Romans 12:2 Christian Conduct (1)#
Romans 12:2 Christian Conduct (1)
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for this wonderful time to receive Your word. Please reveal more of Your insights to us. Grant us wisdom in our lives, knowing how to use Your word. You have overcome the world, and we are willing to triumph through Your strength. May the Holy Spirit renew our minds, helping us to know You more! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
The topic we are sharing: Christian Conduct 1
Romans 12:9-13,
9 Let love be genuine; hate 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.
Many people have a misunderstanding of the gospel, thinking that believing in Jesus means no need for good behavior. Many say, "I have already believed in Jesus Christ; the Lord is so good! He does not hold our sins against us and does not care about our behavior; He still loves us. He is the Lord who gives us grace." They believe that God is full of love and grace, blessing them; yet they do not see blessings manifest in their lives. Some even face more problems than others in finances, disciplining children, and daily life... What is the problem?
The issue lies in their belief. God has no problem; they mistakenly think that good behavior is unnecessary. In fact, Jesus desires us to have good behavior. The Bible tells us that Jesus once said to His disciples, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." This proves that what the world can see is the good behavior of Christians. Jesus came to the world not to condemn sin; salvation does not change based on human behavior. However, true faith will inevitably produce good behavior, as behavior is the fruit of faith.
When you bear fruit, you are already blessed by God. Similarly, when you continue to sow seeds of faith for good behavior, you will continue to reap the fruits of blessings, and many fruits of good behavior will emerge. The nine fruits of the Spirit will surely be manifested in your actions.
God expects us to live out the likeness of Christ, which is good behavior. But this does not mean that if you do not have good behavior, God will not be pleased with you. Because of Jesus' work of salvation on the cross, we have been accepted by God. The Heavenly Father will always be pleased with you because of Jesus. The cross has two aspects: the first aspect is our relationship with God, which Jesus has completely restored. Therefore, God no longer remembers your transgressions today. Even if you do not have good behavior, God still loves you; there is no problem in this regard, and many people can understand this.
But the problem lies in our relationships with others. Many mistakenly believe that if there are issues with others, there is no need to confess to them or to have good behavior in front of them. In fact, if there are issues between people, the Bible tells us that we need to confess to one another. We need to have good behavior in front of others because people are different from God. God can accept all of us, but that does not mean people can accept all of us.
When the world sees you, it is like seeing Jesus. Because the world cannot see Jesus, what they see is you. When you have good behavior, you can manifest the glory of Christ! The world will then be willing to know Jesus. Conversely, if a believer's behavior is worse than that of the world, how can they show the beauty of Christ?
Starting from chapter 12, we will emphasize many times that believers should have good behavior because our Lord Jesus' behavior is good. He has given us His power, so we will surely bear the fruits of good behavior. So how should we conduct ourselves in life? The Bible provides a very detailed answer through Paul.
The first is to love one another.
From verses 9 to 13, it repeatedly mentions how we should interact with others in our lives and how to live out God's love. Before we can live out good behavior, we must first learn to receive His love from God. Without this strength, it is difficult for people to live it out. Behavior is the fruit of faith. How you believe determines how you live!
If a person has not received love from God, the love they give will be limited, conditional, and temporary. If they have not received the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, their forgiveness of others may only be temporary and may later bring up old grievances.
Colossians 3:13 states, "If one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
We must first receive from God, understanding how Christ loves us and forgives us, so that we can love and forgive others.
Verse 9 says, "Let love be genuine."
The New Testament tells us many times that Jesus said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." This refers to the relationship between people. It says here, "Let love be genuine." The meaning of genuine is not to be hypocritical or to pretend. Do not say, "Sister, I am so happy to see you!" while secretly wishing to pinch her a few times; that is pretending.
Once, a sister told me that she could not stand her current church because as soon as she arrived, the leaders would come over to hug her and say, "Sister, I really love you!" They hoped that every brother and sister would hug others like that. She felt it was too fake because she could not do it at all; it was impossible and unwilling for her to hug others. However, the church said she must do this because we need to love one another! She found that after doing it for a while, she began to loathe herself. She said, "I do not know this person at all, but I still have to pretend that I love him and hug him; I really cannot do it."
In fact, love is not something that can be faked; it is real love that you have received from the Lord that you can give out. If you have not received it, do not give it, because what you give out will be false and hypocritical, and God does not delight in such things.
The opposite of false is to genuinely and sincerely love others, to love them practically. When you have genuinely received God's love, recognized what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross, and experienced His love, then you can love others with that love of Christ.
