Romans 12 Walk in Love and Walk as

Romans 12 Walk in Love and Walk as Children of Light

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. --Titus 3: 3 -7

Walk in Love and Walk as Children of Light Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma…. for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. --Eph 5: 1 -2; 8 -10

“What is true love? As we saw earlier in the chapter on relationships, true love is an act of the will—a conscious decision to do what is best for the other person instead of ourselves. This is why marriage involves commitment, the commitment of a man and a woman to each other for as long as they both shall live. ” --from The Journey by Billy Graham

“One of the most profound comments made regarding the early church came from the lips of a man named Aristides, sent by the Emperor Hadrian to spy out those strange creatures known as "Christians. " Having seen them in action, Aristides returned with a mixed report. But his immortal words to the emperor have echoed down through history: ‘Behold! How they love one another. ’” --Chuck Swindol

Love "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. " -- John 13: 34 -35

Light "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peckmeasure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. --Matt 5: 13 -16

“The major problem in the world is people…. If we could just get rid of the people, we could basically get rid of the problem. And the major problem with people is this: people can't get along with people…. The inability of man to get along with his fellow man seem to be the No. 1 problem in our society and in any society in our world…. Christianity enters into the world and says, 'We not only will do something about an individual, but we offer to an individual the capacity to do something about the people around him, in a positive way…. Christianity's always been relational. Christians throughout all of the history of the Church have reached out and touched society. ” --John Mac. Arthur

Lights So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. --Phil 2: 12 -16

Romans 1 -8 Faith 9 -11 Hope 12 -16 Love

Romans 12 12: 1, 2 12: 3 -8 12: 9 -13 12: 14 -21 Present Your Bodies and be Transformed Exercise Your Gifts Love Your Brothers Overcome Evil with Good

Present Your Bodies and be Transformed Rom 12: 1 -21 1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The World Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. --I Jn 2: 15 -16

Renewing Your Mind The Holy Spirit but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. " --Acts 1: 8 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. --Gal 5: 16 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, --Rom 8: 5 -6

Renewing Your Mind Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. --Phil 4: 8

Renewing Your Mind The Word How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word…. Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee. --Ps 119: 9, 11 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. --Col 3: 16

Prayer Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. --Ps 51: 10 Fellowship Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today, " lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. --Heb 3: 12 -13

Exercise Your Gifts 3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

“And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. ” --Matt 23: 12 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. --1 Pet 5: 5 -7

Henry Allen "Harry" Ironside (October 14, 1876 – January 15, 1951) was a Canadian. American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author. Ironside was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to John and Sophia (Stafford) Ironside, who were both active in the Plymouth Brethren. Along with others such as Cyrus Scofield, he was influential in popularizing dispensationalism among Protestants in North America. Ironside was one of the most prolific Christian writers of the 20 th Century and published more than 100 books, booklets and pamphlets, a number of which are still in print.

Years ago, Dr. H. A. Ironside, who was pastor of the prestigious Moody Church in downtown Chicago, felt that he was not as humble as he should have been. So he asked an older friend what he could do about it. The friend suggested, “Make a sandwich board with the plan of salvation in Scripture on it. Put it on and walk through the business district of Chicago for a whole day. ” Ironside followed his friend’s humiliating advice. After he got home, as he took off the sandwich board he caught himself thinking, “There’s not another person in Chicago that would be willing to do a thing like that. ”

Gifts As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. --1 Pet 4: 10 -11

Exercise Your Gifts 6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

“There can be no inspired, prophetic additions to the body of Christian doctrine today since the faith has been once for all delivered to the saints (see Jude 3). Thus a prophet today is simply one who declares the mind of God as it has been revealed in the Bible. ” --William Mac. Donald

A Christian lady once said, "When my mother became old and needed someone to care for her, my husband I invited her to come and live with us. I did all I could to make her comfortable. I cooked for her, did her washing, took her out in the car, and generally cared for all her needs. But while I was going through the motions outwardly, I was unhappy inside. Subconsciously I resented the interruption of our usual schedule. Sometimes my mother would say to me, 'You never smile anymore. Why don't you ever smile? ' You see, I was showing mercy, but I wasn't doing it with cheerfulness. “ --William Mac. Donald

Love Your Brothers 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Overcome Evil with Good 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

Overcome Evil with Good 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, " says the Lord. 20 "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. " 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

“I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him. ” -- George Washington Carver

I know that love is ultimately the only answer to mankind's problems. And I'm going to talk about it everywhere I go…. I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. And I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen…to want to hate myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it, because John was right, God is love. --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend. ” "The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me? " But. . . the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him? '" --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. ' “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ” --Matt 5: 43 -45

To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. --1 Pet 3: 8 -9 And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. -- Gal 6: 9 -10