Marks of a true Christian.

When I study scripture I usually use the New American Standard Bible translation. However, I do have a love for the English Standard Version Bible and use it quite a bit as well.
In the book of Romans I'm digging into the passage titled "Marks of a True Christan" (in the ESV), which is in chapter 12 verses 9-21.
These verses consist of a whole lot of green dotted lines if your an inductive studier. And if you are, you know we LOVE green dotted lines because they are commands. And we LOVE commands because in obeying them we are totally speaking God's love language.  (by our obedience He knows that we love him, John 14:15, 1 John 5:3)

I'm focusing on verse 12:9....
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

In the nasb it's translated "to love without hypocrisy". The greek word for hypocrisy is anypokritos (G505) which is translated unfeigned, undisguised, sincere. This love should be authentic, not a counterfeit. How in the world do I do this? I'd be misleading if I said I love everyone and you can tell by my actions. But I totally get the idea of loving a person, but just not liking them. But is that ok? The bible has a lot to say about love.  And how to do it.

In the book of John, Jesus said "Love one another, JUST as I have loved you".  In the book of Romans it says to "love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor".  In the book of 1 John it says "if anyone has the world's goods and sees a brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him".  How about John 15:13 ...there's no greater love than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 
In the book of Luke, Jesus says "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil".

We are to be different than how the world would react to our enemies.  There's a lot opinions and conversations as of late circulating about the Westboro baptist preacher who recently died.  This preacher was one who spewed hatred towards a group of people, his behavior and beliefs were far from what I would call one who claims to follow Jesus.  So it's easy to fall into retaliation towards this man and the people that follow his teaching and allow our mouths to speak hatred but when we do, aren't we doing the exact same thing we are condemning him for?   God said in Ezekiel 18:23 & 33:11 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked and not rather turn from his way and live?  Although I can't be for certain how he will be judged, I can guarantee God's not swing dancing in celebration that another one bit the dust and not welcomed into His kingdom.  God is patient not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.  Any and all in the greek mean ANY and ALL.

Good time to think on....Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good.  Greek word for abhor is apostygeo meaning to dislike, have a horror of.  It's regarding what is evil not who is evil.

This blog entry is getting longer than what I anticipated.  But there is so much jumbling around in my head about just this verse and recent reaction of some people.  I want to be careful not to speak of God as if I know or think I know what He should be like or should do.  I feel sorry for the people that do, they carry a burden that is not theirs to carry.  It is dangerous to speak or even suggest to know  about how God should punish those who commit evil and judge salvation.

In understanding God's holiness there is no measuring stick that would suffice, all evil is evil compared to His holiness.  I haven't seen in scripture that God has a chart to compare evils.  Sin is sin.  I know that's hard to wrap our minds around and if you can, it's because a false God was created, a God that passes personal expectiations and qualifications, it's to say "I make a better god".  God's not a push over.  He is completely holy, fair, just and absolute love, all at the same time.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His thoughts and ways, than ours. (Isa. 55:8-9) 

I love that God is infinitely huge and I can never ever figure him out....If I could, He wouldn't be very big at all.

Just a chunk.