Love Manifest In The Body - [Romans 12:9-13]

The late Donald Gray Barnhouse. When he began his ministry at the 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, he began the first Sunday in the book of Romans. First Sunday he got through verse 1. Came back the second Sunday picked up where he left off verse 2.

Didn't make it to the end of verse 2. Came back the third Sunday got to the second half of verse 2. For three and a half years he never took a text out of the book of Romans. So would you please turn with me to that book in Romans chapter 12?

Now I noticed as I shared that story. There were not many shocking looks on your faces because some of you are familiar with that pace. Actually this morning. I think was an aberration. There was not 23 verses with 1st John 2 it was 25 verses.

But it's encouraging to be going through verse by verse. Romans chapter 12 verses 9 through 13. Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil. Hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection.

Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal. Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation. Be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the Saints and seek to show Hospitality.

Romans 12 in Light of the Mercies of God

This portion of Scripture is couched in The last major section of the book of Romans and If you don't get that you'll miss what Paul is trying to teach us here in these first in these few verses. Look back at the beginning of chapter 12 with me if you would Paul says there.

This is the last beginning of the last major section of the book of Romans. I Appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God. The weight of that verse makes chapters 12 through the end of the book hinged completely on Everything that Paul has said in the first 11 chapters.

I Urged I appeal to you therefore brothers by what by the mercies of God? This is typical of Pauline theology. He does it with all his epistles. Ephesians is a classic. Spends the first three chapters talking about theology.

Begins chapter 4 verse 1 as a prisoner of the Lord. Therefore I urge you to walk in the manner worthy of your calling. He does it in Galatians. Also, he does it in Colossians. You see to Paul all Theology is practical and all practice is based on sound theology.

Next time I hear somebody say I don't want to hear any theology. Just give me something practical. I'm gonna wring somebody's neck. Because to Paul that made no sense. All theology is practical. He spent 11 chapters.

Before he got to chapter 12. Let me walk you through them. So you understand the weight of what Paul tells us in chapter 12. After his introduction in the first 17 verses. Beginning in chapter 1 verse 18 through chapter 3 verse 20 Paul talks about condemnation.

Condemnation. God's judgment on mankind's unrighteousness. That's why in chapter 1 he says for the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven. Against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who do what?

Who suppress the truth by their wickedness? Chapter 2 verse 5 because of the hardness and your unrepentant heart. You are storing up for yourselves wrath for the day of God's judgment. The classic chapter 3 on total depravity.

There is no one righteous. No, not one. No one seeks for God. Tell that to the seeker sensitive people. No one seeks for God. There is no one who does good. No not one. He spends those first three chapters highlighting God's Justice in condemning mankind and then the second part in chapter 3 verse 21 through the end of chapter 5.

He talks about justification. First there is condemnation, but then there is justification righteousness imputed. Listen to some of the mercies of God in this section we are justified by his grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus and Referring to Abraham Paul says that is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.

But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone. But for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord. Who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification?

Therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. For while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

But God shows his love for us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners so by the one man's obedience The many will be made righteous.

That's a section on the glory of justification. How the perfect righteousness of our Lord can be credited to our account? But the mercies of God God do not end there from chapter 6 through 8 in the third section.

Paul talks about sanctification. He goes from condemnation to justification to Sanctification. Listen to some of the mercies of God here now if we have died with Christ We believe that we will also live with him.

Having been set free from sin you have become slaves of righteousness. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. But you have received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry. ABBA father. The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ and Those whom he predestined he also called those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things if God is for us who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him? Graciously give us all things who shall bring any charge against God's elect.

It is God who justifies who is to condemn Christ. Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us. And Paul doesn't end there from chapters 9 to 11 before he gets into the last section we're going to look at briefly.

He goes into talking about Israel as distinct from the church and that God has a program for Israel and that's where we get the classic passage in Romans 9 on election Jacob and Esau before one of them were born or did anything good or bad in order that God's purpose in election might stand.

Not by works, but by him who? calls the Jews, of course have Paul said in chapter 10 verse 3 being ignorant of the righteousness of God and Seeking to establish their own righteousness. They did not submit to God's righteousness.

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. And then he talks about in chapter 11 how the Gentiles we as Gentiles are grafted in and he can't contain himself any longer and He closes these first 11 chapters at the end of chapter 11.

With this marvelous doxology All the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might Be repaid for from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever.

Amen. Therefore I Besiege you I appeal to you. I urge you in view of the mercies of God, which I just spent 11 chapters delineating so to understand the few verses 9 through 13 We're going to look at they are in light of the theology that Paul has outlined for us.

