This morning, as you can see,
the title of the message is True Godly Love, taken from Romans
12, beginning at verse 9, if you want to go ahead and turn
there this morning. This subject that we will be
dealing with this morning is a subject that, as I begin this
study, speaking of true godly love, is a subject that Paul
is dealing with, with these believers there at the church at Rome.
He has completed all the doctrinal sections of scripture up to chapter
9 here. The doctrines that spell out
clear how God justifies a sinner. not based on the sinner's works,
the sinner's deeds of law, but he justifies it based on Christ's
righteousness alone. Nothing added, nothing taken
away from that. This is how God justifies. And
he completes that, and then he writes to the church here, beginning
at verse 12, as he talks to them about the
different different issues within the church
with believers as far as how believers deal with each other. And as we'll see this morning,
he talks about this love, love for the brethren, love for God,
love for the brethren. And this love here that we're
going to be speaking of this morning is a divine love. It's what scripture calls agape
love. This kind of love that we're
going to be talking about, none of us have naturally. As we're
born into this world, we don't have this true godly love. It is divine love and it's founded
upon and motivated and aimed to the glory of God. His glory,
His truth, as it is revealed and experienced by believers
through the Lord Jesus Christ. And that according to 1 John
4, 8-10. Now, we do have certain kinds
of love by nature. We know that. But they all stem
from self-love in some form or another. I desire to love each one of
you like I love myself. I desire to love your children
like I love my children, and your grandchildren like I love
my children. I have a desire to do that, but because of that
remaining sin in each one of us, We can't do that. Self always comes into play in
that either self or the extension of self, which would be our families
and so forth. I don't have time to go to all
of the scriptural references pertaining to these types of
natural love that we all have by nature. that we're all born
with as we're sinners born into this earth, but they are in these following categories.
These are the love that we have by nature. There's a love called
an Eros love, which is a physical, sensual love of passion. And
there's a Phileo love, which is a brotherly love and includes
love for your family, your friends, and even love for country. And
there is a storge love, and that love refers to that natural affection
that we have. Now, this godly love, or this
divine agape love that we're talking about here, love for
the brethren, love for God, love for the brethren, It seeks to
glorify God in Christ and to honor his truth, his gospel above
all else. It also accepts and receives
all who truly who are truly brethren in Christ and will not accept
and receive unbelievers. As far as being a part of the
church of Christ, it seeks the best for all people in promoting
brethren in the faith. and in not promoting unbelievers
in their deception, in their deception, but it seeks their
salvation by telling them the truth, even when it offends them. It remains loyal, this godly
love. It remains loyal to Christ and
his people by taking sides with Christ and his church against
the world. When it comes to this gospel,
whether we're talking to our family members or our friends
or whomever, we side with other brethren when
it comes to this gospel that we believe. Because by siding
with our brethren, we're glorifying God and who he is and how he
saved the sinner. Now, it also inspires us to fight
our own selfishness in order to help our brethren especially,
and all who are truly in need. As I've already stated, we do
have certain kinds of love that all men have by nature, but they
all stem from self-love in some form or another. But this godly
love that we're speaking of, this is a godly love and it is
of a spiritual sense. This love is for those who are
born of God and they are of his household and belong to his family
and who are brethren in Christ and brethren one to another.
These are among the members of the body of Christ that we spoke
of in our last message that we had here in the book of Romans. These are either members of the
same church, these brethren, which is included together in
the same church state, they are the members of Christ and of
the church universal. Now, love to these should be
kind, should be tender and affectionate, and equal and mutual. This love
ought to be universal towards and reach to all the saints,
no matter how different their gifts might be. Those gifts that
God gives each one of his children. No matter how much knowledge,
how much experience they might have, or whether they be rich
or whether they be poor. This love should show itself
by bearing one another's burdens, bearing with and forbearing each
other, forbearing one another and bietifying one another in
our most holy faith in the gospel and praying with each other and
for each other. The apostle, having given advice
and encouragement to the ministers and deacons of the church here
at Rome, He proceeds here in the following verses to stir
up the exercise of grace among the members of this church, not
only the church there at Rome, but as our church and all the
church universal. He begins with love here, which
is the godly love, the bond that holds all the saints together.
