Romans 15:2Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up.
The interesting thing in this passage is that it says each of us. In other words, that means all of us, not just some of us. The next thing it says is we should please our neighbour. That means making him happy. This usually means more than a polite smile from time to time, it means having real consideration for him. But then it says that we are to do this for “his good”, to build him up”. In all of this there is no thought of self here.
The pattern for the Christian living today is that we must be people who are not selfish and who seek out opportunities to please our neighbour and to build him up. In this way we are displaying the love of God in action. Love without action is dead. In fact faith and hope and love are all dead if there is no action.
Action is the fruit of faith. Action is what distinguishes between real faith and fake faith. When the love of God is really in us, it will have its outworking and will overflow into goodness.