TEXT: Romans 12:3-16

SUBJECT: Body Life #2: Attitude in the Body of Christ

The subject of these paragraphs is "Life in the Body of Christ". In vv.3-8, Paul addresses the matter of Spiritual Gifts. About them, he tells us: (1) We must discover what our spiritual gifts are; (2) We must recall that spiritual gifts differ from believer to believer; (3) We must regard spiritual gifts as coming from God's grace; and (4) We must make the maximum use of our spiritual gifts. The directives are easy to identify, but somewhat harder to implement. May God make us "doers of the Word and not hearers only", for Christ's sake. Amen.

In vv.9ff., Paul speaks of the attitude that must prevail in the Body of Christ. If it is missing, Spiritual Gifts become worse than useless. What is it?

"The love", v.9. Our English Bibles omit the definite article; this is a grave mistake. Paul isn't calling for a love (in which unbelievers share, often heroicly), but the love which is uniquely Christian. God is its source; the cross is its proof; the Holy Spirit is its distributor. This attitude--"the love"--is indispensable to Life in the Body of Christ. Elsewhere, Paul styles it "the bond of perfection". The glue that keeps the church together--without coercion!

"Blest be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love".

In the verses that follow, Paul goes on to give shape to "the love".

Firstly, "the love" is sincere, v.9: "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good". Much of what passes for love is pretense. "The love", however, is authentic. It's not limited to "Word and tongue"--as the Apostle makes clear--but goes on to "Deed and truth". It is, moreover, self-critical. The most loving person, at times, slips into hypocrisy or half-heartedness. How does he feel about it? Tolerant? Indulgent? No! He "abhors what is evil". He is nauseated by his pretended love. Consequently, he "clings to what is good". He gets back--and holds on to--a true love for his brothers and sisters in Christ.

The importance of loving one another sincerely is hard to exaggerate. The late Professor John Murray makes a telling point:

"The love", therefore, that must prevail in the Body of Christ is a sincere love.

It is also a brotherly love, v.10: "Be kindly affectionate toward one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another". The people of God are one family. In an ideal family, each member prefers the happiness of the other to his own. Believers, therefore, must "in honor, give preference to one another". This means: Instead of wanting others to thank you or to get out of the way so you can keep the lime light to yourself, you're eager to thank others and to give them the place of honor. Let me illustrate:

First from the Bible. In Numbers 11, two men of Israel, Eldad and Medad, begin prophesying. Joshua, afraid that they're trying to unseat Moses, is quick to chide them for their presumption. But Moses replies somewhat differently: "Are you jealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" Moses preferred to give honor to others rather than to receive it for himself.

From my family. My mother came from a family with a lot of children and very little money. The little brother was everyone's pride and joy. At Christmas, the older girls got little or nothing; the boy, however, received many fine presents. Do you know why? Because the girls did without that he might have them! They preferred his happiness to their own. If you talk to three surviving sisters today, they'll tell you they don't resent him in the least! Sixty years later, they still prefer his happiness to their own!

"The love", therefore, which must rule the church is a "brotherly love".

In the third place, it is an energetic love, v.11: "Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord". Warm feelings are often had without effort; love isn't. The cause may be in yourself; it may be in the other; but, either way, its often hard to exercise true love. Elsewhere, Paul says "love is longsuffering, not easily provoked, patient" and so on. These words imply a challenge to love. We must be up for it. Therefore, we can't be lazy or inconsistent; we can't be spiritually lethargic and backslidden; we can't be man-centered. We must "stir up" our brotherly love and love each other for Christ's sake.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily

as to the Lord and not to men,

Knowing that from the Lord you will

receive the reward of the inheritance;

For you serve the Lord Christ".

"The love", therefore is an "energetic love".

Fourthly, it is a durable love, v.12: "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer". Fellow believers often disappoint. Paul knew this by experience. Early in his career, he saw John Mark quit the work of Christ. Near the end, he confessed: "No man stood with me, but all men forsook me". When others break our hearts, what are we to do? Turn on them? No. Ignore them? No. We must continue loving them. We must "rejoice in [the] hope" that God will soon turn their hearts. We must be "patient in [the] tribulation" they inflict on us. For them, we must "continue steadfastly in prayer".