We have the indicative the statements of fact first 11 chapters and now we have the imperatives. It's in light of what God has done for us by his mercy through Jesus Christ. But notice apart from the greater context the immediate context of our verses from verses 4 and following of chapter 12.

Paul says for as in one body We have many members and the members do not all have the same function. So we though many are one body in Christ and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.

Let us use them he's talking about the body of Jesus Christ the church. He delineates the gifts for the next few verses and then he gets into these Verses that we're going to look at 9 through 13. So the context is within the body of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Actually the term one another is used twice in verse 10. Love one another. I'll do one another. Verse 13 contribute to the needs of the what the Saints chapter 14 through 15 verse 7 He talks about our liberties with Patrick pastor.

Mike has highlighted in 1st Corinthians 8. How are we to be towards one another in regards to our liberties? For the mutual edification of one another verse 7 of chapter 15 welcome one another as you have been welcomed in Christ.

So the context of verses 9 through 13 are first based upon God's mercies and saving us justifying us. Sanctifying us but also they are within the context of the local body you see not only is theology practical but Soteriology the doctrine of salvation is inextricably linked to ecclesiology.

You cannot separate the two after all who is the head of the church? Jesus the one who saves us and When he saves us one of the marvelous things he does he places us into the body of Jesus Christ. Before we might even become members of a local body.

He makes us members of his body and There's in this context that these verses are written. That is why as Those who have been saved who have been chosen. Who have been justified who are being sanctified.

The outworking of that as Paul highlights in chapter 12 here. Therefore I appeal to you in view of God's mercy. What I'm asking you to do in verses 9 through 13 is to be done within the context of a local body.

That's where you grow and serve. Not in a vacuum. Not watching church from TV. It's an interesting parallel with 1st Corinthians. Paul here in Romans 12 talks about the gifts. Verses 6 through 8 and then he talks about love.

He did that in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 where he talks about the body. That one member can't say to the other. I don't need you. He talks about the spiritual gifts and then in chapter 13, he talks about love.

So this is the context in which Paul is couching our passage tonight. The overall Arching theme of this passage is love. Let love be Genuine, let love be genuine. Who is the source of this love? None other than God himself.

Paul stated that clearly earlier in Romans chapter 5 verse 5 God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. That's why the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5 is what?

Love. I Hate to tell you but love is not natural to you. It's a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God and that's why even in the next chapter Romans 13 Paul says that We in the body the church we have a debt towards one another and you know what he says that is to love one another.

You are indebted to your fellow members at BBC to love them. Love must be genuine the Greek word on a book. It does is simply The English word hypocritical with an a in front of it to negate it. It was a reference really to Greek theater when the actors would come on stage they would wear masks, right?

For tragic drama comedy. That's what they would show their roles to be. What Paul is basically saying here is this is non-hypocritical love. It means that we don't wear a mask as we relate to one another.

We don't let our love be superficial. It's non hypocritical. The NIV puts it love must be sincere. The word sincere gives us a little more insight into how we are to love one another in the body. It's come from a lot to Latin words Which are seen as Sarah which literally mean without wax.

What used to happen is when people would try to sell vessels or Pottery that was broken or cracked in order to cover it up. They would fill the crack with wax they would do a patch job if you will and They would try to sell that piece of pottery at a higher price than it should have been sold.

Those vessels that were never cracked. They would be stamped with sin. Sarah meaning without wax people knew That it wasn't cracked. They weren't trying to hide the cracks to love in this way. Sincerely is to love without hiding our love with hypocritical words and actions.

Why Love Matters in the Church

Why is love so important that Paul would mark it here immediately in chapter 12 for a number of reasons? Let me give you four number one if you study the one another references in Scripture encourage one another.

As we heard tonight from first Thessalonians 4 forgive one another. Be kind to one another. Bear one another's burdens. Love one another trumps all of them. It's referred to nine times in the New Testament both in the Gospels and the epistles.

The second reason love is important. It's proof of one's salvation. It's proof of one's salvation. The Apostle that of love whom Jesus loved the Apostle. John wrote it in his first epistle. Chapters 3 and 4 he highlights this reality.

He says by this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor is the one who does not love his brother. John tell us how it is.

Will ya? He goes on to say that we know we have passed out of death into life because we love the brethren. Whoever does not love abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him and.

