You may be tired of hearing me repeat the theme of Romans, but it’s crucial that we emphasize Paul’s purpose in writing this letter to the church.
His goal was to create a unified community of Jews and Gentiles who would bear witness to the love of God in a city of one million people, despite their small number of only about 200.
Notice how Paul places an emphasis on love in the four verses for our study today.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good;
Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer (Romans 12.9-12).
In the first-century Greek theater, actors wore masks. These masks helped project their voices and allowed them to change characters simply by altering their voice and switching masks. This is the root meaning behind the word “hypocrite.”
When Paul speaks of genuine love, he means love that is not hypocritical. It doesn’t wear a mask, pretend, or act like a performer.
This is the kind of authentic love the church is called to show toward one another and to the world.
Paul’s message about love in 1 Corinthians 13 is well-known, and it is echoed in these verses in Romans concerning the church.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth (1 Corinthians 13.4-6).
We are to love with “mutual affection,” which is an adjective that combines two important Greek concepts of love, generally meaning “tenderly affectionate” or “loving dearly.” It conveys a deep, familial kind of love and affection.
The language Paul uses in these verses may seem perfect for greeting cards and refrigerator magnets, but they aren’t just meant to be pleasant sayings. They are meant to be lived out.
In Paul’s time, as well as in 2024, this kind of love needs to be practiced in the midst of church disputes or tensions fueled by culture wars.
Wholehearted Effort
A sloth is an extremely slow-moving animal, often spending much of their time hanging from trees and moving only when necessary. That is not the picture the church should present as their service of our Savior.
Instead of resembling a sloth lazily hanging from a tree, we should be full of energy and vitality as we serve the Lord. This is the image the world needs to see in those who serve God.
Patience in Persecution
The early Christians experienced various forms of persecution, from being socially excluded to facing severe persecution and even death at the hands of the Roman government.
A modern reader might struggle to grasp the phrase “rejoice in hope” in the midst of intense persecution. It’s important to remember that, in the Bible, hope is not a mere wish for something to happen; rather, it is the confident expectation that God will do what He has always done.
This hope is closely tied to the concept of waiting on God. When we wait for God, He is our plan A, and we are not relying on any other plan.
Believers can endure the burden of persecution and affliction because, first, they are confident in God’s work, rejoicing in the hope of His promises, and second, they remain persistent in prayer, staying connected to God.
Henry Blackaby teaches Jesus’ followers are appointed to a specific task. When you’re appointed, you can trust that when things are going well, God has placed you there. Even when things go badly, you’re still in that place by God’s appointment. This is the hope we hold on to.
Whether the situation is good or bad, we remain steadfast in prayer because the life with God that comes through prayer empowers us to both rejoice and endure whatever we are facing.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 