Love is in a perennial state of flux. "The love" is a fixed state of mind. If its model is Jesus Christ, how can it be otherwise? Forsaken by His dearest friends when He needed them most, "Jesus, having loved His own who were in the world, loved them to the end".

In short, "Love never fails". It is a "durable love".

It is also a generous love, v.13: "Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality". How open is your home? How open is your wallet? These indicate how much you love the people of God. If your door is deadbolted and your purse is zipped up tightly against them, "How does the love of God dwell in [you]?" Please remember: Hospitality and generosity have little to do with the size of your house or of your bank account. They speak to the size of your heart. Let me illustrate:

"The love", therefore, is a generous love.

In the sixth place, it is a forgiving love, v.14: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse". I'm sorry to say that believers are capable of doing other Christians wrong. Serious wrong. All the while thinking they're doing God a favor. How does "the love" reply to such shabby treatment? With a "blessing".

To "bless" is to speak well. We must speak well to others who are "cursing" us. And, as much as possible, we're to speak well of them to others. No screaming into their faces; no whispering behind their backs.

This is a hard one. The other requirements of love are child's play compared to "Blessing those who persecute you". To help us do it, however, think on these things:

It is, therefore, a "forgiving love".

It is also a sympathetic love", v.15: "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep". By its nature, love seeks to give rather than to receive. That's why "self-love" is a contradiction in terms. Because it so wants to give, love enters into the sorrows and the joys of other people. We mustn't demand our emotional needs be met; we must meet the emotional needs of others. If angels rejoice in a salvation of which they have no part, we must identify with the happiness of our fellow believers. If our Savior weeps with the bereaved sisters, we must no less enter into their sorrows.

This always brings up the trick question: "If I'm rejoicing and you're weeping, who is to sympathize with whom?" V.10 gives the answer: "...giving preference to one another". You're not to ask others to compromise their state of mind for you, but do it for them.

It is, therefore is a "sympathetic love".

Finally, it is a humble love, v.16: "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". To "be of the same mind" doesn't mean "agree on everything". Perfect agreement awaits a better world. "Now we know in part and prophecy in part". Rather, it means "live in harmony". How is this accomplished? Only insofar as we "do not set [our] minds on high things, but associate with the humble". What does this mean? William Hendricksen got it right: "Do not be snobbish, but readily associate with humble folk". This requires us to "be not be wise in your own eyes". He doesn't say "Don't be wise". But "Don't be wise in your own eyes". In other words, "Don't be conceited". Admit the possibility that you might be wrong. And even if you're right on "issue #1", you may well be wrong on "issue #2". It is only when we humble ourselves before the Lord--and each other--that we can "Be of the same mind toward one another".

"Love does not parade itself; it is not puffed up; it does not seek its own". Therefore, it must be a "humble love".

The Body of Christ lives on brotherly love. Absent this love, the Body is a corpse. It may give the appearance of life, but its motions are but onset of rigor mortis. Only proof of its death. It is high time, therefore, that we repent of our lovelessness, and begin to "love one another with a fervent love". When we do:

The world will take notice. "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another". Love is trumpeted on every side, but where is it? The world is a caldron of animosity. Only in Christ's Church can love--"the love" be found. Or can it be? I pray so. For "If the light that is in us be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

The Church will thrive. It is by "love" that our "joy is made full". When we begin loving one another, the petty squabbles and needless division which so scar the Body of Christ will be healed.

The Savior of the Church will be pleased. He didn't give Himself for us to leave us as we were--"hateful and hating one another". He died to make us His bride--"not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish". Our Heavenly Groom deserves this kind of Bride. What are we doing to make her ugly? Let's quit. What can we do to make her as radiant as she should be? We can do this: "Let love be without hypocrisy".

May God make us a loving people, for Christ's sake. Amen.