In the 13th chapter of Romans, and we'll begin reading here in verse 8 and finish this chapter. This is where we've come to in our study of this book. I want us to begin here in verse 8 and read down through verse 14. Oh no man, anything. but to love one another.

For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the laws.

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. 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 and chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envy, but put you on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof.

You and I looked last week in verses 1 through verse 7, and we're talking about these governing powers. the civil government. We looked at everybody from the local deputies all the way up to the President of the United States. And we noticed that in life, in this life, God has, in one degree or another, He sets some people over other people. It's just that way. We see this all through the Holy Scriptures. In the government, it's that way, isn't it? We have those who rule over us and they make our laws and those enforce the laws. We have it in our homes, don't we?

We said last week that the wife submit to her husband as fit to the Lord. We have it in our families to the children are told to obey their parents. And even in our schools, we have teachers, we have children that submit to them. And in our employment, Paul said to the servants, I guess if we was writing this today, we would say, you employees, be obedient to those who are your employers who pay you. So in every aspect of life, we have authority that we submit to. And Paul gives us, and we looked at this, but let me remind you of this. He gave motives here. for us submitting to these governing powers.

In verse 1, he says there is no power but that which is ordained of God. All powers are ordained of God. That's the first motive. God has set the order in society. He gives a second motive in verse 4. They're ordained of God for our good. It's good, isn't it? He's the minister of God to thee for good.

What would we do without law? That'd be anarchy. That'd be confusion. Jude talked about those who despised authority. They speak evil of dignity. That's those who want to abolish the police force. That's ridiculous, isn't it? And it's not only ridiculous and void of common sense, but it defies God's authority, God's set thesis.

And the third thing he tells you that motivates us is the consequence for disobedience. In the last portion of verse 4, they bear not the sword in vain. There's consequences for disobedience to any law, to any authority. And then not only for conscience sake, but in verse 5, not only for the sword's sake, but he says for conscience sake. Obey for conscience sake, to keep your conscience clear. that you're not a rebel against authority.

Now here in verse 5, we come to this passage here in verse 8, and he said, Oh no man anything but to love one another. Now, here's the thing, if we apply verse 8, Oh no man anything but to love one another, if we apply loving one another to all that we've just read and we apply it to the authority, then What he's telling us here, love the authority. Sure is a perfect motive, isn't it? All the motives that he's already given us, owe no man anything but to love one another.

We love authority, don't we? We love those who are in authority. I told you last week sometimes, we run into a couple of young police officers down at the restaurant sometimes, and they talk with us, and you just want to get up and hug them. You know, you pray for them. You thank God for them. And it's because we love. Oh, no man anything but to love one another.

And don't that apply to all authority wherever we sit in society? When you folks come here tonight and I get up here as your pastor and take my text and I preach to you as I do a couple of times a week, don't you love me? Don't you love to hear me preach to you? Because I preach the Word. That's why you're not forced to submit. You want to listen because you love your pastor.

You love the gospel that he preaches. And don't that apply to wives? Wives submit yourselves to your own husband because they love their husbands. And they recognize their husband is a gift of God to them, and they recognize he's occupying that position, so they love their husband. It's the same way with children. Why would children obey their parents? Not just because of the spanking. Not just because you get your head stuck in the corner. But because you love them. You honor your parents because you love them.

Oh no man, anything but to love one another. And don't it apply to the workplace? When you work, you love your employer, you love your job, and you're thankful for your job. Oh, no man anything but to love one another. I've often said this, brothers and sisters, you cannot improve on love as a motivating force.

It constrains us, doesn't it? But if we look at the other side of this also, not just those who submit themselves to authority, but the authority. What about the authority? The authority, those who rule over other people. Love is to motivate them too. How do those in authority treat those who are under their authority?

They're to love them. When you go down to a restaurant and you order your food and you don't just get up, you don't be hateful and run the poor waitress to death and get up and don't leave her a tip. She's under you. You love her. And it's the same way in every aspect of our lives. Husbands are to love their wives and secure them. Love them and secure them. Secure them in every way, physically and emotionally. because they love their wives.

It's the same way in employment. If you have a job, you're good to your boss and the boss is good to you. You're good to the company and the company is good. Wouldn't it be wonderful if love permeated society that you wouldn't have to force yourself to obey and you wouldn't have to force your rule off on those that you have authority over?

