Romans 13:11-14

letter from doctrine to practice, from theology to ethics, from foundation to application.

! Paul states in Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

Romans 12:1

that's everything that he has said in those previous 11 chapters, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship, whole self offering to God.

Verse 2 says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The work we find before us today is that work of being transformed by the renewal of our minds,

testing to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The last time that we were studying Romans together, we considered Paul's exhortation to Christian love.

That was two weeks ago. Paul tells us in Romans chapter 13 and verse 8 that the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13 · chapter mention

And in verse 10, love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

And the end of chapter 13 develops this idea further.

Before we read the text, I'd like to remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us written for his glory and our good.

And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

Romans chapter 13, beginning in verse 11.

Romans 13 · chapter mention

Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.

For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

The night is far gone. The day is at hand.

So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness,

not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy,

but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

In these four verses, as Paul continues to drive this idea of love as fulfilling of the law,

he employs an analogy of rising in the morning.

The outline for our study will follow the text arc through that analogy in the following three points.

Number one, wake up.

Number two, cast off.

And number three, put on.

So firstly, wake up, verse 11 and the first part of verse 12.

He begins verse 11 with this phrase,

besides this.

And we should deal with that phrase first.

It could be more simply rendered,

do this as the New American Standard does,

or most simply,

and this.

That's what the Greek literally translates to,

and this.

Paul is stating in addition to the fact that love fulfills the law,

you should love because...

Why?

You should love because...

You know the time.

Paul here is not referring to chronological time,

otherwise he would have used the Greek word chronos.

Instead, he uses the word kairos,

which means season or age.

You see, this letter is addressed to Christians,

those who have believed,

you'll see there at the end of verse 11.

So this is the age when Christians are to wake from sleep.

What does Paul mean by that?

He is encouraging the Roman believers and us this morning

to stir from spiritual lethargy.

It is not the time to be spiritually lazy,

but to be roused and fervent in our love for one another.

Why?

Is it because we have need to earn God's favor?

Is the finite clock of our lives hastening us to the infinite

and we must pocket as many credits as possible

to cash out when we stand in judgment?

No.

Surely, the finite clock of our lives is hastening us to the infinite.

But if you are in Christ,

then your salvation is a settled matter.

But Paul reasons that because our salvation is nearer to us now

than when we first believed,

that we should stir from our spiritual laziness.

Does he not?

He does.

But not because he intends to motivate us with fear.

He's not saying your days are fleeting

and you're approaching this moment quickly,

so you better get busy.

Paul intends to motivate us to fervent love

because of the great love that we have been shown in Christ.

Here Paul uses the noun salvation.

In its verb form, it means to save.

R.C. Sproul explains this verb well in his commentary on this verse.

He says,

The Greek word appears in the biblical text

in every possible tense,

indicating a sense in which

we are being saved,

and in a sense we have been saved.

The simple aorist tense is rendered,

you are saved.

The present tense is rendered,

you are being saved.

And the future tense reads,

you shall be saved.

The future perfect is rendered,

you shall have been saved.

These are all the rendering of the same Greek verb.

Salvation is unfolded biblically in all those increments.

Therefore, in the ultimate sense,

we do not experience salvation the moment we were born again.

That is just one aspect of salvation.

The fullness of our salvation will not take place until our glorification when we enter into heaven.

End quote.

Having been saved,

having been saved,

we are being saved,

we will be saved,

and we will have been saved.

And I'll let you try to wrap your mind around what that means exactly.

Right?

We are in the process.

Justification,

sanctification,

glorification.

All of the wonderful promises of God's love for us in Christ

should shake us from our stupor and motivate Christian love.

Wake up,

Paul says.

He means to encourage us.

Right?

The gospel is true for you.

Right?

You're in the process.

Having been,

you are being,

will be finally saved.

And that day is coming.

We live in this age where we are Christian.

And this should motivate Christian love.

Again,

Romans 12,

1 and 2.

I appeal to you,

therefore,

brothers,

by the mercies of God.

What are we to do?

Present ourselves,

our whole selves,

as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable,

which is our spiritual worship.

We're not to be conformed to this world,

the ways of this world,

but rather to be transformed,

the ways of God,

by the renewal of our mind.

And he goes then into chapter 12 and 13

and on to the end of the book

to help us understand

what that transformed life will look like.

Paul goes on in verse 12,

the night is far gone,

the day is at hand.

