Romans chapter 13. I left off
last week with what it says in verse 10. Love worketh no ill
or does not act unseemly in the ugly way to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling,
love is fulfilling of the law. Love worketh no ill. Someone gave this as a good definition
for what love is. Love wishes to bestow the best
it can on the object of its affection. That's what love desires to do. We know the love of God has been
shed abroad in our hearts. We know that the fruit of the
Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, We are to love
God and we are to love one another. That's what it says over here.
If you hold your place there and find Matthew 22. Matthew
22. Matthew 22, the Lord answers
a question of one of the Pharisees in Matthew 22, 34. But when the
Pharisees heard that he had, that is the Lord, put the Sadducees
to silence, They were gathered together, now they were ganging
up on him. Then one of them, which was a
lawyer, asked a question, tempting him, saying, Master, which is
the great commandment in the law? And here's what the Lord
gives, those two tables of the law. First being, thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. with all thy soul,
with all thy mind. That's what the law of God demands,
and that you do it perfectly all the time. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second, the second part
of that law is, is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. Verse 40, Matthew 22, on these
two commandments hang all the law and all the prophets reveal
unto us what the law of God requires. We are to love God and to love
one another. This is what the law of God requires
in absolute perfection or the consequence of that is death. Now, admittedly, I confess, and
I hope you do as well, we have not kept one law one time. We have not kept one law one
time. We're all guilty before God. Rather, we have broken all the
law of God all the time. Because we are sinners, and all
sinners can do is sin. That's all we can do. Now, does
that leave us in despair? The law of God was never given
to save us. It was never given to put away
our sin. The law of God was given to show
us that we are guilty before God. Now, if the Lord has ever
taught you that, We can give thanks unto the Lord that what
the holy law of God demands, the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled
for us as he represents us before God. Remember in Matthew 5, the
Lord said, I didn't come to destroy the law. He came to honor the
law. The Lord himself is the only
one who loved God perfectly, mind, heart, and soul all the
time. He is the only one that perfectly
obeyed God all the time. He is the God-man mediator who
had no sin, who knew no sin, who did no sin, who went about
to establish every precept of that law in his life, and satisfied
the penalty of that law in his death. Now, remember what we
read in Romans 5.19? Well, by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of another, shall
many be made righteous. That's our hope. The law of God
does not lower its demands in order to save us. God will not
do that. But what the gospel of Christ
has done, honored the law of God to enable God to be a just
God and Savior, to enable him to be just and the justifier
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, having said that, let's
look at verse 11, and that, And that knowing, knowing the time. Now, how many times a day do
we say, what time is it? You know, I don't wear a watch. I don't wear a ring. I don't like things on my fingers
and my hands. They just annoy me, so I don't
wear a ring, I don't wear a watch, but I'm always asking my wife,
and this, it aggravates her. Honey, what time is it? Honey,
what time is it? I mean, if you ever catch yourself
through the day, how many times we are conscious of time. I come,
every time I, when I'm over here working in the study, every time
I come out that door for a break, first thing I do is look at that
clock. We are creatures of time and we're subject to time. And
we're always wondering, is it time to get up? Is it time to
go to bed? Time to go to work? Boy, it's
time to go home from work. That's a good day. That's a good
time. We are subject to time all the time. But here we're
talking about specifically something that every believer needs to
be aware of, knowing the time that now it is high time. to awake out of sleep. Let us
not be sleepy in the matter of salvation or lazy in the matter
of our salvation. Let us be zealous and earnest
and fervent in spirit. For now is our salvation nearer
than when we believed, knowing the time. Let us redeem the time. Let us use each day the Lord
has given unto us to promote and spread the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and to tell others of the salvation that
he has accomplished for us. David said in Psalm 118, this
is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and let us be
glad in it. Let us be about our master's
business. as all believers are in the ministry,
because the time we have here is short. We're all short timers. I mean, if we live another five
years, that's, what's five years? I mean, five years goes by that
quick, does it not? We're all short timers. The time
here we have is short compared to eternity. In Ephesians 5.16, The Apostle writes, redeeming
the time because the days are evil. And then in Colossians
4, 5, we read, walk in wisdom toward them that are without
redeeming the time. Make the most of the time. Make the most of the day that
you have. David said in Psalm 31, my times
are in thy hand. I'm glad they are. And then in
Psalm 90, the Lord says, teach us to number our days. Teach
us, so teach us to number our days. This is David praying to
the Lord. So teach us to number our days
that we may apply our heart unto wisdom. We don't have tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation. Because our salvation, it says
there, Because for now and the word for can be rendered because
our salvation is never than when we believe. Each day we are one
day closer to being forever with the Lord Jesus Christ. One day
closer to our eternal destiny that's predestined of God, we
are one day nearer to our final and total deliverance, our total
and complete salvation. Now, stay with me here. We have
been delivered from the guilt of sin, right? being dead indeed
unto sin. Likewise, yourself reckoned to
be dead indeed unto sin. We've been delivered from the
guilt of sin. We've also been delivered from
the power of sin to condemn. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ. And one day soon,
we shall be delivered from the very presence of sin. And our
eternal glorification with the Lord Jesus Christ is much closer
now, is it not, than when we first believed? We're one day
closer to home. One day soon we shall lay aside
this body of this sinful flesh and depart to be with the Lord
and to depart into His eternal presence. We've all read and
quoted this scripture many times, 2 Corinthians 5, 8. We are confident,
I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body. And
that's what happens at death. There's a separation of our soul,
our eternal soul and spirit, from our body of flesh. We are
confident and willing rather to be absent from the Lord excuse
me, to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Let us therefore redeem the time. Now hold your place there and
find, you remember the last words and the last testimony of the
apostle as he sits on death row, 2 Timothy 4. As he sits on death
row awaiting execution for the gospel. The Lord gave him those
last two years of his life to preach the gospel from a prison
cell. But he says this, when he winds
it all up, 2 Timothy 4, verse 6, For I am now ready to be offered.
