Introduction

Romans 12:9ff gives a marvelously packed presentation of principles one after another in rapid fire. It is like an automatic weapon firing all over the place. There is a collage of exhortations (in 9-13, in four verses, there are 13 exhortations with many more to come in verses 14-21). We have a picture here with many objects in it. We want to soak in the picture as a whole but to do so meaningfully we also have to spend some time contemplating the individual objects. We actually have to change perspectives when viewing a picture or painting, we have to fluctuate back and forth between the whole and its parts. That is what we are doing in these messages on this textual unit.

We can capture all of Romans 12:9-13 in a nutshell. Last time we concluded that a broad and encompassing theme is work in the general sense of activity. And four basic things are said about our activities or doings whatever they may be. 1) All that you do should persist on the pathway of doing good. 2) All that you do should be especially oriented to the body of Christ

3) All that you do should arise from an inner strength. 4) All that you do should focus on the Lord Jesus. He is the one you work for in all your work.

Thus we can frame the painting and call it a picture of Christian work, Christian activity, or Christian busy-ness. The subdivisions make up sections of the painting where various things are clustered. In the center is Christ, our savior.

This is an opportunity for us all to examine ourselves with the following attitude: "Maybe I need improvement here, or there as I look at this picture of Christian activity. Lord, help me to grow in these graces."

Today I want to look more closely at the road in the painting, which is the pathway of the good. My title is "Continue on the good path" and I will consider the exhortations that we have in vs. 9 and 11 that form a cluster on and about the road. Paul exhorts us to continue on the good path in three ways. Stating each in the form of an exhortation, we have: 1) Be industrious on the good path, and 2) Be warmhearted on the good path, and 3) Be passionate on the good path. So I will deal with four virtues in three points.

1A. As you continue on the good path, be industrious

This is based on an analysis of the phrase "never be lacking in zeal" (NIV, v. 11a). Literally, we have "not slothful in effort" (hence: work, business). There is effort to be put forth and added to it is the idea of not being slothful or lazy: "don't be slothful in your efforts."

The most common translation of the word effort is diligence, which refers to perseverance, to painstaking effort (taking the pain necessary in the effort), to being assiduous. Do you know what it means to be an assiduous person? It means to be constantly attentive (to be one who breaks down the acids "between you and us"; cf. a mother watching her three young children in a pool, she never took her eyes off them). Governing the church demands great carefulness, great diligence, and much painstaking effort (Rom. 12:8, govern with painstaking effort, with assiduity; like the care given by Titus where caring includes being careful, full of care, 2 Co 8:16; or helping God's people continuously, Heb 6:10-11; I pray for this grace on your behalf to not come across as a policeman but more like a mother or father in the best sense).

It is like the diligence or eagerness that one spends defending his reputation and is thus associated with such things as indignation, alarm, longing, concern, and readiness to see justice done (2 Cor. 7:11). So the idea of industry is already present in the word effort: be industrious!

But Paul compounds the notion by adding the phrase, "not slothful."

This word is only used in a few places but it is a familiar expression because of the description given of the evil servant in the parable of the talents. This wicked servant is also called slothful or lazy (Matt.25:26).

It is a familiar notion in the OT reference to the sluggard or slothful person (cf. sluggard/ant comparison, Prov. 6:6, 9; 20:4; the lame excuse of the lion, 26:13; and the door hinges analogy, 26:14). Also, the virtuous woman stands in marked contrast to the sluggard for "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness" (Prov. 31:27). Consequences that follow laziness are stated in very down to earth terms in Ecclesiastes:

"If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks," 10:18; cf. while I stood idly by with the heavy snow on my roof, my house leaked damaging the entry way door header).

There is an implication in the compounding of language by Paul (adding "not slothful" to "effort"). One can put forth effort in a lazy way for even the sluggard puts much effort forth tossing and turning on his bed like the hinges on a door. The sports person can be very physical and energetic in his play of basketball or soccer and be lazy as to proper priorities of life.

