Spiritual Love Is Proved Genuine By Our Actions

from Learning to Be Full of Grace and Truth by Dan Ledwith

Yesterday I started wrapping up a series of posts titled “What Does Love Look Like?” If you missed it or are new to my blog it startshere. John says that he and the other disciples recognized Jesus as God because they saw the Father’s glory incarnated in Jesus. They saw His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14, NIV). Therefore I believe one of the ways the Bible defines love is love = grace + truth. Grace and truth are more than ideas, doctrines, and propositions that we need to know and understand. They are things that we are to live. Grace when it is lived out is how we respond to others, and truth when it is lived out is how we conduct ourselves toward others. Yesterday’s post, How It All Comes Together, showed how Jesus modeled that love for us. Today I want to talk about what Paul has to say about living a life of love in Romans 12:9-21.

Paul’s letters often follow a similar pattern. He begins with stating a problem or concern or point. In the case of Romans, that is stated in 1:17, For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Then Paul addresses the point or concern biblically and theologically. For Romans, chapters 2-11 explores biblically and doctrinally why it is true and what it means that the righteous will live by faith.

He then concludes with practical application outlining how the biblical truths he has just explained should impact how we live. In Romans that starts with chapter 12 and goes through the first half of chapter 15. How do the righteous live by faith? Paul says in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV),

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The rest of chapter 12 is a fleshing out of what those two verses mean. Paul begins in verses 3-8 by saying that being living sacrifices for God means making use of our individual spiritual gifts for the good of the Body in humility; and in that humility we need to recognize the gifts God has given to each member and allow each member to freely use the gifts they were given.

In the next section, Romans 12:9-21 (NIV), Paul shows how as living sacrifices, love should be expressed to one another.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Notice that this passage does not really explain what love is, but talks about the fruit that love produces. He starts in verse 9 saying that love must be sincere. The Greek literally means “without hypocrisy.” Paul is saying your love needs to be genuine, the real thing, not some worldly counterfeit. He then gives six fruits that come from a genuinely divine love:

Read more: http://danledwith.wordpress.com/2014/11/24/spiritual-love-is-proved-genuine-by-our-actions/