If that wasn't enough John says little children. Let us not love in word or talk but indeed and in truth by this We shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him. Beloved let us love one another for love is from God and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Anyone who does not love does not know God. Because God is love if anyone says I love God and hates his brother. He is a liar for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen. Cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Love is important because it's the primary one another in scriptures. Number two because it is proof of a genuine saving work of God. And number three. Love is a testimony to the lost upper-room discourse.

Jesus had just washed the disciples feet. He gives them a new command. Love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. That's significant because I grew up in a church that went through a church split.

I was involved as a pastor in a church facility with five other churches most of whom had come there because of church splits and. Finally love is significant because it is the characteristic of the elect.

The characteristic of the elect. Notice how Paul himself puts it in Colossians 3 verse 12. Therefore as God's chosen people Clothe yourselves with and he goes through a list of attributes humility and compassion and kindness.

And he ends it like this. And above all these. Put on love which is the perfect bond of unity. Love is significant. It's the overarching theme that Paul wants us to see here in these verses in response to what God has done in our lives.

Through Christ by the mercies of God. How is love to be genuine? He tells us in verse 9 a bore. What is evil hold fast to what is good? Now what's interesting in this section when you read it in the English these sound like imperatives.

But there's no imperative in in the original Greek. The nouns are all in the dative case. The verbs are part of symbols. So really how this would read in verse 9 let love be genuine a boring what is evil and holding fast to what is good.

That term holding fast is the same term Paul used it's a strong Greek term. He used to refer to sexual relations in 1st Corinthians chapter 6. It's a term of permanency of holding things together. So that is how love is to be genuine.

And then he goes on from verse 10 to 13 to list nine Manifestations of love and I don't have the freedom as pastor Mike to say we'll only get to the first one tonight. We'll go through all nine real quickly nine manifestations of love.

John Murray really helps us out here because he takes all the dative cases and all the participles and gives us this rendering in brotherly love being kindly affectionated affection toward one another in honor preferring one another in zeal not flagging in Spirit fervent serving the Lord in hope.

Rejoicing in affliction being patient in prayer. Continuing instant in the needs of the Saints partake in hospitality pursuing Verse 10. What's the first manifestation? Love one another with brotherly affection.

That Greek term for love is the only time it's used here in the entire New Testament philosophy, it's really the Familial love between parents and children and children towards their parents. That's a kind of love you're to have for your fellow members in the body according to Paul and love one another with brotherly affection.

Brotherly affection is Philadelphia. Philadelphia the city of brotherly love. That's how you are to be towards one Another in the body why don't lose sight of it because of the mercies of God and what he did.

Outlined in 11 chapters of Romans. There are many metaphors of the church the body of Christ the branches the sheep. But the term that shoes most often the New Testament is the Greek term of the force brother issues approximately 300 times.

That's why even Peter says in 1st Peter 2 17 love the brotherhood the brotherhood. The brotherhood, of course is for those who have God as their father. Not as some liberals would have you think everyone's your brother because God is your creator.

And by using these terms for love Paul here in verses 9 and 10 so beautifully Uses all three Greek terms for love in the New Testament. The second Manifestation of loving being love being genuine is Out do one another in Showing honor.

I'll do one another in showing honor the the Greek has the idea of taking the lead. Going before somebody else not in the sense of being first, but taking the lead to show honor to one another. It's Philippians 2 3 and 4 do nothing out of self and selfishness or vain conceit.

But in humility consider others more important than yourself. So when you're sitting here next Sunday, and you look to the person next to you when we shake hands you say to yourself I'm to consider this person more important than myself.

Paul continues in Philippians 2. Do not only merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others. Verse 5 have this mind in you which was in Christ Jesus. And then he goes into the marvelous passages of the kenosis how Christ left his glory in heaven.

And made himself not nothing being obedient even to death on a cross. This is what Paul is talking about here in verse 10. The next three manifestations are highlighted in verse 11. Do not be slothful and zeal.

Be fervent in spirit. Serve the Lord. Notice that the first one is a negative one. There's the last two are from a positive Rome. Do not be slothful and zeal. If we were to apply it with the dative and the participle it would read as to what you are to be doing.

Don't be lazy. Don't be lazy. Be zealous. Do not be slothful. Am I really to love one another. I guess I have to be zealous about it. He continues be fervent in spirit. The Greek term for firm means to boil not in the sense of anger.

But to boil over as in an overflow of what God has done in your life. There's debate over whether spirit means the man spirit or the Holy Spirit, but nonetheless. No one can be boiling over in this kind of manifestation of love towards their brethren if it doesn't come as we highlighted from the Holy Spirit and Then he finishes in verse 11 serve.

