Finally, the believers live in the Body of Christ by living a life of the highest virtues of the divine life and love (Rom. 12:9-10, 12-21). In the Body life we first should have love toward others. In verse 9 Paul says, “Let love be without hypocrisy,” and in verse 10 he continues, “Love one another warmly in brotherly love.” We need the Holy Spirit to work in us and to give us an amount of transformation in love that we may practice love toward others. Love is not merely an outward behavior; love is the expression of life. Trying to love without the supply of life does not work. In order to love others, we need the life supply and the transformation in life. Our natural life is not a life of God’s love. We need to be transformed in life that we may have God’s nature of love to love others.
In verse 10 Paul speaks of “vying with one another in showing honor,” and in verse 13, of “communicating to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.” In the matter of showing honor we must move quickly and be the first to show honor to others. Furthermore, we need to communicate to the needs of the saints and to pursue hospitality.
In verse 15 Paul says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” In order to rejoice and weep with others, we need to be transformed. This indicates that in the Body life we need to be emotional in a proper way, able both to rejoice and to weep with others.
In verse 16 Paul admonishes us saying, “Be of the same mind toward one another, not minding high things, but being led away to the lowly. Do not be wise in yourselves.” We should not be so high but be led away to lowly things. We should seek to be led away to whatever is lowly.
In addition to the virtues that we need to have toward others, Paul also mentions virtues that we should have toward ourselves. Verse 12 says, “Rejoicing in hope, enduring in tribulation, persevering in prayer.” As believers, we should be a rejoicing people because we have the enjoyment of the Lord. If we enjoy the Lord in His riches, we shall not only be joyful inwardly, but we shall be rejoicing outwardly. Even in times of trouble we shall be able to rejoice in hope. We should also be able to endure tribulation. By rejoicing in hope we are able to endure tribulation. However, in order to endure tribulation, we also need to be persevering in prayer. Praying persistently will enable us not only to endure tribulation but also to remain in the enjoyment of the Lord, in His presence and in His will.
In addition, as God’s holy people we need to “abhor what is evil” (v. 9), “conquer the evil with the good” (v. 21), and “cleave to what is good” (v. 9). We Christians, who are separated unto God, must maintain the highest standard of behavior, a standard above that of moral and ethical people.
Paul also indicates that we need to live a life of the highest virtues of the divine life and love even in relation to our persecutors and enemies. He says, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (v. 14). No matter how others may treat us, our mouths should express only blessing, not cursing. How the Lord blessed us when we were His enemies! Now we should bless our enemies and persecutors in the same way.
In verse 17a Paul says, “Repaying no one evil for evil.” Under the law it was eye for eye and tooth for tooth. Today we are not under law but under grace. Therefore, instead of paying evil for evil, we should repay good for evil, as the Lord has done to us.
In verse 19 Paul goes on to say, “Not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” As we are practicing the Body life, living a life of the highest virtues of the divine life in love, we should not avenge ourselves in any way. Instead, we should be willing to suffer people’s wrongdoing and the loss of everything. We should leave the entire situation in the sovereign hand of the Lord and give Him the place to do whatever He likes according to His sovereignty.
In verse 20 Paul continues by saying, “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty give him a drink; for in doing this you will heap coals of fire upon his head.” This is actually loving our enemies. Our love to them will be coals of fire heaped upon their heads to turn them to the Lord.
Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, as far as it depends on you, living in peace with all men.” We need to live in peace with others, as far as it depends on us to do so. Sometimes it is not possible to live in peace with all men because the other parties are not willing to have a life of peace. In such a situation there is nothing we can do. Therefore, Paul says that we should live in peace with all men “if possible.”
In 12:17b Paul gives us a general word: “Taking forethought for things honorable in the sight of all men.” We should be very thoughtful before all men about honorable things, and we should be thoughtful beforehand. In order to keep from offending others we should not oppose anything that is honorable. Because we are living not only before God but also before men, we need to take forethought for things honorable in the sight of men.
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