Romans 13:11-14 NKJV
“11And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
The apostle Paul was giving instructions to the church, the
body of Christ in Rome, i.e. to those of faith in Jesus Christ. And it would
appear, from the instructions that he gave them throughout the entire writing,
that not all of them were following the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands
as they ought. For he reminded them that they would be judged by God according
to their works, and that those for whom sin was their practice, and not
obedience to God, that they would not inherit eternal life with God.
See Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:1-11; Romans 6:1-23; Romans
8:1-17; Romans 11:17-24; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 13:11-14; etc.
So, evidently some of them needed to be stirred up spiritually
to stronger and more serious walks of faith in obedience to the Lord. For,
perhaps some of them had become spiritually complacent, lazy, and slothful, and
so they needed to be reminded of the purpose for which Jesus died and was
resurrected from the dead, which was to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out
of our addiction (slavery) to sin so we can now serve him with our lives in
walks of surrender to him in death to sin and obedience to his commands.
For, contrary to what so many people are teaching today as
the gospel of Christ, of our salvation from sin, our salvation is not a one
time decision to believe in Jesus which requires nothing else of us once we
have “done the deed” and have professed faith in Jesus Christ. Our salvation
ending in eternal life with God is progressive. We are saved (past). We are
being saved (present active). And we will be saved (future) when Jesus returns
provided that we have died to sin and continued in obedience to God’s commands.
Progressive
salvation verses: [Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 9:23-26; John
6:44; John 8:31-32; John 15:1-12; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-17; Romans
11:17-24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians
1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Galatians 5:16-24; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians
5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5,9; 2
Peter 1:5-11; 2 Peter 2:20-22; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:1-6,24-25;
1 John 3:4-10]
Now, this is not a
claim to absolute sinless perfection. God’s grace does cover the sins of those
who are of genuine faith in him as long as they are not those who are
deliberately and habitually sinning against God and who are refusing to obey
our Lord’s commands, as a matter of life practice. For God’s grace, which is
bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly
passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait
for our Lord’s return for his faithful bride.
For not everyone who
says to Jesus “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those doing
(obeying) our Lord’s commands. Many who profess faith in Jesus Christ will
stand before God on the day of judgment convinced that heaven is their eternal
destiny but he will say to them, “Depart from me you workers of lawlessness. I
never knew you!” (see Matthew 7:21-23). So we must forsake the deeds of
darkness (sin) and put on Jesus Christ and his righteousness. And we must live
moral lives, pleasing to Jesus Christ.
Walking in The Light
Based off 1 John 1-2
An Original Work / November 16, 2011
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
When I lift up my
voice, and
Sing praise unto
God,
I will fellowship
with my
Lord and Savior,
King.
In Him there is no
darkness.
He is in the light
of truth.
If we walk in His
light,
From sin He
purifies.
If we repent of our
sins,
He’ll forgive us
now,
When we humble
ourselves, and
Before Jesus bow.
The man who says, “I
know Him,”
But does not obey
His truth,
There is no truth in
him.
In darkness still
he’s found.
Do not love the
world of sin,
For it is hell
bound.
If you follow the
world, you’ll
Not in Christ be
found.
The world and its
desires
Will not last;
they’ll expire.
The one who does
God’s will,
Receives eternal
life.
See that what you
have heard from
Christ remains in
you.
Then, you’ll remain
in Christ, and
In His Father, too.
This is what He
promised us –
His eternal life
with God.
So, continue in Him,
and
You’ll receive a
crown.
Cast Off the Works
of Darkness
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