All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Romans chapter 12. Of course, I will read the
first verse of Romans 12 and then continue on with the last
few verses of chapter 13. And Paul wrote these words again.
I remind us all of this. I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your body as a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Now let's move on down to chapter 13, verse 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 armor of light. Let
us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness,
not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, and
that is but a short list. There's many more things. But
then he winds it up with this. But put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the
lusts thereof. Now, as I've said before, Paul
has instructed in presenting our bodies, a living sacrifice.
He's instructed us in our reasonable service in these areas, and there's
more to it than that, but just these things. He's instructed
us in humility, chapter 12, verse three. He's instructed us in
unity, chapter 12, verses four through eight. He's instructed
us in the everyday vicissitudes of life, chapter 12, verses nine
through 21. He has instructed us concerning
governments or the powers that be, chapter 13, verses one through
seven. He has instructed us in love,
chapter 13, verses eight through 11. And Paul will continue in
chapter 14. But the Spirit then moves Paul
before he even gets to chapter, the subjects that are dealt,
Paul deals with in chapter 14. The Spirit of God moves Paul
to exhort, we what? Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's what he says. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
and avoid wicked corruption. And again, I'll read it again.
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 armor of
light. And let's remember, there is no armor of light apart from
the person and work of Jesus Christ. Outside of him is nothing
but darkness. So let me move on. This is my
title. This is what I want to, in some
degree, deal with this morning. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, first of all, let's consider
the negative. Night versus day. Paul illustrates that, right?
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. So this, the night
is far spent, the day is at hand. Consider that phrase. I'm gonna
give you four thoughts about that phrase. One, we all have
already far spent the night in this sense, and you have be quickened
who were dead in trespasses and stands. Jack, we far outspent
our night. We were just like everybody else.
Even the elect of God were just like everybody else by nature.
Titus puts it this way, Paul writing to Titus in the epistle
of Paul to Titus, that letter, that we were hateful and hating
one another. So in that sense, we've far spent
the night, but also there's another sense. All of our time of night,
that is the day's end. That's what night is, the day's
end. All of our time of night, is far spent in this sense. Now
turn to James chapter four. I can't quote that one, so I
want to read that one to you. James chapter four in this sense. Go to now, verse 13. Go to now,
ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and
continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain. Whereas
you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your
life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and
then vanisheth away. Jacket does seem like just a
few days ago I was young and strong and it's gone now and
it passes ever so quickly and you find out that your days are
over and over but look for that ye ought to say if the Lord will
If the Lord will, here's the first thing, we shall what? Live. That's the first thing. I mean,
we make plans and we have to plan. There's nothing wrong with
planning, but we must say, say, and it needs to come from down
here, Ellen, not just say it as rote words. If the Lord wills,
the first thing is what? We shall live. We shall live. If the Lord will, we shall live
and do this or that. But now you rejoice in your boastings. All such rejoicing is evil. Therefore,
to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is
sin. So that's another sense in which
the night is far spent, the day is at hand. But here's a third
one. The day is at hand in this sense, Ephesians chapter five,
if you want to read along with that one. Ephesians chapter five,
the Apostle Paul puts it this way. Ephesians chapter five. Verse one, be ye therefore followers
of God as dear children, and walk in love. Remember, we've
looked at that when Paul talked about chapter 13. Love is the
fulfilling of the law. Love is, just love itself. Walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself
for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor.
Isn't that just a blessing to have the privilege, really, of
God showing us that? that Christ loved us and gave
himself for us, a sweet smelling savor. God smells his son, and
he likes it. He enjoys it. And he does that
on our behalf, on our behalf. But fornication, all uncleanness,
covetousness, let it not once be named among you as become
a saint, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting,
which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. For
this we know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, have any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain
words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon
the children of disobedience. Be ye not therefore partakers
with them." And here it is. This is what I wanted to get
to. For ye were sometimes darkness. Do you see that? We weren't just
in darkness, though that is true. We were darkness itself. We were the prime example of
darkness. For ye were sometime darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. So
that's a third sense in which the night is far spent, the day
is at hand. But here's one last one. There's
a thought in light of these things. God help us to do what? Cast
off the works of darkness. Here's the problem. They are
with us. They have to be cast off. Much of what calls itself Christianity
today kind of puts forth the aura that a believer, once you're
a believer, once you're saved, once you're converted by the
gospel, then all the old evil urges and desires are gone, but
that's just not so. Jack, there's no need for me
to cast off something that don't affect me and bother me, you
see it? Cast off, just like when Peter says, put these things
away from them. You want hypocrisy, malice, and
deceit? Why? Because there's still so
much alive down in here. So God helped us to cast off
the works of darkness. But now let's consider the positive.
