Manifesting God’s Character

Transcript

GRM 601
11/22/1998
Manifesting God's Character
Romans 12:912
Gil Rugh


Romans chapter 12. Before we looked at the first two verses which exhorted us in light of the wonderful salvation that God has provided for us in Christ and accomplished in us by His grace through Christ. We are to present to Him our bodies and all of the parts of our bodies to Him for His use and His service. And this is our act of spiritual worship. We noted this places all the activities of our life into the realm of a spiritually significant ministry of worship of God. In that context we are exhorted not to be conformed but to be transformed, not to allow ourselves to be shaped by the world, but rather to have the inner transforming power of the Spirit of God working powerfully in our lives so that we might be carrying out the will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. And as I noted in connection with our study and through basically the rest of the book over into chapter 15, about the middle of the chapter, Paul unfolds some of the details of what it means not to be conformed to the world. To be living a transformed life, to be living in such a way that our bodies are being used to honor and glorify God as an act of worship. In verses 38 he talked about the issue of spiritual gifts and the proper functioning there as the body of Christ, and I don't want to go into that at this time. We’ve done that on other occasions not too long ago, but I do want to jump down to verse 9.

After talking about our functioning together as God's people with the proper exercising of our gifts, in that context we are supposed to have a biblical view of ourselves. In verse 3 we are “not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think but think so as to have sound judgment as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” A measure of faith has to do with the spiritual gifts He has bestowed upon us. It seems to relate to that ability to trust God and have Him work in us in certain areas that enable us to make contributions to the body. So I'm not to think more highly of myself than I ought to think but I'm to think with sound judgment. To recognize God in His grace has gifted and enabled me to make a contribution to the ministry of the Body in this area, and I want to do that to the best of my ability.

Then after talking about the spiritual gifts and that kind of attitude in exercising those gifts, he picks up in verse 9. What we really have is some short instructions, none of which are developed in any detail, but they draw our attention to what it means not to be conformed to the world but be transformed. And he picks up this section in verse 9 with the issue of love. "Let love be without hypocrisy." It's interesting up to this point in the book of Romans, the focus on love has been on God's love for us. The love that He has showed to us in Christ, that He has poured out upon us. So he has talked about love in the book, but it's been a love that we have been the recipients of in Christ.


Back in chapter 5 of Romans verse 5, "And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Verse 8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God's love poured out in our heart. God's love demonstrated to us in the provision of His Son. Over in chapter 8 of Romans verse 35, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ," and he mentions a variety of things. And verse 37, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." Verse 39 Nothing including, "height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus." You see that emphasis on love has been on the love that God has graciously and freely bestowed upon us, manifested to us, in Christ.

Now come back to chapter 12 verse 9 and he says, "Let love be without hypocrisy." He turns attention to our responsibility to manifest this beautiful character of God in our relationship to one another. And just as God has selflessly, graciously poured out His love upon us, now we are exhorted to be manifesting God's character in loving one another. And this love of course is one of the fruit of the Spirit, we will eventually get to in our study of Galatians in Galatians 5:22. The fruit of the Spirit is love. We are talking about agape love here, that selfsacrificing love, that love that is characterized by the willingness to do what is best for the other person. And here that love is to be without hypocrisy. Let love be without hypocrisy. Another way to say it is we might say let love be genuine. The point is our love is not to be put on. A hypocrite is someone who is playing a role, being pretending to be something that he's not. But for us as God's people who have had God's love poured out in our hearts as we saw in Romans 5, we are now to be manifesting the beauty of God's character in our love for one another and there is to be a genuine, a heartcentered love, if we could put it that way, for others. And he's particularly being talking about, you know, relations we have with one another, but naturally it has impact beyond just the immediate Body. Our love is to be genuine.

Look back in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. Second Corinthians chapter 6, just a couple of letters past Romans. Second Corinthians 6. It's interesting as we are exhorted to love, we are often reminded the love is to be genuine, not hypocritical. Let love be without hypocrisy. And in 2 Corinthians 6:6 you'll note Paul talking about his own situation and what he has experienced. You'll note what he says in verse 6, "In genuine love." The word translated “genuine” is basically unhypocritical love. It's a love without hypocrisy. And Paul has declared that his love that he has expressed was genuine. He wasn't putting on a show or an act, but the love that he had manifested was real and genuine.

