9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Main Points: The Marks of Sincere, Non-Phony, Non-Playacting, Non-Hypocritical Love (v. 9a and following)
1) It's undergirded by strong moral conviction, rooted in God's Word; not relativistic tolerance (v. 9b; Isa 5:20)
2) It demonstrates a familial affection for fellow Christians (v. 10a;
1 Th 2:7,11-12; 1 Ti 5:1-2)
3) It puts others before ourselves (v. 10b; Php 2:3-4)
4) It is zealous in its service to God and others, not half-hearted (v.11; 1 Co 15:58; Gal 6:9-10; Heb 6:10-12; 1 Pe 5:1-4)
5) It "stays the course" in fighting the mindset of the world, by:
a) rejoicing in the hope of future glory that is certain and secure (v. 12a; Rom 8:18-30; 2 Co 4:13-18; 1 Th 4:13-18; 2 Pe 3:13)
b) exhibiting a perseverance when hard times come (v. 12b; Rom 5:3-5; Jas 1:2-4)
c) having communion with God continually (v. 12c; Mt 26:41; Lk 18:1-8; Col 4:2; 1 Th 5:16-18
6) It pursues opportunities to welcome and take care of Christians whom we haven't met before (v.13; Mt 25:31-40; 1 Jn 3:17-20)
7) It blesses those who ridicule, harass, or do worse (v.14).
-How does it do this? By praying for them (Mt 5:44-45) and doing good to them (Lk 6:27-28)
8) It makes the grief of others one's own, as well as their gladness (v. 15, 1 Co 12:21-26)
9) It shows genuine affection and interest towards those of a lower status (v. 16; 1 Co 4:7; Jas 2:1-12)
10) It does all it can to be at peace with believers and unbelievers alike, within the realm of obedience to God's commands (vv. 17b, 18; 1 Th 5:15)
11) It doesn't seek revenge; it entrusts all judgment to God (v. 19; 1 Pe 2:19-23).
12) It does good to our enemies, instead of merely tolerating them (v. 20)
Note: "heap burning coals on his head" - could either mean "will lead to God's further judgment" or "will lead them to feel ashamed and possibly even to repent" (in light of passages like 1 Sam 24; Mt 5:15-16; 1 Pe 3:15-16, more likely the latter.)
A word to conclude -
If these exhortations overwhelm us, let us remember these promises of God to us:
Rom 8:32, Php 1:6, Php 4:13, Mt 7:7; Heb 13:20-21