The time of my departure is at hand. It's an appointed day. Man, days are numbered. The number
of his months are with the Lord. It's appointed unto man once
to die. The time of my departure. Now I like what he says there,
he doesn't say the time of my death, although he's talking
about that. He's talking about departing
and being with the Lord. 2 Timothy 4 verse 7, I fought
a good fight, I finished my course, I have kept the faith, henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord
the righteous judge shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." I'm
ready to depart and to be with the Lord. So let us redeem the
time. For now is our salvation nearer
than when we first believed. Now look at verse 12. Romans
13 verse 12. The night is far spent, The day
is at hand. Let us, therefore, cast off the
works of darkness, the works of idolatry, the works of trusting
ourselves. Let us cast off the works of
darkness, legalness, and self-righteousness, and let us put on the armor of
light. The night is far spent. This present life is full of
what? Darkness? Death? Disease? Destruction? All these things. But it will
soon end for the believer. You remember David said in Psalm
23 that we walk in the valley of the shadow of death. And that's where we walk. We
see death all around us. We see creatures dying constantly
and people dying constantly. Eternity for the believer is
one eternal day of light and worship. The night is our spent,
the day is at hand. And here's the day he talking
about. Hold your place here and find Revelation 21. First of
all, Revelation 21 at verse 22, John writing Revelation 21, 22. And I saw no temple there, No more blood sacrifices, Revelation
21, 22. For the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it, He is our sacrifice. And the
city had no need of sun, neither of moon to shine in it, for the
glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which
are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth
do bring their glory and honor into it. and the gates of it
shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there,
no darkness, one eternal day of worship. Then across the page
in Revelation 22 verse 3, 4 and 5, and there shall be no more
curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it,
and his servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face,
and his name shall be in their forehead, and there shall be
no night there, never any more darkness. And they need no candle,
neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light,
and they shall reign forever and ever. He is our light now
and He shall be our light forever. The day is at hand. Look back to the text. The night
is far spent, the day is at hand. Today is the day of salvation,
we have no tomorrow. Now notice a marginal reference
on verse 12 in John 9 verse 4. You see that? And here's what
that verse says. Our Lord said, I must work the
works of him that sent me, while it is day. The night cometh,
and no man can work. So let us redeem the time, let
us make much of the day. The Lord completely finished
the work the Father gave him to accomplish for us in the day
that he worked out and accomplished our salvation. Now, he says two
things here. Let us therefore do these two
things. Let us therefore, number one,
cast off the works of darkness. Anything that's contrary to the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, be done with it. Cast it away.
cast away any idol, any self-righteousness, any refuge of life, anything
other than Christ is darkness. Cast off the works of darkness. Would you trust darkness for
salvation? No. Would you trust that which
God curses? No. Let us cast off the works
of darkness and then it says let us put on the armor of Christ,
and that's what he's talking about. When you see the word
light in scripture, always think of Christ who said, I am the
light. I am the light. Let us cast off
the works of darkness. We've been called out of darkness
into his marvelous light, right? That we should show forth the
praises of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous
light. We are to give thanks unto God.
Let me read this to you. This is found in Colossians chapter
1 verse 12, giving thanks unto the Father who hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, in Christ. He made us partakers, He made
us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light, in Christ. who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son." That's what we have had done for us. He called us out
of darkness. By nature we love darkness, not
the light. By nature we love darkness rather
than the light. But because he calls the light
of salvation to shine in our heart, We by his grace and strength
we do cast off these works of darkness. And then he says we
put on the armor of light. Now there's another good reference
that's given there. You see 1 Thessalonians chapter
5 verse 5. Let's turn there. 1 Thessalonians
5. Let us cast off the works of
darkness and let us put on the armor of light first Thessalonians
5 5 He said let us verse 8 Well, let's let's go back to
first Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 5 you are all the children of
light and And the children of the day, we are not of the night
nor of the darkness. Let us not sleep as do others,
but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in
the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. Let
us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love, and for Helmut the hope of salvation. For God
hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ. So let us put on the breastplate
of faith. We know faith is a gift of God.