Look over in 1 Peter chapter 1. Towards the back of the New Testament. Not quite to Revelation but getting close. 1 Peter 1:22, "Since in obedience to the truth purified your souls." In other words, you've responded by opening the truth. In other words, you have believed the Gospel, placed your faith in Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. “You have purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren.” “Fervently love one another from the heart.” So, when God purified our souls in Christ Jesus that was so we might have a sincere love, there's our word again, an unhypocritical love, a genuine love for the brethren. In light of that there ought to be an intensity about our love, a passion, not in the erotic passion that the world talks about, but the idea that there is a zeal in our love. We are fervent in our love. This is not the kind where; sure I love you. You know, if I need to do something for you, I'm available. But here it is someone who has a fire about their love. They are looking for the opportunity to demonstrate their love. They delight in that privilege. It is a genuine, sincere love.

Back in chapter 12 of Romans. Again, this love is not focused on the emotions. This is a love that is focused on our actions. The emotions will come. But it's my desire to honor God and do what is pleasing to Him. We want to be careful here we don't say, well, I don't want to be a hypocrite and I don't have any feeling for them so I might just as well let them know. Well, that's not what we are talking about because feelings come and go. We are talking about that love that is produced by the Spirit and that desire to do what is good and best for others. That is the passionate love that I want to genuinely flow from my heart. And as we function that way in our relationships, naturally feelings build and there's a bond that develops that includes our feelings and emotions. But that is a follow-through. We don't want that to lead the way.

Back in Romans 12:9. "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." And here we have two sides of the same issue if you will. Abhor what is evil. And that verb translated "to abhor" is a good translation because it denotes a complete hatred of something. It is something you thoroughly and completely hate. You abhor it. And the idea here is that we reject everything that is evil. We despise evil. And this would flow . . . You see an overlap in a lot of these things. And in genuine love there is naturally in that kind of context a hatred of those things which are evil because those things are destructive and ruinous. And we live in an evil and vile world. We've seen this in other studies where the whole world lies in the power of the evil one and sin and wickedness characterize the world because sinners populate the world. But we are to abhor what is evil. And the other side of that is we ought to cling to what is good. You know as you read through passages of Scripture like this, you get the idea that Christians are to be a people who have some convictions about things and strong feelings if you will that flow out of those convictions. I mean you tell somebody to love something. As we saw in Peter, that is be a fervent or zealous love. And you are to totally hate something else. We are not people that just float somewhere in a bland middle, but we are people of convictions and passion in those convictions characterized by love that is genuine and zealous. Hatred that is strong against anything that is contrary to the character of God. Anything that is evil is to be the subject or object of our hatred.

Go back to Romans chapter 1 just for a more on from that. This is another area being consistent with the character of God. We have not necessarily developed everything along this point but for example Romans chapter 1 verse 18. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." God is the God who abhors and hates evil. His wrath is poured out upon men for their unrighteousness and their ungodliness. So, we abhor what is evil and that would involve for us as believes wanting to avoid all evil, to have nothing to do with it. The other side of that back in Romans 12:9 is we cling to what is good. This word "to cling to" denotes a very strong bond, a very close, closest kind of bond. In fact, this is the word that's used in Matthew chapter 19 verse 5 when Christ is quoting from Genesis and says, "For this reason shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife," cling to his wife, describing the most intimate and closest of bonds. You get an idea of this word. We are to have the most intimate and closest kind of bond with that which is good. Some offer the translation "glued to" to give you the idea that we are to be glued to that which is good, married to that which is good. Now we as God's people you know are those who despise evil and that doesn't mean we are just always condemning the world around us. But it means we do all we can to avoid evil and to keep ourselves from it. At the same time, we are joined in the closest relationship to all that is good and consistent with the character of God. We are to be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Another word for love here. We have the English word "philadelphia" from thisbrotherly love. We mentioned agape love in verse 9 which is a selfsacrificing love, doing what is best for the other person. Phileo kind of love has more of a family love flavor about it. It's not an inferior love but it is a love that has a family bond association and denotes the family love that we have as God's people. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. As the family of God, we are to have a devotion and a commitment to one another as God's people. We know something of that. We speak about family love and the love you have for your children and the bond you have with them and the things we put up with our kids. Then as we get older the things that our kids put up with are with us. It's wonderful. We say that's part of being family. That's the way it is to be in the Body of Christ. We are God's family. In fact, the bonds that we have spiritually in Christ are even to supersede our physical family bonds. And these are bonds which will go on for all eternity.