His analogy continues by juxtaposing

the night and the day,

darkness and light.

This imagery is employed all throughout the Bible

and perhaps resonated a little more

with the original readers of this letter

as the night was a place of danger.

The world was not quite as lit

as it now is.

It was a place of hiding

and a place of expressed wickedness

in the cover of dark.

Let me show you just one Old Testament example

and one New Testament example

of this analogy being employed.

Isaiah 5 and verse 20 says,

Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil reverse things.

Who put darkness for light

and light for darkness.

Who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.

And then John chapter 3, verse 16

John 3:16

and following,

For God so loved the world

that he gave his only son

that whoever believes in him

should not perish

but have eternal life.

For God did not send his son

into the world to condemn the world

but in order that the world

might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him

is not condemned.

But whoever does not believe

is condemned already

because he has not believed

in the name of the only son of God.

Pause.

Jesus didn't come to bring the condemnation.

The condemnation already existed.

And this is the judgment,

verse 19 says,

The light has come into the world

and people loved the darkness

rather than the light

because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things

hates the light

and does not come to the light

lest his works should be exposed.

So you know the time.

The night is far gone.

The day is at hand

because the light of Christ

has shown in our hearts.

So wake up.

If you are in Christ,

this is not the age

of spiritual slumber.

This is the age

of Christian love.

So we are to wake up.

But we are also,

secondly,

to cast off.

You see this in the middle part

of verse 12

and in verse 13.

He says there,

So then let us cast off,

or if you prefer,

put off,

the works of darkness.

So the middle of verse 12

continues this analogy.

Having awoken,

we are to take off the works

that are suited to slumber.

If you prefer,

I don't mean to make pajamas

seem evil,

but if you prefer in the analogy,

to take off those things

that are suited for sleeping.

Paul then states

at the beginning of verse 13,

let us walk properly

as in the daytime,

and then gives us negative examples

in the rest of the verse.

So if we are to walk properly,

we are to not do

the following things.

He begins,

Nod in,

orgies,

and drunkenness.

And this phrase

is likely a reference

to the Roman worship

of the pagan god Bacchus

at a festival called Bacchanalia.

All of the details

of this nighttime festival

that you need to know

are found there

in the phrase.

Not a lot more really

to know about what took,

what happened

in this particular festival.

Now,

it may well be

that the Roman Christians

needed not to hear

that particular rebuke.

I hope that all of you

this morning

have not participated

in such a festival.

They may have thought,

oh,

of course not,

right?

Of course we shouldn't

participate in such things.

But,

Paul continues.

He's building out

his argument.

He's saying,

of course we wouldn't do

that kind of

nighttime activity.

But he goes on to say,

in a broadening sense,

not in sexual immorality

and sensuality.

And these two sins

are closely related.

The first referring

to the perversion

of the marriage bed.

The second,

to flagrant debauchery

of all kinds.

Note here,

Paul is using

this kind of

extreme example

and getting wider

and wider.

Which certainly

are actions

that should

in no way

characterize

Christian love.

These are all,

so far,

these two first

prohibitions

are perversions

of Christian love.

What it ought

to look like

to love.

These are the

opposite of

that.

Paul writes

in 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4,

this is verse 3

through 5,

for this is the will

of God,

your sanctification,

that you abstain

from sexual

immorality.

Each one of you

know how to control

his own body

in holiness

and honor.

Not in the passion

of lust

like the Gentiles

who do not

know God.

Christians should be

distinct

in this way

amongst many

other ways,

which is the

broadening

that Paul

does

next.

But here,

here,

we might

quickly be able

to dismiss

the first

prohibition.

Sure, sure.

no orgies

and drunkenness.

I hope,

I pray,

that we can also

not find ourselves

rebuked

in the second.

Not in

sexual immorality

and sensuality.

Now,

if this is

true of us,

right,

Paul broadens

it a bit

more.

And note,

we are still

tracking Paul's

argument

for Christian

love.

Don't think

he's departed

altogether

from the topic,

right?

He says next,

not in

quarreling

and jealousy.

I think we

should just

find this

progression

staggering.

I have

been using

the term

broadening,

right,

by which I

just mean

including

more

of his

listeners

in these

prohibitions,

failures.

But perhaps

I should be

saying

tightening

like

concentric

rings

on a

bullseye,

Paul's

bringing

the issue

to our

hearts.

Look at

the way

in which

love is

perverted

in the

world.

