“Let your love arise from genuine and deep emotion; let the basis of your character be an intense hatred of evil and as strong an adhesion to good.” The Apostle here does not here enter into the more difficult question as to how those in whom these emotions which are naturally weak are to strengthen them. Perhaps no shorter advice is to be given than “become Christians.”(See reference: Romans 12:9) After all, Jesus said, Ye are the Light of the world. The Apostle here lays down for us very general precepts and principles of Christian morals. Starting with the one all-comprehensive thought of self-sacrifice as the very foundation of all goodness, of transformation as its method, and of the clear knowledge of our several powers and faithful stewardship of these, as its conditions, he here then, proceeds to a series of more specific exhortations, which at first sight seem to be very unconnected, but through which there may be discerned a sequence of thought. The clauses in this chapter seem at first sight strangely disconnected. The first and the last belong to the same subject, but the intervening clause strikes a careless reader as out of place and heterogeneous. I think that we shall see it is not so; but for the present we but note that here are three sets of precepts which are enjoined with each other: first, honest love; then, next, a healthy vehemence against evil and for good; and finally, a brotherly affection and a mutual respect for each other. Love stands at the head, and is the frontal source of all separate individualized duties. Here, The Apostle Paul is not so much prescribing love as describing the kind of love which he recognizes as genuine, and the main point on which he insists is sincerity. The ‘dissimulation’ of the Authorized Version(KJV) only covers half the ground. It means, hiding what one is; but there is simulation, or pretending to be what one is not. There are words of love which are like the iridescent scum on the surface veiling the black depths of a pool of hatred. A Psalmist has complained of having to meet men whose words were ‘smoother than butter’ and whose true feelings were as ‘drawn swords’; but, short of such consciously lying love, we must all recognize as a real danger besetting us all, and especially those of us who are naturally inclined to kindly relations with our fellow men, the tendency to use language just a little in excess of our feelings. The glove is slightly stretched, and the hand in it is not quite large enough to fill it. There is such a thing, not altogether unknown in Christian circles, as benevolence, which is largely cant, and words of conventional love about individuals who do not represent any corresponding emotion. Such effusive love pours itself in words, and is most generally the token of intense selfishness. Any man who seeks to make his words a true picture of his emotions must be aware that few harder precepts have ever been given than this brief one of the Apostle’s, ‘Let love be without hypocrisy.’ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (Romans 12:9,10) Now, Get out there and let your True Love Shine forth! Love you, Charles Lingerfelt
Posted on: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:58:51 +0000
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