“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9)
Christian teachers are always talking about “following Jesus” and “walking in the Spirit” and staying on the “path of God.” We know what they mean, kind of, but what does that look like outside of the metaphor? What do you actually do when you are “walking in the footsteps of Jesus”?
Romans 12 is here to clue us in this week.
1) Don’t fake-love anyone. Don’t act nice or be extra polite and call that love. Jesus-walkers love like Jesus did. He wasn’t always nice, but he came to serve, give, die. (See 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 for a full definition.)
2) Hate evil. We’re not talking about super-villains with maniacal laughs. Evil includes everything that is against God. This isn’t about people; it’s about sin. Jesus-walkers learn to hate sin instead of loving it, including their own.
3) Bear hug what is good. Don’t let it go. Good is anything that is from God or for God or in service of God. Jesus-walkers don’t just shake hands with good; they embrace it.
Think: Why is it so hard to hate our sin? What helps us to hate it better? What good in your life could you be holding on to more tightly?
Pray: Ask God to help you to love sincerely, to hate what is evil, and to cling to what is good.
Do: Even if you’ve read it a million times before, give 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 a slow, thoughtful once-over.