Notes I took on a John Piper message on Romans 12:9-13

!Any words inside <-- --> are simply comments I've added to give more coherency to this journal entry.! In one of my older posts you can find a link to the original message. All of this is essentially borrowed from his message.

Romans 12:9-13

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. - ESV

1. Love your neighbor as yourself.
2. Love your enemy & pray for those who persecute you.
3. Love Christians with a tender fervent heartfelt love.

- Love is more than just a feeling.

- Love all Christians especially those around you with affection.

Romans 12:9-10

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. - ESV

"Brotherly Affection"

- tender affection of family love

Philos is actually the term for brotherly love. Unlike its use in pedophilia which suggests to us a sexual love. Eros, however, was certainly a sexual term. This bothers me about english.

Storge is a term for "familiar" or the family type of love.

<--It's not in my notes but I'm fairly certain Paul must have used these words in this passage or John Piper wouldn't have been talking about it.-->

Philos------------------Storge
Stand together and have familiar affection.

twisted intestines
<--I'm not sure if Piper said this or if I-->
<--It's just that we say heart in relation-->
<--But they related emotions to the guts-->

1 Peter 1:22

22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

Philippians 1:8

8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Corintians 6:11

11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

- We must feel something for one another.

!Pay attention no to think this!
!God is the kind of God who would not ask from us something we do not have the moral ability to do!

Whether you can or not

He (God) has the right to command us. <--He's not just our creator He's our King-->

God commands our emotions to be a certain way. We are responsible to be that way (follow that command) whether we can or not.

- Either this is man-made or it is driven by the Spirit. <--Which is it?-->

By our might or by His. <--Is the answer coming?-->

!Loving one another with tender loving affection is a witness to who God is!

If you admit God has the right to command you but you are mainly trying not to hate some Christian or Christians then...

1. Pray desperately & earnestly.

2. Focus on the spiritual aspects of life. Take the one(s) who have wronged or frusterated you and remind yourself God is their father and yours. You are siblings and someday God will destroy the sins between you and you will stand together rejoicing before God.

3. Do not think that love is all or nothing. It is a growing thing.

2 Thessalonians 1:3

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Don't be a relational fatalist. Don't think it could never change. "My family didn't show or feel affection so it aint gonna happen."

Nobody has a perfect family everyone is bruised. But do we believe in God.

God ordains that we be locked in 'till death do us part because He knows affection will die. However, He also knows by His power it can live again.

And it's the same in the Church. <--Sometimes,--> we say when were married it'll never be the same. It will never be okay. Then God steps in and in surprising and mysterious ways brings us to a deeper love and affection.