Bible Study - Neighbor (4) - HonorYour Neighbor - Romans 12:9-21 - August15, 2022

 

Bible Study – Neighbor (4) – Honor Your Neighbor – August 15, 2022

This is our fourth lesson in our series entitled, “How to Love Your Neighbor.”

Our focus scripture is Romans 12:9-21.

Love, agape love, is seen in how we love others.

The Apostle Paul was in Corinth, about 57 A.D., when he penned this letter to the Christians in Rome. He had not visited Rome when he wrote this letter but he knew there was a strong community of Christians living there.

Paul was instructing the Christians living in Rome how to live among their neighbors. Let’s explore!

Romans 12:1-8 – (Lead-in Background)

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.^[a] 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Paul used the transition word, “therefore” to change his focus from belief to behavior. In our focus scripture, Paul is giving those who are Spirit-born the recipe for living an agape life. We will quickly see, Spirit-born people can only live an agape life as empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Being Spirit-born means we have the Holy Spirit within us. When we present our human bodies as a living sacrifice, in essence, we have died to self and been resurrected to live as GOD desires. We still have our physical bodies but with the power of the Holy Spirit within. The human body with its normal needs and desires are still present but our carnal nature must be brought under the control and guided by the Holy Spirit.

How is this accomplished? It is accomplished by the renewing of our minds as we allow the Holy Spirit to control more of our human mind set. When the Holy Spirit comes into our bodies at the instant of salvation, GOD equips us with HIS Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Our carnal nature desires to continue to rule our lives. We still make decisions but do we make decisions as led by the Holy Spirit or our human nature. As GOD reveals which nature is governing our lives, it gives us a clue of the balance between our carnal nature versus our Spiritual nature.

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are key building blocks for our Spiritual bodies within our human bodies. What is our mindset? In Romans 8:6-11:

⁶ Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit^[f] gives life^[g] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through^[h] his Spirit who lives in you.

Romans 12:3-8: (Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Spiritual building blocks within Spirit filled and led people to minister within their community of believers and non-believers.)

Many Gifts but One Body

³ For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. ⁴ Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, ⁵ in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. ⁶ According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one’s^[b] faith; ⁷ if service, use it in service; if teaching, in teaching; ⁸ if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

Our human nature can get puffed up when we see GOD working in our lives and using our Gifts in HIS Kingdom. Therefore, when GOD uses us in HIS Kingdom, we must not think of ourselves more highly than others who may be babies in CHRIST. Paul moves to application.

The Apostle Paul gives us the recipe with a list of ingredients. We are not to be overwhelmed by this list because as Spirit-born people, GOD’S indwelling Holy Spirit, will bring about a great recipe. The result will be a delicious, succulent, Spirit nourishing way of life among those who are Spiritually starving. Let’s explore!   

Now to our selected scripture:

Let’s read Romans 12:9-13:

Christian Ethics – Paul lists the ingredients for putting agape love into action.

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. ¹¹ Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;^[c] serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. ¹³ Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. 

-         Love without hypocrisy – Let your love (agape) be genuine.

-         Detest evil – When we have agape love, we detest evil in a person but love the person.

-         Cling to what is good – Think the best but use discernment.

-         Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Love as family members because we all have the same FATHER/GOD. 

-         Take the lead in honoring one another. Accept/support each other and applaud our brothers and sisters in CHRIST when they overcome.

-         Do not lack diligence in zeal – look for and meet the needs of others not grudgingly but with fervor. Never give up.

-         Be fervent/to glow in the Spirit – pray for the needs of others.

-         Serve the Lord – Minister as led by the Holy Spirit.

-         Rejoice in hope – Hope is eternal through faith in JESUS.

-         Be patient in affliction – knowing that it will only be for a season.

-         Be persistent in prayer – cast all our cares upon JESUS because HE cares for us and others.

-         Share with the saints in their needs – give to fellow Christians called to serve. Share according to their needs as we work in GOD’S vineyard e.g., financial, physical, prayer, friendship, wise counsel, listening ear and the list goes on.

-         Pursue hospitality. Stay ready to offer to others what they have need of – shelter, food, transportation, etc.

This is quite a list and impossible to achieve without being empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit. Discernment is a Gift and helps those who are Spirit-born to know how to minister among these needs.

Wisdom and discernment are gifts from GOD. There are those who try to take advantage of those trying to help them but the Holy Spirit gives wisdom, discernment and balance.

Paul continued with the list of ingredients for expressing agape love and baking the agape pie ----

Let’s read Romans 12:14-16:

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. 

          -  bless those who persecute you. What does it mean to bless     someone? Ask GOD to give a person what is good.

     -   bless and do not curse. What does it mean to curse someone? It means to desire GOD’S judgment on someone.

     -   rejoice with those who rejoice.

     -   weep with those who weep – have empathy.

-         live in harmony with one another. 

-         do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble.

-         do not be wise in your own estimation. Don’t let your wisdom make you arrogant. Listen to others.

At times we, who know the truth, need an attitude adjustment.

Let’s read Romans 12:17-21:

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. ¹⁸ If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.^[e]

²¹ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

When Spirit-filled/Christian people take matters into their own hands, they take it out of GOD’S hands. We must trust GOD to apply the appropriate retribution as needed, when needed.

How can we do the things that Paul is telling Christians to do? We cannot unless we have been transformed by the renewing of our minds and filled with the Holy Spirit. Discernment is a much-needed Gift in the times in which we live. It is better to teach a person how to fish than to give him or her a fish. Yes, the person/couple/family may need immediate assistance but our goal should be to help those in physical, emotional, Spiritual need to be self-sustaining.  

Blessings!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-       Love without hypocrisy – Let your love (agape) be genuine. How does one do that?

-       Detest evil – When we have agape love, we detest evil in a person but love the person.

-       Cling to what is good – Think the best but use discernment.

-       Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Love (Phileo) as family members because we all have the same FATHER/GOD. 

-       Take the lead in honoring one another. Accept/support each other and applaud our brothers and sisters in CHRIST when they overcome.

-       Do not lack diligence in zeal – look for and meet the needs of others not grudgingly but with fervor. Never give up.

-       Be fervent/to glow in the Spirit – pray for the needs of others.

-       Serve the Lord – Minister as led by the Holy Spirit.

-       Rejoice in hope – Hope is eternal through faith in JESUS.

-       Be patient in affliction – knowing that it will only be for a season.

-       Be persistent in prayer – cast all our cares upon JESUS because HE cares for us and others.

-       Share with the saints in their needs – give to fellow Christians called to serve. Share according to their needs as we work in GOD’S vineyard e.g., financial, physical, prayer, friendship, wise counsel, listening ear and the list goes on.

-       Pursue hospitality. Stay ready to offer to others what they have need of – shelter, food, transportation, etc.

 

 

 

 

          -  bless those who persecute you.

What does it mean to bless someone? Ask GOD to give a person what is good.

     -   bless and do not curse.

What does it mean to curse someone? It means to desire GOD’S judgment on someone.

     -   rejoice with those who rejoice.

     -   weep with those who weep – have empathy.

-       live in harmony with one another. 

-       do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble.

-       do not be wise in your own estimation. Don’t let your wisdom make you arrogant. Listen to others.