1-12-2020

We continue in our study on the Christians relationship to the world. Last week we seen Paul's instruction to not be in debt to anyone but to be in debt to everyone in love. That is, we owe everyone our love which is the love of Christ in us.

This love shows a christlike caring and nurturing but also a christlike honesty and commitment to the active redemption of the world. Today we're going to look at the motive for the relationships that we have just looked at.

it is not restricted to just the relationships of those we aren't debt to love but that of the state and that to each other, everything that we have covered that had to deal with relationship, the motive is given to us right here.

We also approach this section that is historically relevant as it has played a very significant part in history. So it is only fitting for us to cover what was significant about this closing section of chapter 13.

So I want to introduce to you all a man named Augustine of hippo. He is also known as Saint Augustine. He is revered by both Catholics and Protestants but the Catholics do not know why they Revere him.

We're talking about a time in history where there was no division the church was Catholic. And I mean Catholic in the original sense, that it means United. We're not talking about Roman Catholicism , this was not Roman Catholicism and Catholicism as we know it today did not exist in augustine's day.

But it was tradition to show honor to Saint Augustine because Catholic tradition says too even though augustine's teachings contradicts Roman Catholic teachings. As a matter of fact, augustine's teachings are more in line with Protestant Christianity an it was augustine's influence that ignited the Reformation.

In the days of the reformers , Martin Luther was in augustinians, John Calvin was in Augustinian. So even though he is revered according to Catholic tradition his teachings are very much hated but the Catholics do not know they hate augustine's teachings.

Augustine was born in 354AD when the power of Rome was backsliding and it was the beginning of what would eventually be called the dark ages.

Not quite there yet but the backsliding of Rome would eventually usher that time in. Augustine was born in North Africa to a middle class family. His parents are very influential people but they were not wealthy they were actually quite poor.

When Augustine received an opportunity for education he took it because he wanted to get away from his mother who was Christian.

His mother was always giving the gospel to him and he did not want to hear it anymore so all he was looking to do was to get away from her. He was an excellent student he had a focus in philosophy. He had openly rejected the faith and even called god of the Bible offensive.

He felt like he loved the rational and the idea of this God according to the scriptures seemed irrational. But he wound up believing with something that's so common today and it was common in augustin's day and it is dualism. That there are 2 equal opposing forces light and darkness, good and evil.

This is typically how people view spirituality today. They would say things if there is a God then there must be a devil. Or if there's a devil there must be a God. It is the same teaching that is found throughout the Star Wars universe that people love so much. He became a teacher in karth Ridge and returned back home one day because his mother was now a widow.

His father was a Pagan however, his mother was saved at some point in her life and so he's a child of a Pagan and of a Christian. He does well teaching back in his Homeland , he does so well that he's invited back to Rome to teach there and around there.

so he went. And because Christianity was becoming the religion of the empire, Augustine realized that it benefited him to be a part of the Catholic Church to advance in his career. He has been feeling for some time that his beliefs in dualism are not true but he was not convinced of Christianity at all.

but he always had this inner turmoil. He always had this war raging within him very similar to the war that Martin Luther had within him. So he always felt inadequate and he always felt like something was seriously wrong. And as he got older the more intense this nagging sensation within him grew.

He grieved over it with much grief and battled with it very hard. He eventually realized something but I want his words to be read in here today. So here is augustine's own words translated into English.

I flung myself down, how, I know not, under a certain fig-tree, giving free course to my tears, and the streams of mine eyes gushed out, an acceptable sacrifice unto Thee. And, not indeed in these words, yet to this effect, spake I much unto Thee,—“But Thou, O Lord, how long?”6 “How long, Lord? Wilt Thou be angry for ever? Oh, remember not against us former iniquities;” for I felt that I was enthralled by them. I sent up these sorrowful cries,—“How long, how long? Tomorrow, and to-morrow? Why not now? Why is there not this hour an end to my uncleanness?”

29. I was saying these things and weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when, lo, I heard the voice as of a boy or girl, I know not which, coming from a neighbouring house, chanting, and oft repeating, “Take up and read; take up and read.” Immediately my countenance was changed, and I began most earnestly to consider whether it was usual for children in any kind of game to sing such words; nor could I remember ever to have heard the like. So, restraining the torrent of my tears, I rose up, interpreting it no other way than as a command to me from Heaven to open the book, and to read the first chapter I should light upon. For I had heard of Antony, that, accidentally coming in whilst the gospel was being read, he received the admonition as if what was read were addressed to him, “Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.”9 And by such oracle was he forthwith converted unto Thee. So quickly I returned to the place where Alypius was sitting; for there had I put down the volume of the apostles, when I rose thence. I grasped, opened, and in silence read that paragraph on which my eyes first fell,

Augustine of Hippo. (1886). The Confessions of St. Augustin. In P. Schaff (Ed.), J. G. Pilkington (Trans.), The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustin with a Sketch of His Life and Work (Vol. 1, p. 127). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

What did he read? The very same verses that we just read.

