PRACTICE HOSPITALITY IN OUR HOMES, HQ Bible Study Team
LOVE MUST BE SINCERE
Passage: Romans 12:9~21  
Key verse: 9
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere.(A) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.(B) 10 Be devoted to one another in love.(C) Honor one another above yourselves.(D) 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,(E) serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope,(F) patient in affliction,(G) faithful in prayer.(H) 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.(I) Practice hospitality.(J)
14 Bless those who persecute you;(K) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.(L) 16 Live in harmony with one another.(M) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited.(N)
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.(O) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.(P) 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.(Q) 19 Do not take revenge,(R) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[b](S) 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.”[c](T)
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Footnotes
- Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
- Romans 12:19 Deut. 32:35
- Romans 12:20 Prov. 25:21,22
Cross references
- Romans 12:9 : 2Co 6:6; 1Ti 1:5
- Romans 12:9 : Ps 97:10; Am 5:15; 1Th 5:21, 22
- Romans 12:10 : Ps 133:1; 1Th 4:9; Heb 13:1; 1Pe 1:22
- Romans 12:10 : Php 2:3
- Romans 12:11 : Ac 18:25
- Romans 12:12 : Ro 5:2
- Romans 12:12 : Heb 10:32, 36
- Romans 12:12 : S Lk 18:1
- Romans 12:13 : S Ac 24:17
- Romans 12:13 : 2Ki 4:10; Job 31:32; 1Ti 3:2; 5:10; Heb 13:2; 1Pe 4:9
- Romans 12:14 : S Mt 5:44
- Romans 12:15 : Job 30:25
- Romans 12:16 : S Ro 15:5
- Romans 12:16 : ver 3; Ps 131:1; Isa 5:21; Jer 45:5; Ro 11:25
- Romans 12:17 : ver 19; Pr 20:22; 24:29
- Romans 12:17 : 2Co 8:21
- Romans 12:18 : S Mk 9:50; S Ro 14:19
- Romans 12:19 : ver 17; Lev 19:18; Pr 20:22; 24:29
- Romans 12:19 : Dt 32:35; Ge 50:19; 1Sa 26:10; Ps 94:1; Jer 51:36
- Romans 12:20 : Pr 25:21, 22; Ex 23:4; Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Love sincerely (9-16)
One of the gifts we all have is love. We must love each other with sincerity. Sincere love hates evil. It looks to only what is good. It honors others over ourselves. Our sincere love for Jesus helps us to serve him with zeal. We live in the hope of God and we pray fervently, which helps us through times of affliction. Jesus practiced sincere love by blessing even his enemies. We can show this same kind of love rejoicing with those who rejoice, and mourning with those who mourn. By doing these things we can live in harmony with everyone.
2. Loving in a hostile world (17-21)
We will sometimes be treated badly by others. We should not treat them badly in return. Rather, we should live at peace with everyone. We want to take revenge on those who hurt us. But we shouldn't. We should not take revenge on those who hurt us, but leave the judgment to God. Rather we should bless and feed our enemies as Jesus did. When we do, they may come to see the reason we live this way and repent.
Prayer: Lord, help us to love others, even our enemies. Help me not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.
One Word: Love one another