"Love in the Extreme!"

Scripture: Romans 12:9-21


Last week, as we began our new series on living the Christian life, we discovered that the first lesson we all have to learn is what the Christian attitude about ourselves must be. And who better to teach us about the change that faith in Christ must bring, than the apostle Paul. His life had gone from arrogance and conceit for who he was, to a surrender of his prestige and position, and acceptance of Jesus as his guide and Savior in this life and beyond. (Philippians 3:3-11)

His personal wisdom, and there is no question that he was an intelligent and gifted man, was no longer sufficient for his life. His former self had been filled with honor and respect, but in Christ, the blessings of earth quickly vanished, only to be replaced with their anger and hatred. (2 Corinthians 11:21-33) And we should expect nothing different.

But is this all there is to a life in Jesus Christ? Hardly – this is simply where it all must start. Today, we begin to look at what else must become part of our life in righteous and humble service to the Lord.

Read Romans 12:9-13

The love that Paul is referring to is based in the Greek word “agape”. Agape is a word found in the New Testament that defines one of the many meanings that our English word “love” implies. Agape refers to sacrificial love, a love that surrenders our own desires and necessities, in favor of a love that others are desperately in need of. But agape, in the Christian context, is also based in Godly precepts, and never intends for us to love in the ways of earth.

Paul writes that it must be “sincere” and genuine, and that it must never be self-serving or half-hearted. He writes that this depth of love must “hate” evil, but he is implying more than just an opposition to evil – rather, he calls for a loathing, an abhorrence, a hostility toward unGodly ways. This agape form of love must place others above our own position and status, considering the kind of love that Jesus showed to each of us throughout his ministry and into his sacrificial death.

We read that this agape love requires a passion, not just for our Lord, but for the people he is calling us to love in his name. And the love that Jesus showed is sometimes difficult to comprehend. As an example, in Matthew 23:33, Jesus calls the Pharisees “a brood of vipers”, which is not an especially complimentary name! But this doesn’t mean that he hates those men – rather his hatred is for the things that they do and for the poison that they spread. Even as they stood in such stark contrast and direct opposition to all that the Lord was teaching and doing, his sacrifice on Calvary’s hill was as much for their salvation as it was for ours. And to receive it, all they had to do was to accept him as their Lord and Savior, and all that they had ever said against him would have been forgiven! That is what “agape” demands.

But Paul doesn’t stop there in his descriptions of Christ-like love. He says that we should be exuberant in sharing it with others, regardless of what their hatred threatens, or even may have done to us, and that we are never to give up on our relationship and conversation with Almighty God.
Notice that this has nothing to do whatsoever regarding the tearing down of others, even if their ways are not God’s ways. It’s all about building up the community of believers by loving them into the kingdom! Think about it – do any of us enjoy being with others who are constantly telling us how stupid we are, how wrong we are, how we never do a single thing right – or do we prefer to be with someone who cares about us, who is welcoming to us, who gives themselves on our behalf, and who lives as an example of a lifestyle that can truly make a difference?

That is the love and life that faith in Jesus Christ requires – not just as individuals, but as a Church in unity with the Lord. And it doesn’t end there!

Read Romans 12:14-16

And Paul takes the issue of loving others up several notches! Actually, he is taking his cue from Jesus, when in Matthew 5:43-48 the Lord told us to not only love our enemies, but to pray that God’s goodness would be poured out upon their lives. It’s easy to love those whom you like, who think the same way that you do, who are your friends. But loving and blessing those who hate you, who would bury you in oppression, who would want nothing better than to do you harm – they are nearly impossible to love. But not completely impossible – if we look to Christ for the way to love, and the Holy Spirit for the power to love them as the Lord Jesus does. Bless those who persecute you.

But love in the extreme goes even further than this! In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the apostle says that we are live as a disciple of Jesus Christ, but that we aren’t to lord it over others. In verse 22, he writes “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Some folks might interpret this passage as deceptive on Paul’s part, but the truth is that he isn’t suggesting that we lie to others about who and whose we are. He is simply saying that we should never avoid being in the presence of others, that we should never condemn them as sinners and leave them to their own worldly ways.

Consider who Jesus spent the most time with! Adulterers, tax collectors, Samaritans, Gentiles, Pharisees, Sadducees even a Roman or two – not a Godly one among the lot! Live in “harmony” with them all, be with them in joy, in sorrow, in good times and bad, and never shun a single one of them, for you never know when your living testimony will touch a heart.

Read Romans 12:17-21

No revenge, no retribution, no eye for an eye or tooth for a tooth (Matthew 5:38-42), no judgment on the life they live. We are to be discerning of the difference between God’s way and the world’s, but judgment on the people is God’s to carry out, not ours. Don’t play the world’s games, and live as they do. But we are still called to live with others, and not just with other Christians! We are to be active participants in society, even in the sinful culture that seems to thrive around us (when at all possible) without denying the ways that God has set down for us through the teaching of Jesus Christ. Peace will not always be an option, but to the best of our abilities, we are to live in peace, even though others may not reciprocate. But we have to try.

The prophet Micah gives us an idea of what this means – Micah 6:8 – “Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” Nowhere does the prophet say “when you can”, or “when others treat you the same”. Paul and Micah’s advice is the same – it’s not only about what we do, but how and why we do it. It’s about our attitude and actions, about the life that God has ordained, as well as living in the way Messiah has shown us.

The world has ways that, for the most part, we need to steer clear of. There is an old saying that sums up Paul’s letter – “be in the world, but not of the world”. And what about that line “In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” This goes along with the verse about becoming all things to all people, so that some might be saved. Burning coals are a symbol of repentance, of a change in your life that can only come through giving it all to Jesus, and letting him become our way, our truth, our life.

Are we all good at this? Are we all consistent in our faith? Do we bring a smile to the Lord’s heart every moment of every day? Probably not. Does that make us unworthy to be his disciples? Hardly. Think about Peter and the others – did they do everything right as they walked with Jesus along the roads of Galilee and Judea? Not even close. But Jesus had chosen these imperfect men to continue the ministry that he had started, to spread the word of God throughout the world.

And even as imperfect as we may be, we are spiritual descendants of these and countless other imperfect people, who have found perfection through faith in the one and only Son of God. John Wesley spoke about “going on to perfection”, that our faith in Christ, our life in Christ, our obedience to the teachings of Christ, aren’t quite there yet, but as we walk closer to the way of Jesus, and as we love closer to the way of Jesus, his perfection makes us worthy to come closer and closer to him.

We need to practice love in the extreme, and each and every day that we do, it will become clearer to us that this is the only way to live a Christ-like life.

May it be so for us all.