Romans 12:9
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ESV
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. NLT
There are times when you read a scripture that you almost instantly feel conviction. How do you know what is conviction and feelings of condemnation. Conviction typically deals with a specific point in time and action. For instance, yesterday at lunch I was unkind in my dialogue with my spouse. So I would need to ask God to forgive me and my spouse to forgive me.
Condemnation is a general accusation that just reminds you of your faults and failures. In the same scenario, condemnation could have these thoughts: “I am a terrible husband, I am never kind to my wife, I’ll never be good enough.” Condemnation has partial truths that the enemy uses to cause us to be intimidated in our living for Jesus. The truth is that apart from Jesus, we do choose wrong, but In Christ, we are a new person and we know have the mind of Christ.
Let’s pray
Father, thank you that you are Holy. You always were and you will always be Holy. There is none like you for us even to compare your purity. And yet, you choose to love us and you desire for us to spend time with you.
Father, you know all things, you know when I love others genuinely and when I am just faking it. Reveal tome when I am prideful about my sacrifice in loving others.
Father, you tell us to hate, abhor what is evil. I know that I am too complacent about things that you consider disgusting. The platitude about hating the sin but loving the sinner sounds good…but how does that work? You were a friend fo sinners so I know that it is possible for you to help us to love rightly. Help us to hate all evil, and not just those things that we think are the most disgusting. Stealing and gossiping are just as unholy as murder and adultery, all give the enemy a foothold in our society. God forgive us.
Paul gives the balance in this verse when he encourages us to hold to that which is good. Your patterns and principles for godly and pure living are the standard that we exalt. There is a better path.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ESV
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. NLT
There are times when you read a scripture that you almost instantly feel conviction. How do you know what is conviction and feelings of condemnation. Conviction typically deals with a specific point in time and action. For instance, yesterday at lunch I was unkind in my dialogue with my spouse. So I would need to ask God to forgive me and my spouse to forgive me.
Condemnation is a general accusation that just reminds you of your faults and failures. In the same scenario, condemnation could have these thoughts: “I am a terrible husband, I am never kind to my wife, I’ll never be good enough.” Condemnation has partial truths that the enemy uses to cause us to be intimidated in our living for Jesus. The truth is that apart from Jesus, we do choose wrong, but In Christ, we are a new person and we know have the mind of Christ.
Let’s pray
Father, thank you that you are Holy. You always were and you will always be Holy. There is none like you for us even to compare your purity. And yet, you choose to love us and you desire for us to spend time with you.
Father, you know all things, you know when I love others genuinely and when I am just faking it. Reveal tome when I am prideful about my sacrifice in loving others.
Father, you tell us to hate, abhor what is evil. I know that I am too complacent about things that you consider disgusting. The platitude about hating the sin but loving the sinner sounds good…but how does that work? You were a friend fo sinners so I know that it is possible for you to help us to love rightly. Help us to hate all evil, and not just those things that we think are the most disgusting. Stealing and gossiping are just as unholy as murder and adultery, all give the enemy a foothold in our society. God forgive us.
Paul gives the balance in this verse when he encourages us to hold to that which is good. Your patterns and principles for godly and pure living are the standard that we exalt. There is a better path.
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