The Spirit-Controlled Life - Part 2 (Romans 12:9-13)
INTRODUCTION:
Last Sunday we returned to Romans 12 after a month of examining the incarnation of Jesus Christ from four different passages of Scripture. We only got through one verse, so we return to the passage we began going through last week, verses 9-13, the first half of a new section in this chapter. In this final section Paul gives us some 25 exhortations that should be exemplified in the life of a disciplined, Spirit-controlled, obedient Christian.
I stated last week that if a person has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ and has presented his body as a living and holy sacrifice and is exercising the gift that God has given him, he will give evidence that he is truly saved by an out-pouring of sanctified, spiritual living. In other words, as we submit and surrender all that we are, physical, emotional, social, intellectual, moral, and spiritual, to God’s will and control, for God’s glory, our lives will become the disciplined, Spirit-controlled lives that we were meant to live. This type of living cannot be produced by our own power but is directed and empowered by the Spirit of God, in other words, this is supernatural living. Supernatural living, or Spirit-controlled living is bringing our outer lives into conformity with our inner lives, living out the redeemed, purified, and righteous nature that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ, becoming in daily and outward living what we are in position as new creations in Christ.
Last Sunday, we began going through Paul’s list of what should be the basic characteristics of the Spirit-controlled Christian who is disciplined and obedient to the Lord. These characteristics can be divided into 4 categories, our present passage covers two of these categories, first, personal duties or characteristics, and second our duties toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Verses 14-21 are the last two categories, which are our duties towards people in general and then towards those who have declared themselves as our personal enemies. Last Sunday we went over those duties or characteristics that are personal, this morning we will cover those duties we are to have towards our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s pray and then get into our passage for this morning.
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Romans 12:9-13 again. I do hope you come to church whether in-person or online with your Bible, it is what you use to examine my words to determine if I am staying true to God’s Word. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along while I read.
Romans 12:9-13,
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.” (Romans 12:9–13, NASB95)[1]
DUTIES OF A SPIRIT-CONTROLLED LIFE – FAMILY (Romans 12:10-13)
Last Sunday we covered verse 9, so this morning we will begin with verse 10 and the second category of characteristics that should be seen in the Spirit-controlled, disciplined, obedient Christian. These are duties that we are to carry out toward our family, our spiritual family, our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Again, as we get into these characteristics we will or should be convicted where we see ourselves falling short and this should drive us to the Lord asking that He would help us to develop this area in our lives. Paul will list for us ten characteristics that we should be displaying towards the members of God’s family.
Be devoted in brotherly love (Romans 12:10a)
Paul begins this category by exhorting us to “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…” (Romans 12:10a, NASB95)[2] The phrase “be devoted to” and the phrase “brotherly love” both come from compound words in Greek that both have a remarkably similar idea in their meanings. Neither uses the word agapē for love that was used in verse nine. Both use a form of the word phileo. “Be devoted to” is a compound word made of the word for friendship love and the word for natural family love, like the reciprocal love between parents and children, a love not based on personal attraction or desirability but simply because you are related. The second phrase is one that you might be familiar with it is the Greek word philadelphia which uses another form of phileo which means to have tender affection toward someone, and the someone is the second word of this compound word which is the Greek word for brother. We are to have this loving family affection for one another in the family of God.
Jesus said that this devoted brotherly love would show the world that we belong to Christ. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35, NASB95)[3] As believers this love is not something we can choose to have or not have, it is a must for the Spirit-controlled person. John put it this way in his first epistle in 1 John 5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.” (1 John 5:1, NASB95)[4] John had stated just before this in chapter 4, verse 20, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20, NASB95)[5]
Paul can exhort us to love our brothers and sisters this way because this brotherly love reflects the nature of Spirit-controlled believer. This is why Paul could say to the Thessalonian Christians in 1 Thessalonians 4:9, “Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;” (1 Thessalonians 4:9, NASB95)[6] As the Spirit of God works in us and teaches us through the Word of God the Spirit-controlled person knows intuitively that he is to love his brothers and sisters in Christ. Because we are a part of God’s family and He is our Father, love for one another should be as natural and normal as love is for our own biological family members.
