Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Romans 12:9-12 HCSB

In this scripture passage Paul is describing the marks or characteristics of a true Christian. He tells us to let our love be genuine, abhor what is evil, and hold fast to what is good. We are encouraged to love one another with brotherly affection. We are to serve the Lord, rejoice in the hope we have in Christ, be patient when troubles come our way and pray continually

In verse 13 he tells us that a true Christian should contribute to the needs of fellow Christians and seek to show hospitality.

In verse 14 Paul says to bless those who persecute you and do not curse them. He tells us to be humble and not to repay evil for evil. He tells us to leave vengeance to the Lord.

Paul goes on in verse 20 instructing us to feed our enemy if he is hungry and give him drink if he is thirsty. He ends this passage by saying that we should not be overcome by evil, but should overcome evil with good.

I encourage you to read Romans 12:9-20 verse by verse. As you go through each verse, think about how you measure up.

Is your love genuine? Are you able to have brotherly love for those around you, even those that may be unlovable? Do you zealously pursue your relationship with Christ? Do you gladly serve the Lord without grumbling and complaining? Are you constant in your prayer life or do you only pray when you are in a jam, before meals or at bedtime?

Do you ask God to bless others, even your enemies. Do you put others before yourself and rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep? Or, are you so involved in your own personal problems that you are rarely aware of what’s happening in the lives of those around you?

Do you humble yourself or do you often consider others beneath you? Do you consider yourself wise in your own sight?

When someone wrongs you, how do you handle it? Do you vow to repay them for what they have done? Do you seek vengeance or do you do what is considered honorable?

We are told here to let God take care of our enemies. It’s not our job to seek vengeance. Maybe the biggest test of all comes when our enemy is hungry or thirsty. Do you feed him and give him drink or do you think it’s good for him to suffer? We are warned against gloating when our enemy suffers in Proverbs 24:17 and verse 18 warns that God may see this, be displeased, and turn his anger away from our enemy. Could this mean that God may turn His wrath on us? Be very careful. Instead of gloating we are told to help our enemy in his time of need.

Living the Christian life is difficult. I have told you that it’s not for the weak. If you claim to be a Christian, please take a minute and look at your current circumstances. Are you living a life that does the opposite of what the flesh tells you to do? Because in all honesty that’s what being a Christian is all about. It’s about denying our flesh and walking in the Spirit. Are you doing these things that Paul has laid out for us?

It may seem like a long list, but start with verse 9 by letting your love be genuine and abhorring or staying away from evil. Take this list one characteristic or trait at a time and try to master all of them. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel. There are some of these that I still really need to work on, but I can tell you that I get that gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit convicting me when I mess up. But I continue to strive to do my best, won’t you join me in this endeavor?

We all sin and backslide from time to time, but we should be striving as best as possible to measure up to the marks of a true Christian. If you feel like you are not  doing so well, what are you waiting on? There is no time like now to get started.

Have a great weekend!