and prove that everything he taught is true. And he now stands ready to save everyone who will put their trust in him for rescue. He offers to forgive our sins, transform our hearts, and give us a place in heaven if only we’ll humble ourselves and cry out to him for rescue. 

Conclusion

And that’s actually the only way we’ll ever be able to follow the commands we’ve looked at this morning of loving our enemies and blessing those who persecute us. Left to ourselves, there’s no way we can follow these commands. But when the gospel gets ahold of our hearts and God’s Spirit comes to live within us at our conversion, we’re able to do what would otherwise be impossible. Back in Romans 5:5, Paul wrote that as Christians “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” So for those of us who are Christians, God has sent his Spirit to live within us and enable us to have a kind of love that’s far beyond anything we’d otherwise be able to have. He’s poured his love into our hearts so that we’re now able to love and forgive and bless people even when they act in very unloving ways toward us.