Post by garywalker on Dec 30, 2010 19:41:56 GMT -5
Romans 13:11-14
11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
Notice the urgency in these verses. Time is running out! (I Cor 7:29-31) We have a very short life on earth, (Ps 90:10,12; I Peter 1:24) and also, our time period could end at any time. (IITim 3:1-5)
“The day” refers to time when Christ is present. Christ is the Light. (John 1:1-10; 9:4,5) “The night” is His absence. Paul expected our age to end, and Christ to return, at any time. Now some 2000 years later, “our salvation” (our exit from earth, IThes 4:13-18) is much nearer than it was then.
If we “know the time”, which is the dispensation of grace revealed in Paul’s writings for our age, (Eph 3:1-5) then we know what God is doing now. (Eph 2:11-22; I Tim 2:4) Let’s wake up and join Him. (Eph 5:14-17; I Cor 3:9; II Cor 5:18-21&6:1-4)
Let’s live honestly, as who we really are in Christ, and not as the unsaved. (I Thes 5:4-9; Eph 4:17-21&5:8) As verse 13 shows, the works of darkness include those inner attitude sins such as strife and envy too. (Col 3:8) We “cast off the works of darkness” by putting on God’s light.
Light is knowledge of truth. (IICor 4:2-6) When we “put on the armour of light” (vs 12; Eph 6:13-17), we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. (vs 14) He is the Truth. (John 14:6) His values and way of thinking is a whole new nature to us. Ephesians 4:24 calls it “the new man”. (Col 3:9,10)
When we “put on” Christ’s thinking, we understand and appreciate eternal things. (IICor 4:18; Col 3:1-5) Then we no longer value so highly those things that only fulfill the lust of the flesh. (vs 14; Rom 6:21)
We all still have the lusts of our flesh, but we don’t have to live our lives to fulfill them any longer. We are free of the flesh and now we can live unto God. (Rom 6:6-11) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit (of the Lord Jesus Christ), and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16-21,24-26 & 6:7-10)
Philippians 2:15-16 gives a picture of what it looks like when we live Romans 13.
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life…”
11. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”
Notice the urgency in these verses. Time is running out! (I Cor 7:29-31) We have a very short life on earth, (Ps 90:10,12; I Peter 1:24) and also, our time period could end at any time. (IITim 3:1-5)
“The day” refers to time when Christ is present. Christ is the Light. (John 1:1-10; 9:4,5) “The night” is His absence. Paul expected our age to end, and Christ to return, at any time. Now some 2000 years later, “our salvation” (our exit from earth, IThes 4:13-18) is much nearer than it was then.
If we “know the time”, which is the dispensation of grace revealed in Paul’s writings for our age, (Eph 3:1-5) then we know what God is doing now. (Eph 2:11-22; I Tim 2:4) Let’s wake up and join Him. (Eph 5:14-17; I Cor 3:9; II Cor 5:18-21&6:1-4)
Let’s live honestly, as who we really are in Christ, and not as the unsaved. (I Thes 5:4-9; Eph 4:17-21&5:8) As verse 13 shows, the works of darkness include those inner attitude sins such as strife and envy too. (Col 3:8) We “cast off the works of darkness” by putting on God’s light.
Light is knowledge of truth. (IICor 4:2-6) When we “put on the armour of light” (vs 12; Eph 6:13-17), we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”. (vs 14) He is the Truth. (John 14:6) His values and way of thinking is a whole new nature to us. Ephesians 4:24 calls it “the new man”. (Col 3:9,10)
When we “put on” Christ’s thinking, we understand and appreciate eternal things. (IICor 4:18; Col 3:1-5) Then we no longer value so highly those things that only fulfill the lust of the flesh. (vs 14; Rom 6:21)
We all still have the lusts of our flesh, but we don’t have to live our lives to fulfill them any longer. We are free of the flesh and now we can live unto God. (Rom 6:6-11) “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit (of the Lord Jesus Christ), and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16-21,24-26 & 6:7-10)
Philippians 2:15-16 gives a picture of what it looks like when we live Romans 13.
“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life…”
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