Rom 12:9-21 | KingComments | STEP | In this passage we have a whole series of different exhortations. All deal with everyday life and are presented in short, pointed sentences. Take your time to understand the meaning of each sentence. Try to connect each one with the Person of the Lord Jesus. He showed all these things every single day of His life, as seen in the Gospels. But since you have come to know how God sees you, through the work of the Lord Jesus, He therefore expects you to behave as it is written in this part of Romans 12. It is not so much your outward appearance as the tone, way and spirit of your life. Note how everything is directly opposed to the usual behavior of people in the world. . The passage begins with “love”. Love must be “without hypocrisy”, which means without hidden purposes. This is how the Lord Jesus was. You would not find this in the world. Often people only want to contribute to a charitable work if the amount is made known along with the name of the giver. Love must be channeled since we live in a world full of evil things. There is always the danger of expressing love wrongly. The first thing love makes you experience in this world is to “abhor what is evil”. This is what you can see with the Lord Jesus. How do you feel when you come into contact with some kind of evil? Do you abhor it? Sometimes you don’t know if something is good or evil, but if something is clearly evil you will abhor it. This may cause people to criticize you for having a negative attitude, for never joining in, or as someone without desire for excitement. Then there is another side, that is to “cling to what is good”. The good is what you find with the Lord Jesus. He is the good One. Everything good comes from Him. . Here “brotherly love” is mentioned. In this evil world there is a unique type of fellowship called the fellowship of the brethren. All those who are children of God belong to it. In this verse you are exhorted to be “devoted to one another”. This verse speaks of your spiritual family. In the world, true devotion is scarce. People in the world are strangers to each other. To “give preference to one another in honor” is uncommon in the world. There, the desire is obtaining as much honor for yourself as possible. Among brothers and sisters in Christ it is the other way around; at least this is how it ought to be. Therefore we must give preference in honoring others in such a way that sets an example to others. . “Not lagging behind in diligence” also is an exhortation. People may call you a fanatic, but being zealous is an important characteristic of a Christian. Zeal for God’s house consumed the Lord Jesus ( ). The question is simply for what or whom are you zealous? Are you “fervent in spirit”? Your zeal, commitment and motivation may contribute to the last words in “serving the Lord”. Serving the Lord is willingly serving Him as a slave. Then you are completely at His disposal. He decides what you have and do not have to do. This includes your time, your strength and your capabilities. He wants to use everything. The Lord redeemed you from the power of sin. He now wants your body as a living sacrifice. . In the future you have a “hope”, a prospect in which to rejoice. The Lord will soon come. Then you will be with Him forever. With this future in view it is possible to be “persevering in tribulation”. You are aware too, of the necessity of “prayer”. This is how the Lord Jesus lived down here. In Psalm 109 He says: “I am [in] prayer” ( ). All through His life He was in touch with His God and Father. . With Him you can see how much He was thinking of others. He didn’t live for Himself, and this is something you also can do. In addition, there are “the saints” who have “needs”. You may share what you have with them and contribute to their needs. Also, practice “hospitality”. The word ”hospitality” literally means ‘love for strangers’. The only other occurrence is in Hebrews 13 where you read about the blessings that showing hospitality brings ( ). Now read Romans 12:9-13 again. Reflection: Use these verses as a check list to see how much these ‘rules’ are visible in your life.

‏ Romans 12:9-21

Rules for the Christian Life – I

In this passage we have a whole series of different exhortations. All deal with everyday life and are presented in short, pointed sentences. Take your time to understand the meaning of each sentence. Try to connect each one with the Person of the Lord Jesus. He showed all these things every single day of His life, as seen in the Gospels. But since you have come to know how God sees you, through the work of the Lord Jesus, He therefore expects you to behave as it is written in this part of Romans 12. It is not so much your outward appearance as the tone, way and spirit of your life. Note how everything is directly opposed to the usual behavior of people in the world.

Rom 12:9. The passage begins with “love”. Love must be “without hypocrisy”, which means without hidden purposes. This is how the Lord Jesus was. You would not find this in the world. Often people only want to contribute to a charitable work if the amount is made known along with the name of the giver.

Love must be channeled since we live in a world full of evil things. There is always the danger of expressing love wrongly. The first thing love makes you experience in this world is to “abhor what is evil”. This is what you can see with the Lord Jesus. How do you feel when you come into contact with some kind of evil? Do you abhor it? Sometimes you don’t know if something is good or evil, but if something is clearly evil you will abhor it.

This may cause people to criticize you for having a negative attitude, for never joining in, or as someone without desire for excitement. Then there is another side, that is to “cling to what is good”. The good is what you find with the Lord Jesus. He is the good One. Everything good comes from Him.

Rom 12:10. Here “brotherly love” is mentioned. In this evil world there is a unique type of fellowship called the fellowship of the brethren. All those who are children of God belong to it. In this verse you are exhorted to be “devoted to one another”. This verse speaks of your spiritual family. In the world, true devotion is scarce. People in the world are strangers to each other.

