Paul gives the Romans, and us, a series of concise, pointed and helpful instructions about how to live as Christians. They are relatively easy to understand but challenging to carry out.

I have identified eight pieces of advice:

(1) Love sincerely. Love must be sincere. v9.

Love can be simulated to gain an advantage. There are many instances:

• Representatives or salesmen adopt a super friendly manner to keep in with potential customers.

• Cruel con artists pretend to be in love with rich widows or divorcees to defraud them of their wealth.

• The ambitious employee is warm, friendly and ingratiating in the hope of promotion.

• Eager students are nice to their teacher in the hope of getting high grades.

• A Christian can be full of bonhomie, smiles and smarmy compliments to be well thought of by other church members.

Christian love, agape, desires the highest good of our brothers and sisters in the Faith.

• It doesn't let them down.

• It is constant. It doesn't blow hot and cold.

• It rises to the occasion. When someone needs help, support, encouragement or advice it is there for them.

• It doesn't count the cost. It is sacrificial.

There are many examples of this kind of love in the Bible; it is the love Ruth had for Naomi, Esther had for Mordecai, Jonathan had for David, Barnabas had for Paul - and later John Mark. It is the love Aquila and Priscilla had for Apollos, Paul had for Onesimus and the mother of Rufus had for Paul. He wrote of her: Who has been a mother to me, too. Acts16v13.

(2) No compromise. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. v9.

A craftsman of integrity will not compromise his standards by cutting corners and producing shoddy work. When this happens the result is jerry-built flats, office blocks, schools and hospitals that are not fit for purpose.

Christians should remain true to Kingdom values and make no compromises with the world. So we should:

Hold on to truthfulness and abhor untruthfulness in all its guises.
Hold on to honesty and abhor dishonesty.
Hold on to faithfulness and abhor disloyalty.
Hold on to fairness and abhor unfairness.
Hold on to generosity and abhor possessiveness.

We must aim to be men and women of integrity. This means we make no concessions so far as our Christian principles are concerned.

Uriah the Hittite was a man of integrity. He wouldn't go and sleep with his wife whilst his comrades were roughing it on the battle field. Jeremiah forecast the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians even though he was accused of defeatism and undermining morale for so doing. Daniel refused to modify his prayer life in spite of knowing the outcome would be a den of lions.

I love the stories Corrie ten Boom tells about her father in her book, 'In my Father's House.' He was a man who even after being arrested by the Gestapo for harbouring Jews refused to compromise in order to gain his release. Alexander Solzhenitsyn wrote in his book about the Stalinist labour camps that the Christians were not corrupted by the atrocious conditions - although others were. Women sold their bodies for a plate of fried potatoes.

(3) Be affectionate. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Now I find this injunction rather surprising. Paul is not referring to agape here - the love he described so brilliantly in 1 Corinthians 13. See 1Cor13. Instead, Paul expects Christians to show one another affection. This is the love that parents have for their children, children have for their parents, siblings have for one another and school children may have for an old teacher. It is the most animal of loves.

Christians should have this love for one another because as children of God, members of his family, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Make no mistake affection is about being in a warm, tactile relationship. It DOES involve kissing and hugging. Christians should be comfortable together, at ease, honest and open with one another.

I must say that there has been a great improvement in this respect among the Christians of my Association of churches. When I was a boy the only member of our congregation whom my father kissed regularly was my mother!

There are some, of course, who think this is as it should be. There are ladies in our fellowship who nobody dare kiss! I know an elderly lady who attends an Anglican church who, when that part of the service arrives requiring a sign of peace, offers only the limpest of handshakes - and that reluctantly!!

I think this is a pity! Not only do little children thrive better for being hugged and kissed by their parents but so, too, do elderly bachelors like myself.

Of one thing I am in absolutely no doubt, Paul was himself an affectionate Christian brother. When the apostle took his farewell of the Ephesian elders as he prepared to travel on to Jerusalem they all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Acts20v37.

(4) Put others first.

This is not easy. Many mothers manage it; they put the needs of their children and husband before their own. Increasingly, many grandparents are doing the same for their grandchildren.

It is particularly difficult to facilitate the rise of others to a higher status than one's own. Many are like Diotrephes of whom John wrote: who loves to be first. Jn3.

There are very few like Jonathan. David fled to Horesh in the Desert of Ziph to escape King Saul who wanted to assassinate him. While he was there Jonathan, Saul's oldest son and heir to the throne, visited David. The reason for his visit: Jonathan helped David find strength in God. He said to his friend: "Dont be afraid. My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You shall be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 1Sam23v15to18. Jonathan therein did a very difficult thing! In many ways he was a finer character than David.

I wonder if you would turn down a promotion because you believed someone else either deserved it more or was better able to do the job than you. During my years as a teacher I did not see this happen very often!

It is important to put the interests of others before your own. There was a very big difference between my attitude as a club cricketer during my early years and later years. During my 20s, 30s and 40s I was preoccupied with my own performance. In my 50's and 60's I put the interests of young, up and coming cricketers before my own. I was a poorer cricketer but a better man at the end of my cricketing career.

It is vital to give others a chance in church life. Pastors should share the ministry of the word. How else are young people going to pursue their calling as teachers and preachers? If a church is fortunate enough to have several organists they should share the playing at the services. It is not necessary for the best organist to play all the time. People need to play a part in the life of the church even if lacking in expertise.

(5) Keep keen. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving he Lord. v11.

