Sermon on Love, Part 2
A Sermon on Romans 12:9-11
Originally preached April 29, 1966
Scripture
9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Sermon Description
Becoming a Christian means becoming part of a family. The Christian family is not a natural family but a supernatural one. When one is born again, they see that the same is true for other Christians. The apostle Paul teaches Christians that they are to love brothers and sisters in the faith as though they were brothers and sisters in blood. In this sermon on Romans 12:9–11 titled “Sermon on Love, Part 2,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns that this love is not phony love. It is not based upon positive circumstances and not the same as merely “liking” each member of the body of Christ. It is an innate or instinctive love as one has for blood family. There is a strong chance, warns Dr. Lloyd-Jones, a Christian will not have instinctive affections for other Christians. What are they to do? They cannot base their love on feelings since feelings are fickle. He exhorts the Christian to begin with doctrine. The Christian works out their doctrine of regeneration and the teaching of Scripture regarding the household of God. Christians have a bond of faith which surpasses even the natural bonds of blood. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks the pressing question of believers: what do they feel about their fellow Christians? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones stirs the listener to consider brotherly love and showing honor to the body of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul instructs Christians in their relationships with one another.
- Paul lays down two fundamental principles to govern Christian conduct: love and hatred of evil.
- Paul says Christians should have a brotherly love for one another like the natural love between family members.
- Christians belong to the same spiritual family and should feel closely bonded like natural relatives.
- Paul says Christians should "in honor prefer one another" which means respecting and deferring to one another.
- "Honor" refers to properly evaluating and respecting others based on their gifts and abilities.
- "Preferring one another" means taking the lead in showing respect, honor and deference to others.
- Paul does not mean abandoning judgment or pretending everyone is equal. He means avoiding pride and arrogance.
- Paul sees himself as the "least" of the apostles because of God's grace, though he recognizes the gifts God has given him.
- Christians should see themselves as unworthy servants who have received gifts from God, not something they generated themselves.
- Comparing yourself to saints and leaders from Christian history helps gain perspective on your own smallness and inadequacy.
- Recognizing your own sinfulness and inadequacy helps you honor and prefer others, as you realize no one can be as bad as you.
- You can maintain confidence in the gifts God has given you, while also realizing you personally are nothing without God's grace.
- The key is focusing on God's grace and gifts, not your own merit or worthiness. This allows proper humility and respect for others.
Sermon Q&A
What Does the Bible Mean by "Be Kindly Affectioned One to Another"?
What does "kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love" mean in Romans 12:10?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, this phrase in Romans 12:10 refers to a deep familial love Christians should have for one another. The original Greek word translated as "kindly affectioned" describes the natural, innate affection people feel toward blood relatives. Lloyd-Jones explains: "Love the brethren in the faith as though they were brethren in blood." This means Christians should feel the same instinctive, warm love for fellow believers as they would for their own family members - not merely a polite or superficial relationship, but a deep bond of kinship.
How can Christians practice preferring one another in honor?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that "preferring one another in honor" involves:
- Properly evaluating and respecting the gifts God has given to others
- Going before others in showing respect - taking the lead in honoring them
- Maintaining a proper self-assessment - recognizing all we have is from God
- Avoiding pride and self-promotion
- Following Christ's teaching to take the lowest place (Luke 14:7-11)
He emphasizes this doesn't mean false modesty or pretending our gifts don't exist, but rather acknowledging that "who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7).
Why is it difficult to create feelings of brotherly affection?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges we cannot manufacture feelings on command. He explains that attempting to directly create feelings often fails. Instead, he teaches that Christians should:
- Start with doctrine - understand your new spiritual birth and family relationship
- Recognize that all Christians belong to God's household (Ephesians 2:19)
- Meditate on these spiritual realities until they affect your feelings
- Pray for the Spirit to fill your heart with love
As he states: "Feelings are always the result of something else, and feelings are the result ultimately of understanding and of thought."
What is the difference between liking and loving fellow Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes an important distinction: "You don't like each member of your family as much as you like others... You are to love them to the same extent, but you're not ever commended to like them to the same extent." Christians are commanded to love all believers with the same familial bond, even though natural affinity or liking may vary. This love involves commitment, service, and treating fellow believers as family regardless of personality differences.
How has pride damaged the Christian church according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones states there is "nothing that has done so much harm in the life of the Christian church throughout the centuries and still does harm in the Christian church as the failure to put this [preferring one another] into practice." Pride manifests as:
- Comparing ourselves favorably to those we consider inferior
- Being hypersensitive and easily offended
- Taking credit for gifts God has given
- Competing for position and recognition within the church
- Failing to recognize our own sinfulness
The cure, according to Lloyd-Jones, is to realize "I am what I am by the grace of God" and to compare ourselves not to others but to Christ himself.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.