Rom.12; 9-21 – Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Our Christianity can only be authentic if it somehow ends up being seen in the way we live and treat others. Paul gives us practical examples:
Bless your enemies
Rejoice with those who are rejoicing
Cry with those who are hurting
Associate with the lowly, not just the rich
Don’t retaliate against those who hurt you
Minister, bless, and serve your enemies, in other words act like Christ
Overcome evil with good-
Again, this teaching is given by Paul after his great theological discourse. He says the Lord has given all of us a measure of faith along with giftings of the Spirit. These gifts are to be employed in humility for the advancement of God’s kingdom by ministering to hurting people. This is Paul’s version of true Christianity which is another way to say this is the life of Jesus being lived in this broken world. The Lord has justified you, He is sanctifying you as you draw near to Him, He is equipping you with diverse gifts, He is planting you in a strategic place of ministry, then He uses these gifts as you step out in faith to advance the kingdom and glorify His Name. This looks like a win win proposition to me.