When I was young I played cricket for my home village of Brockley. We were all mad keen! None of us wanted to miss a match. Some even came back from holiday to play. Nobody got married in the cricket season. It is very different now! Some of the players give the impression that they only turn up when they haven't anything better to do.

The question is: Are we keen Christians?

(a) We shouldn't be lacking in zeal. Many Christians are! They take it very easy! There are saints who closely remember the more lack lustre of my Geography students. They coast along doing the bare minimum. One of the things that I hated about the boy footballers I used to coach was that some of them finished a match without ever raising a sweat or getting a hair out of place. I noticed in my paper this week a comment from Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager. He loves young Jack Wilshere as a football because after only a few minutes he is covered in mud!!

Are we the sort of Christian who gets covered in mud! My mother often quoted verse two of, 'Am I soldier of cross':

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize
And sailed through bloody seas?

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are luke warm - neither cold nor hot - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Rev3v15to17.

(b) We should be enthusiastic. Keep your spiritual fervour. Our spirits should be at boiling point! Christians should be like those old fashioned railway engines, going full steam ahead, NOT standing in the station going, 'Pooooop, poooooop!'

I admit it is impossible to go full steam ahead all the time. The engine needs to take on water and coal and get up steam. However it would be nice if the words of the children's chorus were sometimes true of us:

Running over, running over,
My cup's full and running over;
Since the Lord saved me,
I'm as happy as can be,
My cup's filled and running over.

(c) Seize the opportunity for service - serving the Lord.

Someone who is keen to make progress in any field jumps at the opportunity of hands on experience. I had a letter from one of my old pupils at Christmas. She said that her ward sister took a temporary post as a matron. Victoria was asked if she would like to cover for her whilst she was away. My old pupil seized the opportunity with alacrity. It gave her the opportunity to gain valuable experience and was something she could add to her CV.

I noticed a report in the Daily Telegraph recently that one of England's up and coming young cricketers has signed up for a 20 - 20 competition in Bangladesh. This is not the most prestigious of competitions and payment for participating is not guaranteed. However, the young cricketer wants the experience of playing in Indian sub-continental conditions.

Recently a few young preachers have emerged at a neighbouring church. They have been keen to take preaching engagements anywhere to improve their pulpit technique - which is as it should be!

The truth is we should be eager to serve Jesus in any capacity. We have a lady in our fellowship who is really keen to pick people up who need a lift to chapel. Another lady takes every opportunity to encourage our speakers. A third lady I know cleans two village chapels and such money as she receives is given to an overseas mission. There is no end to the service we can render.

(6) Rejoice in hope or be joyful in hope.

In the build up to the London Olympics many competitors rejoiced in hope. They eagerly looked forward to winning medals.

The great speeches of Winston Churchill during the last World War all contained an element of hope. The old man rejoiced in the hope of eventual victory and gave hope to others.

It is very sad when hope fades. In the immediate aftermath of a great disaster like a severe earthquake, rescuers are quickly on the scene and initially work with tremendous eagerness in the hope of finding survivors.

But as time passes hope fades of finding any more alive until ultimately all hope is lost. During this phase the rescue team's attitude changes. There is no joy in pulling dead bodies from the wreckage.

It is very sad when the local church loses hope of surviving the long, slow decline in numbers attending the services. In my own fellowship the time is gradually but inexorably approaching when the doors will close for the last time.

A strong hope is very important because it enables the Christian to be patient in affliction.

Many people, including children, endure long, unpleasant and sometimes painful treatment for cancer in the HOPE of getting better.

Jesus ... who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb12v2. So we, like our Master, are called to endure much for the joy set before us. Christians in predominantly Muslim or Hindu countries suffer severe persecution from militants. But even in England there is much to put up with: disappointment, discouragement and failure. There is no shortage of nervous breakdowns among church leaders! It helps me to accept my own failure to remember how Jesus' ministry seemed to end in defeat.

At the end of the day surely we can take heart from Paul's declaration of hope: I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 2Tim1v12.

(7) Persevere in prayer.

This is one of the hardest things to do. It is just so easy to let our prayer life deteriorate. There are some obvious reasons for this:

(a) It is hard to believe that anyone is listening. It is a bit like leaving a message on an answering phone. I find it much easier to pray in public than in private because when I pray in public I know that someone is paying attention.

(b) When we pray nobody talks back. It is a one sided conversation and as such is unnatural and unrewarding. I used to have some wonderful conversations with my old friend Dorothy Haylock. Sadly, she now finds it difficult to start a sentence. This does detract from the pleasure of our tête-à-têtes.

(c) Our private prayers might bore us. They are inclined to be repetitive. I thank God and ask him for the same old things day after day.

(d) Prayer doesn't appear to make any immediate difference.

(e) Satan will do all he can to ruin our prayer life. He hates to see us pray.

I know that the surest way to become spiritually cold is to neglect prayer. It is something we discover from bitter experience. Prayer does make a difference. Jesus, himself, prayed for guidance before choosing his disciples, reassurance concerning his ministry and fortitude for the ordeal of his cross. AND HIS PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED.

William Cowper's fine hymn on prayer is full of truth:

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright:
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

Have you no words? Ah think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creature's ear
With the sad tale of all your care

Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
Hear what the Lord has done for me!

Some of those in Britain most in need today are the lonely. So it is a ministry pleasing to God to:

(a) Share time with others and visit the shut in.

(b) Share your home with others and invite a lonely person to a meal.

(c) Share a treat with others by including them in an outing.

(9) Conclusion.

Paul gives us excellent advice in these four verses. If the majority of Christians followed it, we would without doubt have happier, stronger and healthier churches.