Consider the saying "much ado about nothing." Many people like making mountains out of molehills. So they spend a great deal of time and energy working on a molehill. What does that make them? It makes them little moles, small burrowing mammals with narrow snouts, minute eyes, and silky fur. People who waste time and energy on molehills are narrow minded as they burrow around with their noses in the dirt looking up only to judge others with their minute legalistic eyes.

Prioritizing is an aid against sloth. Consider how this applies to things in the list. It takes prioritizing of our money and possessions to give (v. 15a) and it takes prioritizing of our possessions and our time to practice hospitality (v. 15b). We need to examine our lives by these exhortations and not run these exhortations through the meat grinder of our busy-ness. The meat grinder is used if you say, "I do not have time to practice hospitality." This statement shows three things. 1) You are failing to practice hospitality. 2) A lame excuse is being offered to the conscience to justify the failure. And 3) the structure of your life, your time, your activity is a bit "messed up" and needs to be submitted to Christ for review and repair. That is what we say when we claim we do not have time to do what the Lord Jesus commands us to do!

Rather than expending a great deal of misplaced energy we need the right kind of effort that is directed to the path of the good. Then effort is put forth learning the good and effort is put forth applying the good. Learning the word of God will have supreme importance and the effort put forth to learn it and live it will show itself supremely.

Supreme effort is demanded. Here your good activities will be under girded by careful, diligent, and painstaking effort. "Do not be slothful in effort" is a call to be industrious on the path of the good in obedient faith in Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

2A. As you continue on the good path, be warmhearted

This non-lazy (industrious) effort is to be heartfelt (warm-hearted, deep-seated, wholehearted). When we get to the heart attitude we turn now to fervency (v.11b). The right and enlivened outward effort ought to be a manifestation of a fervent heart. Whatever is observed by others, whatever shows outwardly (right things with much ado about them!), must come from a right heart. It is not to be half hearted but whole hearted. It is not to be cold hearted but warm hearted.

The text actually speaks of "boiling" in spirit. This refers to devoted enthusiasm. What prompts it? It is rooted in contemplation of the excellence of Christ as He is presented in as a whole (cf. 1:1-4). Through Him we have the gospel of righteousness, the perfect righteousness of God given to sinners through faith. It is the gospel of the OT centered on Christ, a descendent of David, and who by the Spirit was marked out as the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead. He is first fruit of the harvest that includes you and me. I will be able one day to say that though the worms eat this body, in my flesh I shall see God! One day I will say, "look at my hands and feet, it is I myself in heaven's glory with the Lord." That is the case for you as well if you trust in the risen Lord Jesus. The excellence and perfection of Christ in His work of redemption guarantee this. We must refer to Him as "His Excellency."

This is how you cultivate fervency in your work, in all your doings. It is by contemplation of the excellence of Jesus Christ, your majestic prophet, priest, and king. Spend time with Jesus on the way and your heart will burn within you; your spirit will be brought to a boil and spill your inner attitude over in energetic conduct on the good path serving the Lord. In other words, you will spill your guts in service to Christ.

To what will this lead? What then will you do relative to the path of the good? You will not only leave the path of evil, you will boil in hatred of it. You will not only tiptoe onto the path of the good you will race along this path fleet of foot. You will leave the one and cleave to the other! This brings us to the final point of passion (perhaps a subdivision of fervency).

3A. As you continue on the path of the good, be passionate

Continuing on the good path, be industrious (eager, diligent, hurried, painstaking) and warm-hearted, even "boiling-hearted." Therefore, be passionate.

I am using the word "passionate" here because the language in verse 9 is loaded with feeling; it spills over with passion. Presumably, it begins with boiling zeal that cannot be contained but that bubbles up and spills over the top.

Two very strong words are used: abhor is hate and cling is used of the union of husband and wife in marriage. Hence we have: "hate evil and embrace the good."