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.” With that kind of commitment that means we go through difficulties together. We go through difficulties together. We see our responsibility as God's family to be involved with one another and in the development of one another. You know it's amazing, isn't it, what families go through together with the stress and the pressures that come. But we all do it. Why? They're our kids and our family. Well, sometimes we forget that, I think, in the Body of Christ. We are easily offended. We just forget we have a bond here. We are devoted to one another with brotherly love. I just can't walk away from it. I remember my dad telling me years ago. He says well, just remember they will always be your kids. You know, I find out he's right. They are always your kids. They're your kids in good times. They're your kids in bad times. And I remind them, just remember we will always be your parents. Why? We're family. Just remember we are family. We are God's people. We are to be “devoted to one another” in love.

"Give preference to one another in honor." This would almost be a variation of what we talk about in our genuine love. In genuine love we are doing what is best for the other person. Here we are giving preference to one another in honor. In other words, we put others before ourselves and we see the stark contrast with what the world teaches. You know the world wants to teach the importance of yourself. I was watching a program this past week, an educational program. It was talking about training kids. How they first have to have confidence in themselves and think highly of themselves and they are going on and on about this. Then they will be ready to function. There is a certain kind of independence that comes with that. We call it arrogance. Because I'm number one and I don't care about anyone else. You know, in comparison to me I have to put myself first. What the Bible says is we give preference to one another in honor. And we seek the honor of others, not our own honor. Now again this doesn't mean I develop the sense I don't have anything to contribute. You know, this Body is all so gifted and I'm just a little nobody. That would be a violation of what we read up in verse 3. We are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, but we are to have sound judgment and to recognize I have gifts by God's grace, and they are necessary for the proper function of this Body. It doesn't mean I have to be a promoter of myself. I can exercise those gifts but at the same time I'm desiring that you be honored.

Turn over to Philippians chapter 2 verse 3. And a similar kind of concept. These concepts we are mentioning in Romans are found many other places. In verse 2 he's talked about joy, and we are going to talk shortly about love. Then verse 3, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty concept but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." I appreciate the giftedness and the abilities of those around me. Someone says well, you know, everybody has more gifts than me. You say, wonderful. You can give them honor and you can exercise the gifts you have to build up the body while you honor them and appreciate the greatness of God's gifts. That's not a put down to me to say, Lord, I have great appreciation and to look for others to be honored. “Give preference.”

So back in Romans 12. “Give preference to one another in honor, not lacking behind in diligence.” The point here is we don't grow lax or lazy in our diligence, “not lacking behind in diligence.” You know the Christian life is not a sprint. You know, it's a cross country kind of thing. And it's easy to grow lax in diligence. We are not to become lazy in our diligence. One writer, commentator, on this passage said, "If lives which are truly being transformed by the renewing of the mind, there is no room for slackness or sluff. For that attitude which seeks to get by with as little work and inconvenience as possible. Which shrinks from dust and heat and resents the necessity for any excursion as a burden and imposition."

We will get in Galatians chapter 6 verse 9 to Paul's reminder, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we don't grow weary." I believe that one of the great strengths of the ministry of this Body has been the multitudes of people who have exercised that diligence in consistently pursuing what God has called us to do. Praise God for that

This summer when I was in another church, I used that as an example that was necessary for that Body where people who would give that kind of unreserved diligence and commitment to the development of that ministry. I had the opportunity to share that that was my blessing and experience in this church, with people with that kind of commitment. So we are reminded here this is a mark of “not being conformed to the world” but being transformed. There is not laziness in our diligence in our work for the Lord.

Connected to that we are “fervent in Spirit.” So these build. Not lagging in diligence, not lazy in being diligent. Fervent in Spirit. And this is the positive side to what was just expressed negatively. Not lagging behind in diligence is the negative. The positive side is a fervent burning spirit, that kind of zealousness. That word "fervent" refers to something that's boiling or fiery hot. Remember in Revelation chapter 3 the church at Laodicea what Christ could not tolerate. You are neither hot nor cold. That zeal, that fervency in serving the Lord. The word "serving" pictures our life as a slave, as a servant of Christ. You know easy for a slave, servant of another to be doing just enough to get by. But you know that's not a mark of a believer. The believer is not just someone who is doing enough to get by. A believer is one who is boiling hot in his serving the Lord. As we noted in our study of verse 1 of this chapter, we present our body and all that we do we are doing for the Lord and it's an act of worship. The recognition of that is the correction, the shot in the arm, if you will, to laziness, to weariness in the work that God has called us to do. What makes it significant is I am doing it for the Lord. That is whatever I am doing, whatever we do, we are to do it as unto the Lord. That means I am not to be lagging behind in diligence. One of the worst testimonies that someone can have is to have their boss say, well you know, they do enough just get by. They just never seem to really have their heart in it and you are going to have a testimony saying, well, yes, I'm doing this for the Lord. It's just that my heart is not in it. Doesn’t that sound like something is wrong there? I'm doing this for the Lord, but my heart is not in it. I'm doing this for the Lord, but I really don't want to. Not fervent in spirit serving the Lord.