The Bible also tells us in 2 Corinthians to have sincere love. This means love that is not false, not pretended, but comes from the heart as genuine love. So brothers and sisters, what we need is this kind of love. What if you do not have it now? First, receive from Christ, and understand how much Jesus Christ loves you.
Hate what is evil.
You must hate evil things; love and hate are opposites. You should know that the more you love a person, the more you hate the sin in that person.
For example, if you deeply love your wife, husband, or child, when the person you love is sick, the depth of your love for that person is proportional to the depth of your hatred for the sickness they have. Therefore, we must hate evil. God is love, and we will also hate these evil things because this comes from the "faith" in our hearts; God hates these evils. When we receive God's love, we will also hate these evil things. What kind of heart do believers have when they love others? It says here, "Hold fast to what is good."
The original meaning of "hold fast" refers to joining, clinging, and sticking. When you have God's love in your heart, you are willing to draw near to good things, to cling to them, and to unite with good things. When we believers have God's love, we hope that people in the world are good; it is impossible to say that you have God's love and still wish for another person to go to hell. Because you have love, you hope they live better and that they have God's blessings inside; this is the meaning of drawing near. Your heart is connected with goodness and love; this is the true state of our hearts as believers in Jesus.
You may not be able to do this today, but you should keep moving toward this goal, receiving His power and love from Jesus Christ every day. You will be willing to draw near to good, and the closer you get to Jesus Christ, the more willing you will be to do things that build others up. This is a strength that God gives you. You will increasingly hate those evil and filthy things.
The Bible tells us, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you." (Luke 6:27-28)
God even shows grace to the ungrateful. What is an ungrateful person? It is someone who has received God's grace and then turns around and forgets it, yet God still shows them grace.
And to those who do evil, God even shows them grace; isn't that a bit hard to understand? This is our God; He always shows His goodness to everyone; He always shows His love to everyone. But God hates sin; that is different. He loves people but hates the evil within them.
Verse 10, "Love one another with brotherly affection."
Believers should love their brothers in the Lord with kindness and warmth. The term "brotherly affection" refers to the love between family members, the love between brothers. Do you remember in John 21, when Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" In the last instance, Jesus used a different word, "Philos," which refers to the love between brothers and family. The word "affection" here is derived from "Philos." Brothers and sisters, do you understand? Love your brothers with brotherly affection; it does not mean you have to kiss each other. What does it mean? It means to love your brothers and sisters in the church as you love your family.
I would like to clarify this meaning in the original language so that everyone understands what is being expressed. The church is a big family; no matter which church it is, as long as it believes in Jesus Christ, it is one big family. Just like now, you may be far away, and I am here; although the distance is great, we are one family in the Lord, one big family in Christ. Therefore, we should love one another and not attack each other. We should love God's children warmly and kindly, as we are all children of God, all bought back at a great price by Jesus, all beloved by God.
The cross is interesting; the vertical aspect represents our individual relationship with God, which is independent. Your relationship with God cannot be replaced by anyone else; through Jesus Christ, you establish a beautiful relationship with God directly. The horizontal aspect of the cross represents what? It signifies that we are all the same. Do not look down on others, nor think too highly of yourself; all people should be seen as equal because in Christ Jesus, we are all one body.
John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Jesus also hopes that these disciples will love one another. This principle is very simple; if we genuinely express sincere, non-hypocritical love for one another in the world, people will be attracted to it. What attracts you to Jesus Christ is not anything else but the love of Jesus Christ, His grace that draws you to Him, not the fear of God that makes you believe in Him.
Similarly, if we love one another, others will be drawn to us. Today, the world lacks love; people's hearts have grown cold. The Bible clearly tells us that in the last days, because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. Now, people do not dare to treat each other sincerely because they fear being deceived, fearing it is fake. But in the church, in God's family, do not think of your brothers and sisters like that; truly love them as you would your own family. Thank the Lord.
Another point, "Outdo one another in showing honor." What does it mean to show honor? I do not know why the Chinese translation uses the term "show honor." Showing honor seems to imply flattering someone based on their status, identity, or wealth... In the original language, it does not mean this. In the original language, showing honor means to respect one another and to yield to one another. It refers to respect, valuing, and honoring.
Therefore, we brothers and sisters should respect others, value others, and accept others from the heart. Because each of us is a treasure in the eyes of the Father, each of us has been bought back at a great price by Jesus Christ, and each person is unique in God's eyes.
In the 1990s, the church experienced a great revival in the country. Later, after reaching a certain number, it split into many different factions because they could no longer accept one another. Even now, many people ask, "Are you from the Charismatic movement? Are you from the Evangelical movement?" I say I do not know what faction it is! Some always want to label you into a certain faction. Brothers and sisters, we should not participate in labeling others.