Love, oh no man anything but to love one another. If we link verse 8, oh no man anything but to love one another, then we have to link it to verses 9 and verse 10. I think it's probably right in the middle and we can apply it to what we've already studied in Romans chapter 13. And now, oh, no man anything but to love, and we can apply it to what we're going to look at tonight in verses 9 through verse 10.

Love your neighbor. And this is talking about just loving your neighbor in general. Loving your immediate neighbor. Loving your community. Loving your coworkers. Loving those you come into contact with. Loving those you meet in the grocery store. It's just a general loving society in general. Oh, no man anything but to love one another. It's been said that you cannot legislate morality. And boy, that's true, isn't it? Laws are absolutely necessary. But you can't legislate morality. You can pass all the laws you want to.

But if love is not there, then people will find a way and they'll find excuses not to obey. Love is necessary in society. There's two kinds of love that we talk about when we talk about love. There's this natural love that people have one for another. And I know sometimes this natural love is weak and sometimes it dies. But I'm telling you what, it holds society together, doesn't it? You don't have to be a believer to love your wife. You don't have to be a believer for the wife to obey her husband. You don't have to be a believer to love your country and to love the laws of the land. But here's the thing.

Though this natural love is sometimes so weak, but you know something? Where this natural love is lacking in society and where hate and selfishness rules in society instead of love, you'll lose your society. Society, a decent society, cannot be held together if there's not mutual love in society. They tell them, remember when the pandemic hit and you'd go out to the grocery store or out somewhere and people wouldn't even look at you in the face. They wouldn't make eye contact. Remember that? That's what happens when love gets cold and when fear takes the place of love. It will destroy a society. A house divided against itself, a nation divided against itself, where there's no mutual love and respect, it can't stand, can it? It cannot stand. A natural love is absolutely necessary in a decent society.

But here, Paul is talking about a divine love, the love of God in the hearts of those who are born of God. John said, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God, and he knows God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."

Don't love take the edge off of the rough places in life. I'm not submitting to that rotten man. Well, I will because I love him. I'm not obeying that law. Well, I will because I love this country. I love these people. It takes its edge off, doesn't it? In verses 9 and 10, we have the fruit of this divine love in our hearts. When it's suggested to our minds to treat someone with an ill or harmful manner, love says no. Love says no. See how it says it? Look how emphatic this is in verse 9. For this reason, if you're born of God, for this reason, you shall not commit adultery. For this reason, you shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness.

Boy, love, love is constraining, isn't it? The love of Christ constrains us, the Bible says. It will cause us to refrain from things that does ill to people, and it will cause us to do things that would help people. Love is a wonderful motivating force.

Why would a person commit adultery? Probably just attraction, I guess, physical, emotional attraction. Why would somebody kill somebody? Out of anger? Why would you covet? Discontent with what you've got? Why would you steal? No regard for what somebody else has? But when these suggestions come to us, do this. Do that to that person. Love steps in. Love says, no. You shall not. What a motivating force!

The Bible says in John chapter 13 and verse 1 of the Lord Jesus Christ, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And my question is, why would the Lord Jesus, why would He put up with those disciples? They were so ignorant They were so proudful, overburdened sometimes, Peter was. Why did the Lord put up with these fellows? Why was he so patient with them? Why did he continue to teach them? There's one answer to it. He loved them. Love took the edge off of their stupidity. Love caused him to be patient with them and teach them and die for them. He loved them, and having loved them until the end.

True love is not based on what it sees in someone. True love is not looking for perfection before it can love. It sets upon its own bottom. It often loves its object in spite of itself. Does it not? This is why We can live in this society and love one another and love our authorities and love our families and have our families to love us simply because love is not looking for perfection. We love because we're born of God. We love as Christ loved. Is He looking for perfection in you? He better not be. He's going to be disappointed, isn't He? So when we look at this, submitting to authority and living with our neighbors and not doing them any ill, what is it?

What is it that keeps us treating one another fairly and justly and kindly? It's this love. Oh, no man anything but to love one another. The Scripture says, Be ye followers of God as dear children, and listen to this, and walk in love. That's the rule of our life, isn't it? Walk in love. The love of Christ in our hearts is a mighty motivating force to keep us from doing evil to others and from sinning against God. The love of Christ constrains us.

I want you to hold your Bible there and look over just a couple of books in Galatians chapter 5. Paul often mentions this very thing that we're reading here in Romans chapter 13. Look in Galatians chapter 5 and look in verse 13. For brethren, you have been called to liberty.

Only use not your liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. By love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in this one word. Even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. See how love takes the edge off the rough places in life? This is why we can put up with one another. We love one another.

