Verse of the Day 8/26
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
I've recently posted from Romans 8 about "life in the Spirit" as that passage mentions the Spirit almost 20 times. After 11 chapters on doctrine, Romans 12 changes gears as Paul dives into the application of the principles of which he is teaching. The heading for the passage varies from translation and edition, but they give a good summary. The New King James Version above states, "Behave Like a Christian" and the English Standard Version states "The Marks of a True Christian". Our behavior to the outside would should give evidence to who we are on the inside.
I chose the New King James Version above because it starts off by saying "let love be without hypocrisy. It is probably the biggest charge against the church, "they're all a bunch of hypocrites", and to some degree they are probably right. But the church doesn't corner the market on it. The world is full of hypocrites. That being said, as we live by the Spirit and apply the principles outlined in the passage we can turn the tables on that thinking.
Paul presents these traits, these marks in 4 categories in the passage. Our personal duties beginning in verse 9; our family duties in verses 10-13; duties to others in verses 14-16; and duties to those who we may think of as enemies in verses 17-21. Today's verses show where this all begins. Abhor, hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Be loving, show brotherly love in our lives, care for others. Lastly, we are to "outdo" one another in showing honor. Show respect; give credit when it is due.
Read the rest of the passage below. Let's try to live our lives "without hypocrisy"; living by the Spirit.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me,
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the Living God,
Fall afresh on me.
Blessings,
Mike
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it
| | Rom 12:9-21 ESV - - Bible Gateway |
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to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."
20 To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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