“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” – Romans 12:9-11

I have always considered myself to be a simple man. Understanding a situation is always preferable to confusing and misunderstanding. That is why I love to just read the Bible and believe the words I’ve read, in a simple, literal way. This is called a ‘Literal Hermeneutic.’ We just let the words speak and we then understand them in a normal sense, just like reading this article today. Many, if not most passages in the Bible, are understood with just a little digging. We think about the usage of the words when they were written or translated, the history and culture of those olden times. The verses above are even more simple. We can take each little phrase and say, “That’s what I need to practice in my life.” Let’s quickly look at those powerful little instructions for us.

  • “Let love be without dissimulation.” An old English word which means to be genuine and sincere.
  • “Abhor that which is evil;” We just hate evil. Someone may say “Christians aren’t supposed to hate.” We aren’t to hate people, but we are to hate evil.
  • “Cleave to that which is good.” Remember the words in the marriage ceremony? A man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife. It is a picture of glue holding things tightly together. If something is good, get glued to it, cling to it.
  • “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love.” Devote yourself to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
  • “In honor preferring one another.” Give someone else the praise and the best seat. Think of General Booth and the Salvation Army. “Others Lord, yes others, let this my motto be, let me live for others, that I may love for thee.”
  • “Not slothful in business.” Always have zeal for the things of God. This word business wasn’t used 400 years ago like it is today. Back then the meaning was to pay attention and to be totally focused. That’s the way we should be with our testimonies.
  • “…fervent in spirit.” We intentionally stay connected to the Lord and His church. We usually make choices about our fervor, don’t we? Let’s not become lukewarm in our walk with the Lord.
  • “…serving the Lord.” Find a way to get involved with the ministry of Christ.

Aren’t those little quick hitters wonderful? Many more passages are found just like these today in Romans 12. As you read your Bible, don’t just mentally fly by these quick hitters because they are so short. They are packed with truths, wisdom and direction. Let’s keep it simple.