Love in Action - Part II - Romans 12

 ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

If a brother or sister needs something, share with them.  I would add here to share it in the spirit of agape.  That is, give with no thought of return.  Do not give and count the gift on a ledger.  Let it go and be a gift.  Give in the same spirit that God gave Jesus.  We should look for opportunities to share and give.  We should pursue it.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

This speaks for itself, but it is incredibly difficult.  This goes along with the thought of giving the Lord thanks in all things.  The fact that Paul wrote this is incredible.  He had been persecuted many times.  He is very direct in saying to not curse them, but to bless them.  This is the right response from a Christian who realizes that all people are created by God for His purposes.

Some Bible interpretations believe that is only for believers to believers.  That is, if other believers are persecuting you, bless them and don’t curse them.  But it leaves out the rest of the world who Christ died for.  Paul’s own actions demonstrate that he did not curse those who were not believers.  Therefore, I believe this applies to the believer towards all people.

 ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

The world’s motto is, “laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.”  But this is not true for the believer.  As a follow to verse 9, love one another sincerely.  If something wonderful happens to a brother or sister, rejoice with them.  Be excited.  Don’t be envious or jealous.  In sincere love, celebrate!  Similarly, when someone is mourning, if you love them your heart will hurt also, mourn with them.  Do not do this in loud fake wailing as was custom of that day, but with heartfelt pain, share the hurt.

 ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. 

Do not live in strife with one another, but in harmony.  This suggest we can all live as part of the same song.  Let’s all live together as a song of worship to God, each person playing or singing their part. 

Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

This is basically the third time he has written do not be proud.  In verses 3 and 10, he indicates that we should not think too highly of ourselves and should lift others above ourselves.  In much the same thought, here we should be willing to associate with those most of society might class as lesser or lower in importance.  It is obvious very important for us to be aware that we are all sinners and we can be a humble sinner loving everyone sincerely. 

We should not be egotistical or have a swollen importance or believe we are so wise that we are above others.  This was evident back then in the Jewish council and Sanhedrin.  Christ came as a servant and fellowshipped with the outcast.  Solomon said in Proverbs 26:12, “See you a man wise in his own conceit?  There is more hope of a fool than of him.”

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

This is so very difficult.  I want to say that the vengeance is the Lord’s and He’ll use me to do it.  But that is taking matters into my own hands.  This verse makes the assumption, or is stating the unsaid truth, that evil will happen to you.  But we are specifically instructed not to do evil to those who do evil to us.  In fact, we are to do what is right.  We do not give people what they deserve just as we do get what we deserve as sinners.  By doing so, even those who are against us will realize that what we do is right.  It might make them hate us more, but there will be no doubt of our character or in the God we follow if we are careful to do the right thing, especially when there is no reason to do it.

 ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

In as much as you can do to live at peace with others, do it.  Do the part that is your responsibility.  If others refuse to live at peace that is upon them, but of the part you can control, do what you can to live at peace.

 ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

This is follow-up to verses 17 and 18.  Don’t repay evil for evil, live at peace with everyone, and do not take revenge.  I am like the Irishman who was hit on the cheek, he got up and turned the other cheek.  Then he was hit on that cheek also and he was hit so hard it knocked him down.  So, he got up and beat the other fellow up.  Someone asked why he did that after turning the other cheek.  He answered, “Well, the Bible says to turn your cheek, and I had only the other cheek to turn.  The Lord didn’t tell me what to do after that, so I did what I thought I ought to do.”  And this is what most of us do.

Let the Lord avenge in His way at His time.  The moment we take the matter into our own hands and strike back, we take the matter out of God’s hands.  This is not easy, but there is yet a further step to take.

 ²⁰ 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.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Not only are we not to repay those who do evil upon us and to try to live peacefully with them, but we are to treat them like fellow human beings!  This takes the Spirit of God living out from within us.  It is so difficult to love the unlovable, but to love those who purposefully oppose us and do intentional acts against us, that is other worldly, that is of God.  By the same Spirit that mercifully held God’s power from destroying us as sinners, that Spirit can indwell us and allow us to be merciful to those who are our enemy.

In sincere love, without pride, we should feed them if they are hungry and give them drink if they are thirsty.  Even if they do not understand the why and it makes no worldly sense, our actions should be understood as right and good.

Lastly, we are not to fight against the world by the ways of the world.  If we try to fight evil using the means of evil, we will be sorely defeated.  Instead, be who you are created to by God and in the perfecting of the Spirit.  In so doing, you will be able to do good and be good and that will overcome evil.