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Romans 12:9-11
The Greek word underlying “fervent” is zeō, which at its root means “to boil; seethe.” The apostle Paul instructs us in this passage to “run hot” in using God's Spirit to serve God and others at all times—even when the spiritual climate around us has gone cold. Fervent application of God's way of life, lived through following the urgings of the Holy Spirit, will help us to prepare and endure.
Jesus tells the disciples in John 15:13, “Greater love [agapē] has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.” To God, that is how far our loving service should go for our brethren. It does not have to mean that we literally die for them, though it could. The idea here is similar to what Paul writes in Romans 12:1 about being “a living sacrifice.” That is, we lay aside what we may want to do at a given time to help a brother or sister in his or her time of need.
What if we lack that kind of selflessness? The apostle John writes in I John 4:8 that “God is love [agapē].” He is its Source, and we must study Him and go to Him for help in growing in it.
John Reiss
Waxing ColdRelated Topics: Agape | Agape Love | Fervency | Living Sacrifice | Selflessness | Waxing Cold | Zeo | Zeo- Fervent
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What Does Romans 12:9 Mean?
Choosing love without hypocrisy means showering others with godly love, doing good for them wholeheartedly and without partiality. Nothing should stop one from putting others first and helping them in their time of need. A half-baked love may be better than nothing, but love with zeal is the value-added kind Jesus displayed throughout His ministry. This selfless love reflects His words in John 15:13, that laying down one's life for one's friends is the greatest love. Rather than requiring literal death, it means laying aside personal desires to help a brother or sister, much like being a living sacrifice. Those lacking this selflessness must study God and go to Him for help, for He is love, agapē, its very Source.