John Murry wrote, "When discouragement overtakes the Christian and waning of Spirit adds its sequence, it is because the claims of the Lord's service have ceased to be uppermost in our thought." So good reminder.

Verse 12, "Rejoicing in hope." “Rejoicing in hope.” Joy and hope are key concepts for the believer. Here we are “rejoicing in hope.” Our hope gives us a goal and a focus in life that enables us to rejoice even in the midst of tribulations and difficulties. I'm rejoicing in hope because we as believers have a hope beyond this life. So I'm rejoicing in that hope as I am persevering in tribulation, which is going to follow next.

Back up to Romans chapter 5 where we were. Romans chapter 5 verse 2. And note the end of verse 2 just for time, "We exult in hope of the glory of God." "We exult in hope of the glory of God." That's where our exultation is. That's where our rejoicing is. The hope of the glory of God. That time when we shall enter into the fullness of His glory and we shall experience His glory because we will be glorified. And so we are exalting in that hope. And so verse 3 . . . We won't come back here for the next statement but going the same place we are going in Romans 12:9 or 12:12. "We exult in our tribulations." We are going to talk about persevering in tribulation in a moment, but you see that connection. Exulting in our hope and that will prepare us for our tribulations.

In chapter 8 of Romans again. The Spirit in verse 16, "The Holy Spirit testifies that we are children of God and if children heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ." That's our hope of the glory of God. I am an heir of God. "If indeed we suffer with Him so that we also may be glorified with Him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed for us." And the whole creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.

Down in verse 23, "Not only this, but we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, we groan waiting for the redemption of our body." "For in hope," verse 24, "we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already has?" In other words, hope by very definition is something you have not yet experienced. We've not yet seen. "But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it." So that hope.

One other passage on this. 1 Peter chapter 1. You know being focused on the hope as we've talked about on other occasions keeps this world in its proper perspective. You know it’s a poor testimony that Christians sometimes are wringing hands and seem to be just as overwhelmed with fear and fretfulness as the unbeliever. You know the year 2000 is coming and the computers are going to collapse, and the banks are not going to be able to function and who else knows what's going to go wrong. Well, that doesn't mean I don't plan wisely, but I have to say I don't have any concerns at all about it. Because you see I have a hope and my hope is not in the things of this life. Now if it is that the fears that may be associated with the tragedies of this life will overwhelm me. But my hope transcends this life, does it not? We are just strangers and pilgrims. And if I lose my whole bank account and all those millions that didn't know I had, what's the difference? My inheritance is safe. That's what Peter is talking about.

1 Peter chapter 1 verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again," period. No. "Has caused us to be born again to a living hope." A “living hope,” a hope that is alive through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. "To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." That is the security of the believer. That is our inheritance. And nothing can touch it because it is protected verse 5, "by the power of God." That's the living hope I have. The inheritance, which is imperishable, undefiled. It will not fade away. It's reserved in heaven for me. Now that's the hope that I'm rejoicing in. And I thank God for the blessings that I have in this material world. But you know I don't want that to be my focus because sooner or later they will be gone. My hope in which I am rejoicing is permanent and secure. It will be there when I arrive because it's protected by the power of God and so am I.

