“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” This is verse 10 of our passage in Romans 12:9-21 and our focus for the day. i am not sure if this will be a verse by verse or if at some point we will tackle a few but for now, this is it. Now, here me on this, this passage is on the marks of a true Christian as a whole, i want to, however, spend some time talking to you married couples. Then i will tie it all together for us in the idea of being Christian.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord . . . Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” We have talked at length before about marriage but i want to draw the parallel of the marks of being Christian into the context of marriage because the symbolism is referenced by Jesus himself as well as Paul here in Ephesians 5. Submission, to the greater work of the Kingdom, is paramount to being “Christian”. This reference to wives is in no way my attempt to make women submit, far from. For just a few verses later Paul writes, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.” We, husbands, are to love our wives sacrificially, and righteously, based on and filled with the Word of God.
This goes to Jesus’ teaching, “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength . . . and love your neighbor as yourself.” In this parallel, and in some was a paradox, we see that it isn’t impossible or absurd to think that this is possible. In fact, to think otherwise demonstrates a lack of faith in the ability of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is also a daily decision. When you wake up you must make the decision to love, unconditionally. To wait for “feelings,” or to wait for “reason,” i heard once an individual say, “I am waiting for my spouse to give me a reason to love them.” Let me give you a reason, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” There isn’t a stipulation in there nor in the passages in Ephesians, which is directed at the marriage specifically. It is simply commanded, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and WE will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23) And there is also a promise . . . “We will come to him and make our home with him.” That fact that Jesus says, “We will come to him” references the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the “Doer of God’s Word,” the “Disciple of Jesus,” the person of “the Way,” the “Christian.”
The parallel for the Christain and marriage is this if we are the body we are all the bride of Christ, therefore, our love for one another ought to be one of submission. It also, is that of Christ, as we are to be and do and go as He directs therefor loving each other just as Christ loved the church. It is both and, not either or.
To quote the great Jedi, Yoda, “Do or do not, there is no try.” When we choose to love as commanded. To love like Jesus, we either do it or we don’t. It is that simple. Not to say that it will be perfect, but the more we “do” the easier it gets, the more fulfilling it becomes, and the more the Spirit fills us with His presence enabling us to love even more. So, i say to us today, LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
You are loved,
cj
cjwillblogit 