Such things had already happened before in Corinth; some said, "I follow Paul," others said, "I follow Cephas," and others said, "I follow Apollos," and others said, "I follow Christ." Paul specifically corrected them with the truth regarding this matter. Why did Paul tell them this? To inform them not to divide into factions because this would lead to a lack of respect and honor for one another, ultimately resulting in attacks against each other. Brothers and sisters, this is the reason why there is no harmony among brothers and sisters, and they cannot accept differing opinions, leading to mutual attacks. And when believers are in such disputes, who is the happiest? The devil.
God hopes that we love one another, while the devil hopes that we attack one another. When coals are separated, they lose the power of the flame. But when everyone gathers together, encouraging and respecting one another, they can produce a blazing fire that lights up the world.
So do not look at the speck in your brother's eye; know that you are also imperfect. Everyone has their strengths; if we only look at strengths, we can respect one another and be united.
Last time we also mentioned that you should see his strengths because he is serving God with his strengths, while your strengths may be his weaknesses. Do not use your strengths to attack his weaknesses; instead, respect one another and honor one another. It says here, "Outdo one another in showing honor." Brothers and sisters, do not think too highly of yourself; rather, according to the measure of faith that God has assigned to each, think with sober judgment. Thank the Lord.
God allows us to complement one another in the world to build the body of Jesus Christ, so that we can value one another. Just as you value your husband or wife, you are actually valuing yourself. If you insult your wife on the street, you are actually devaluing yourself.
In the church, if you ridicule your brother as worthless, in the eyes of the world, you are all the same. But conversely, if we love one another, others will say, "Wow! This group of people is really different," and they will be drawn to us. If someone just enters the church and sees brothers and sisters in discord, starting to curse over trivial matters, they might say, "I thought believing in the Lord was so good; I did not expect such low quality! Forget it, I won't believe anymore!"
Because the words and actions of believers represent Jesus Christ, others will think that Christ is like this too. Therefore, Paul tells us to show honor to one another, to yield to one another, to respect your brothers, and to value your brothers. Do not look down on him. He may not have a high status or earn much, but do not look down on him because God values him greatly. God gives each of us different gifts; you just have not discovered his gift yet. There is no part of the body of Christ that is unimportant.
Verse 11, "Do not be slothful in zeal."
Many believers have mistakenly thought that it is great under the New Covenant because the Bible says that as long as you pray, God will provide everything; just pray, and that is enough. Jesus accomplished everything on the cross. We do not need to do anything; we can just rest. Some people pray and pray at home, doing nothing... and end up poorer and in worse situations.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, "He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap."
The wind and clouds are unpredictable and cannot be estimated; fearing the wind, one does not sow, and seeing no clouds, one does not reap. In fact, this is just an excuse for laziness and unwillingness to work. Do not become a lazy person; look at the ant. The ant has no leader, yet in summer, it begins to store food.
The Bible never tells us to do nothing, just pray at home, and God will give you everything you need. God has never promised us such a thing. If that were the case, all Christians would become lazy people who do nothing! Instead, the Bible tells us to be diligent in our work and not be lazy.
Brothers and sisters, in your work, in your household chores... do not make excuses, saying, "I cannot clean the house because I have to go to church"; "I cannot take care of the children because I have to go to church"; "I cannot... because I have to go to church." These are all excuses. The important thing is to diligently do these things; there will always be a way.
In Genesis, there was a man named Enoch. We do not know what that generation was like, but it should not be much different from ours because they also needed to have children. The Bible describes Enoch as one who walked with God for three hundred years and had sons and daughters.
Then he was taken by God. In the same situation, he did not make excuses, saying, "Because I want to walk with God, I cannot raise children"; "Because I want to walk with God, I cannot take care of my family." It is not like that. "Do not be slothful in zeal" means you should do your part in these matters, and you will surely see God's abundant blessings in what you do.
If there are problems financially, you need a proper job, not just praying at home, asking God to drop manna from heaven or send quail. You will truly end up with nothing. Be diligent in your work, and God will bless you in what you do, making you see thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or even a hundredfold blessings.
"Be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."
A person who is fervent in spirit will not just sit there doing nothing; a fervent person will surely express it in their actions. At this time, serving the Lord is very appropriate. Others will see their enthusiasm and love. Moreover, this enthusiasm is genuine. How do you ignite your enthusiasm? By knowing the love of Jesus Christ, recognizing the supply Jesus has for you, and realizing how much grace God has for you, you will naturally be willing to give out the love of Christ.