Without this love, no matter how many gifts, men might have,
or the profession that they might make, or the works that they
may do, all are of no avail if they do not have this love, love
to God and love to the brethren. This is that love that respects
God's glory and the salvation of his elect based on Christ's
righteousness alone. There's a lot of individuals
out there that would say, well, I agree with your doctrine. I
agree with it 100%. But yet and still, they'll compromise
the gospel at the drop of a hat. They'll speak peace to unbelievers,
individuals that don't believe, in fact, fight against this gospel
of how God saved a sinner based on his dear son. Now, our first
verse that we're going to look at this morning, in verse 9,
Paul says, let love be without dissimilation, and abhor that
which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Salvation by God's
grace in and by Christ alone, in and by Christ alone, includes
more than just a profession of faith or right doctrine. It also
includes that powerful principle of life within the believer,
that principle of life that the Holy Spirit imparts to each one
of God's sheep. And it energizes us for obedience
as loving and willing bond slaves, willing bond slaves of Christ.
Now, we are to serve Christ and one another. Not to earn salvation,
we've already spoke of that. Our salvation's already accomplished
by Christ and him alone. Salvation's not based on what
we do or what we're unable to do. It's based on Christ and
him alone. Now, but because God has freely
forgiven us of all our sins by Christ's precious blood, which
justifies us fully before God. Our seeing how God loved us and
sending his only begotten son to stand in our place and do
for us what we couldn't do for ourselves, by saving us by his
grace, seeing this draws out our love and affection to God
and toward fellow brethren who believe the same thing. This
godly love given us by God, the Holy Spirit, it establishes and
it motivates us to Christian obedience. As stated in Romans
12 verse 1, where Paul says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Now, our hearts must be established in and with the
love of grace, love of Christ, and it's by the grace of God.
Now, the first part of this verse, Romans 12, 9, says, let love
be without dissimulation. The godly love that the Holy
Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts in the new birth is to be sincere,
is to be genuine and without hypocrisy. This is the meaning
of when he talks about let love be without dissimulation. These
next verses speak of this love that has been shed abroad in
the hearts of those for whom God loved from eternity, those
for whom Christ came in time and went to the cross and did
all those things on their behalf, as He justified them before the
Father by His blood. We love God because we see that
He first loved us, and that's according to 1 John 4, 19. We
love Him because He first loved us. This love is genuine love. Now, we see how he first loved
us by seeing what's spelled out in the gospel of how he saved
a sinner, how he sent his only begotten son to this world to
live and die in our place. This is God's love. This is God's
mercy. This is God's grace toward his
elect. As John wrote in 1 John 3.18,
says, My little children, let us not love in word, neither
in tongue, but in deed and in truth. This love is established
within our hearts when the Spirit shows us our depravity, as the
brave sinners, and our sinfulness, and the impossibility of our
being saved by our deeds of law. But he doesn't leave us there.
He also shows us the glory of Christ in a full salvation based
entirely on Christ's obedience to the law and to the justice
of God. Look at 1 John 4.10. It says,
Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and
sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. No sinner has this
love by nature, as I said earlier. No sinner is born having this
love that we're speaking of here. It is a gift of God, and it's
by the Holy Spirit through the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's given
in time as God regenerates and converts His elect. God causes
each one to see and understand how He, from the beginning, chosen
them, chosen us into salvation, and sent His beloved Son to live
and die in our place. This love is not based on feeling.
It's not based on outward appearance. It is love by choice. God chose
to love his elect in Christ. Christ as the elect substitute
and representative and surety has proved his love toward us.
