Love, Good, and Evil
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good…. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:9, 14-21, ESV)
Pastor Abel’s sermon on this passage is titled, “Counterfeit Love”.
While watching a show with my kids, we observed that the good guys’ job would be a lot easier if they didn’t have to be good all the time. Spider man could beat the villain much faster if he didn’t have to stop and save the innocent bystanders. But then it hit me, if he did that, he wouldn’t be good anymore! He would overcome evil with evil, not good.
Paul, in the above passage, highlights the relationship between genuine love and being able to know the difference between good and evil. Not only that, but central to true love is a hatred of evil and a commitment to good. Love is not just a subjective feeling we have, but it is inexplicably linked to objective reality. Love hates evil and ‘holds fast’ to good.
It is helpful to remember that this passage connects logically back to Romans 12:1-2 which says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
So, the ‘good’ that we are to hold fast to in love is defined in these two verses. It is the good will of God. We can only know (“discern”) what this ‘good’ is when we are transformed instead of conforming to the world. And we can only be transformed ‘by the mercies of God’ as we present ourselves to God in worshipful service day to day.
Tomorrow morning, as you wake up, take a few minutes to reflect on this. Perhaps say a prayer of worship to God, expressing your desire to please him, requesting his help to live sacrificially, to walk in his will, and to overcome the evil of the day with the goodness of his loving shining through you.
Questions
- How often do you say “I love [fill in the blank]” each week? What are some examples?
- Why is it necessary to know the difference between good and evil for love to be genuine?
- Was there a time in your life when you acted in love toward someone who wronged you? What gave you the strength to do that?
- Is there an area of your life where God is calling you to overcome evil with good this week?
- How does spending time in God’s word contribute toward how we love others?