Warrensburg church of Christ
May 25th 2025
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      • James 1.22-24NASB95

      • James 1:22–24NASB95

      • James 1:22NASB95

      • Ephesians 2:8NASB95

      • Matthew 25:41NASB95

      • Titus 3:8NASB95

      • Revelation 2:5NASB95

      • Revelation 2:19NASB95

      • Matthew 28:18NASB95

      • Matthew 22:36NASB95

      • Deuteronomy 15NASB95

      • John 13:35NASB95

      • Matthew 5:16NASB95

      • John 15:8NASB95

      • Proverbs 16:4aNASB95

      • Philippians 1:9NASB95

      • Matthew 25:34NASB95

      • Matthew 25:35–36NASB95

  • BIBLICAL LOVE

    If you have not been here over the last month we have been talking about biblical love. I think the topic of love might be the most important truth that the church needs to understand. Why do I think that? Because it is the most important trait that God requires of his people (Love God & Love neighbor) but its also the most abused and misunderstood characteristic and trait in all of Christianity. Not because of God and his word but because we have tried to blend the cultures meaning of love with God’s meaning of love.
    The reason we need to be careful in our understanding of love and why we need to study love, is because love is embraced by our culture. The world is looking for love. albeit in all the wrong places. Love is motto that we hear the world use. Our culture uses phrases like “love is never wrong”, “love always wins”, “love yourself first”, “love is love”, “live laugh love”. You see our culture is in love with the word love. Often times we here words like love is tolerant, doesn’t judge, looks past my sin etc. That the worlds idea of love.
    But the bible also talks about love. We’ve seen God’s love story to mankind. We know that God is love and his people ought to imitate that love and be a reflection of God’s love. We saw last week how God’s love is difficult and calls us to sacrifice put others above ourselves. But this week I want us to see that...

    God’s love does not turn a blind eye to sin and evil!

    In fact true love cannot turn a blind eye to sin & evil. Because if it does then its not love. Its a cheap imitation. In fact last week we briefly introduced this when we read 1 Cor. 13:6
    1 Corinthians 13:6 NASB95
    does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
    real genuine Godly love cannot rejoice in unrighteousness or support unrighteousness. It can’t support and rejoice in homosexuality, or any kind of sexual immorality, divorce, lying...
    Galatians 5:19–21 NASB95
    Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
    Love cannot accept sin, can not tolerate sin, it does not rejoice in sin. Instead it rejoices with the truth. It does support those things that are holy, just, true, wholesome, pure, right
    Philippians 4:8 NASB95
    Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
    In our passage today Rom. 12:9
    Romans 12:9 NASB95
    Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
    We are told to...

    Let love be without hypocrisy!

    What do you mean without hypocrisy? Love must be real, genuine, sincere. It cannot be fake. A lot of people have a fake version of love. Many have been deceived by fake love. Many put on the fake facade of love. The world has certainly tried to skew our understanding of what love really is. I have heard many sermons on this passage over the years (sermons on we have to really love one another and not be fake in our love and they instantly go off to all these other passages to explain what love without hypocrisy is 1 Peter 1:22 “Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,” 1 John 4:20 “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” 1 Timothy 1:5 “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” ) and all of them I think failed to really allow this passage to define what love without hypocrisy really is and what is not. You see we have the statement let love be without hypocrisy followed by two participle phrases that actually inform us what it means to love genuinely. it means first of all...

    We abhor what is evil!

    The word abhor here is found only here in the N.T. and means to have the highest degree of hatred possible. To vehemently abhor evil, that which is sinful, wrong, unholy, not right. Brothers and sisters we should hate the very things that God hates. Prov. 6:16-19
    Proverbs 6:16–19 NASB95
    There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.
    Psalm 119:163 NASB95
    I hate and despise falsehood, But I love Your law.
    There are way too many people and so called churches and Christians who don’t see things like God does.
    Isaiah 5:20 NASB95
    Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
    Psalm 119:104 NASB95
    From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.
    Amos 5:15 NASB95
    Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the Lord God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
    Why? Why should we hate evil so much?