And he did it by dying for our sins and by his perfect obedience
to law and justice on our behalf. He has justified us before God
the Father. We are to strive We are to strive
and imitate this unconditional love, this love that does not
consider the worthiness or the deserveness of its object. Our
love for God and for the brethren is certainly not what it should
be. And in this life, it never will. It never will be perfect love.
But because we have been convinced of Christ, Christ's love for
us, how he suffered in our place, that we might live, and because
that love that God has for us has been shed abroad in the hearts
of each one of God's elect by the Holy Spirit, we do love him,
and we do love the brethren. The last part of verse 9 here
said, also, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which
is good. This abhor means to detest, to
hate, and to despise. Although we who are born again
by the Holy Spirit still have within us that remaining power
and influence of sin, and although there still remains within us
a big part of ourselves that still loves evil, God has graciously
given us the Holy Spirit within. He has given us spiritual life,
spiritual knowledge, and spiritual desires, and by the grace of
God, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to
have that desire to be like Christ and to follow Him. Because we
do still have within us that depraved sin nature, and we will
have it until we shed this fleshly body at death, we must fight
that warfare of the flesh and of the spirit, according to Galatians
5, beginning at verse 16, where Paul says, this I say then, walk
in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh,
for the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against
the flesh, and these are contrary one to another, so that you cannot
do the things that you would. As we walk in the spirit, we
are enabled by God, the spirit to cultivate within ourselves
a hatred of all that is evil and to cling to all that is good.
The good being all things that glorifies God, exalts Christ,
and it edifies the brethren, and it promotes salvation. to
sinners by the grace of God. Most of the time when we speak
of this word evil here, that Paul has mentioned here, which
it says, abhor that which is evil. We think of lying, cheating,
stealing, murders, and so forth. And all of these things are evil.
They are all evil. And they should be avoided at
all costs. But the most evil thing that
a person can do is to cast shame and reproach on the true God
of scripture, and on the church of God, and by doing it, by fellowshipping
with unbelievers, and by participating in worship with a false religionist.
Speaking peace to individuals that hate the gospel of God,
God's grace is evil. and believers should avoid this
kind of conduct. I thought I'd mention this last
point as it relates to abhorrent evil. When we think about this
evil, we must take God's view of evil, which is not only involves
the things that we all know by nature is evil, like murders
and stealing and lying. We know all that's evil, but
it also involves things that we by nature don't know is evil. such as things having to do with
religious worship. Now, I can remember that early
on in my being a believer, when I began hearing some things about
certain religions that don't believe the gospel, they believe
in a universal salvation, And yet still, those individuals,
they don't understand what they're doing when they say these things,
but they don't understand that they're worshiping a false God,
a false Christ. I didn't understand that I was
in false religion at that time, but they are. And once God saves
us by His grace and brings us to the knowledge of who He is,
the true God of Scripture, once He does this, And we understand
what's going on there and in the other religions of the world
that don't care anything about the gospel of God's grace. We shouldn't do anything to give
them any kind of false peace in their religion. We should
tell them the truth in love of how God saves a sinner. not based on their works of law,
but based on Christ's righteousness alone, being freely imputed and
charged their account. And, you know, throughout most
of scripture, God has more to say about the evil that lies
within false religion worship, religious worship, than he does
about evil of immorality. Both are evil, but God will not
share his glory with the idols of false religion. Now, beginning
with our next verse here, we'll be looking at some of the characteristics
of this brotherly love, as Paul gives admonishments to these
believers here at the church at Rome. In verse 10 here, or
Romans 12, it says, be kindly affectionate one to another with
brotherly love, and honor and prefer one another. The first
part of this verse, says be kindly affection one to another in brotherly
love. Brethren in Christ are members
of the same spiritual eternally family. Our relationship in Christ
is to be one of kindness, of affection, and above all, devotion
toward each other. We are to be devoted to one another
because we are all devoted and united to Christ. We are to love
one another with brotherly love. This is the family love that
springs from godly love. Let's look at more scriptures
that talks about this brotherly love that Paul writes to church
here at Rome. Look with me at 1 John 3.23.