To “give preference to one another in honor” is uncommon in the world. There, the desire is obtaining as much honor for yourself as possible. Among brothers and sisters in Christ it is the other way around; at least this is how it ought to be. Therefore we must give preference in honoring others in such a way that sets an example to others.

Rom 12:11. “Not lagging behind in diligence” also is an exhortation. People may call you a fanatic, but being zealous is an important characteristic of a Christian. Zeal for God’s house consumed the Lord Jesus (Jn 2:17). The question is simply for what or whom are you zealous?

Are you “fervent in spirit”? Your zeal, commitment and motivation may contribute to the last words in Rom 12:11 “serving the Lord”. Serving the Lord is willingly serving Him as a slave. Then you are completely at His disposal. He decides what you have and do not have to do. This includes your time, your strength and your capabilities. He wants to use everything. The Lord redeemed you from the power of sin. He now wants your body as a living sacrifice.

Rom 12:12. In the future you have a “hope”, a prospect in which to rejoice. The Lord will soon come. Then you will be with Him forever. With this future in view it is possible to be “persevering in tribulation”.

You are aware too, of the necessity of “prayer”. This is how the Lord Jesus lived down here. In Psalm 109 He says: “I am [in] prayer” (Psa 109:4). All through His life He was in touch with His God and Father.

Rom 12:13. With Him you can see how much He was thinking of others. He didn’t live for Himself, and this is something you also can do. In addition, there are “the saints” who have “needs”. You may share what you have with them and contribute to their needs.

Also, practice “hospitality”. The word ”hospitality” literally means ‘love for strangers’. The only other occurrence is in Hebrews 13 where you read about the blessings that showing hospitality brings (Heb 13:2).

Now read Romans 12:9-13 again.

Reflection: Use these verses as a check list to see how much these ‘rules’ are visible in your life.

Rules for the Christian Life – II

Rom 12:1-2 of this chapter are still the starting point for the verses before us now. So keep these verses in mind as we go on with Paul’s exhortation or encouragement.

Rom 12:14. Let blessing flow toward others through your way of life, even if they behave unfriendly. To “bless” means to wish someone well. We tend to “curse” someone who’s unfriendly to us, that is, to wish unpleasant things on him. To be able to bless while enduring persecutions, you must look at the Lord Jesus. He is again the perfect example. Did He not pray at the cross for His persecutors: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Lk 23:34)?

Rom 12:15. Is someone around you happy? “Rejoice” with him. This doesn’t refer to the empty pleasure of this world. You can rejoice about the pleasant things God gives to others, even to unbelievers. Think of all kinds of earthly blessings like someone getting married or having a baby, or an unemployed person finding a job. You can join in the joy these things give.

Yet, to “weep with those who weep” is more difficult. To share someone’s grief is to sympathize. An incurable disease and death are terrible things. Unbelievers as well will appreciate it if we show sympathy. This can give an opportunity to talk of the Lord Jesus.

Rom 12:16. Experiencing certain things together, such as joy and grief, makes it easier to be like-minded with one another. We can have the same desires. This like-mindedness can exist only as we have the desire to live for the Lord Jesus. For this, being humble is an important condition. Striving after “haughty” things makes us feel elevated above others. Then we will begin to stand on our own, apart from the others with whom we form the one body in Christ (Rom 12:5). When we are not humble, we lose the ability to be like-minded. We can only learn this from the Lord Jesus (Mt 11:29). By learning from Him, we show we’re not wise in our own estimation.

Rom 12:17. To “pay back evil for evil” was proper for the Israelite of the Old Testament (Exo 21:23-25; Lev 24:19-20), but it’s not proper for a New Testament Christian. Christians should radiate God’s features and should “respect what is right in the sight of all men”.

Rom 12:18. “So far as it depends on you,” you ought to live in “peace with all men”. This is not always possible as can be seen in the life of the Lord Jesus. He is the Prince of peace. Yet, by Him unrest and quarrels entered families because a choice had to be made either for Him or against Him (Mt 10:34-35). Maybe you have experienced this. But such discord should not be caused by a wrong act on your side.

Rom 12:19-20. When you’re treated wrongly, you don’t have to avenge yourself or become angry. You can leave the wrath to God. In His time He will execute His justice. What you should do is the opposite; you should make those who wrong you feel ashamed. Many have already been won for the Lord because of believers who did well to their enemies and blessed them instead of cursing them.

Rom 12:21. “Do not be overcome by evil.” The world is filled with evil, and sin is still present inside you. The world around you and the flesh in you are on excellent terms with each other. But the body of sin has been annulled and you should no longer serve sin (Rom 6:6).

In the same way that God has overcome the evil in us with the good that He gave in the Lord Jesus, you can now overcome evil with good. You thus overcome evil when the enemy fails to get you to react in a wrong way. You can use this opportunity to show the kindness and mercies of God. In 2 Kings 6 you find a beautiful illustration of such a victory in the way Elisha performed (2Kgs 6:8-23).

Now read Romans 12:14-21 again.

Reflection: To what degree can these ‘rules’ for the Christian life be found in you?