Putting on the proper defense. And I say defense because he
says, what? Put on the armor of light. So let us put on the proper defense. Let us put on the armor of light. And it's all correlated. It's all the same thing. You're
just saying it in different ways. It is putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ. But to put on Christ is this.
And I just don't have a lot of words to try to explain this
thing, putting on Christ. But let me put it to you this
way. To put on Christ, to put on the armor of light is not
a ritual you can go through. It's not something you pray this
prayer and you do this thing and in doing that you're going
to put on the armor of light Putting on the armor of light
putting on the Lord. Jesus Christ is an inner Attitude
that's what it is. It's an inner attitude First
of all cast off the one Thus they're still with us. What's
that works of darkness put on the opposite? What is that the
armor of light and here's the passage to help us with that
Ephesians chapter 5 again Now we read part of that, we'll read
a little bit more of what Paul says there. In Ephesians chapter
five, and look at verse eight. He's continuing on. We read this
part. For ye were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for
the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness
and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove
them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which
are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved
are made manifest by what? By the light. Now, it's not just
made manifest out there by the light. It's also made manifest
where? Where else in the light? Right
in here. And that's the most dangerous
place. what's right in here. But all things that are reproved
are made manifest by the light, for whatsoever doth make manifest
is light. Wherefore he saith, awake thou
that sleepest and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are
evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will
of the Lord is. So here we have Paul instructing
us right in the midst of all of this instruction of in what
humility and unity and the everyday vicissitudes of life in the midst
of this instruction concerning governments and in the midst
of this instruction concerning love and as we'll see in chapter
14 Instructing us in matters of the conscience or in peccadillo
as you might say We'll talk about that more than God willing next
week in the midst of all this. He says these words pins them
down What it says the night is far spent The day is at hand
let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and do it put
on the armor of light verse 14 Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. And this is a constant, constant
battle. Jack, we no sooner fight one battle
and come through that battle, and the war's not over. The next
moment, the next day, the next time, the battle resumes again. So cast off the works of darkness,
cast off the one, put on its opposite. Here's the second thought.
The only defense against darkness is what? Light. Light. I don't know how to put it. There's
no need for me to state it any further. The only defense, and
this is a defense. This is not how we go out and
conquer anything, right? It's armor. You see, I know this
world's talking about conquering the flesh, conquering this, conquering
that. At best, we are to mortify the flesh, but we cannot conquer
it. Of course, it's constantly there
raising up its ugly head. Again, the only defense against
darkness is the light itself. Here's a third thought. Any light
that does not have Christ as its source is darkness masquerading
as light. You hear what I said? Let me
say that again. Any light that does not have
Christ as its source is darkness. It's masquerading as light. Human
philosophy seems to have great light. They seem to have great
insights to human psyche, human spirit, and they may have made
some inroads in that, but if it's apart from Jesus Christ,
Ellen, it's all still darkness. It's all still darkness. Now,
let me give you three ways in which this is so, that it's this.
Any light that does not have Christ as its source is darkness
masquerading as light. Three ways in which this is true.
There are heretics masquerading as saints. 2 Corinthians chapter
11. Let's look at that one. Now this
is familiar, nothing new here. 2 Corinthians chapter 11, and
for times, let's look at verse 13. For such are false, apostles. You see that? Now he calls them
apostles, Jack, but he says they are false apostles. For such
are false apostles, deceitful workers. Here's the amazing thing,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. They're
chameleons. They could change colors, you
know, and change what they think in one group and change what
they think in another group. For such are false apostles,
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles
of Christ. And Paul says, this ought not be a great marvel to
us. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of what? Light. Light, that's the amazing
thing. That's the tricky thing. That's
the masquerading thing. Therefore, Paul continues, verse
15. Therefore, it is no great thing
if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.
