Devotions

Romans 12:9-13 ends on this note: ^“When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” [NLT]

Two thoughts are contained in this short verse. The first flows out to others; the second invites others in. While these two thoughts intertwine, they also have two lovely distinct parts.

We are to distribute, to give out of our supply to help others in needs. We are to share with God’s people.  One of the hardest things to teach a child is to share. I remember the shouts of “mine, mine, mine!” that permeated our home on occasion. How difficult it was to convince one small child that it was a good thing to relinquish a prized toy to a sibling or guest.

In God’s house the shouts of “mine, mine, mine!” are never to be heard. It truly is all “His, His, His!” and is to be shared with others who are in need. What flows to us from God is to also flow out from us to others.

The second thought is just slightly different. We are to practice, or be given to, hospitality. There is to be a welcoming in our spirits for others. While this also involves sharing, it is more intimate and personal. I may be able to contribute to the needs of others anonymously. Hospitality on the other hand is very personal. To be hospitable means to open my life and what I have to others. It takes time, effort and a lot of love, love, love to be hospitable.

Love, that’s what this life is all about according to Romans 12:9-10. Everything in our lives is nourished, replenished by love. The following two verses give six guidelines for love. They are not all there is to love, but they are a sampling of the way in which love is to be shown.

“…not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” [Romans 12:11-12 NKJV]

Number 1: “Not lagging in diligence.” Whatever form our love takes, it is to be energized, active, zealous. The life of the believer isn’t one of “lying about,” it is one of action and commitment.

Number 2: “Fervent in spirit.” That is how the New Testament described Apollos. Fervent means “burning.”  We are not to be lukewarm in our desire to show God’s love.

Number 3: “Serving the Lord.” The word for serving in the Greek is from the word for slave. We are willing slaves, servants to the Lord Jesus Christ. We have given ourselves over to Him without restrain, in complete abandonment, to bring His love to all.

Number 4: “In hope, rejoicing.” We have a sure hope, not wishful thinking. Our hope is centered in Christ, who is our spiritual anchor. It is sure and it is secure, fully trustworthy, so we rejoice.

Number 5: “In tribulation, patient.” How can we be patient during tribulation and trouble?  Because our hope is secure, we can remain steadfast amid even the most trying of times.

Number 6: “In prayer, persevering.”  Handling every situation immediately by taking it to our God.

If you look at Romans 12:9-10 in the Greek, three totally different words are used to describe what we identify as love.

“Let love be without hypocrisy.” The word is “agape.” God’s brand of love. “Agape” love is not centered in the worthiness of the one being loved; it is centered instead in the heart of the one loving.  It is given freely, unconditionally.

“Be kindly affectionate to one another…” This comes from the word “philostorgos.” This word was used to denote the love of parents for their children, genuine, tender, free flowing as a bubbling spring might be. It is readiness and inclination to love, the most natural of love.

“…with brotherly love.” This is the word “philadelphia.” It means exactly what it says, fraternal or brotherly affection.

But it doesn’t end there. It goes on that we, as believers, are not just to love, but we are to honor one another above ourselves and give preference to one another, “…in honor giving preference to one another….” Giving preference in the Greek means to take the lead or show the example.

It isn’t enough to just possess qualities of love; we are to stride forth and take the lead in loving others. How we treat fellow believers, how we treat even those who hate us and persecute us, is an example to the world of the love of God. We don’t wait to see what others will do. We are to set an example.

Love! Unconditional love; genuine, natural, free flowing ready love; and brotherly affection. The hallmark of those who claim Christ as Savior. Taking the lead; providing an example.

Romans 12:9 begins “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them,” and then the verse goes on “Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.” [NLT]

Sincere love must characterize believers. Looking at what follows this verse, it becomes clear that sincere love is to flow from all those who claim Christ as Lord to those within the fellowship of believers, and to those outside the fellowship. Pure, warm, unadulterated, honest, genuine, unfeigned love, without embellishment or exaggeration is to be the mark of God’s people.

We are to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. That phrase comes between sincere love in the beginning of verse 9 and brotherly love and devotion in the beginning of verse 10. We are to hate the things that injure or hurt others. Whatever is unkind or hurtful should never be a component of our relationships with others. Instead, we are to cling to the good things, words and actions that benefit and bless others.

Words often hurt more than anything else. It takes a long time for my heart to recover from unkind or injurious words. And you cannot turn back the clock and take back hurtful words. Once spoken, they can never be retracted.

Words can injure people and bring a rift in relationships. Can a relationship ever be repaired? Surely with the grace of God, it can be. Will it? Maybe. Those who hurt and those who are hurt will have to work at forgiveness and love to bring healing, but the willingness to do so might not be there.

Hurtful words and behaviors hurt others. That’s what Romans 12 means when it says that love must be sincere. Love must be natural to a child of God; the kind of love that God has shown us, must now flow from us to this world, sincerely, honestly, warmly.

Romans 12 to me is like a wonderful garden, full of beauty and delight. It begins in full view of the sunshine of God’s mercy. The will of God is the path that winds through it and the gate to that path is found in abandoning the pattern of the world and being transformed through the renewing of our minds.

Romans 12 reminds us that everything we have and everything we are, is a gift of grace from God, given to us not to make us arrogant or puffed up, but to use for the benefit of all.

Each of us has received differing gifts from God. We are not the same, but we are all uniquely gifted by God; some to prophesy, some to serve, others to teach. Some of us are encouragers, others are givers. Some lead and others bestow mercy. Whatever our gift, we are to do it well.

But a garden cannot grow without water. Without the nourishing showers and streams, a garden will simply dry up and die.