What does it mean to serve the Lord? It means to do things centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Although you are serving people, you are actually serving God. When you work in a company, although you are serving your boss, you are actually serving God. Even when you are raising children, you are actually serving God because they are a heritage given to you by God. When you receive love from God every day, you will naturally have enthusiasm. Others will also feel the warmth and love in you.
There is too much death in this world; turn on the TV or your phone, and there are many strange things, mostly disheartening, conveying confusing messages. But when you receive the life of Christ, you give out messages of life. The more you receive, the more you give; the more you give, the more you will find that you receive more and more. The process of serving is also our process of experiencing God.
Colossians 3:23-24,
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
This is very clear; whatever you do, you should do it from the heart, not out of pressure from others or out of necessity. When you do things from the heart, you will find joy. When people willingly serve, they will also receive an inheritance from God as a reward.
When you do your best at work, knowing you are serving the Lord, even if colleagues or your boss misunderstand you, God remembers your efforts. If you do everything for the glory of Christ, our Lord will keep a permanent reward for you in heaven; this is your inheritance, which no one can take away.
The various problems we encounter in life have answers in the Bible; the gospel is not separate from life. God is more willing for us to experience His faithfulness in life, taking Jesus Christ as our benchmark and example. Just as Jesus served people, we too should serve people. We are learning the way Jesus Christ conducted Himself in the world, and we will surely experience the victory of Jesus.
Verse 12, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation; be constant in prayer."
The original meaning of hope is expectation. When you have hope, you should rejoice in that hope. What does this mean? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. When you have not yet seen the result of something, you first hope that it has already been accomplished. This is your hope; every time you think of this matter, your heart will be joyful. Therefore, you should live each day in such joy and rejoice in hope. This hope can help us overcome the tribulations and problems we encounter.
In terms of healing, many people pray to God, but after praying, they still doubt and worry. How can one have hope at this time? By believing in the salvation accomplished by Jesus on the cross, that by His stripes, I have been healed. This matter has already been accomplished; at this time, I receive my healing by faith. You should face life with a heart that is already healthy.
If you know you have been healed, live like a healed person; do not moan and say, "Lord, have you healed me or not?" That is neither joy nor hope. Hope is to tightly grasp the result you declare as your joy, speaking and acting like a healthy person.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation."
Why could the prophet Habakkuk have such hope? The current environment was indeed terrible, but he was not looking at the present; he was looking at his God. He believed that his God would supply all his needs. Therefore, he rejoiced. Even if he had nothing at the moment, he still had his God; what should he fear? Because with God, everything will return; this is the joy we need. Anyone can rejoice when they see good things; to have hope and joy in tribulation and problems is a joy that comes from God!
The hope of believers comes from God, not from how much material wealth or how good the environment is. The focus must be on Jesus Christ, knowing that the Lord Jesus is with you, that He cares for you and is willing to look after you. It does not mean that when you pray, He will immediately remove your troubles; otherwise, you will never grow. He wants to give you strength to overcome tribulations. Amen! The next time this problem arises, you will no longer be afraid; this is the patience God wants to give us, "Be patient in tribulation."
In the Old Testament, many people experienced God's grace, and their faith grew stronger. Because in this matter, God gave them strength to overcome, when they encountered even greater problems, God still gave them greater strength. Thus, we will no longer fear problems and difficulties, believing that the Lord has overcome all and can also comfort others.
Jesus is the beginning and the end. So do not despair, because the current problem is not the final outcome. This matter may seem to have failed, but it is not necessarily a failure because our Jesus Christ is the final outcome. If Jesus says that this person is not dead but only sleeping, we should believe the same! Amen! When you realize that our Lord Jesus is the resurrected Lord and lives forever, you will never lose hope and never be discouraged. Even in tribulation, you should pray to the Lord, patiently wait for God's blessings to come.
How do we endure in tribulation?
Through prayer. When you feel very distressed inside, you should pray; this means to be constant in prayer. Constant means to pay attention for a long time. Pay attention to what? Pay attention to the development of the people and things around you because during your prayer, God has already begun to work. Look for changes in your surroundings, and then seize the opportunity to experience the Lord's power. Thank the Lord!
So set your eyes on our Lord Jesus Christ, and through constant prayer, do not give up. Believe that God will surely accomplish this matter for you, regardless of how bad the current environment is. The important thing is that God will lift you up; God will help you overcome this environment. Do not complain when you encounter difficulties; complaining will not help you overcome tribulations; it is prayer.
Let us look at the last verse, "Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality."
This mentions the matter of giving. God blesses us and also hopes that we become a blessing to others.
