Just Like Your Dad: Our Father’s To Do List

Since we have God’s love, there are so many ways we can give and serve. So where to begin? Romans 12 has a simple list that shows us how to carry out that logical service to our heavenly Father, Who has poured forth His love into our hearts. Love is at the foundation of our actions.

Romans 12:9:
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

The Greek word translated “dissimulation” gives us the English word “hypocrisy.”  This word was used of actors who wore a mask to hide who they really were. Jesus Christ called the religious leaders of his day “hypocrites” because they acted religious on the outside, but did not have God’s love on the inside. Our love is to be without hypocrisy; it is God’s genuine, honest love. We show it by the way we live.

With God’s love, we can “abhor” or avoid evil at all costs.  But if we live in this world, how can we avoid its evil? This verse tells us! We “cleave to,” we focus on, the good! It is the introduction of light that dispels darkness. It is by renewing our mind to God’s Word that we are not conformed to this world.

This Greek word used here for “cleave” can mean to weld. I remember working in an auto shop and watching the mechanic weld together car parts. Welding is a process of joining metals by using heat. Some engineers say that metals get their strongest point where the weld is made. We are welded to “that which is good.”

Romans 12:2:
…be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

With minds renewed to the truth of God’s Word, we prove His will which is “good”!  Welded with the heat of God’s love, we are strong!

The Book of Romans is the first of the Church epistles that show us how to do what is good.  Since we have our Father’s loving nature in us, we ought to show it forth by our actions.  Here’s a “to do list” on the practical side of walking in God’s love.

Romans 12:10-13:
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

When God wants to emphasize something in His Word, He uses figures of speech.  Some figures use repetition to get our attention. These four verses repeat the form of words in a figure of speech called homoeoptoton, or “like inflections.”

In language, an inflection is the change of form that words undergo to give them meaning, order, and function.   In the Greek text of Romans 12:10-13, there are ten phrases that have a similar form or inflection. Each phrase begins with a word having an inflection of the same case.  They are all followed by a word that in each phrase has the same form or inflection regarding gender and number.  These “like inflections” give a beautiful order and structure to this section of scripture.

Since these forms are not so obvious by reading the King James Version, let’s list these verses as they would appear from the Greek. They could be translated as:

Loving quality	Action to take
in brotherly love	being kindly affectioned unto each other
in honor	leading each other first
in diligence	not being slothful
in the spirit	being zealous
in the Lord	being a servant
in the hope	rejoicing
in mental pressure	bearing up under
in prayer	continuing steadfastly
in the needs of the saints	sharing fully
to hospitality	running to serve

Let’s look at these qualities that show forth God’s honest love that has no hypocrisy. People seem the most blessed when they can “be themselves.”  By being born again and having our Father’s loving nature in Christ, our true self is the “Christ in you” that we each have.  As we put on the Word and live what these verses describe, we will be in action who God wants us to be—and who we will be the most blessed being!

Verse 10: Our Kind and Honorable Attitude

Romans 12:10:
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.

 This verse gives two ways of walking in love that have a lot to do with our attitude toward other believers. First, we are “kindly affectioned” toward each other with brotherly love. Secondly, we prefer one another in honor.

In Brotherly Love, Kindly Affectioned

Have you ever noticed how much our attitude determines what we see in others?  When we are looking for the best in them, then that is what we see.  Having this kind and affectionate attitude is the walk of a true believer.  We renew our mind to the perfection possibilities latent within every other believer. Why not think the best of one another?  We can decide what we think.

I have seen how important this is in raising children. Even though our children may not be perfect, we continue to love them, speak the Word to them, and believe the best for them. The love of God is love of the highest type. Our kind affection for each other is like the love that a true parent has for his child. As believers, that is how we can see one another!

In Honor, Leading Each Other First

Being kindly affectioned is similar to the next phrase in this verse, “in honour preferring one another.”  It literally means that we are leading each other first.  We think of what is best for a brother or sister. God first, others second, we are willing to be third.  We hold them in esteem, respecting them highly because of their intrinsic value. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are sons of God just as we are.

