Love without Hypocrisy

Romans 12:9- Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Let's look at the second part of this verse first

Romans 12:9- “…Hate what it evil; cling to what is good’’

There is an objective, universal and defined good and an objective, universal and defined evil.

What is actually and truly good and what is actually and truly evil does not differ from person to person, from culture to culture, from generation to generation- God defines.

Good and evil is not defined individually, and relatively, by us- it is defined by God.

What this means is that good is not necessarily what you like or what you want to be good. Evil is not necessarily what you don't like or want you want to be evil.

In fact, we are inclined in our sin to hate what is good and to cling to what is evil.

John 3:19-20- This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

That's our inclination; our nature; in sin we love the darkness; we cling to evil; we hate the light.

Romans 12:9- ‘’Hate what is evil…’’

Don’t make the mistake of making a distinction between evils in your mind that you use to rationalize and justify your own personal collection of evils. Don’t suppose that some kinds of sin are self-destructive, but do not affect others. That’s false. Evil of any kind dishonors God and hurts people. There is no victimless sin or sin where there is but one victim. So, let’s be convinced of this; that evil of any and every kind is bad for us, and we would benefit to flee from it.

Paul chose his words very carefully and deliberately in verse. 9.

He does not say in this verse merely 'choose good over evil'- so it's not about your willpower- your resolve to come into the light, overpowering your will. He says 'hate what is evil (other translations say 'abhor' or 'loathe' what is evil) and cling to (cleave to; embrace with the deepest intimacy) what is good'.

In other words, and I find this to be incredibly good news, it is not that you find the strength within yourself to overpower your will and to choose good over evil, it is that God acts and God helps and your heart changes in such a way that you desire the goodness of God and you run to it; you loathe the evil of sin and you flee from it.

God works in us to draw us to Himself.

Earlier in chapter 12 of Romans;

Romans 12:2- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world (loving what is evil, living in darkness), but be transformed (how?) by the renewing of your mind. (that is the work of the Holy Spirit on the believer). Then you will be able to test approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So, we ask, ‘Holy Spirit, work in us and help us to feel the same way as you do about that which is good and that which is evil. Renew our hearts and our minds in order that our lives might be transformed for your glory’.

That renewal doesn’t happen instantaneously. It’s not that God ‘snaps his fingers’ and all of a sudden we, as lovers of darkness and haters of light, become haters of darkness and lovers of light. Renewal is a life-long process that God initiates in us and completes in us. But hopefully, if you are born again, you can recognize evidences of this process taking place in your life- dissatisfaction with sin and darkness and a longing for Jesus and the light- a change of heart and a change of mind.

Now, to the first half of the verse- Romans 12:9- ‘'Love must be sincere…’’

(The New American Standard Bible says ‘Let love be without hypocrisy’- that’s a better translation, I think)

So, what is hypocrisy? And what would love look like without it?

Simply put, hypocrisy tries to make the outside look better than the inside. So, hypocrisy puts forward what looks like loving behaviors that do not really actually and accurately represent, and even hides, what we are feel inside.

Jesus said to the religious leaders; Matthew 15:7-8- ‘’You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘'These people honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.’’

The outside is not complimented by the inside. That’s hypocrisy.

Be warned- ‘man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart’.

It’s great that you’re singing; it’s great that you’re serving; it’s great that you’re giving- but where is your heart? Because singing, serving, giving etc is only worship when it comes out of the overflow of a Christ-exalting heart. Otherwise, it's just works.

So, we ask, ‘Holy Spirit, help us to love you and to love others without hypocrisy Renew our hearts and our minds in order that our lives might be transformed for your glory’.

Now, if you've read this far, let me point out that ‘let your love be genuine’ and ‘hate what is evil, cling to what is good’ are not two separate, detached thoughts. On the contrary, there is a clear, distinct relationship between our love for God proving to be sincere and without hypocrisy and our hatred towards that which is evil; our desire for that which is good.

Our hatred towards what is evil and our desire for God and that which is good is what proves our love for God to be sincere, genuine; authentic; without hypocrisy.

Jesus said;

John 14:15- If you love me, you will obey what I command

That isn’t a manipulative statement. I know that’s how you read it. But this isn’t Jesus manipulating you in order to get you to obey what he commands. It’s a statement of truth and consequence. The truth is that the consequence of a genuine love for God that comes from Him drawing us near to Him is obedience, in that we hate the evil that He hates and we cling to that which is good, because our desires have changed on account of Him. Then, our attitude becomes like David in Psalm 40:8- ‘’I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."