THE STORY OF JESUS: Romans 12:9-16
“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)
Paul strings together a necklace of gems in this passage.
I will only comment on a few of the statements, but all of them are good.
Our world is so inundated with ‘evil’ that we almost become immune to it.
Do we hate injustice, poverty, inequality, gun violence, corporate greed, sexual immorality?
I’m sure people experiencing these things hate them.
But in my little bubble, I can go on with my own life and ignore these evils for the most part.
Even worse, I can benefit from them, and in subtle ways participate in them.
Hate is a strong word; do I strongly hate the evils of this world?
Cling is a strong word to; am I known for eagerly clinging to doing good?
Paul is urging strong emotions and actions here, what he calls ‘zeal’ and ‘fervor’ in v.11.
We are being urged to be zealots for goodness.
I think we’ve lost this passion; we’ve become lukewarm towards good and evil.
Paul is not urging violence against evil (what motivates terrorists).
He is urging a militant goodness, a passion for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness.
Imagine if the news was filled with stories of ‘goodists’ instead of terrorists!
If Jesus followers gained a reputation for their extreme devotion to kindness and generosity.
Sadly, too often Christians are known more for hating evil than for loving good…
Jesus is urging us – strongly – to change this!
“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11)
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, forgive us our lukewarm passion, our lack of zeal and fervor for You, Your kingdom, Your goodness. Give us a good kick in the backside to help us change!