But, he says in verse 15, if you don't have this love, if you just live to please yourself, if you're just selfish and you're just hateful and it's me first with you, if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. Boy, love is absolutely critical, isn't it? It's just absolutely critical.

Now about of these three, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Now let's look back over now in our text, chapter 13, and let's look in verse 11 and verse 12. Here's the application, I think, that Paul gives to what we've studied last week and what we're going to study this week, what we're studying now. He gives an application. Why? Why should we even be concerned about what we're studying about tonight? Why are we concerned about the order in society and keeping order? Why are we concerned about loving our neighbors and not doing harm to anybody? Why does all this matter?

And he says here in verse 12 or verse 11, and that knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 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." We know the time. The time. Well, we're living in a special time, aren't we? special time you and I are living in. You say, Bruce, why is that? Because today is the day of salvation. Isn't that wonderful?

This is the time that we preach the gospel to you. This is the time we have opportunity to repent and to believe. This is the time of forgiveness. This is the time when the Lord Jesus Christ is accepting sinners. I have heard thee in a time accepted, he said. In the day of salvation have I secured you. Now is the accepted time. Behold, today is the day of salvation.

I just wonder, brothers and sisters, today, since we got out of bed this morning and lived our life today in all of this world, I just wonder how many sinners the Lord Jesus Christ has saved. Can you imagine that? How many sins has He forgiven today? How many people dead in sins has He come to and given them His life?

Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. What a precious time you and I live in. Knowing the time. Listen to this. Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. Call ye upon Him while He is near. Today is the day the Lord can be found of those who truly seek Him. Today He's near those who sincerely call upon Him. What a precious time that you and I live in. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow."

Now! What a precious time. But you know something? This is a critical time, isn't it? Because it's going to pass. You and I sit here tonight and we're listening to the Gospel. Just a few years ago, Our dads and our moms and our grandpas, they have an opportunity. And their opportunity is gone now. Call ye upon him while he is near. The opportunity is going to pass, isn't it?

And sometimes it passes so quickly. Look how old some of us are getting. Wayne don't like for me to say this, but we're getting older, aren't we? That's why the Scripture says, remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil day comes. Our faculties are failing. I can feel it in myself. We're going to reach the point where we can't think straight. We can't reason. We can't respond. What a precious time, therefore, we live in, knowing the time. Now the precious Savior can be found. Seek Him. Seek Him while there is time before the evil day comes. But these verses here are especially applied to the believers.

And it seems like Paul is implying or indicating that some of them have grown careless and indifferent. Their relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, their devotion to Him, their responsibility to the church and society and to God, It seemed like they began to sleep, hadn't it? Paul says to them, it is high time to awake out of sleep. He said, are you slumbering? Are you sleeping? It's high time to awake out of sleep. If we don't wake now, then when? If we don't awake up today, will we wake up tomorrow?

I've noticed that. I've talked to people. I was talking to an old man, an old, old man. And I talked to him about this very thing. It's time to wake up and seek the Lord. And he said, I've got seed I've got to sow. I've got things I want to do. Him an old, old man, sleeping. This is why we have this exhortation. It's time. Awake! Awake! Today is the day of salvation. We're standing on the brink of eternity. Awake! Awake!

You and I are living in a dark world, aren't we? It's a world of sin and a world of ignorance and rebellion. But this night, brothers and sisters, is almost past. It's almost past. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. We're living in a dark world, but there's coming a day soon when the sun of righteousness shall rise. The morning star shall shine. Our complete salvation is near.

Let this motivate us, Paul says, to cast off all those things that do not contribute to our spiritual well-being, but hinder it. And let us begin to seek first and foremost, as Brother Baker told us tonight, the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Let us set our affection on things above and not on things on the earth, because our Lord is coming and He is coming soon. You and I are in darkness, the Bible says, that they should not overtake us as a thief. You are the children of light. You're the children of the day. You're not of the night nor of darkness.

Therefore, let us not sleep. Oh my goodness, let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, they're sleeping in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of love, For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation, eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I think the best of us are slumbering, aren't we? We're just slumbering. We're in this flesh. We're like those poor disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. We can't keep our eyes open. And that's why I'm coming here tonight and hollering at you. To awaken us. Because we know the time, don't we? And our time is almost gone.

But you here tonight who have hope in Jesus Christ, your salvation is getting ready to rise. Your eternal, complete salvation. We'll close with verse 14 as the Apostle Paul does. He said, Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof."