We should

have

nothing

to do

with

that,

right?

Not in

orgies

and drunkenness,

not in

sexual

immorality

and sensuality,

not in

quarreling

and jealousy.

Quarreling

or strife

refers to

contention,

arguing,

disagreement

over trivial

things.

It connotes

competitiveness

that seeks

its own

way and

preference.

It is

self-seeking

and it is

not humble.

It forgets

that God

in Christ

forgave you

and does

not

extend

forgiveness.

is your

life

characterized

by this

kind of

contention,

this

self-preference?

Similarly,

jealousy

wants all

that someone

else has

for you.

It is

selfish

and refuses

to rejoice

with those

who rejoice.

It does

not serve

others.

It is

always

seeking

a beneficial

angle.

in every

circumstance,

in every

relationship.

These sins

are what

cause

division,

partisanship

in the

church,

and they

are not

fitting for

those who

walk

properly

as in

the daytime.

You see

what Paul

has done

to us?

I think

he's brought

all of us

to a place

where we

must go,

ooh,

I may

be guilty

at this

point.

I likely

have some

space

for repentance,

extending

forgiveness,

having

conversations,

working to

heal

relationship.

I'm one

who has been

delivered by

Christ.

I should be

one who is

awake and

putting off

the works

of darkness.

We are

to cast

off the

works

that are

suited

to slumber.

These

things

ought not

define us.

Paul

teaches

similarly

elsewhere.

Join me

if you will

for a moment

in Ephesians

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

I'll

begin

reading

in

verse

8.

This

should

sound

so

very

familiar.

It

says,

there at

one time

you were

darkness,

but now

you are

light in

the Lord.

Walk

as children

of light,

for the

fruit of

light is

found in

all that

is good

and right

and true.

And try

to discern

what is

pleasing

to the

Lord.

Take no

part in

the

unfruitful

works of

darkness,

but instead

expose them.

For it is

shameful even

to speak of

the things

they do

in secret.

But when

anything is

exposed by

the light,

it becomes

visible.

For anything

that becomes

visible is

light.

Therefore,

it says,

awake,

O sleeper,

and arise

from the

dead,

and Christ

will shine

on you.

Look

carefully then

how you

walk,

not as

unwise,

but as

wise,

making the

best use

of the

time,

because the

days are

evil.

We're to be

distinguished as

those who have

been saved by

Christ.

We are

little

Christ's,

and the

primary thing

that's going

to characterize

us is the

putting off

of those

things that

no longer

belong to

who we

are in

him.

we are

also,

thirdly,

to put

on.

So we've

woken up,

we've cast

off,

and we

are to

put on,

and we

see this

at the

end of

verse 12

and

verse 14.

Not only

are we to

cast off the

works of

darkness,

but we

are to

put on

something

else.

Having

risen,

we are to

take off

those works

suitable to

slumber,

but then

what are

we to

do?

J. Adams,

the modern

father of

the biblical

counseling

movement,

spoke often

of

dehabituation

by

rehabituation,

which is

just a

phrase I

love.

He once

wrote,

just as

indwelling

sin is a

matter of

habituated

behaviors,

so the

renewal of

sanctification

is a

matter of

rehabituating

behaviors.

The body

habituated to

sin wants

to continue

in it.

The spirit

must reprogram

the brain

and through

it the

members of

the body

to live

righteously.

You can

refer back

there to

Romans

Romans 12:1

chapter 12

verse 1

and 2.

If there

were some

moral

reason

that I

needed to

put my

left shoe

on before

my right

shoe,

many of you

have heard

this analogy

from me,

I would

have some

work to

do because

I

invariably

put my

right shoe

on before

my left

shoe.

This is

amoral.

I know it

doesn't matter,

but this is what

I do,

and I don't

know why I

do it,

but I put

on my

right sock

and then my

right shoe

and then my

left sock

and then my

left shoe.

every morning

this is what

I do.

Some people

have called

me crazy

for doing

so.

If I

were,

for some

moral reason,

supposed to

put on my

left shoe

first,

I would

have to

take some

deliberate

action to

accomplish

that task.

I couldn't

just hope

I would

do it.

I do it

mindlessly.

It's just

the way

I put

on my

shoes.

I don't

think about

it at

all.

I'm going

to have

to do

something

deliberate.

I don't

know what.

My right

shoe is

upside down

when I

get to

them in

the morning.