I remember when my wife and I visited a couple who had a baby that was just a few weeks old.  That baby had everything it needed to grow into a mature adult.  Those parents lovingly let us hold the baby and even feed him. And we handled that little baby so, so carefully because he was so valuable.  Walking in God’s genuine love, we treat other believers with that same kind of loving respect and tenderness.

Verse 11: Our Diligent, Zealous, Serving Actions

Romans 12:11:
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

Verse 11 shows how we serve each other, our action. The three ways of walking in love in this verse are: in diligence, not slothful; in spirit, being zealous; in the Lord, being a servant. Let’s look at each.

In Diligence, Not Being Slothful

First, we are not to be slothful in business. The Greek word translated “business” is more often translated “diligence” in the King James Version. We are not to be slothful in our diligence.  One way to make a point more emphatic is to say what it is not. Here, “not” being slothful means to do just the opposite—to have enthusiastic believing to get something done.

The Apostle Paul uses this same expression of not being slothful in Philippians 3:1, “To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” The word “grievous” is the same Greek word as “slothful” in Romans 12:11. Paul was not being slothful—he was being diligent—to remind the Philippian believers about God’s Word to make them “safe” or sure and to establish them. He got the job done!

We are to have enthusiastic believing to get the most done for God in the amount of time we have available.  We exert an effort earnestly and diligently, using our time wisely. That’s what “diligence” means. We give our best for God and His people in the dynamics of our lives. We offer our best with all of our charisma, personality, and push to see His Word live. That is not being slothful!

In the Spirit, Being Zealous

Next, in the “spirit,” we are to be “fervent” or zealous. The Greek word for fervent literally means to be hot. When used of liquids it means to boil, and referring to solids it means to glow. We put the heat of God’s pure love into our lives each and every day. This shows that our loving action is faithful.  We are not just “hot” one day—but stay fast on God’s Word day after day after day.  We “glow,” showing forth God’s true and honest love with absolutely no hypocrisy. Our lives shine brightly and we glorify “our Father which is in heaven.”

In the Lord, Being a Servant

Finally in verse 11, we are to be serving the Lord. The Greek word translated “serving” has great depth Biblically. It means to carry out the will of a master. The first use of its noun form in the New Testament is found in Matthew 8:9, where a centurion tells Jesus Christ that he says “to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.”  That’s the way we carry out our heavenly Father’s will—quickly and obediently. We love Him so much that we want to carry out His good and acceptable and perfect will. It is our “logical service,” and because of our dynamic, faithful actions, we get some work done for our Lord.

As God’s sons and daughters, we can be faithful because our heavenly Father is faithful in all His works.  We see His great faithfulness all around us.  At times, I’ve been up praying or reading the Word before dawn.  I have never been disappointed to see the sun rise.  It has always been powerful, faithful, and lit the world.  That’s the way God set up His creation. We too, with God in Christ in us, can be powerful, faithful, and shine for God as lights in the world!

Verse 12: Our Hope-filled, Patient, Prayerful Strength

Let’s look at three more wonderful truths in the next verse.

Romans 12:12:
Rejoicing in hope; patient [bearing up under] in tribulation [mental pressure]; continuing instant [at all times] in prayer.

 Verse 12 shows how we support each other, trusting in God to be our strength.  We are: in the Hope, rejoicing; in mental pressure, bearing up under; and in prayer, continuing steadfastly.

In the Hope, Rejoicing

The hope of Christ’s return is the anchor of our soul (Hebrews 6:19). It is an assured future event that gives great strength and stability to the “storm tossed” age in which we live.

I can remember doing a 20-mile hike as a young boy scout. At times, it seemed as if it would never end. My feet hurt, it was hot, there were pesky bugs, and I felt that I didn’t have the strength to go one step more. But in my mind, I had the hope  of reaching our destination–complete with a bubbling stream where we could relax and swim the heat of the hike all away! When we arrived, it was worth the effort to get there.