There are two aspects here. First, when a saint is in need, what should you do? Help them. It is not enough to say, "May God bless you; God will supply all your needs; go in peace." (James 2:16) If their home has no rice, and they just borrow five measures of rice to feed their guests, and you say, "I have none; go home; God will bless you!"
You should know that our actions must match our words. When you truly lend them rice, God will give you more. This is our action, sowing seeds before God. So when you see brothers and sisters, when you see people around you in need, you must help them. How to help? Not with false help, but with help that expects no return. When you lend to them, you are actually lending to God! Lending to others without expecting repayment, the Lord will repay. Amen!
- "Contribute to the needs of the saints."
This point is very important. Many people always say we are descendants of Abraham, and we should receive blessings like Abraham, who had much gold, silver, cattle, and servants! We say, "Lord, when will You give us blessings like Abraham?" But many people want to have blessings like Abraham without being willing to learn to believe in God like Abraham and live a blessed life.
What we are talking about here is conduct, not about redemption or salvation. We have been discussing relationships with others. How did Abraham relate to others? His nephew Lot received Abraham's kindness once or twice but still abandoned him. How did Abraham treat such an ungrateful person? He saved him time and again, helping him repeatedly. We should treat our brothers and sisters in the same way.
"Seek to show hospitality."
What is another characteristic of Abraham? He often showed hospitality to strangers passing by his door! How do we know that Abraham often did this? Because the Bible specifically tells us that Abraham welcomed strangers and unknowingly welcomed angels.
You will find that when those three angels went to destroy Sodom, they happened to pass by his door. Look at Abraham's reaction at that time. Abraham said, "My Lord, please come to my house and eat something before you go!" The three angels said, "We will not eat; we have important matters to attend to." "Please, my servant, sit down and eat a little; I will prepare something for you." After repeated requests, the three said, "Alright."
Brothers and sisters, do you see? This is the Abraham we admire; this is how he treated others. He showed hospitality to guests from afar with a sincere heart, providing them with the best food, and after they ate, he let them go. Abraham did not do this for any other reason; he willingly supplied others because God had given him so much.
Let us not become the stingy rich man, who has much and only eats, eats, eats, and does not even give Lazarus a crumb. We should learn from Abraham, who warmly welcomed guests from afar. Brothers and sisters, you will find that Abraham had such a heart to supply others, and God continuously gave him more and more...
Today, I share with brothers and sisters for this reason: when you sow such seeds before God, you will reap more. If you truly have a willing heart to give, God will first give to you. The more you give, the more God will give you seeds to sow! So I hope that after you finish listening to this message, you will understand how Christians should conduct themselves. Do not imitate the Gentiles, because when Gentiles do good deeds, they think about whether they will profit, whether they will gain, or whether the person is worth their effort.
But Christians are not like this. Christians only do their best to help others, willingly serving the Lord. Brothers and sisters, if you do this, God will not let you down. Anyone who does this will increasingly experience God's abundance.
I have been to many hospitable families, and they do really well in this regard. Many families know one thing: when brothers and sisters come, they treat them as the Lord, providing them with the best to serve them. I have visited very hospitable families and found that they have many testimonies! Especially testimonies regarding wealth and material blessings. God blesses those who are willing to serve, allowing them to do more and serve more people, making us love one another so that the world can see that we are a different group of people, a group that loves one another.
So brothers and sisters, if every church is like this, no matter where you go, that church will be your home, and you will be so grateful. No matter what city you are in, as long as you find a church, you have found a home; this is such a beautiful testimony.
Lot learned nothing else from Abraham but this: to be willing to welcome strangers. This indeed brought him much wealth. So when those two angels later came to Sodom, Lot earnestly invited them to stay at his home. In this regard, he was just as enthusiastic as Abraham.
Brothers and sisters, today when you are truly willing to serve God with such a heart, perhaps you have great problems ahead, but He will give you strength and open the way before you, not letting us remain in difficulties. We must believe in our Lord, just as David said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me!" Dear family, may we continually receive strength and love from the Lord every day, diligently do our work, serve the Lord with love, and be thankful in all things!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, You desire us to live out Your glory in this world, to live out Your victory. Because You have already overcome the world. You want every brother and sister to have good behavior, to live before others, becoming examples to the world.
We are disciples of Christ; our words and actions represent our Lord Jesus Christ. You also want us to be a group of people who love one another. We are willing to receive Your grace, Your forgiveness, Your mercy, and Your love, using this love to love my brothers and sisters and those around me. Please grant us strength and hope to rely on You in all things and to live out good behavior to testify to Your name. We are willing to be vessels of blessing, giving out the love of Christ, thereby glorifying Your name. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!