The Lord. Really it should read as regards to the Lord serving, of course that Greek term serving English word is not so good. It's really the Greek word for slave. Voulos. He is our master. We are his slaves.

That's why Paul also says in Galatians 5 13 through love serve be a slave literally to one another. That's how love is manifest in the body. Yes, we are slaves to the master but likewise because His slaves are under one head Christ in the body.

We are fellow slaves to one another to serve each other in love. He continues in verse 12 with some further manifestations of this genuine love the sincere love. Rejoice in hope. Be patient in tribulation.

Be constant in prayer rejoicing in hope. We're to rejoice in hope. We're to be patient in Tribulation earlier in the book of Romans. He connects these two. These are sort of like triplets in verse 12 in Chapter 5 verse 3.

He says we rejoice in suffering because we know that suffering produces what? Perseverance. Actually, it's the same Greek word equal money as the word patience here. There's a connection between joy and patience.

And he says to be constant in prayer. Sounds like first Thessalonians, right. Rejoice always. Pray continuously without ceasing give thanks and everything. How does that relate to the body? We are to pray for one another.

We are to pray for the leadership. When you see for example pastor Mike in the front getting ready to come up and you know that he's been suffering from. Whatever sickness he has you pray for him that God would give him unction to be able to deliver the Word of God.

When you get a BBC announcement and many of you already doing this and I commend you for it for somebody who's suffering in the body. You pray fervently for them. Continuously and you seek to serve him in any capacity as a slave as a fellow slave of Jesus Christ.

And finally in verse 13 he says Contribute to the needs of the Saints and seek to show hospitality. The English might make you think that these are actually two manifestations, but really in the Greek structure.

It's really one. Contribute and practice hospitality is simply Participles it should read like this in regard to the needs of the Saints contributing practicing hospitality in regard to the needs of the Saints contributing practicing hospitality.

Why? Because of the mercies of God. Don't lose sight of that 11 chapters worth. We need it to be condemned he chose us justified us is sanctifying us and will glorify us. Never lose sight in regard to the needs of the Saints your fellow slaves your fellow believers in the body.

Contributing practicing hospitality the Greek word for contribute is really the Greek word koinonia. Or as I would say keen onia where we get the English term fellowship. To fellowship, you know fellowship is much more than coffee and donuts.

You can be having coffee and donuts and talking about the Patriots loss. I don't know if that's the case. Fellowship what does that involve? Listen to the early church Acts 2 they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and the fellowship.

To the breaking of bread and prayers and all who believe were together and had all things in common. That's what the word keen onia means to have in common and they were selling their possessions and Belongings and distributing to the proceeds to all as any had need.

They shared possessions in common. That's what we have in common as the early church signified. Not only that but number two what we have in common is the gospel the gospel. You know, that's what the Apostles gave their lives for was the gospel.

Not because they believed in a contemporary form of worship versus a traditional one. That's what we have in common and Paul highlights that in Philippians, that's what fellowship is around. He says in Philippians 1 verses 3 to 5 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy because of your Partnership because of your coin onia your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.

Not only are our possessions in common the gospel is what we have in common. But third what we have in common you should greatly encourage you is suffering Philippians 3 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of what?

His sufferings. That's why Paul said in the beginning of Philippians 1 it has been granted to you not only to believe in him. But also to suffer for his sake. It's one package. That's what we have as a body in terms of fellowship our Possessions we share with one another when in need the gospel of Jesus Christ and his sufferings together.

That is contribute. What about? The needs of the Saints. Practice Hospitality. It literally means to pursue. It's the same word if you look at verse 14. Bless those who persecute you. Bless those who persecute you.

Seek to show hospitality pursue it. Be intentional about it. Just some highlights about hospitality. The Greek of course means a lover of strangers. But let me give you three highlights about hospitality.

What Paul is talking about here in Romans 12. Number one hospitality watch. This is the natural overflow of biblical love. Remember the arching theme in verses 9 through 13 is let love be genuine. Hospitality is the natural overflow of genuine love of this love where we don't wear a mask.

Well, we don't try to hide the cracks with wax. Listen to how the biblical Writers put it and then all these passages you will notice that a hospitality immediately follows love. Peter says this in chapter 4 of his first epistle verses 8 and 9 above all keep loving one another earnestly.

