The means by which any individual seeks and finds pleasure exposes the condition of his heart. The Bible points to those who find pleasure in rioting, while others in backbiting or carnality, and yet others in selfish indulgences. At first, the individual tries to hide his carnal pleasures. As these things become more amusing to the carnal Christian, he begins to do them in the open, or as the scripture says, “in the day time.” All these things point to a cold heart toward the ways of God and a warming toward the things of the world. Yet, the people of God should find pleasure in spiritual things such as Bible reading, talking with the Lord, singing His praises, fellowshipping with like-minded believers, and witnessing to others of God’s goodness.
Though the testimony of each believer has its own unique circumstances, each stood guilty of sinning against a holy and righteous God. The apostle Paul testified that prior to his salvation, he too served divers lusts and pleasures. The apostle Paul, though he may have been oblivious to this fault, knew that he had been a slave or servant to his own desires. Unfortunately, the unending need for pleasure drives those who do not know the Lord as Saviour, just as it drove each believer before he or she was born again. For those blinded to the truth, this form of servitude brings plenty of distraction with no satisfaction. The individual who partakes in worldly pleasures does so only to find a greater need for additional pleasure. Apart from the Lord, he becomes pleasure’s servant with no hope of freedom.
Our previous studies revealed that the word kind is connected to a term suggesting family relationships. Therefore, today’s passage associating kindly with brotherly love makes perfect sense. The book of Romans instructs believers to be “kindly affectioned one to another.” By being kindly affectioned, believers will naturally exhibit “brotherly love” toward each other. The Bible reveals God as the Christian’s Father. This relationship indicates that each believer is related as a part of the same family, the family of God. How should family members treat other family members? The context of today’s passage reveals that believers should prefer others before themselves (Romans 12:10), distribute to the necessities of other saints (Romans 12:13), and give themselves to hospitality (Romans 12:13). In other words, believers should treat other believers as members of one’s family. As many Christians soon find out, the relationships enjoyed between fellow believers will frequently be closer than those enjoyed with blood relatives.
