|
|
Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
April 18
Click on verses for Full Scripture
|
previous - - - - - - - - - -
next
|
Today's Pathway:
|
In the previous three verses Paul dealt with the use of spiritual gifts. As we have already seen, spiritual gifts were given so that the person who received them could use them to be a blessing to his fellow church members. In verses 9-18 Paul gives a series of brief statements that also deal with the relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ, particularly those who are part of the same assembly. He begins with "Let love be without dissimulation". The word "dissimulation" simply means "hypocrisy". It is undeniably true that sometimes believers talk about how much they love their Christian brethren, but in reality they do not. They may speak nicely to them at church, and act as if they care, but the truth is that they don't really care. The word translated "hypocrite" was often applied to an actor on a stage. William Vine wrote,
"It was a custom for Greek and Roman actors to speak in large masks with mechanical devices for augmenting the force of the voice; hence the word became used metaphorically of a dissembler, a hypocrite."
John wrote in I John 3:18,
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
He also said that one of the marks of a true Christian was love for the brethren (I John 4:7). The Greek word translated "love" here is the word "agape", which is a self-sacrificing love: the type of love that God had for us when He gave Jesus to die for the sins of the world, and the type of love that He commands us to show to others. The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as "hypocritical love". Bruce Hurt wrote,
"Love with hypocrisy is an oxymoron and is not real love at all. Sadly much of what masquerades as "love" in the Christian community is laced with the arsenic of hypocrisy."
Many of us have probably received that type of "love" from others, and unfortunately, many of us have probably been guilty of giving that type of "love" to others also. John nailed this issue on the head when he wrote,
"But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (I John 3:17).
Paul himself stated that "love worketh no ill to his neighbour" (Romans 13:10), and that believers should "by love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13). So the questions we need to be asking ourselves are these: do I really love my fellow Christians? Do I do things for them that demonstrate that I love them? Do I meet their needs if I can? Do I ever do or say things that might harm them physically, emotionally, or socially? Do I serve them? The answers to these questions will reveal whether our "love" is genuine or hypocritical.
The second set of commands is found at the end of verse 9. Believers are told to "abhor evil". The word "abhor" expresses a strong feeling of horror or hatred regarding evil and implies loathing and disgust. The verb is in a linear tense, which means that this is a continuous action. We are to continually hate sin, be disgusted by it, and stay away from it. In Psalm 101:3 David wrote,
"I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."
Rather than cling to or pursue after evil, we should "cleave to that which is good". To "cleave" means to attach or glue something. This is also a continuous action verb. If we would be constantly attaching ourselves to that which is righteous, we would find that we have no time nor inclination towards that which is sinful. Amos 5:15 puts it this way,
"Hate the evil, and love the good."
In one verse we have three basic commands: be sincere in your love to others, hate sin, attach yourself to that which is good. How are we doing in those areas?
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
|
|
You Are Here: 