How do we hate or despise evil in embracing the good? Hate is a strong emotion at least in part so how do we turn on this emotion? Is it like turning on a facet? We probably usually think of hatred as a spontaneous emotion that erupts suddenly and beyond our control. But here it is commanded. It is something we can govern to some degree or another.

Emotions can be governed indirectly. If you want to enjoy yourself you will seek occasions and friends that you enjoy like going to a movie, reading a good book, listening to music, riding a bike or playing tennis. You do not simply sit there and by thinking turn on the good emotion. It comes when you are on the appropriate path or road. Even planning can bring joy (via memories and anticipation). Similarly, thinking ahead to a difficult confrontation that needs to take place at work can arouse negative emotions beforehand. Thus we try to move away from some situations and we try to move toward other situations.

It may help us to think of abhorring or hating as a response that is much larger than an emotional reaction/revulsion (leading us away from x) just as love is much more than an emotional affection (leading us toward x). Hatred includes things we think, say, and do as well as how we feel. On one hand, how we feel will be affected by how we think, speak, and act. On the other hand, how we think, speak, and act will affect how we feel.

Therefore, a bottom line in cultivating an abhorrence of evil is to call it like it is. Call it sin, transgression, wickedness, deception, corruption, death. This helps you focus clearly on the true ugliness of sin that is to the soul like cancer or leprosy is to the body. Evil mars, deforms, and corrupts sending the stench of death into the air. If you see it like this (as it truly is) you will be close enough to it for it to burn your nostrils and cause you to draw back with repugnance. In other words, when you see a garbage dump up close the smell is despicable and abhorrent.

Part of this seeing takes place when we think of sin as missing the mark of God's character and authority. We fall short of His glory (Rom. 3:23) and dishonor His sovereign majesty when we sin. Thus we miss our supreme end in life, lose our own identity, distort true happiness, and deny our very humanity. The more we see how sin dishonors the majesty of our Lord, the more we will dislike it. The more we see how sin contradicts the loveliness of Christ, the more we will despise it. The more we see how sin corrupts our true humanness as the image bearers of God, the more we will hate it.

The more we see the full guilt of sin, the more we will oppose it. "You who think of sin but lightly here its guilt may estimate. Mark the sacrifice appointed, see who it is who bears the awful load. Tis the word, the Lord's anointed, Son of man and Son of God."

These elements of thought and speech converge in action. Consider how this is the case in the example of Joseph (Gen. 39:6-12). His view of sexual purity includes a high regard for marriage as is implied in his statement of the fact that she is Potiphar's wife (v. 9b). Notably, he voiced this view to her. In his question (v. 9c), he also voiced his view that sexual impurity and the violation of marriage is evil, actually a great evil, and sin against God. It is a direct personal affront to God (dishonoring both His character and authority). To be sure, this is a sin against one's own body, against the other person involved, against one's spouse, and so forth. But Joseph first and foremost views it as sin, and specifically sin that is directed against God. It is a matter of direct opposition to God.

Joseph's abhorrence of this evil manifested itself in at least three actions. 1) He refused her overtures (v. 8a), doing this day after day (v. 10a). 2) He kept his distance refusing to "even be with her" (v. 10b). 3) Finally, the repugnance of sexual impurity moved his feet to fleeing (vs. 11-12). His action of refusing coupled with words that unmasked the evil as a violation of marriage, a great evil, and most of all as direct sin against God gave strength to his feet when the chips were down. When he caught the stench of sin, he turned his head away verbalizing his disgust. He walked in the opposite direction day by day, and literally ran away from evil.

Joseph did what Paul enjoins. He did not make provision for sin to fulfill the lusts thereof. In other words, he would not even be with her in any private way or intimate setting. He kept his distance. He avoided the context where evil was likely to present itself. He was passionate on the pathway of the good.

Conclusion

Consider the cluster of graces in this section of the painting if Christian activity. Be industrious, be warm hearted, and be passionate as you persist on the good path. Meditation on the loveliness of Christ will cultivate fervent, boiling hearted, and passionate effort in service to Jesus your risen Lord.