It says, And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment. Now, we're still talking about
brotherly love, brothers and sisters who have the same father,
who worship the same God, those who have been adopted into God's
family, based on the relationship that we have with Christ, our
elder brother. Now, look at 1 John 4, beginning
verse 7. It says, Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born
of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son
into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love,
not that we love God, but that he loved us. and sent his son
to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought to love one another. Paul is telling us here that
God is love and that this love is manifested and shown out as
we see what he did for us in the person of his dear son, the
Lord Jesus Christ. And this love mainly evidences
itself in mutual love for Christ in the truth of the gospel and
loyalty to Christ and unity in Christ and his truth in the gospel
as believers endeavor together to keep that bond of unity and
that bond of peace among us, praying for each other and forgiving
one another and helping one another in spiritual and in physical
needs. This is devoted love shown by
family members. It's that special affection shared
between members of God's family, people born again, adopted, and
serving the same Heavenly Father. All believers, all believers,
brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the same Father. We have
the same elder brother in Christ. We're brothers and sisters in
the Gospel. We have earthly brothers and
sisters. We have earthly parents. But we have a father, a father
that chose us from eternity, sent Christ to die for us, die
in our place. And as I stated earlier, there
is a love that is shared among earthly family members. This
love is most often an extension of self. But the love that is
shared among spiritual brothers and sisters in Christ is not
a selfish love. It's a love that respects the
character of God as we look toward God and what he did for us in
the person of his dear son. This godly love for the brethren
will cause a believer to side with his brothers and sisters
in Christ and against his earthly kin. When it comes to telling
the truth about the gospel of how God saves the sinner, this
godly love will cause brethren to side with each other and against
the world. when it comes to not speaking
peace to lost religionists. When there is no peace, only
God can produce this kind of love. I had mentioned something
to our brother Randy last week as I was studying this message
and mentioned about an individual that years ago we had had a Bible
study and and this individual had somebody that was kin to
him there, and came out of the Bible study, and the individual didn't like too much what he
heard. But the individual, which was
a brother in Christ, and it was me and his brother walking together,
And this individual, what he done, and this individual loves
his family. He loves his brother and sister.
But this individual, he sided with the gospel. He sided with
me and the gospel and what was said in this matter. And that
speaks volume for loving your brother. And but it all stemmed
for the glory of God. See, he saw the glory of God
in what was being said there concerning who God is and how
he saved the sinner. And so that's what I'm talking
about when I say we side with our brothers in Christ against
even our kin when it comes to this. And we do it because we
love them. We do them because we want to
tell them the truth. We don't want them to remain in error.
And that's the greatest love you can do for an individual
is to tell them the truth. Now, in verse 10 here, last part
of verse 10, 10 says, in honor preferring one another. Brotherly love is promoted by
believers, literally giving preference to one another in honor. This
means we should go before or lead the way in seeking and giving
honor, not to ourselves, but to others. This kind of attitude
can only be attained by the grace and power of God within us. We
are here to honor Christ and not to honor men. However, in
seeking to honor one another in earthly matters, we promote
the honor of Christ and love for the brethren. Let's look
at Philippians 2 beginning at verse 1. where Paul says, if there be
therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any vows and mercies, fulfill
ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord and one mind. Let nothing be done through strife
and vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Let not every man on his own
things. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made
himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant,
and was made in the likeness of men, And being found in the
fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in earth, and all things, and things under
the earth." You can see in most of these scriptures that I'm
dealing with, how whenever they speak of loving the brethren,
they always include what God has done for his people in the
person and work of Christ. Self-seeking, self-promoting
people do not honor Christ and only cause division among the
brethren. See, we do the things we do not
to gain salvation, but we do it out of love and out of gratitude
toward God for what he's done for us. Now, verse 11 here, Paul
continues, it says, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord. When we hear the word business,
our minds automatically go to the business in the worldly sense,
and we should be diligent in our day-to-day business line.
