Bible Reading: Romans 12
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
What is a loving person like? The Bible says in 1 John 4:8 that God is love, so a person who loves is exhibiting a godly characteristic. As followers of Christ we are instructed and equipped to love. Love is the greatest of all commandments and if we live a life of love, we will fulfill all the commandments. Here the Bible tells us to love without dissimulation. That means a love without acting or hypocrisy. This is a true, genuine love that comes from God. Let us see a little of what the Bible says about love:
Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Titus 2:3-4 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
Matthew 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Romans 13:9-10 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
God wants us to have a genuine love in all these relationships. When we abhor (hate or detest) evil and cleave to the good, we will begin to see the kingdom value of love. God has given us his Holy Spirit to bring the fruit of love out of our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). Let us be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) so that we can have a genuine, Holy Spirit inspired love.
In Christ,
Rody