I go,

why is

my right

shoe

upside down?

Oh,

right.

I'm supposed

to put

on my

left

shoe

first.

Something

to jog

my memory

that I'm

meant to

do this

activity

in a

different

way.

We

dehabituate

by

rehabituating

until it

becomes normal

that my

left shoe

goes on

before my

right

shoe.

None of

this has

anything to

do with

shoes.

So,

what are

we to

put on?

Paul does

not give

us specific

activities in

today's

text.

He just

talked about

Christian love,

which has a

broad scope

as we think

about it.

But in

today's

text,

there's no

specific

activity

that we're

meant to

put on

instead of

those others.

You could

think about

the opposite

of those

prohibitions,

but he

doesn't

address them

specifically.

But he

does say

we're to

put on

the armor

of light.

Last part

of verse

12.

We're to

put on

the armor

of light.

And here

Paul,

he starts

foundationally.

We have

to think,

what is the

truth that

I'm supposed

to understand

that's going

to produce

the fruit

that God

intends?

So,

we're going

to put on

the armor

of light.

The battle

of this age

is a spiritual

battle,

and those

in Christ

by the power

of the

spirit,

have every

resource

at our

disposal

to walk

in the

light.

This is a

work of

grace,

but it

has been

granted

to us

in Christ.

Paul

expands on

this idea

in Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6.

If you happen

to be in

Ephesians

still,

you might

want to

join me.

Verse 11.

There Paul

says,

put on

the whole

armor of

God,

that you

may be

able to

stand

against

the schemes

of the

devil.

For we

do not

wrestle

against

flesh and

bud,

but against

the rulers,

against the

authorities,

against the

cosmic

powers over

this present

darkness,

against the

spiritual

forces of

evil in

the heavenly

places.

Therefore,

take up

the whole

armor of

God,

that you

may be

able to

withstand

in the

evil day,

and having

done all

to stand

firm.

Stand

therefore,

having fastened

on the

belt of

truth,

and having

put on the

breastplate

of righteousness,

and as

shoes for

your feet,

having put

on the

readiness

given by

the gospel

of peace.

In all

circumstances,

take up

the shield

of faith,

which with

you can

extinguish

all the

flaming

darks of

the evil

one,

and take

the helmet

of salvation

and the

sword of

the spirit,

which is

the word

of God,

praying at

all times

in the

spirit,

with all

prayer and

supplication.

And John

Bunyan in

the Pilgrim's

Progress,

when Christian

is fighting

Apollyon,

includes this

weapon and

calls it

all prayer.

Truth,

righteousness,

the readiness

of the gospel

of peace,

faith,

salvation,

the word

of God,

and all

prayer.

These are

all defensive

and offensive

tools granted

to those

who are

in Christ.

Which is

why I think

that Paul

says in

verse 14,

but put

on the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

I think he

means for our

minds to draw

a connection

between those

two things.

Put on the

armor of

light,

put on

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Not as

two separate

things,

but as

the same

activity.

Everything

necessary to

realize our

mere salvation

is ours

in Christ.

He accomplished

it already

by his life,

death,

and resurrection.

It is

finished.

Paul shares

this sentiment

in Philippians

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verse 6

where he says,

I am sure

of this,

that he

who began

a good

work in

you will

bring it

to completion

at the

day of

Christ.

Confident

the work

he began

will come

to its

conclusion.

We've been

given everything

we need

in Christ

for this

to be

true.

We have

only to

realize

who we

are.

Children

of light.

If you

are in

Christ,

if you

place

believing

faith in

him,

then you're

a child

of light.

and to

realize

this is

to access

the power

to walk

as a

child

of

the

light.

Can we

do this

through the

renewal of

our minds

by fixing

our gaze

on the

completed

work

of Jesus

Christ?

Paul writes

in Philippians

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

beginning in

verse 8,

he says,

I count

everything is

lost because

of the

surpassing

worth of

knowing

Christ

Jesus,

my Lord.

Thank you,

my love.

For his

sake,

I have

suffered

the loss

of all

things and

count them

as rubbish

in order

that I

may gain

Christ

and be

found in

him,

not having

a righteousness

of my own

that comes

from the

law,

but that

which comes

through faith

in Christ,

the righteousness

from God

that depends

on faith,

that I may

know him

and the power

of his

resurrection

and may

share his

suffering,

becoming like

him in

his death,

that by

any means

I may

attain

the

resurrection

from the

dead.