As I stated last week, the apostle John speaks extensively in his first epistle about love for God, God’s love for us, and our love for one another. John confirms that this love for one another is taught to us by God when he writes in 1 John 2:9-11, “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:9–11, NASB95)[7] John continues talking about loving our brother in even stronger terms in the next chapter, he writes in 1 John 3:10, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10, NASB95)[8] John goes on in verses 17-19 to say, “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him” (1 John 3:17–19, NASB95)[9] Just as loving parents would do almost anything for their children, John instructs us that our love is not just to be lip service, but is to be seen by what we do, and this then is the proof that our love is true. We are to be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Show honor to one another (Romans 12:10b)
Paul follows his exhortation to love one another with a characteristic that should flow naturally out of brotherly love, he writes, “…give preference to one another in honor.” (Romans 12:10b, NASB95)[10] Paul is speaking with this phrase of humility. He had already stated this idea in this chapter in verse 3 where he wrote, “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3, NASB95)[11] We are to understand that each of us have been given a gift and a measure of faith from God and as we love one another this humility is the natural outflow of our love. Paul said is this way to the Philippians in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;” (Philippians 2:3, NASB95)[12] Selfishness and empty conceit are not the by-products of love. Again, this humility is not asking us to think that every brother or sister in every respect is wiser or abler than I am myself. But instead, it asks that in humbleness I count my brothers and sisters to be more important than I am myself, to give each honor where honor is due. Understand that to honor is not to flatter or give false praise with the expectation of receiving praise in return. To honor someone, as Paul is speaking here, is to show authenticate admiration for a person and to appreciate them for who they are in Christ. We should be quick to show respect where respect is due, quick to give praise for the accomplishments of others, and quick to express genuine love by not being jealous or envious of God’s blessing on someone else. This is how the one devoted to the members of God’s family in brotherly love gives preference to them in honor.
Be zealous in service (Romans 12:11a)
Paul continues on in the next verse with his next exhortation, he writes, “…not lagging behind in diligence…” (Romans 12:11a, NASB95)[13] This exhortation could be translated, “not lazy in zeal and intensity.” If you remember from earlier in this chapter when Paul was giving the list of possible gifts that we could receive from the Lord, he said that those who have the gift of leadership were to lead with zeal or diligence. Here Paul uses this phrase to refer to whatever Spirit-controlled believers are doing in their lives. Whatever we do in the Lord’s service is worth doing with enthusiasm, anything that we do is worth doing as unto the Lord. We are all at different stages of life, for our young people are you doing school as unto the Lord, are you doing the work with diligence and zeal? Those who are in the work force, are you doing your work as unto the Lord? Is the excellence with which you perform your job a reflection of your true master? Those of you who are retired, are you living your life as unto the Lord, are you doing things worth doing that are of eternal worth? Paul in speaking to the slaves and masters who were followers of Christ in the church of Ephesus wrote these words in Ephesians 6:5-9, “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.” (Ephesians 6:5–9, NASB95)[14] This passage can be applied today to students and teachers, employees and employers, and you retirees are directly responsible to the Lord. This diligence was seen in Lord Jesus while He was on this earth. He told His disciples in John 9:4, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” (John 9:4, NASB95)[15] The Lord knew that His time on this earth was limited and He sought to make the most of all the time He had to bring glory to His Father in heaven.