The showers that nourish the garden of Romans 12 can be summed up in one word, “LOVE.” It is LOVE that brings refreshing rain to Romans 12, and it begins simply in verse 9. “Don’t just pretend to LOVE others. Really Love them.” [NLT]

Without LOVE, nothing grows. People, relationships, ministry, everything is stunted and shriveled without LOVE

Hebrews 7:25 NKJV: “Therefore [Jesus] is also able to save to the UTTERMOST those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Hebrews 7:25 NIV: “Therefore [Jesus] is able to save COMPLETELY those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”

Hebrews 7:25 NLT: “Therefore [Jesus] is able, ONCE AND FOREVER, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”

It’s “panteles” and it conveys a sense of absolute completeness—nothing lacking, nothing partial, nothing left to be added.

The denomination that I grew up in left me with the impression that Jesus made the down payment on my salvation and left the installments up to me. But our salvation in Christ lacks nothing. There is nothing missing, nothing I can add to it. It is all mine, completely forever mine by faith.

Meditate on that today. What do we have in this life that is utterly complete forever? Everything in this life (apart from God) is subject to change, corruption, and destruction. But God … BUT GOD … through His Son … provides salvation … to the uttermost, complete, and forever!

Glory to God. Amen & Amen

Resurrection Sunday is early this year, April 5, just about a month away. Each year as we approach Easter, I read through that final week of Jesus’ life leading up to His death on the cross. I don’t start with any particular Gospel account, nor always with the very first event—the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

I always find myself, however, in the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. That event is the decisive moment when Jesus sets His will to the will of the Father. (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46.)

In those three accounts we learn that Jesus asked the Father to take the cup of suffering away. “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me,” but surrendered to the Father’s will. “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” [NLT]

In the Garden, “he became deeply troubled and distressed,” and His soul was crushed with grief, so intense it took Him “to the point of death.” His agony was so great that an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen him, so great that “his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.” [NLT]

But the most amazing thing about that Gethsemane experience is that from then on you find Jesus in complete command. He was in command during the betrayal. He was in command during the trials – answering questions only when He chose to. Even on the cross He was in command, forgiving sins, granting salvation to a thief, and giving up His Spirit to God.

And gloriously in command when He declared, “It is finished (and will forever remain finished)!”

Amen & Amen

Romans 12:6-8: “God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”  [NLT]

We can do “certain things well.” Isn’t that delightful! Paul says that if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then speak out! Prophecy is just speaking forth the Word of God with reference to the past, the present, or even the future. If you have faith God is speaking through you, then speak.

If you are a server, then serve well. My husband is a server. He cringes if anyone wants him to speak in public but put him behind the scenes to repair a leaky church toilet or pull down an unwanted building, or pick up the trash, or paint the nursery, then he’s in his glory.

If your job is to encourage, then do it. In any and every way possible! If you are a giver, then give; a leader, then lead. And if mercy is the cry of your heart, then render kindness to others with a cheerful and glad heart.

What motivates you? When you see a bad situation, what is the first thing you want to do? Do you want to run up and hold the person, or do you want to try to fix the problem with financial assistance? Usually what our strongest motivation at that moment is our strongest gift.

I have acted in all the gifts in some measure. I can speak forth the Word of God. I’ve served and led and given mercy. I’ve contributed money and I’ve taught. But my motivation to do those things has always been because I’m an encourager at heart. It is the reason why I do everything I do. It influences everything. It is my heart gift, to encourage others, whatever avenue that encouragement takes. Have you thought about what your gift is?

We all love gifts. The very nature of a gift is that it is given from one person to another because of tradition, because it is expected, or just out of love and delight.

God loves and delights in giving gifts. In Ephesians 4, God gives the church gifts. Five are outlined: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. In I Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit gives gifts, nine are mentioned: messages of wisdom and knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, different kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.

Romans 12 also describes gifts, seven gifts are mentioned. They are given, according to the grace of God, to individuals for the good of the Body of Christ. The seven outlined are prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, mercy. No gift is to be thought of as more important than the others. They all come from the same God. They all flow from grace. They are all to be used for the benefit of the Body of Christ and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God.

Sometimes … and I say this hesitantly … believers find that they have one, two or three gifts more prominent than the others. Yet may I be so bold as to say, we all to a greater or lesser degree have each of the seven.

I mentioned recently that I attended a prayer meeting as a new Christian, still very dumb in the ways of God. During that meeting, the minister stopped by me and told me God had given me the gift of encouragement.  In the 53 years since, no matter what capacity I have served in the church or anywhere else, that gift has been the motivating force of my life.

Many think that diversity is something new, but diversity has been around for a long time. F. F. Bruce in his commentary on Romans 12 says: “Diversity, not uniformity, is the mark of God’s handiwork. It is so in nature; it is so in grace, too, and nowhere more so than in the Christian community.”  (The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI)

God has brought together in the Church a diverse bunch, people from every conceivable ethnic group, possessing different heritages, parentages, traditions. All are brought together into one Body, the Body of Christ, and endowed with a variety of gifts, to be used for the good of all. Romans 12:6 begins: “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”

Too often we want everyone to be the same, think the same, act the same. What would this world be like if everything was the same? Every flower the same shape and color. Every tree exactly like all the rest. Every mountain like its neighbor. Every person alike. I can think of only one word to describe such a scenario – BORING! 

God instead gave us color and variety, different seasons, different climates, different terrains. He made us all unique; no two people the same. We look different. We think differently. We act differently. Our personalities are different. We are diverse, and in the church this diversity works for the benefit of God’s Kingdom. The church would be very boring if we were all the same.

And just as we have received a measure of faith from God so that no one can boast, so we receive different gifts from God, according to the grace given us. Different gifts that are used in a variety of different ways. Different gifts used by unique people in the Kingdom of God, all for the benefit of the Kingdom.