9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Love genuinely.
Hate what is evil.
Cling to what is good. (Of course, we have to know what is good in order to cling to it - which again means being immersed in the Word).
Love our fellow Christians as family.
Be eager to honour each other above ourselves.
Do not be lazy in our service to God, rather be passionate and courageous about serving Him.
If we live like that, we're likely going to encounter some resistance and difficulty. But in the face of affliction we can be joyful, patient and faithful.
MacArthur says it well....
The flow in the passage then is rather clear, isn't it? A Christian should be one who lives this way...with a pure love, hates evil, sticks to what is good, is tenderly affectionate to other believers, is humble, seeks to honor rather than to be honored. His service to Christ is that which is total, enthusiastic, wholehearted, zealous, obedient and diligent. The resulting trials that are going to come will be overcome by a strong hope in God's promise for the future glory which allows him to endure patiently everything he has to endure, as he constantly commits himself to the Lord's will and the Lord's care.
Our world is pretty preoccupied with getting. But Christians should be preoccupied with giving. We should give to those who have a need. If God has opened our eyes to the need, likely we're the ones that are supposed to be meeting it. We need to give out of love for Him and out of love for others.
And practice hospitality. Pursue hospitality, not grudgingly, but eagerly.
All of these things require self-discipline don't they?
Self-discipline is the ability to regulate your conduct by principle and sound judgment rather than by impulse, desire, high pressure or social custom....self-discipline is the ability to subordinate. It is the ability to subordinate the body and the emotions to what is right and what is best.....Self-discipline is to obey the Word of God. It is to bring my desires and my emotions and my feelings and all that's in my life under the control of God supremely so that I live an obedient life which has as its goal the glory of God. That is a self-disciplined spiritual life.
In His strength, for His glory.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Romans 12:14-21
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