What does love look like? Is it best depicted in red roses, pink hearts and wedding rings? Maybe. But in our passage today, we are told that love should be most visibly seen in the life of a local church – now there’s a challenge! For in Romans 12 today, the apostle Paul urges the Christians in Rome to manifest love in their relationships with one another. He wants onlookers to see ‘love in action’ whenever they look at the life of a local church.
I’m sure we’re all familiar with 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul’s great celebration of love that is read so often at weddings and other special occasions – “Love is patient, love is kind” and so forth! But here in Romans 12, Paul gets much more practical. He spells out in some detail the loving attitudes and actions that should characterise a Christian congregation. He gives detailed instruction on the love Christian brothers and sisters should express towards one another, towards God – and even towards their enemies.
Loving our Christian brothers and sisters (v.9-10, 13, 15-16)
Paul starts our passage by describing how the Christians in Rome ought to love other members of their church family – and they are a family, since earlier in this same chapter he has addressed them as ‘brothers and sisters’ in Christ. But like any diverse human community, there were tensions within the church in Rome. Jewish and Gentile Christians were mixed together, united by a shared faith in Christ, but coming from very different religious, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. If they were to be a true spiritual family, it would take time and effort – not to mention the help of the Holy Spirit.
So Paul begins in verse 9 by urging them (and us) to be “sincere” in our love for one another. Christian love isn’t simply being polite or friendly at church. It means taking a genuine interest in our fellow believers, being sincerely devoted to their wellbeing. A healthy church congregation should be a place where nobody is forgotten, where nobody’s needs are overlooked.
How can we put this into practice? Perhaps by:
- Noticing if someone has missed church on Sunday and giving them a call to check they are OK.
- Or by asking people “How are you really doing?” and taking time to listen.
- And by chatting with people in church who are different to ourselves, not just those we naturally get along with.
There can sometimes be tensions in churches over things like music preferences, mission priorities, money management and more. When we disagree with someone on such things, Paul gives us a fresh ambition – rather than thinking “How can I get my own way?”thinking instead, “How can I respect the other person’s perspective and put their interests ahead of my own?” As Paul puts in verse 10: “Honour one another above yourselves”, and in verse 16 he adds “live in harmony with one another”. Humility and self-sacrifice, not pride and conceit, should characterise every Christian community.
We are also to keep an eye out for those in our fellowship who are in practical or emotional need. Because in verse 13 Paul writes “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” If we are truly the one Body of Christ, if we are truly one spiritual family, then other Christian’s problems are our problem too. A problem to be shared, a problem to be tackled together. And successes are to be celebrated together too – we should rejoice with those who rejoice, not just mourn with those who mourn.
We know that the Church in Rome took these things to heart – they really did learn to love one another. Not only did it stay united, it shone like a light of love in the midst of pagan Roman culture. The theologian Tertullian, writing in the second century, reports on how the citizens of Rome were astonished at the love and kindness of the first Christians. And in our own day, the historian Tom Holland has written about how Judeo-Christians ethics eventually took over the Roman Empire – read his book ‘Dominion’ if you get the chance.
Loving God (v.11-12)
Did you notice that in the middle of this long passage exhorting us to love other people, Paul also reminds us to keep on loving God as well? Because he writes in verses 11 and 12: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
In other words, we are to express our love for the Lord in service and in prayer. Our love for God should manifest itself in a willingness to serve him and a willingness to speak with him. We serve him whenever we love our neighbour, exercise a ministry in church or share our faith with others. And we speak to him when we give quality time to prayer – whether that’s here on Sundays or at home midweek. We communicate regularly with those we love – so don’t give God a spiritual cold-shoulder – he longs to hear from you.
Loving our enemies (v.14, 17-21)
Thirdly and finally, Paul turns to the most challenging type of love – love for our enemies, love for those who harm us or hurt us. “Bless those who persecute you” he writes in verse 14. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil” he says in verse 17. With those words Paul is of course echoing Jesus himself, who famously taught his disciples to ‘love their enemies’ and ‘turn the other cheek’.
Rather than giving people a taste of their own medicine, we are to respond to evil with good. As far as it depends on us, says Paul, we are to live at peace with everyone (v.18). Notice the realism in that statement: “as far as it depends on us.” We cannot control other people’s behaviour. But we can control our response to them. That means asking: “Have I done everything reasonably possible to make peace?” We must not respond to evil with more evil, but with good – revenge is not a Christian virtue!
On the contrary, the Christian response to hostility isn’t revenge but grace. For example:
- If someone ignores you → you continue to greet them warmly.
- If someone criticises you → you refuse to criticise them in return.
- If someone takes things from you -> you remain generous towards them
- And if someone has hurt you → you pray deeply for them.
Christian love for our enemies is radical and counter-cultural. But it follows the example of Jesus, who laid down his life for sinners and prayed for the forgiveness of his executioners. And it breaks the vicious cycle of revenge and retribution that lies behind so many of the world’s enduring conflicts. So let us learn to love our enemies, as well as loving God and loving one another.
Conclusion
So as I finish, Romans 12 paints a beautiful portrait of a local church. A church where:
- people genuinely love one another;
- where nobody is forgotten or overlooked;
- where disagreements don’t become divisions;
- where devotion to God is expressed in faithful service and prayer;
- and where forgiveness replaces resentment and revenge;
Let’s ask God to make us, here at St John’s Ashton Hayes, a little more like that kind of church.