We must have this same diligence knowing that our time on this earth is short in comparison with eternity and all that we do should be done with zeal and diligence as unto the Lord and to bring Him glory. Paul also counseled the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15–16, NASB95)[16] Paul Pekola used to plant a big garden, it got smaller as he got older, but he was always out there pulling the weeds. If he had left the garden alone the weeds would have soon taken over, but he diligently and zealously worked at it to keep the garden weed free. Those who serve the Lord with diligence and zeal will be rewarded. The author of Hebrews promises in Hebrews 6:10-12, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:10–12, NASB95)[17]
Be fervent in spirit (Romans 12:11b)
Next Paul exhorts the Spirit-controlled, disciplined, and obedient person to be, “fervent in spirit.” (Romans 12:11b, NASB95)[18] This exhortation is related to the last one that spoke of diligence and zeal in our service to the Lord. Our diligence and zeal are related to action, where being fervent in spirit is related to attitude. This word that is translated “fervent” is the Greek verb “to boil” and came to mean metaphorically “to be fervent.” John MacArthur writes concerning this phase, “The idea here is not being overheated to the point of boiling over and out of control but, like a steam engine, of having sufficient heat to produce the energy necessary to get the work done.”[19]
Think of the things that could get done if we each worked with fervency of spirit. Everyone of us could probably list things that they could have done in our lifetime if we would not have lacked enthusiasm. Indifference and lack of commitment kill off a lot of service before it even gets off the ground. To be fervent in spirit requires determination and persistence. Paul told the church in Galatia in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galatians 6:9, NASB95)[20] Paul was speaking of being fervent in spirit, keeping up that attitude of enthusiasm and persistence to see a job through to the end with the diligence and zeal that you had when you began the work. You want an example of one who was fervent in spirit? Read Acts and follow the apostle Paul through the chapters and you will see zeal and diligence in the work that is spurred on by his fervency in spirit.
Serving the Lord (Romans 12:11c)
Paul ends this verse by stating simply for what purpose you need this diligence and fervency, he writes that we are to be, “…serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11c, NASB95)[21] When we speak of serving the Lord with diligence and fervency we must do so with God’s Word as our guide, everything we do in service to the Lord must be in line with Biblical truth and it must be done to bring glory to God and God alone. If we viewed every service to the Lord through these two parameters, it would do away with a whole lot of fruitless ministry. Some of you long time members will remember a number of years ago we met a couple of times to evaluate all that we were doing as a church and what was worthwhile and what was not, and we trimmed away a lot of fruitless ministry. This is good for a church to do often and view what it is doing through the parameters of Scripture and if it is being done to bring glory to God.
The word translated “serving” here comes from the word that means “slave or bondslave.” It refers to the service of a bondslave whose only reason for existence is to do the will of his master. Paul often referred to himself as the bondslave of Jesus Christ, even identifying himself as such in the opening of Romans, and Philippians, and Titus.
When we speak of serving the Lord we must understand and always remember that we do not and cannot serve Him in our own power. Just as it was not in our own power that we came to Him for salvation. We are called upon to serve the Lord but the power to do that service is not our own but from Him. Paul told the Colossians in Colossians 1:28-29, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” (Colossians 1:28–29, NASB95)[22] Paul recognized that the power that he had to serve the Lord was not his own power but God’s power working in him.
CONCLUSION:
I am going to stop here this morning; I think I have given you enough to meditate on. I don’t know about you, but these are some heavy commands that Paul lays upon us, and notice I say commands, they are not suggestions. If you want to live a Spirit-controlled, disciplined, obedient life then these characteristics should be evident in your life and they should overflow to your brothers and sisters in Christ. We should be devoted to one another in brotherly love, practicing humility by regarding one another as more important than ourselves in honor. In our service to the Lord, we need to do it with zeal and diligence and while being fervent in spirit. All that we do should be a to the Lord and for His glory. Young people, do your schooling as to the Lord by doing the best work possible with a good attitude and with enthusiasm. You who are in the work force, do your work not for your employer but for the Lord and for His glory. You who are retired, the sky is the limit before you as for what you can do in service for the Lord, find what it that the Lord wants you to do, and do it with all your heart to the glory of God. I know many retired people who are amazing prayer warriors, some have the ministry of caring for their grandchildren. The possibilities are limitless, do not allow the golden years of your life fritter away when you could be doing great things in service to God.
I know there are some commands here that I need to develop in my life, and I am praying that God by His power will make these realities in my life, that He will develop these characteristics in my life for His glory. Let’s seek to live these out in our church body.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[19]MacArthur, John, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16. Chicago, IL : Moody Publishers, 1994.
[20]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[21]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[22]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.