Journey through the Book of Romans

Paul says “Let us Live Like Christ Followers” Part 2

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. KJV

Paul has clearly painted a perfect picture of true agape love for us and now he goes on to teach us how this love must be expressed in sincerity with each other. In the previous study we contrasted love and lust by distinguishing them by lust only desires to take while God’s Love (agape) gives and this is why Jesus Christ (perfect, pure, holy, and sinless) came to earth to die as a substitute for man’s willful sins against God. Paul continues into the practical way we who name the Name of Jesus Christ should treat one another and the first is by being “kindly affectionate” which is translated from the Greek word philostorgos which means to cherish, as a good mother does her children; loving tenderly chiefly of the reciprocal tenderness of parents and children. Paul declares that as recreated men and women of God we should express our affections for our new brothers and sisters in Christ in a deeper way and with even more kindly affections than those in the world without Christ do to and for their next of kin. We are going to spend forever with other men and women who love our Lord Jesus Christ just as we do and with that truth in mind, we should allow God’s agape love to so motivate us to seek their good and never their harm in either word (by gossip or reviling) or deeds (by physical conflict or sexual impurity).

When we esteem each other highly and recognize that Christ lives in our fellow sisters and brothers in His Mystical body we will want to love them in truth and value them and consider them to be precious to us because they are a walking, talking, and living visible representation of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 John 4:20-21). Likewise when we fail to honor our sisters and brothers or treat them wrongly, we are actually treating Christ Jesus our Lord in that manner. Before Paul was saved his name was Saul and he went about persecuting, imprisoning, and killing Christians and our Lord Jesus after he knocked him off of his horse or donkey said this to him as it is written, Acts 9:3-6 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” NKJV Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of His Mystical Body the Church, but it is not the Visible Church we can see with our human eyes, but it is the invisible Church made up of every true believer born again of the Spirit of God.

Knowing this truth we must see one another not in the light of our remaining sin and imperfections, but we must see our Lord Jesus in each one of us and in so doing this should motivate us to please our Lord Jesus by pleasing one another, not in pretense but in sincerity, not seeking to take advantage but seeking to build one another up spiritually in and by the Word of God. Paul warns us not to be slacked in our commission from our Lord to get out the Word of God (the gospel) and lift Him up on the earth. The world today is vastly different from the world the Apostle Paul lived in, but the sinful hearts and nature of men and women is the same in every generation. Today we have the capacity to get out God’s Word through television, radio, magazines, tracts, newsletters, flyers, the internet, e-mail, mobile phones, billboards, and many other ways and we should be diligent to use them for the sake of God’s Elect that have yet to be swept into His Kingdom. Paul so encouraged brother Timothy to be strong, diligent, and faithful to fulfill his calling by our Lord Jesus Christ with these words not only to him, but to all of us of every generation, 2 Timothy 2:24-26  The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. NKJV

Earlier in this same epistle or letter written to brother Timothy and to you and me Paul said, 2 Timothy 2:8-10 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the Word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. NKJV Paul wanted Timothy to not cool off his passion for our Lord Jesus Christ due to his imprisonment, but he wanted him and us of every generation to be on fire or boiling hot with an unshakable love for Christ Jesus our Lord always, even in the midst of our troubles. We are redeemed by our Lord Jesus and saved from our sin by Him to now be His bond slave always abounding or increasing in our work for Him in whatever capacity we are so called by Him as Paul says it wonderfully with these words, 1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. KJV Paul exhorts us to “rejoice in hope” because our hope in Christ is not wishful imagining or crossing our fingers, but we should rejoice always because this blessed hope we have in Christ Jesus our Lord is a “confident expectation” that He will fulfill all His promises to us as it is written, Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. NKJV

Paul expresses that we should be patient in times of trouble and all of us who have been walking now with our Lord Jesus Christ for more than just a couple of years know how difficult this can be, but it is by grace administered by the Holy spirit’s Power that we are enabled to let patience work out in us as it is written, James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. KJV Paul now says we are to “continue instant” in prayer and the English phrase “continue instant” is translated from the Greek word proskartereo which means to be devoted or constant; to be steadfastly attentive unto; to continue all the time; to be in constant readiness to prayer because our communication and connection to our Father in Heaven is how we live spiritually and get our spiritual sustenance to fight the daily spiritual battles against the wicked one and his minions. Paul in practically every epistle or letter exhorted us to be continually praying by the Holy Spirit’s Power as he says it so fervently here, Ephesians 6:18 “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” NKJV Prayer for our spirits should be like oxygen for our lungs a continual necessity for our spiritual life or else we die.

We are to share with each other helping each other in our times of need with a far greater desire than do earthly families do for one another, because when we do we do it as doing it for our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This is far from the get rich or prosperity gospel preached everywhere around the world today giving millions false hope and delusions of come to Jesus and you will gain material riches when in reality only a select few live in rich opulence (wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living) because they are fleecing the masses with this false word that is far from the heart of those in the early Church as evidenced by what is written here, Acts 2:41-47 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. NKJV

“Christians should make efforts to attain to clear views and warm feelings, but the outcome and final test of both is a daily life of visible imitation of Jesus. The deepening of spiritual life should be manifested by completer, practical righteousness in the market-place and the street and the house, which non-Christians will acknowledge.” Alexander MacLaren

“Grace received from Christ Jesus our Lord produces love for formally complete strangers that become more precious than earthly flesh and blood who know not our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…