23.2 Romans – Called to a life of love

In the previous verses, Paul discusses spiritual gifts.  He makes particular note that we are given spiritual gifts not as a reward or as something to place on a shelf, but as a tool to be used.  He runs through a handful of examples of spiritual gifts and, after each, implores the recipient to use the gift.

In the benediction at the end of the book of Hebrews, we are reminded that God both calls and equips us.  He equips us for everything good and calls us to do His will.  As one called in to service we have 2 roles and responsibilities. One is our individual role.  This is the specific responsibility that God has given us to use the equipping of the spiritual gift to carry out.  It may be teaching, preaching, prophecy, caring for someone who is sick, the poor, widows and ophans, as just a few examples.  But, as Paul said earlier in this chapter, while we each have our individual roles to play, we are also united as one body and as such we all have a shared calling and equipping.  We learn in the verses of Romans 12:9-21 that unified calling and mission is LOVE and we are equipped for this mission through the power and authority of the Holy Spirit.

This should not surprise us; that of all the attributes of God the one He places as prime in our life is Love.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son…”.  The greatest command is to “love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.”

As one body, we dress in a uniform to the rest of the world.  That uniform includes the full armor of God, but the mission we share is a mission of Love, a life of love, united and empowered by the love of God.

My Answers:

3.
Love must be sincere – God’s love for us is sincere and it is through His mercy that we have faith and in faith offer ourselves to Him and His holiness as a living sacrifice

4.
Love is giving, not receiving. Love those things that honor God, but not evil. Be at peace in all things.
Society says to love everyone and allow them to perform evil without reproach or repercussion. Love is a token to trade and to receive and to bargain with.

5.
P8: Fear the Lord=Hate evil, pride, arrogance, evil behavior, perverse speech
P13: Righteous hate what is false but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame
E3: a time to love and a time to hate a time for war and a time for peace
I61: Lord loves justice; hates robbery and wrongdoing – God is faithful and true
A5: Hate evil, love good, maintain justice, seek God’s mercy
L14: If one does not hate mother, father, brothers, sisters and own life, cannot be my (Jesus) disciple