Love Tested By Life

About this sermon

Introduction: The closing section of Romans 12 is marvelous. It is enormously practical. It is a great test of whether we really love. It is a great way to test if we are really walking with God, if we are really receiving the word of God, of whether we are truly disciplining ourselves for godliness. These are commitments that we strive for. This is the goal of our preaching, of our teaching, of our shepherding. This is also the goal that we embrace individually as each of us strives to live out the Christian life. We have seen these commitments as personal commitments (v.9). We have seen these commitments as family commitments (the Christian family) (v.10-13). And now the Holy Spirit, through Paul, expands the focus. Now we examine love in a 3rd sphere. This 3rd sphere still includes our relationships in the church, but now it is slightly broadened out. Our love is tested, not only by what happens in the church, but by what happens outside the church. It includes the church, but it is more than the church. THE GOAL OF OUR MINISTRY IS NOT JUST TO SEE A PEOPLE WHO LIVE A CERTAIN WAY WHEN WE MEET TOGETHER AND ENCOUNTER EACH OTHER AS FELLOW BELIEVERS. THE GOAL OF OUR MINISTRY IS TO SEE A PEOPLE LIVE IN A WAY THAT HONORS GOD IN ALL OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE. In other words, we do not live in a monastery. We do not get to live at youth camp. We cannot permanently stay on the special mission trip to Guatemala or some other place in the world. We cannot live at men’s retreat or the women’s bible study. We cannot even stay at home all the time. The Christian life is tested in a real world, in the face of real challenges, meeting with real obstacles, and with all kinds of real opportunities to reflect the love of Jesus Christ. This is where love really gets tested. We can talk about love, we can learn about love, we can make commitments in our hearts wherein we tell God that we are ready to love, but it all gets put to the test as we encounter PEOPLE. Love gets tested on people. Love gets tested by life. IN FACT, I CAN STATE IT THIS WAY. EACH OF THESE THINGS WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT REPRESENTS THE DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE CHRISTIAN. All people encounter life. All people encounter other people. What makes the Christian unique and distinct is that we prepare ourselves to meet with life and to meet with people in a way that obeys Jesus Christ. And then we commit ourselves to that way. And the way that obeys Jesus Christ is not the natural way; it is not the way of unredeemed men. So that our responses to life and to people demonstrate that we are followers of Jesus. AND THAT IS WHERE OUR LOVE IS REALLY PUT TO THE TEST. And as Paul expands the sphere of examination and application, he gives us three specific things to think about. He gives us three ways that love is tested by and demonstrated through everyday life. (1) Love absorbs wrong (2) Love identifies with others (3) Love is humble. I. LOVE ABSORBS WRONG (v.14) The things described here are not hard to understand. But the things described here are revolutionary to live out. What is envisioned here? The word for persecute is the participial form διώκω. You may remember that word from verse 13. It was translated “seek to show” in the ESV, and “practicing” in the NASB. In this word is the idea of pursuit, to chase after. In verse 13 it is the believer SEEKING to show hospitality, but in verse 14 it is the believer being SOUGHT AFTER for the purpose of harm. The idea is that someone is TRYING to hurt you. Someone is TRYING to do you harm. They are not just hurting you, they are doing it intentionally. So what is envisioned is that you are mistreated. Wrong is directed at you and it is directed toward you in a way that seeks you out. With that in view, God gives us three imperatives in this verse.

Topics

• Love & Compassion
• Suffering & Trials