Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;  not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;  distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.  If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  (Romans 12:9-18 NKJV )

The above passage serves as a guide for Christian conduct in life. It deals with spirituality, morality, interpersonal relationships, service to God, hospitality, compassion, benevolence, humility, dealing with difficult people, and empathy toward others. What a treasure trove for godly living! The scriptures are complete and sufficient for all of our spiritual needs. Peter says that God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).  There simply is no aspect of life that cannot be guided by scripture. Every aspect of our lives must be guided by scriptures.

The instruction to abhor what is evil and cling to what is good is one that we would do well to heed. This guides the daily choices of life, such as what to watch on TV, where to go, with whom to associate, for whom to vote, which conversations to participate in, and such like. The beginning of this wisdom is being able to discern what is evil and what is good. Too many times it seems even members of the church have lost the capacity to recognize evil as evil. Until one learns to identify evil, one cannot discern evil from good. Abortion is the greatest evil that plagues this country and yet many church members support it with their vote at the polls. The same goes for homosexuality. Christians must make all decisions based on principles founded in biblical morality.

Also in this passage is the instruction on how to treat each other. Brotherly love dictates that we honor and give preference to each other. When one is wronged, he or she must not repay evil for evil but instead do good to the perpetrator. When a brother or sister rejoices, we rejoice with them. When they weep, we weep also and tend to their needs.

The child of God can rejoice in hope because we hope in a gracious God. We can be patient in tribulation because our God will cause us to prevail We are good to others because God has been good to us!