The just shall live by faith. Let us put on the breastplate
of love. We love him because he first loved us. And for the
helmet and helmet, the hope of salvation. We have a good hope
through grace. Let us put on the armor of light. It's called in 2 Corinthians
6-7, Paul said he proved himself as a servant of the Lord by the
word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness
on the right hand and on the left. Who is our armor of righteousness? Well, it's the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. Christ is our light, Christ is
our righteousness, Christ is all and in all unto us. And then,
let's turn and read this reference about putting on the whole armor
of God, and that's found in Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter
6, verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that you may be
able to stand against the wild trickery of the devil, He is
a deceiver. Verse 12, for we wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you
the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand
in that evil day. Having done all to stand, stand
therefore having your loins girt about with the truth, The gospel
of God's grace, Christ is that truth. Having on the breastplate
of righteousness, Christ is called the Lord, our righteousness. And your feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace. He made peace for us with his
own blood, Colossians 1 verse 20. Above all, taking the shield
of faith. What is the strength of faith?
It's not faith in our faith. When you get right down to it,
you know, faith has nothing to do with you. Think about it. Faith has nothing to do with
you. Faith has everything to do with
Christ. Saving faith always looks to
Christ. And the strength of faith is
Christ. wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, take the helmet of
salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ, He is our Savior, who saves us
from all our sin, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word
of God, the Word of God written, And the Lord Jesus Christ is
what? He's the living word that's quick
and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Now, see how
it's all relative to Christ and the gospel? So let's cast off
everything that's contrary to the gospel of God's grace and
let us rest in Christ, our life, our light, our righteousness,
our hope, and our salvation. Now, look at verse 13. Roman
13, 13. Let us walk. Let us walk. And this is talking about our
daily conversation, our daily conduct. Let us walk honestly,
decently, as in the day. Not in rioting, not in drunkenness,
not in chambering, not in wantonness, not in strife, not in jealousy,
not in envy. So let us walk honestly in the
day, let us live by faith, walk by faith, just shall live by
faith, let us live by faith, walk and talk and conduct ourselves
in an honorable and godly manner, bringing honor to the gospel
that we believe. Let us not bring reproach upon
the gospel by our sorry conduct or our sorry attitude, but let
us honor God by believing God and demonstrating that the just
shall live by faith. 2 Corinthians 5, 7, the apostle
says, we walk by faith and not by sight. And then Romans 6,
4, we should walk in the newness of life. Romans 8, 4, describing
believers who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.
Ephesians 5, 2 talks about that we should walk in love as Christ
also has loved us and has given himself as a sweet smelling savor
unto God. And then Ephesians 5.8, you just
look up the word walk and see how it's used in reference to
believers. For we were sometimes darkness,
but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Now, and then let us not. Let us not walk in these six
things that are mentioned here. Rioting, which is rebellion against
God's designated authority. He talks about drunkenness. He talks about chambering and
wantedness. He talks about strife, envy,
which is jealousy. These are the deeds of the flesh. That's all the flesh can produce
is rebellion against God and all these things that are mentioned
here. But let's close by looking at verse 14. Put ye on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Put on Christ. Live unto the
Lord Jesus Christ. How do you put on Christ? By
believing His Word and by trusting Him. And put ye on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and make not a provision for the flesh to fulfill the
lust thereof. Don't provide for the flesh to
fulfill its sinful cravings, Avoid those situations which
would cause us to put our sinful thoughts into actions. Avoid those things. As it says
over here in Romans 12, 21, be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good. With good. Overcome evil with
good. In Ephesians 4, 22 and 24, Ephesians
4, don't turn, let me just read it to you. We read this, puts
you off concerning the former conversation, and that word conversation
is conduct of the old man. This is that old sinful nature
that we still have to deal with every day. That's why there's
a warfare between the flesh and the spirit. Puts you off concerning
the former conversation, that old man, that old, sinful man,
starve him out, starve him out, don't give in, which is corrupt
according to deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit
of your mind, that you put on the new man, that's that new
nature, that divine nature which we all are partakers of as believers,
that you put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness put on Christ put on Christ and
make what it says there make not a provision for the flesh
to fulfill the lust thereof he said brethren you've been called
unto liberty in Galatians chapter 5 brethren you've been called
unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
but by love serve one another. We've been set at liberty, but
we're not set at liberty so as to wantonly sin against God. It's our desire not to do that. But sadly, And the reality is
that we are still sinners, sinners who were saved by God's grace
and his grace alone.