    Sin is dangerous & God is holy!

    Sin is a cancer that is eating people up from the inside.
    It is destroying people lives. It robs people of peace, hope, joy, inheritance. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin destroys, it brings death, destruction, chaos, turmoil, loss, confusion. Sin is terrible. Its damning!
    to love someone with agape love - that unselfish, self-giving, willful devotion kind of love will pay whatever price necessary for the well being of another and that means calling a spade a spade. That means calling evil evil, sin wrong, and unacceptable. Is that hard, yes! To love someone and not do the hard thing is being a hypocrite. It is being self centered.
    Brothers and sisters we need to hate the very thing that is destroying our friends, family and neighbors and call them back to what is good. That is love. Cultural love says don’t offend, affirm whatever the person happens to be. But we can’t applaud someone as they run straight to an everlasting hell away from God for all eternity (that is not love).
    To hate that which God hates is the path to holiness. God cannot accept that which is evil and we are to be holy as he is holy and that means we call things like calls them. If its a sin we call it a sin if its right we call it right.
    Who loves a person more the one who accepts and applauds their sin or the one who warns and tries to lead them back into what is good? Which leads us to the second part of loving without hypocrisy.

    Cling to what is good!

    Cling means to cleave or hold onto something with complete undying devotion. Here it means that we hold on to with complete undying devotion to good! This word is used several times in the bible
    Acts 11:23 NASB95
    Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;
    Genesis 2:24 NASB95
    For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
    1 Thessalonians 5:21 NASB95
    But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;
    Micah 6:8 NASB95
    He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
    Why cling to what is good! Because that is what God said.

    Good leads to life, peace, hope, joy and an eternity with God.

    That which is good brings healing to the soul and the world. to cling to good is to love what God loves. It helps us to become more like Him. To be holy as he is holy. To cling to what is good means we promote the good things of God. We speak to what God says is good. We hold truth up for all the world to see. We do it without watering it down or making excuses for it. We talk about devotion, dedication, commitment to the Lord. We talk about purity and the holy bonds of marriage. Obeying your parents. cling to prayer and fervent worship. Cling to the word of God, cling to Godly character and virtue like love compassion, integrity, honesty. Cling to faith in God, cling to hope and perseverance in God, cling to love unity and community, cling to the Lords presence in prayer and worship. Cling to eternal things Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
    Practical Steps for Clinging to Goodness
    • Regular Study of Scripture: Make time daily to read the Bible, memorizing passages such as Romans 12:9–21 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22.
    • Active Fellowship: Surround yourself with those who also desire to uphold godly values. Hebrews 10:24–25 encourages believers not to “give up meeting together” but to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
    • Consistent Prayer Life: Maintain communication with God for guidance and strength.
    • Reflection and Application: Examine personal behavior in light of biblical truth, adjusting actions to align with the teachings of Christ.
    • Service: Serve in ways that tangibly express God’s goodness. This could range from community outreach to simply helping neighbors in practical ways.
    We can’t abhor what God abhors or love what God loves if we don’t know what he loves and hates.

    As you read God’s Word we must pray that God would help us to love what he loves and hate what he hates.

    We must allow God’s word to work on our hearts and minds and we must resolve to be holy as he is holy. That is the goal. I really believe that a lot of times we don’t say anything because we don’t really want to think that that particular sin is really that bad but God speaks very plainly when it comes to sin and evil and we should not be afraid to either. We must call sin what it really is a sin. We must love people enough to tell them what God hates and beg them to turn back from sin and evil and turn to that which is good.
    Don’t let the worlds definition of love confuse you resolve to love like God and resolve not to be a hypocrite when it comes to love. We do that by hating what God hates and loving what God loves. If we can help you to respond to God’ love or if we can help you to turn away from evil and sin and turn to the Lord Jesus and to what is right please come while we stand and sing.
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Warrensburg church of Christ
https://cofcwsbg.org/
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