Now,

here,

there,

future

salvation,

the

glorification

that is

Paul's

and ours

in Christ.

Then he

says,

not that I

have already

obtained

this or

am already

perfect,

but I

press on

to make

it my

own because

Jesus Christ

has made

me his

own.

Brothers,

I do not

consider that

I have made

it my

own,

but one

thing I

do,

forgetting

what lies

behind and

straining

forward to

what lies

ahead,

I press

on toward

the goal

for the prize

of the

upward

call

of God

in Christ

Jesus.

Put on

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

Consider all

that he's

accomplished

on your

behalf and

access all

the power

he gives

you by

the Spirit

to turn

away from

the works

of darkness

and to

the works

of light.

If we have

believed in

Christ,

then we have

been united

to him.

He is in

us and

we are in

him.

We need

daily

reminders

of this

grand

reality.

We need

deep

Bible

meditation

and

memorization.

We need

faithful

brothers and

sisters to

speak the

truth to

us.

We need

to sing

this truth

and we

need to

pray this

truth.

By grace

alone,

through faith

alone,

I am

Christ and

he is

mine.

And I

think this

is what it

means to

put on

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

And then

Paul concludes,

and make

no provision

for the

flesh to

gratify

its desires.

Now this

is possibly

the most

practical part

of our

text.

Paul here

speaks to

deliberate

action,

careful

thinking,

and cautious

planning.

What sin

entangles

you?

How readily

do you

provide the

opportunity

for works

of darkness?

How

carefully

do you

work at

putting

yourself

out of

the

situations

where you

may be

tempted

to sin?

John

Piper once

wrote this

little dialogue

which I

just found

so very

helpful the

first time

I read

it.

That I

hunted and

hunted and

hunted and

found it

again this

week.

And so I

just want to

read it to

you as

we think

about this

idea of

making no

provision for

the flesh to

gratify its

desires.

He writes,

quote,

picture your

flesh,

that old

ego with

the mentality

of merit

and craving

for power

and reputation

and self

reliance.

Picture it

as a

dragon living

in some

cave of

your soul.

then you

hear the

gospel and

in it Jesus

Christ comes

to you and

says,

I will make

you mine

and take

possession of

the cave and

slay the

dragon.

Will you

yield to

my possession?

It will

mean a whole

new way of

thinking and

feeling and

acting.

You say,

but that

dragon is

me.

I will

die.

He says,

and you

will rise

to newness

of life

for I

will take

its plan.

I will

make my

mind and

my will

and my

heart

your own.

You say,

what must

I do?

He answers,

trust me

and do

as I say.

As long as

you trust

me,

we cannot

lose.

Overcome

by the

beauty and

power of

Christ,

you bow

and swear

eternal

loyalty and

trust.

And as

you rise,

he puts a

great sword

in your

hand and

says,

follow me.

He leads

you to the

mouth of

the cave

and says,

go in,

slay the

dragon.

But you

look at

him bewildered.

I cannot

not without

you.

He smiles.

Well said.

You learn

quickly.

Never forget

my commands

for you to

do something

are never

commands to

do it

alone.

Then you

enter the

cave together.

A horrible

battle follows

and you feel

Christ's hand

on yours.

At last,

the dragon

lies limp.

You ask,

is it

dead?

His answer

is this.

I have

come to

give you

new life.

This you

received when

you yielded

it to my

possession and

swore faith

and loyalty

to me.

And now

with my

sword in

my hand,

you have

felled the

dragon of

the flesh.

It is a

mortal wound.

It will

die.

That is

certain.

But it

has not

yet bled

to death.

And it

may yet

revive with

violent

convulsions

and do

much harm.

So you

must treat

it as

dead and

seal the

cave as

a tomb.

The Lord

of darkness

may cause

earthquakes in

your soul

to shake

the stones

loose,

but you

build them

up again

and have

this confidence

with my

sword and

my hand

on yours.

This

dragon's

doom is

sure.

He is

finished and

your new

life is

secure.

And then

Piper continues,

Christ has

taken possession

of our soul.

Our old

self has been

dealt reckoning

of the flesh

as dead,

piling stones

in its tomb

and a

constant relying

on the

present spirit

of Christ

to produce

love and

joy and

peace

within.

So,

make no

provision

for the

flesh.

Wake up,

cast off,

and put on.

Let's pray

together.

as