Whose righteousness? I guarantee it's this. It's not
Christ's righteousness. They are talking about human,
fallen human man's righteousness. Then transformed as the ministers
of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
God help me, Jack, I don't want to be that. I don't want my end
to be according to my works, do you? So that's one way in
which a light that does not have Christ as its source is darkness
masquerading as light. Here's a second way. There are
heretics using grace to excuse their corruption. Look at Jude. Let's turn to Jude. Now listen,
God's people have corruption, and it shows up on us. It shows
up on us. But one thing we're not trying
to do is act as if it don't really exist. We're not trying to act
as if we are better than what we really are by nature. By nature,
we're still just as corrupt as we ever were. Look at what Jude
writes in verse 3. Beloved, when I gave diligence
to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for
me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of
old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace
of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God
and the Lord Jesus Christ. God help us not to use God's
grace as an excuse for our flesh. So we have that. Any light that
does not have Christ as its source is darkness masquerading as light.
We see that in preachers, if you will, false apostles. You see that in preachers. You
see this also again in men who stand up and excuse their own
corruption according to Jude. But here's a third way. There
are heretics using law to avoid persecution for the cross of
Christ. Galatians chapter six, what Paul
wrote there. Galatians chapter six, and beginning,
let's see, I think it's verse 12 is where I want to start,
yeah. Galatians 6 verse 12, as many
as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, do you see that?
As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain
you to be circumcised, only less they should suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves,
now here's the point, here's the reason why this is so deadly.
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law.
They make it easy to be circumcised, But they can't keep the law.
They don't keep the law. We don't keep the law. No matter,
Jack, if I strive to keep the law, we'll find out how much
I really break it. Look at it. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law, but desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your what? Flesh. Flesh. But God forbid
that I should glory where? There's only one place of glory.
There's only one place of hope. There's only one place of peace
and righteousness, but God forbid that I should glory save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me and I unto the world. And notice it's by him, not by
us. Do you see that? This is not something we're to
do for God. This is something God has done
for us through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. By whom
the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world, for in
Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision.
But what does avail? A new creature, that regeneration
that J.C. Rowell spoke about. That's where
it's at. but a new creature, and as many as walk according
to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel
of God. From henceforth let no man trouble
me, for by I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Brethren, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
so be it. Amen. So that's the three ways,
at least three ways, I should say. in which a light that does
not have Christ as its source and his crosswork as its source
is darkness masquerading as light. So again, look at it. I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. Now think about
it. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ
is following him as our example. There is no doubt about that.
But the main foundation of putting on Jesus Christ is the mercies
of God. It's not our trying to imitate
him as our example, though we are jacked to imitate him as
our example. But to put on the Lord Jesus
Christ is, God, make me always mindful of the person of your
son. Make me always mindful of your
work that you accomplished in the person of your son on Calvary's
tree. That's putting on the Lord Jesus
Christ. Not looking within yourself to find some power to overcome.
That's what Paul's talking about. Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. So, I'll read it one more time
and then we'll close. Be short and we'll sing another
song. I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. And remember, this is our
what? This is our reasonable service. This ain't going above
and beyond. This is just, Jodie is just doing
the normal. Just doing the normal. And why
do we do it? We're to do it in humility. We're to do it in unity. We're to do it in the everyday
vicissitudes of life. We're to do it concerning government.
We're to do it in love. And we are to do it in light
of the night is far spent. The day is at hand. And now,
I didn't read this part. We read it last week. Look at
verse 11. Look at what it says. Verse 11
of chapter 13, and that knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep. Here's why, for now is our salvation. Now wait a minute, I thought
we're already saved. We are, but the Apostle Paul's clear.
We have been saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved. Still yet, still in the future.
You see, that was one of the problems. One of them, this is
just one of the problems. that I had when I was in so-called
professing Christianity is I thought salvation was some one-time isolated
act in the past of coming forward and believing on the Lord Jesus
Christ and praying a prayer and asking for forgiveness. Salvation
has to be an everyday occurrence. I need salvation as much right
now as I stand here preaching God's truth as I did when I was
in the dregs of corruption and false religion and immorality. Ellen, I need salvation as much
right now as I ever did. So again, and that knowing the
time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now
is our, and I'm going to put it this way, our ultimate final
salvation. It's what is nearer than when
we believed. Most of us have far less time
on this side, still yet to come in this life than we did of what's
past. We're all getting, as one old
lady said in a movie, and the movie don't matter, she said,
I'm at the jumping off point. I'm ready to go. That's where
we are, folks. We're all heading toward the
jumping off point. Some of us are closer than others, and our
age ain't the point of that. It's God's sovereign purpose.
It's God's sovereign purpose. Again, I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God. Heavenly Father, as we sing this
last concluding song, Lord, may we be mindful of our Lord, who
he is, the Lord Jesus Christ, his glorious person and his sufficient
and all-redeeming sacrifice in his name.