The strength that Romans 12: 12 describes comes from consistent prayer in the face of life’s attacks. That Hope is what keeps us—no matter the mental pressure that the adversary throws our way—faithfully continuing in our prayer.

In Mental Pressure, Bearing up Under

When we are faced with challenges, we don’t ignore them. We trust our heavenly Father to bring a solution. That may involve us doing something (like Jesus Christ commanding the sea to be calm in Mark 4:39), or God may still the storms for us and bring us to our desired haven by some other means (Psalms 107:29,30).

Either way, we remain “under” God’s grace and love in each situation, knowing that He is all good and wants the best for us. Then we patiently move ahead, in fellowship with Him, until the deliverance comes to pass.

 In Prayer, Continuing Steadfastly

When we have mental pressure, we continue in our prayer life rejoicing in the hope of Christ’s return.

Some years ago, my wife and I were planning an outdoor wedding on Guam for some believers. But a typhoon was predicted to hit the day of the wedding.  Despite the atmospheric and mental pressure, the believers stayed faithful in prayer, and the typhoon turned around.  The wedding day was beautiful.

Let’s see how verses 11 and 12 flow together to give direction in our daily walk of love. They can be translated:  “Being zealous and fervent in love, serving the Lord, will keep you faithfully continuing in your prayer life rejoicing in the hope of Christ’s return so you may patiently, without frustration or anxiety, stand the mental pressure of the world.”  Now that is a wonderful way to live!

Verse 13: Our Fully-sharing, Service-minded Care

Finally in this section, verse 13 shows us how we give to each other, our care.

Romans 12:13:
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to [running to serve in ] hospitality.

In the Needs of the Saints, Sharing Fully

We are to distribute to the necessity of saints, to help meet the needs of other believers. The Greek word translated “Distributing to” means to share fully. Its noun form is most often translated “fellowship” in the New Testament. We can share fully to meet one of the believers’ greatest necessities or needs—fellowship!

From the beginning of the Church, as recorded in Acts 2:42, believers continued steadfastly in fellowship. Today we share fully of our time and lives with joy as a part of our home fellowships. Some of my greatest needs as a “saint” have been met by the loving actions and care of the believers that I fellowship with. We communicate, or partake in fellowship, which is a necessity among saints.

To Hospitality, Running to Serve

And that leads right into the next part of verse 13: we are “given to hospitality.”  This Greek word translated “given to” literally means to run after, to pursue with the intent of reaching a goal.  It is used of a waiter bringing food to others. The case of the Greek word for “hospitality” shows it is the direct object of the “pursuing.” Our goal is to show hospitality.

My wife Sherry, her sister Cindy, and I have opened our homes over the years to guests who want to live God’s Word with us. Now that the three of us live together, we invite others over to fellowship with us and study the Bible. We are serving the Lord as we lovingly care for His children, our brothers and sisters in Christ.  In lordly service and pursuing with love, we are to be hospitable to all the believers—playing no favorites.

I come from a family with eight children. I can remember as a small boy asking my father if I was his favorite child.  He said, “No, Eugene, I love you all the same.”  He didn’t play favorites. We can be thankful that our heavenly Father loves each of us as His son or daughter.  As imitators of God, we show His love toward one another without playing favorites.

Living and Loving Like Your Dad

What great truths Romans 12 holds on how to practically live together as God’s kids! We can show forth our Father’s loving nature by living the Word, walking in His love with absolutely no hypocrisy.

Romans 12:9 exhorts us to avoid evil by staying welded to the good.  Verses 10-13 give the details on how we can do this:  We look at what God has made other believers to be, we respectfully put them first, we have enthusiastic believing, we are faithful day after day, we get things done for the Lord, we rejoice in the Hope, we patiently withstand mental pressure, we faithfully continue in our prayer life, we share fully in fellowship with one another, and we run to serve with our hospitality.

You can show others goodness, kindness, light, and power, just like your Dad. Let’s be in action what our Father has made us to be spiritually—showing forth His love!