I love this, don't you? I was thinking as I was reading this, and you don't have an opportunity when you go through these verses as we are. You have to just go through them and explain them as you go. But wouldn't this be a wonderful verse just to tackle for about 30 or 45 minutes?

Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a message in that. Put on Jesus Christ means to put on His perfect righteousness that He's provided for us. He's provided for you and me, brothers and sisters, a perfect garment to cover our shame. Perfect obedience to justify us and to present us even to His Father without any blame, without any fault.

Put Him on. Put Him on by faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Trust Him. Confess Him. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to put Him on as our example. To know how to walk and live and love and forgive and submit to our Father's will. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Look to Him as your example. Put Him on as your example.

And listen to this, to put on the Lord Jesus Christ means to put on His precious blood on your conscience. Put His precious blood right on your conscience. That will keep your conscience clean. That will keep your conscience tender. Put the Lord Jesus Christ on means to put Him on in your memory.

Remember how He has loved you. Remember how He suffered for you upon the cross of Calvary. Remember how He called you when you were dead in your trespasses and sins. Remember how He followed you and protected you and delivered you up to this very hour. Remember Him. Don't forget Him. Put Him on in your memory. Put the Lord Jesus Christ on as your hope.

He's entered heaven for you. He's entered there to assure that you will enter there. You're going to follow Him there. He's your hope. Your hope is not in your marriage. Your hope is not in how faithful that you've been. My goodness, you can find sin mixed with all that you do. Your hope is this.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for you. He was buried for you. And He's ascended into heaven for you. He is your hope. You ever doubt that you're going to make it? Well, is He there? If He's there, you're sure to be there. Put Him on, brothers and sisters, as your hope. Put Him on in your affections. More love to Thee, O Christ. More love to Thee.

Don't you love Him? You love Him because He first loved you. But isn't He precious to you? Don't you love Him more now than you did when He first revealed Himself to you? Put Him on in your affections. Let your affections to Him grow. Put Him on in your intellect. Study Him.

Study the person of Jesus Christ. You know the kind of preachers I like. I love those preachers that know Christ themselves. And they study Christ themselves. And they tell me about Him. More about Jesus would I know. More of His love to others shall. More of His saving fullness see. More of His love who died for me. More, more about Jesus.

Study Him. There's people who give their lives to just studying science or studying some skill. There's others who spend their time in studying man. What good will that do us in the end, brothers and sisters? Study the Lord Jesus Christ. Know Him. And be like the Apostle Paul. Oh, I've got to know Him better. Put Him on in your intellect. And put Him on in your mouth. Put Him on in your lips.

Talk about Him. I was talking with a dear pastor friend of mine this week, and he had a legitimate complaint about somebody. But you know what he said? I don't want to talk about them. Let's talk about our Lord. Boy, you'll never go wrong there, will you? You talk about somebody else and you can always find fault with them. You can start talking about yourself and that disgusts you, doesn't it? Talk about Him.

Let the conversation turn from how bad the winter's been or waiting for the spring and the weather. Turn it to the Lord Jesus Christ. What a precious Savior we have. He's worthy of us talking about Him. Put you on the Lord Jesus Christ. And brothers and sisters, if you put Him on, really put Him on, you won't be making so much provision for the flesh. There's all this flesh. It's just so corrupt.

Somebody sung that song about digging up bones? It's always digging up bones, isn't it? Exhuming things that were better left alone. It's digging up one's sin, digging up love. But if you set your mind on Jesus Christ, put Him on. Don't leave much room for the flesh, does it? And these other things.

God bless His Word. Lord, we thank you, precious Lord Jesus. We're so thankful. Oh, Lord, we'll praise you for all eternity for what you've done for us, calling us out of the darkness of this world, the sin and the ignorance, the rebellion, and saving us, saving us to yourself, bringing us to know you, the precious Savior. Oh, our Lord, we thank you for letting us come here tonight and read your precious word.

I pray that it's tendered our hearts. That it will remove so much of this me first from ourselves. And to set our hearts upon others, to do no ill to others, but to help, to be kind, courteous. Work in our hearts, our Lord. You've worked in the past, work in the future. Work in all our hearts.

If there's some here tonight that don't know you, would this be the night that you'd reveal yourself to them? Maybe some who are burdened over their sins, full of doubts and fears. Oh, Lord, you can dispel all of those just by revealing yourself, revealing the power of your cleansing blood, if you will. Thank you that you have this great desire to save sinners. That's why you came into this world. That's why you live today. to our utter amazement, and we praise you for it. Amen.