Come back to Romans chapter 12. You might know you talk about rejoicing in hope and the next characteristic of a child of God being transformed by the power of God is persevering and tribulation. Interesting how the Word of God and we saw it in chapter 5 of Romans. There's many other passages that bring these two almost opposing kinds of ideas, rejoicing in hope and persevering in tribulation. While rejoicing while persevering; hope om tribulation. You know, my life is filled with these kinds of dichotomies, these kinds of conflicts. You know I'm rejoicing in hope. It's like being on cloud nine, as we talk about it and here I am grinding it out in tribulation. The word "tribulation" literally means to squeeze, to compress, to crush. Here we have that endurance, that perseverance, that characterizes the child of God as the world attempts to crush him, squeeze him. Here you are under all the pressures that come not only with just life but being a person living a godly life in an ungodly world and all who will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. So, we add to the normal pressures of life that everyone has, believer and unbeliever, the added pressures that come we are to be a godly people living for the Lord which creates more difficulty, more opposition, more trial, more hardship. We are to be a persevering people.

Jesus said in John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation." You know people like to lay claim to promises of God. Well, there's one to lay hold of. There is a promise from God. In the world you will have tribulation. So, the next time a Christian comes up to you and says I don't know what's wrong, my life is filled with trouble. You say oh praise God for the fulfillment of His promise because “in the world you have tribulation.” "But be of good cheer," Jesus said, "I have overcome the world." Didn't say because I have overcome the world, I have removed any tribulation for you. But the victory, the encouragement and strength for us is to know as we are going through tribulation, and don't minimize it, is the things that would crush us, that are squeezing it seems the life out of us, He has overcome. We are victors in Him. It doesn't mean it's easy, but it means in Him we have the strength, the resources, the peace and the joy that He brings to us.

Persevering in tribulationno room for giving up, no room for quitting. No room for "I've been at it so thing time for me to prop up my feet and someone else do it." No. We have all eternity to bask in the rest that God has promised to us in the secure joy and blessings of eternity. Now persevere in tribulation, devoted to prayer. Good followup. You know, devoted to prayer would naturally follow-on persevering in tribulation, wouldn't it. When you are being squeezed, when you are being crushed, it does something for your prayer life, doesn't it? I hate to verbalize this because you know you sometimes think the Lord will hear me as though He didn't know what I needed. But the tribulation really enhances my prayer life. I probably pray better under pressure than any other time in my life. That maybe says something about me, but it's true. You know, life is busy, so you get on with it. One of your children is diagnosed with a terrible disease and all of a sudden I've got time to be with the Lord. I've got time to pray. In fact, I've got time to do that if I can't do anything else. You know, pressure, crushing kind of pressure, helps me to realize I am dependent upon the Lord. To realize in salvation He hasn't forgiven me, cleansed me and just turned me lose. He has taken me to Himself, indwelt me, and now tells me to cast all my care upon Him because He cares for me. To come boldly before the throne of grace to secure the help I need.

So to “be devoted to prayer.” The difficulties, the crushing circumstances of life where we grow weary, we persist in prayer. You know, there is somebody I can always talk it over with. I can talk it over with the Lord. I can do more than talk it over with the Lord, I can turn it over to the Lord. And further than that, I can not only turn it over to the Lord, but I can ask and receive from the Lord the grace and the strength, the peace, that will sustain and keep me through the crushing trials and circumstances of life. “Devoted to prayer,” not just snatches of prayer, but a life that is committed to talking it over with God, to bringing it before the Lord and seeking His help and His grace.

Well, we'll break off that list there. Let me review them for you. Just list them out. I'm not going to go slow enough for you to write them down because I'm just reviewing what's listed here. Number one, we are to have a genuine love. Number two, we are to hate what is evil. Number three, we are to be glued to what is good. Number four, we are to have a warm family love. Number five, we are to put others first in honor. Number six, we are not to be lax in diligence. Number seven, we are to be fiery hot in our service. Number eight, we are to be characterized by joy because of our hope. Number nine, we are to persevere in tribulation. Number ten, we are to be persistently devoted to prayer. These are the characteristics of those who have been redeemed by God's grace, who are not being conformed to the world but are being transformed by being made new in the area of our mind. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for a salvation that enables and sustains us in the daily walk of life. Thank you, Lord, for a salvation that transforms us from the inside and enables us to live differently than we lived before because we are different than we were before. Lord, I pray that we might be encouraged by these simple, direct exhortations of Your Word and know that Your transforming power, the presence of the indwelling Spirit, accomplishes what You require as we diligently submit to Him and obediently apply ourselves to honoring You. Lord, I pray for the members of this Body as they face the week ahead and all that will come into our lives, all the situations and all the pressures of one kind and another. Lord, in it all may the beauty of Your character be seen and may we enjoy the abundance of Your providence for us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.