Since love covers a multitude of sins show hospitality to one another without grumbling. Hebrews 13. Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

So number one hospitality that which we are to pursue towards one another. Flows out of genuine love. Number two. We're to show hospitality because we want to not because we have to. Not because we have to first Peter 4 9 again show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

That's one of the four things that the Israelites did in first Corinthians 10, right? Which we'll get to in a few weeks without grumbling without murmuring without complaining. Of course hospitality in the New Testament times took on many different forms.

It was for traveling preachers. For traveling preachers the Apostle Paul and others because. The times were different and dangerous. Hospitality can take on that same form nowadays. We have a visiting missionary here.

We open our home to them. We can show hospitality through our fellow members here in the body. We can show hospitality Within the body of Christ in the Sunday morning. We are to do it all whether at a home or at home in the church body as One another brothers and sisters without grumbling.

Well, I guess I'll have to do it. Pastor Mike said I have to be nice and friendly to newcomers. That's being a Greek and wearing a mask. It's not bad to be Greek don't get me wrong. Worse to be a loudmouth Puerto Rican because that's what I was called remember and.

Finally hospitality is a qualification for elders for those of you who are elders and leaders in this church. Just check it out in 1st. Timothy 3 in Titus 1. You're to be hospitable. I Think the ultimate example of hospitality is exemplified in this particular husband-wife relationship.

The wife was always worried that some Stranger some intruder would enter their house. So she would always wake up her husband in the middle of the night, sweetie. I hear something. Quick go check it out.

Day after day night after night the husband will get up in the middle of the night go check downstairs. If all the doors were locked everything was secure. There was no intruder and Then sure enough one night when she heard something there was actually somebody at the door.

It was an intruder trying to break in. The husband takes his bat. Walks to the front door. Opens the door and opens it it as he opens it. He says to the intruder to the stranger. Welcome. My wife has been waiting for you for a month.

Now that's genuine hospitality. The Apostle Paul knew hospitality from Lydia the first Greek. Whom God opened her heart. Luke says right a Greek heart is hard to open. Any heart is hard to opened because it's dead and hardened and unrepentant.

He opened her heart and she believed on the Lord Jesus and she opened up her home right then and there to Paul. How about Philemon? What did he say to Philemon how he refreshed the Saints and he says prepare a guest room for me.

He says to Philemon and the hospitality that Paul is mentioning here in Romans 12. That we are to seek after whether it's in our homes or within the body of Jesus Christ towards one another. Has nothing to do with your ethnic background.

Now given certain ethnic backgrounds tend to be more hospitable. It has nothing neither also to do with Where you're from in the States whether you're from the cold frozen Northeast. Or from warm, California and.

It has nothing to do with your personality either. Whether you're an introvert or an extrovert all of that fades. When I was working as a pastor with other five pastors using the same facility. You can imagine five churches meeting in the same facility trying to make things work.

Well, all the churches that I labored with not the church that I pastored but all the other churches were ethnic in background. And they carry a lot of their ethnicity with them, which is fine. But we would try to keep things in order so if another service was happening another church that the previous one would make sure everything was picked up food from the Providence was picked up and not spilled over the floor, but it was cleaned up.

And when I would meet with the other pastors and things were not in order so to speak they would say well. That's just how we are. That's our ethnic background. And being the youngest in the group I would rebuke them and say you are first citizens of heaven and then citizens of Greece and then citizens of Haiti and then citizens of Brazil and then citizens of the Philippines.

Hospitality knows none of that because 11 chapters the mercy of God Transcends your personality your ethnic background all of that. Why is it that charismatic churches who have an atrocious theology are so welcoming.

Those of us who know the truth Should be the most welcoming of all and I have noticed that here for myself speaking in my family. It was not easy for myself after ten years of trying to pastor a small church.

That things did not work out. And it was much more difficult for my little children because that's all they knew all their life. I Remember leaving the house and I'm saying this to commend BBC. I Remember leaving the house and my youngest one did not for the life of her want to come here and go and sit in the nursery so I Every time we'd come to the nursery she wanted to stay with her and she would signify that by saying dad You're gonna take your shoes off.

Which meant I'm staying. Then it happened that she was asking me that question on the ride here way before we got to the church. Dad, you're gonna take your shoes off. Then she got even better when she woke up in the morning Sunday morning.

The first thing she said to me dad, you're gonna take your shoes off. In other words, don't leave me in there alone and now I see her she runs by herself. So thank you for your hospitality. But there are those who come to the church who come from these kind of charismatic backgrounds who don't know the truth of Scripture when you're sitting there and The ushers are walking down the aisle.

First time visitors raise your hand your antennae should be up. Looking around who's getting a new packet. So when it comes time to greet them or even after the service you make an intentional effort.