Romans 12:9-18
12:9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant
in prayer;
12:13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things,
but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the
sight of all men.
12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with
all men.
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Love without pretense or deceit. Run away from evil and toward good.
James
4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will
flee from you. 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
Try to recognize early on when you’re faced with a temptation. Pray to God to give you strength to stand or wisdom to find the way of escape.
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We are to love our neighbors, but our brothers and sisters in Christ first, just as you would in any family.
Galatians
6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap. 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of
the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of
the Spirit reap life everlasting. 6:9 And let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.6:10 As we
have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially
unto them who are of the household of faith.
If you help someone that’s lost, that’s a good thing. Remember to help your brethren too though. Then God will multiply it in Christ when they also help others.
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When you are dealing with the world remember, you are where you are for a reason. Whatever your work is, do it as unto God, because He gave you that work.
Ephesians
6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to
the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as
unto Christ; 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants
of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; 6:7 With good will doing
service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Our example of honesty, dilegence and obedience to God will be our first testimony to the world. They will watch you and judge you. More than that, they will watch you and judge God. We’ve probably all heard it said “If that person is a Christian, I don’t need it.” Don’t be that person they’re talking about.
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Whatever you’re going through, God planned it. Perhaps you’re having a period of chastening. Maybe it’s a time of great blessing and opportunity. Whatever it is, thank God for it and pray that He will help you understand how you’re supposed to use it for His glory.
Ephesians
5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of
the Lord is.5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but
be filled with the Spirit; 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord; 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
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Help your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all of one body, and we’ll rise and fall together.
Romans
15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the
weak, and not to please ourselves. 15:2 Let every one of us please
his neighbour for his good to edification. 15:3 For even Christ pleased
not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that
reproached thee fell on me.
Jesus is our ultimate example. He gave up everything and came to seek and save what was lost.
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Remember, even your enemy could be a child of God. It is not our place to judge who deserves God’s love.
Matthew
5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 5:44 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; 5:45 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.
If you can’t do anything else, pray that your enemy will be saved and become your brother. If it happens, that’ll help out everything else. Try to keep anger from blinding you. Many times, the most unpleasant of us are crying out because they hurt so much inside.
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Share in the joys and pains of those around you. Your brethren will be strengthened, and it may give you an opportunity for you to witness to the lost.
Luke
6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be
ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 6:21 Blessed are ye that
hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now:
for ye shall laugh. 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and
when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach
you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.
6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your
reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers
unto the prophets.
We often don’t know what God is up to. His perspective is greater than ours. He can use all things to the greatest good.
When Nero was emperor of Rome, he decided to use the early Christians as scapegoats for his own political problems. He put multitudes to death in the Roman arenas. They were burned alive and killed by men and wild beasts as the crowds watched. When the Romans saw how these people were willing to die for their faith, many were converted. So much so that Christianity eventually became the state religion of Rome.
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Remember, all are level at the foot of the cross. None of us are any better than anyone else. When a brother or sister is having a bad day, try not to retaliate, but rather remember, we all have bad days and have the needs for patience and grace.
1 Peter
3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: 3:9 Not rendering evil for
evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that
ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 3:10 For
he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue
from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 3:11 Let him eschew
evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
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God puts great stock in honest dealings, and often tells us how He looks down on dishonesty and fraud.
Proverbs
11:1 A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is
his delight.11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the
lowly is wisdom. 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them:
but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them 11:4 Riches
profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
There is no gain or profit that is worth cheating anyone. Not only does it hurt you, but if the world sees a believer acting like that, it just gives them another excuse to turn their backs on God.
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If the world sees you walking in peace, temperance, and love, that is your first witness to them. If they see you walk a different path, they’ll not listen to anything else you have to say.
James
3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him
shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory
not, and lie not against the truth.3:15 This wisdom descendeth not
from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 3:16 For where envying
and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 3:17 But the
wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and
easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,
and without hypocrisy. 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in
peace of them that make peace.
When you witness in the world, don’t act like a judge and tell them what a rotten person they are. Remember, (and maybe even tell them) that you are a sinner saved by grace. Tell them how Jesus came to save sinful man and make peace with God through His love and sacrifice. Show them how God is reaching out to save us from ourselves. As the old saying goes, “You’ll draw more flies with sugar than with salt.”
There is a time to be the salt of the Earth, but try to show them Christ’s love first.