1. Love Without Hypocrisy Inside the Church
• Romans 12:9 (NASB), “Love must be free of hypocrisy. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality... [skip v14 for now and look at it in the 2nd point] 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”
• EVERY time spiritual gifts are mentioned in the NT, it is followed up by a call to love.
• Spiritual gifts are explained in 1 Cor. 12. I Cor. 13 is the love chapter!
• The last verse in 1 Corinthians 12:31, “I am going to show you a far better way.”
• The far better way is love!
• Ephesians 4 mentions spiritual gifts. This is followed by Ephesians 5,“... be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you.”
A closer look at these tweet-like verses reveal that they all come back to the same point in v1... Love must be free of hypocrisy.
• The NTL says, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.”
• That’s the overriding theme of this section. Don’t pretend. Really love people.
What is a hypocrite?
• A hypocrite is a pretender. They wear a mask. They hide their true intentions. Their love is fake.
• Jesus warned us of the hypocrites. They were praying, fasting, and giving – but it was just for show.
• Hypocrites use good things as a cover for bad things.
• They dress as sheep, but they are wolves underneath.
• They start an “Aid Foundation”, and steal all the money.
• A hypocrite is always pointing out the speck in your eye, but ignoring the log in theirs.
• Kevin DeYoung, “Hypocrisy is not the gap between doing and feeling [that’s immaturity]. Hypocrisy is the gap between your public persona and your private character.”
• John Murray, “If love is the sum of virtue, and hypocrisy the epitome of vice. What a contradiction to bring these together.”
• Love and hypocrisy are incompatible.
That is love?
• C. S. Lewis wrote about the four loves. Generally speaking, he says, Storge is family love. Philia is friendship love. Eros is marriage love. He calls these natural loves because everyone participates in them. But, they are not self-sufficient... something else is needed to come into these gardens of love to tend and keep the natural loves sweet. What is needed is agape love or God’s love, love beyond our nature and love beyond our world. God’s love truly seeks what is best for others.
Charles Spurgeon, “Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite."
• Love without hypocrisy is how we love as living sacrifices -- love that is sacrificial, humble, unconditional, and divine.
Question, “Do we love one another like this?”
2. Love Without Hypocrisy Outside the Church
Romans 12:14 (NASB), “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 17 Never repay evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all people. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
• The Chinese say, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, you should first dig two graves.”
• Romans 2:4 says God’s kindness leads to repentance. Respond to your enemy with kindness that will lead them to repentance.
• John Stott, “... if we repay evil for evil, we double it, adding a second evil to the first, and so increasing the tally of evil in the world. It is better to be positive, to bless, to do good, to seek peace, and to serve and convert our enemy.”
Question, “Do we love our enemies like this?”
CONCLUSION
C.S.Lewis says in The Four Loves, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken ... We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armor. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it.”
