One Anothers Part VII: The Exhortation

Romans 12:9 reads,

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

This is an exhortation to be genuine. One of the top reasons that people reject going to church is that they see a lack of genuineness. As Christians, we may be loving people, but it has become difficult for others to see it. Sadly, we have allowed our personal preferences, politics, and dogmatism to overshadow our love.  It behooves us to come to the realization that genuine One Anothers place love for Christ and for others above personal biases.

Romans 12:9 is an exhortation concerning pursuits. It encourages us to pursue being genuine, because phonies are a detestable thing. People are put off when they discover that someone they believed in is a phony. Be careful about pursuing being at the front of the line, at the top of the heap, in first place, and on the top rung. Instead, pursue humility. Be careful about seeking to be put up on a pedestal. You can only go so high. After you reach a certain height, there's only one way to go. Down.

Romans 12:9 is an exhortation to pursue 3 imperatives:

First, seek to avoid what is evil: Unfortunately, there are some who intentionally seek evil. They find it exhilarating to pursue extremism, pleasure, power, and self-indulgence. These pursuits are absent of Christ and, thus, are evil. 

Secondly, seek to hold tightly to what is good: There are critters who can work undetected in your house. Termites come to mind. It is not until the structure begins to collapse that you realize that something has been going terribly wrong, even though it had been happening for quite some time. The difficulty of our times is that critters have been eating away at the moral fabric established by biblical mandate. They have been chewing on our integrity and our ethics. They have been devouring our mores: the essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a believing community.  What was once considered to be evil and unacceptable is now considered to be good. As a result, being insulting, unkind, and insolent is given a pass. The problem is that it contradicts the way our Bible commands us to behave. The solution is: Stop defining “good” by filtering it through your personal bias. Instead, define it by filtering it through the Word of God.

Third and finally, seek constancy: It means to do something faithfully and continuously.  Such as, “Love one another (be kindly affectionate) with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10). Wouldn’t it be cool if we all became competitive? That is, competing with one another to outdo one another in showing godliness, kindness, and love.

The exhortation of Romans 12:9 is extremely relevant to those called to be One Anothers.

The call is clear. But are you actually showing up — with your gifts, your effort, and your whole self?

→ Read Part 8: Use What You've Got

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Phonies are easy to spot — and people are watching. Dr. Victor Stanley helps pastors and ministry leaders cultivate the kind of genuine, consistent love that makes the gospel credible.

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