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"Love in the Body of Christ"
Romans 12:9-13

Wednesday Evening Home Bible Study
November 10 , 2004

In Romans 12, we have entered a new section of the letter. Chapters 1-11 have dealt, largely, with "doctrine"; but with 12:1-2, we began to enter the section in which Paul deals with "duty". He has expounded the doctrine of "justification by faith"; and now, he is showing us its practical implications. He is fleshing out fully the theme of his letter; that "the just shall LIVE by faith" (Rom. 1:17).

In verses 1-2, Paul has shown us that we are no longer our own, but that we are to be living sacrifices unto the Lord. In verses 3-8, he has shown us that we are not to live independently from one another; but that we are given spiritual gifts by the Lord that we are to use to minister to one another. And now, in verses 9-21, we see that we are to demonstrate "real" love in the context of the different relationships we find ourselves in. Verses 14-21 mainly highlight our relationships outside the family of God; but verses 9-13 highlight how love is to be shown within the family of God, and toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.

I. GOD CALLS US TO LOVE EACH OTHER WITH "REAL" LOVE (v. 9a).

A. This is the main command of this passage. On it, the whole law finds its summation (Matthew 22:37-40). It is to be the full expression of our liberty in Christ (Gal. 5:13-14). It is the ongoing debt we owe (Rom. 13:8-10).

B. The love we're called to show is to be without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is the effort to appear to be something one is not. When I pretend that I love someone - that is, that I really seek their highest good - when in reality I am seeking my own selfish interests through them, then I am engaging in "love with hypocrisy." There is to be no secret "self" agenda in our love for one another.

II. "REAL" LOVE IS KNOWN BY CERTAIN QUALITIES (vv. 9b-13).

A. DISCERNMENT BETWEEN RIGHT FROM WRONG (9).
A sign of maturity is that we are able to discern what is good from what is evil. If we really love each other, we will not tolerate sin in one another's life; or simply "live and let live". We will be concerned for one another that true good is displayed on one another's life, and true evil is abstained from (1 John 5:2-3).

B. AFFECTION IN BROTHERLY LOVE (v. 10).
This is a step beyond simply "going to church". This means that we must put aside all hatred for another brother or sister (1 John 4:20-21). We are to be willing to put up with one another's faults because we are devoted to one another as family (1 Peter 2:17). We are to be truly affectionately drawn to one another.

C. GIVING PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN HONOR (v. 10).
Some in the body are wiser or more talented or stronger than others. But we are to behave with true humility toward one another - preferring that our brother or sister receive the honor before us (Phil. 2:3-4). This isn't a matter of pretending that everyone else is superior to us; but an imitation of Jesus' behavior toward us (Phil. 2:5-8). It means that I do not seek honor for myself, but seek it for my brother or sister.

D. SUSTAINING OUR DILIGENCE (v. 11).
We are to never get lazy toward one another. God never gives up on us. He began a good work in us and will see it completed (Phil. 1:6). We are never to get comfortable with were one another is in their walk with Christ, but to seek one another's progress - as well as our own. We will get excited about one another's growth in Christ.

E. KEEPING FERVENT IN SPIRIT (v. 11).
We are to be "on fire" in our attitude about the body of Christ. When the disciples walked with Jesus, there was always a sense of anticipation and a feeling that great things were happening. Our times together should never be greeted by us as "dull". We are gathering together with others in whom Christ dwells. He is excited about it; and if we're showing real love, so should we be.

F. SERVING THE LORD (v. 11).
Don't come to church anymore for what you can get out of it. From now on, show up for work. Ask, "How can I serve Jesus Christ today in the house of God?" If we do that, we will be looking at one another in a completely different way. We are to do all that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col. 3:17).

G. REJOICING IN HOPE (v. 12).
Literally, we're to be rejoicing in "the" hope. We have hope in the glory of God (Rom. 5:1-2). We are destined to be conformed to His image (1 John 3:2-3) and share in His glory (John 17:24). We share this hope together. When we encourage one another to look beyond the suffering of this present age, and on to the glory which will follow, we are truly loving one another.

H. KEEPING PATIENT IN TRIBULATION (v. 12).
Someone once said to a suffering saint, "Suffering sure colors all of life, doesn't it?" And the suffering believer said, "Yes it does; but I can choose the color." James 1:2-4 commands us to count it all joy, because the testing of our faith is a part of God's program of perfecting us in Christ. We show love to one another when we choose to see our suffering in this light; and point one another to God's good purposes in it.

I. CONTINUING STEADFASTLY IN PRAYER (v. 12).
When we ask a fellow believer who is in a difficult time, and we hear the response, "All you can do is pray for me, I guess"; we ought never look at that as if it were scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something to do. Real love brings one another before the throne of the Almighty! It should be looked upon as the greatest thing we could give to one another. And it is to be persistent (Matthew 7:8). The scariest thing we could ever say to one another is, "Well; I took you off my prayer list today!"

J. MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS (v. 13).
Real love contributes to the needs of the saints faithfully and gladly. To do otherwise is to do nothing (James 2:15-16). Real love takes up the burden of one another's needs. We are to look out not only for our own needs but also for one another's (Phil. 2:4).

K. PURSUING HOSPITALITY (v. 13).
Paul's original words suggest the idea of "perusing" or "chasing after" hospitality. We're not to ask one another over - secretly hoping our offer will be declined. (Remember what that's called!) Real love means we actually seek out the opportunities to be hospitable to one another. We're not to simply have a 'welcome mat'; we're to pursue one another with a 'welcome net'.

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