But this verse is speaking of the business of the worship and
the study of God's word. If we are so motivated to perform
great things in our regular day, and our regular jobs in this
world, why would we not put just as much effort into the things
of God? Our Lord said, I must be about
my father's business in Luke 2, 49. Now, believers are not
to be slothful in business or lagging behind in diligence.
In the things of the Lord, which is a better translation of this
verse here, we're to strive to be conformed to Christ in worship
and study of his word, and in the edification of the church,
and in evangelizing the world. Look at 2 Timothy 2 verse 15.
It says, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. We ought to be, as the last part of verse 11 says here,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. We are to seek to be zealous
for the glory of God in Christ and in serving the Lord with
gladness, as we're motivated by love, grace, and gratitude,
as I said earlier. Now, in verse 12 here, Paul says,
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant
in prayer. Now, the rejoicing in hope here
emphasizes the motive for obedience and service that inspires that
inspires our zeal of God. We rejoice in the hope of glory
because Christ is our hope. Look at 1 Timothy 1.1. Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God, our Savior,
and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. The object of the
believer's hope is Christ. It is that glorious communion
with Jesus Christ of which the apostle speaks. When he says
in Philippians 1.23, For I am in a strait between two, having
the desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.
This is what believers look forward to, to be with Christ. It is
that state in which believers shall be like Christ, for they
shall see him as he is. It is this hope that we have
in Christ which causes us, according to Romans 12, the last part of
12, verse 12 here, to be patient in tribulation. or that we should
endure in faith under all the trials that are sent our way. And then it says in the last
part of verse 12, continuing instant in prayer, or be steadfast in prayer. The
believer should ever approach his heavenly father with full
confidence of his prayers, full confidence that God will hear
him, and not perhaps according to our wishes, but according
to how God wills and purposes all things for us. All of this
connected because it all centers around our salvation by God's
grace in Christ alone. Let's go ahead and pick back
up where it says here, it says in
Hebrews 13 beginning at verse 1. Now we're talking about strangers
here, entertaining strangers. It says, let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unaware. Now
this is in Hebrews 13, beginning at verse 1. This term strangers
was also a term sometimes used to describe believers in the
world. Look at Hebrews 11, 13. Those all died in the faith. Now this is speaking of those
Old Testament saints here that have died in the faith. Not having
received the promises, but having seen them afar off. And were
persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they
were strangers and pilgrims on this earth. And over in 1 Peter
1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Parnas, Galatia, and Cappadocia,
Asia, and Bithynia. Also in 1 Peter 2.11. Dearly
beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul. One last scripture, and
I'll close here. Look at 3 John 5, beginning at
verse five. It says, Beloved, thou dost faithfully
whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to the strangers,
which have borne witness of thy charity before the church, whom
if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou
shalt do well. Because that for his name's sake
they went forth taking nothing from the Gentiles, we therefore
ought to receive such that we might be fellow helpers in the
truth. It says here, that when we receive brethren in need into
our homes, we are fellow helpers in the truth. This is brethren
working with other brethren as they attempt to spread the gospel
of God's grace in Christ. Now, in closing, true Godly love,
like everything, all other gifts that God gives us, This, like all the other graces
of God, is the fruit and the effect of what Christ accomplished
by His death on the cross. God the Holy Spirit, in time,
is given to each one of God's elect, convincing them of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment, that they may flee to Christ
as their only hope of salvation and final glory. God the Holy
Spirit works in them as they grow in grace and in knowledge
of Christ our Savior. This work of Christ and the believer
draws out his love and affection toward God in Christ and toward
fellow believers, not in order to merit salvation, not in order
to do anything, any work to gain his salvation, but because we're
convinced that we're already already been saved by the blood
and righteousness of Christ alone. Nothing added and nothing taken
away. Amen.