“Let love be unfeigned! Be those who abhor evil and cling to good! In brotherly friendship be warmly affectionate to one another, in reverence esteeming one another more highly, in diligence not faltering, in spirit fervent, serving the Lord as slaves, in expectation joyful, in tribulation enduring, in prayer persevering, taxing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality!”
Rom 12:9-132

Lifestyle

As Paul addresses the believers’ lifestyle in Romans 12, he was concerned first with the individual (Rom 12:1-2), then with the fellowship of one another (Rom 12:3-8). But how should this work and how should it be implemented? This is what Paul is coming to now:

“Let love be unfeigned!”
Rom 12:9

The best way to read this statement is as a heading over the current section. Paul starts right away with the most important thing. The community should first be sustained by an unfeigned love. Elsewhere Paul writes that faith is made effective through love (Gal 5:6). Here in Romans, Paul is also concerned with effectiveness. Through love, what has meaning is to become concrete. Love is an essential characteristic of living faith. Love is the implementation of the gospel. It should be real and tangible.

Unhypocritical

Love should be unfeigned. Hypocrisy(Gr. hypokrisis) in religious circles is not an exception. Jesus already pointed this out when he saw grievances among the religious groups of his time:

“But I say to you … Consequently, when you give alms, do not sound the trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be glorified by men.”
Mt 6:2. See also Mt 6:5 and Mt 6:16.

The hypocrites do something, but not with right intention. They do it so that they themselves may be glorified. The focus is not on the person in need, but on themselves. This is called hypocrisy. Characteristics: seeks honor from other people, hides from the real encounter in the last consequence, puts the viewers on a false trail. There is a contradiction between the inner attitude and the outer way of life. Jesus also addresses the hypocrites directly:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You resemble whitewashed tombs, which appear beautifully decorated on the outside, but inside they are filled with dead men’s bones and all impurity. So you also appear righteous to men on the outside, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Mt 23,27-28

Hypocrisy is part of the human condition. Paul writes to Timothy about the times to come:

“But the Spirit expressly says that in the times to come some will fall away from the faith because they pay attention to misleading spirits and teachings of demons. Such have by hypocrisy in lying words scorched their own conscience as with a branding iron; they forbid to marry and command to renounce foods that God created to be taken with thanksgiving by the faithful…”
1Tim 4:1-3

He who is hypocritical commits mischief with his own conscience. They would “scour their own conscience as with a branding iron,” the apostle writes. Hypocrisy makes you insensitive. Or in other words, compassion and empathy suffer. That is why the first thing in our passage today is “Let love be unfeigned!”. Only in this way do we remain fully human. Only in this way do we not prevent our faith from becoming active and effective.

Effectiveness

Love becomes effective through clear actions:

  • “Be those who abhor evil and
  • stick to the good!
  • In brotherly friendship be warmly attached to one another
  • Respecting each other more highly in reverence
  • unhesitant in diligence
  • fervently serving the Lord in spirit as a slave
  • in anticipation joyful
  • persevering in tribulation
  • persisting in prayer
  • Contributing to the needs of the saints
  • Chasing Hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13

All these things can only be implemented through daily decisions. Grace does not want to resemble a stagnant water, but a flowing water. Living faith is not turned inward, but outward. He who is made free, who feels loved and carried, can become effective.

Deepening

  • What practical steps can be taken from the list?
  • What words are used to outline a lifestyle?
  • Discuss each sentence and find practical implementations
  • What do you want to do next?
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