Title: Life of Passion
Contents
*** A life of passion / Romans 12:9-13
** Introductory words
Romans 12:9-13, “9 There is no lie in love; hate evil and be of the good. 10 Be kind to one another in love and respect one another first; 11 Do not be lazy in diligence, be zealous and serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be steadfast in prayer, 13 provide for the needs of the saints, and strive to provide hospitality.”
'Freedom' is a good word, isn't it? When you look at the world through the eyes of freedom, there are two kinds of people. Those who enjoy true freedom regardless of circumstances or conditions, and those who live tied to something. The same is true for the fear of God. There are saints who enjoy true freedom in Christ without being bound by human gaze, wealth, glory, or authority of honor. As Jesus said in John 8:36, “Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.” These are people who live with God as their Lord. But there are very few who live freely in Christ like this. Most people are tied to something. They are not free from money, children, fame, glory, health, pleasure, or even the eyes of others. It's the kind of heart that pretends to be like that, or pretends not to be like that.
A seminary student was always nervous and worked tirelessly to become holy and good according to God's word. Because of it, his mouth was always kept shut, and all his nerves were set to abstain from sin and to do good. He was willing to be good at any cost. The seminary student on some occasion came to know the gift of the Holy Spirit. After realizing true faith through the Holy Spirit experience, he said:
“It's unbelievably good! Up until now, my life has been a battlefield. To do good, he was tense and constantly fighting evil. But now I have accepted!”
The seminarian was no longer forced to become holy or good by his own strength. I was set free in the Holy Spirit and enjoyed joy. In this way, faith invites the approaching God into you. For you cannot call God Father, nor do anything that pleases God except through the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, “… And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Therefore, it is possible to fear God and serve the Lord not by force, but by accepting and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Then it is only God who works and manifests in me. That is, when we receive God's love, we begin to love God passionately, and furthermore, treat our neighbors with love and concern. This is the 'life that fulfills the passion of the saints living in the last days' that we are told in the text, and this is what we are going to examine now. In particular, the season of Lent, which we are now passing, requires a practical life of faith.
Let's take a look at the text first.
The text teaches ‘the life of passion of saints’ based on ‘love without lies’. These virtues of faith are not theoretical faith, but practical life virtues. First, it was called “love without lies”, and this “love” used the word “agape” ( γ πη). This love refers to divine love that is impossible for a human being. In addition, we added ‘unadorned truth’. In other words, all actions that occur between the members of the church must be done with ‘true love without adornment’ like God’s love for us. A person who loves like this actively hates evil and builds a life of uniting with good. This love is the love that made His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the sacrifice on the cross for human sins. In this way, the life of God's children must be based on 'God's love for us'. In other words, the motive of all actions of the saints must be love.
If love is not a motive for action, it means nothing in the sight of God. The content of 1 Corinthians 13 testifies to this fact. Let's look at verses 1-3. “If I speak in human tongues and angels, but do not have love, I will become a sounding copper and a chirping horn. nothing Even if I give with all that I have and give my body for fire, but without love, it is of no use to me.” Do you understand why there is no benefit if we do not do this with love? Because it is the love of God that saved me, gave me eternal life, and made me a child. 1 John 4:16 says, “We have known and believed the love that God has for us; God is love. He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” That is why 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Do all your things with love.”
On the basis of God’s love for us, “love brothers and sisters, show kindness and respect for one another, be diligent, not lazy, be zealous, serve the Lord, rejoice in hope, be patient in afflictions, be always in prayer. We must work hard, supply the needs of the saints, and strive to provide hospitality.” This is a life of passion as our response to God's love for us. Through such a life of passion, God is not only glorified, but God's love and the gospel are witnessed to the world.
* Let's build a life of passion that resembles God.
Isaiah 9:7 says, “The increase of his government and peace will never end; he will reign on the throne of David and on his kingdom to establish it, and from now on he will preserve it with justice and justice forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.” These words are prophecies of the work of the Messiah. God's zeal will fulfill His plan to save mankind by sending Jesus Christ into the world. In other words, God's passion is the basis for saving mankind from sin. Not only this, Jesus, who came to this earth as a man, accomplished salvation according to God's will with passion. In John 2:17, the disciples who saw the passion of Jesus said, “They remembered that it was said in the Bible that zeal for your temple will devour me.” Simply put, the source of religious passion is God. Therefore, his children, Christians, must also lead a life of passion.
The second passion is “to serve the Lord with zeal, not sluggish in diligence.” The word “diligent” means ‘speed’ or ‘sincerity’. The word “lazy” means “to procrastinate with care, worry, or shame.” The word “with zeal” comes from the word 'pneuvmati zevonte', which means 'to cherish spiritually zeal', that is, with care or concern over worldly affairs or human thoughts. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said, “The things that fell among the thorns are those who have heard the word, but in the course of their lives, the cares of this life, riches, and pleasures are invigorating. They are choked and unfruitful.” (Luke 8:14) This is because worrying about the things of the world and following the world not only quench your passion for serving God, but also make it bear no fruit. Instead of being hesitant because of your worries, worries, or human thoughts, you must work with spiritual passion and sincerity.
As such, the members' love for each other is essential for the members to achieve a victorious life in the world until they reach the kingdom of God. The thought of ‘I will live alone’ is not something a child of God should do. Children of God must show love toward the world, and in order to love them, a deep bond of love must first be formed within the saints. Why should I do this? As I have said before as a habit, “God will reward you according to what you have done, and you will reap what you sow.” Jeremiah 25:14 says, “I will recompense according to their deeds and the works of their hands.” And in Matthew 16:27, “The Son of Man will come in the glory of the Father with his angels. I will repay you according to what you have done.” Therefore, if you long for eternal life, you must obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit and live a life of passion in the true freedom of Jesus Christ.
One of the busiest animals in late autumn is the squirrel. Squirrels dig holes in the ground for mistletoe and store 1 acorn per hole. There is no way to dig a big hole and bury dozens of acorns. It is a measure to prevent prey from being stolen all at once. The squirrel digs a hole in the ground with its front paws and puts an acorn in it. Then cover it with soil and sprinkle with leaves to camouflage it. It is said that one squirrel makes an average of 2,000 holes a year. The squirrel prepares winter food like this and welcomes the winter happily.
God's people must have passion. God has prepared an inexhaustible amount of beautiful trees in the mountains, but He does not make beautiful furniture out of them. You have buried high-quality marble in the ground, but you will not build a palace out of it. If there is no devotion, service, service, or effort, nothing is given. It is the season of Lent. Lent is a season to practice love while thinking of the sufferings of the Lord. In 2010, let's unite our church with deep love and concern for each other through blood and blood. So, I bless the people of this age who are hungry for love to fill this space and create a small heaven with the love of the Lord.