Romans 12:9-10 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor
Paul was dealing with a sticky situation in the Church of Rome. Even though he hadn’t been to Rome, let alone visited the church. The Jews and Gentiles that made up the church were having disagreements when it came to how to practice their faith. At one point in the history of the church, the Jews had been kicked out of Rome by the Emperor. While they were gone, the church flourished with just Gentiles. When the Jews were let back in, they came back to the church and demanded that the Gentiles be circumcised and follow the Jewish diet. The Gentiles were used to their liberty in Christ and resisted.
As you could imagine, it would’ve been difficult to genuinely love others. Paul tells them to let their love be real. He wanted people to be authentic with each other and not to give them the old southern, “Bless your heart” when they talked. When love isn’t genuine, it produces awkwardness and mistrust. Instead, they should treat each other as family and love one another with brotherly affection. When we see each other as part of the family, it changes our heart towards them. They aren’t the enemy.
Another tidbit slipped in this passage is something that will make loving one another easier. Abhor what is evil. The word abhor means to be steadfastly against it. The sight or mention of sin in this case produces a reaction in us because we are so opposed. The church has become too soft on sin, and we often fight the battle on hills that don’t matter. A Kosher diet doesn’t make you more holy, but standing against compromise like idolatry or immorality has an impact on the church. When we hate evil and hold fast to what God’s Word says, it can increase our love.
How can you start loving those you struggle to love? Start by showing them honor. To honor someone means to recognize who they are in Christ and give them preference over yourself. Paul told the Philippians to strive for unity by doing nothing out of selfish ambition and esteeming others better than yourself. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. You will start to notice that when you do this, you let your love be real to them.