Now I don't know if anybody in here knows this but the person I am talking about today wrote that section in 400AD, and he was without a doubt and without argument the greatest theologian since the Apostle Paul. Anne remained the greatest theologian since the time of the Reformation.

This information is published in his autobiography that he wrote in 400AD and it is one of my all time favourites. That book rocked my world And I didn't expect it to. I was shocked on how much I related to Augustine and his wife.

He discussed his own struggles his own failures. He was talking about his past with the theme of his future in mind and that is a future in Christ. So the book did in fact rock my world but it is a book that is so fitting for what we have been discussing.

Because Augustine was a man who was actively running from God and that was the type of people we were talking about last week.

But Augustine, in his confessions, famously said thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. And it is something I always share with people when I see them having the same restlessness that Augustine had.

This constant search in life for something to be better and never having it. This constant search in life of never being satisfied with where we are at. It is in reality a grim picture of our lack of rest In Jesus.

So the verses that we are covering today are monumental because it was the very verses that sparked the mind of one of the greatest theologians within the Christian Church. And so today we are joining agustine in the appreciation of this text. And I prayerfully hope that it penetrates our hearts like it did augustine's. So let's break the text down for today.

Romans 13:11 NASB95

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

”11

In short the idea of what Paul is saying is that we must do this 'cause time is running out. Simple enough. But let's expand on that point. Paul gives us the instruction on how Christian should live. That has been our focus since chapter 12.

We had received the doctrine that Paul has laid out and as a result of what we have looked at in the first eleven chapters, chapter 12 we read this is how we should behave and it's not like the world.

So after giving us instruction on how we should behave Paul makes the command do this. No arguing, no whining, do this. Because we as Christians know the time. We as Christians can never claim we do not know the time.

As the people of God we should know the time and the time that Paul is describing is it is time for us to awaken because we have been made new. this statement is being made based on all the instructions that Paul has given us.

Last week I discussed how blessed we are in this nation and be living in this time but these blessings have stimulated our selfishness. And sitting in a whole other country in a completely different time period has truly spoiled us.

I don't know if Americans will truly appreciate the covenant of grace like Paul would appreciate the covenant of grace or the first believers in general.

The very first believers lived within the actual confines of the old covenant. And now there is this new covenant that is inaugurated by the blood of Jesus and this new covenant not only truly saves the Jewish people but it truly saves everyone who places their trust in Jesus. No longer restricted to one nation but for all men for all nations.

And so the time that Paul is talking about is a time that he truly appreciates at the time that the first believers truly appreciate because they remember a time where that didn't exist. And so we sit in a whole other land 2000 years later and we're spoiled rotten because we do not have the slightest clue of what old covenant life feels like.

It would perhaps benefit every Christian to do a little historical research to have an appreciation. Because this appreciation was a motivating factor for Paul in the early church. knowing the time , that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep.

Meaning no more laziness, there's no sluggish Christianity period we rest in Jesus but this is no lazy walk. Because of the times it is time to wake up for now Salvation is nearer to us and Paul is talking about complete Salvation.

I've discussed this before, in theology there's a phrase called the already not yet. He already not yet is a teaching that there are certain truths that are already applied but are not yet in full effect. So we are already citizens of the Kingdom of heaven even though we are not yet there.

Well the same is true for Salvation we are already saved and there is a great miracle that took place within us but we are not fully saved as we have not entered into glory yet so the full benefits of Salvation have yet to be applied to us. Paul saying that that is much closer to us then what we believed and what we could have possibly known.

Some people believe that Paul was talking about a type of eschatologies, a type of end times. He most certainly could be but because he doesn't explicitly state that we can't say that that is what he means for certain.

I think that is exactly what he had in mind with that statement But unless directly stated there is really no way to know for certain.

Romans 13:12 NASB95

The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

It is for this reason that I believe Paul is coming from an eschatological Position. By that I mean he does have end times in view. The New Testament depicts the end times quite differently than once Modern American Christianity depicts the end times.

I cannot tell you how many times I hear from preachers and Christians that they believe we could be living in the end times.

But when you look at the writers of the New Testament they have declared that we are already living in the end times. From the resurrection to the return of Jesus that constitutes the end. We are not the focus point of history , Jesus and his atoning work on the cross is.

You forget that there was a lot of history of mankind leading up to the cross and we now live in the last days after the cross. Paul is continuing with this image he has started with. He is saying that Salvation is closer to us because our future glory is so close.

So it is time for the church to awaken because the night is almost gone. And it is clear what Paul means by that he's talking about the deeds of darkness which he states. And this is a phrase that is commonly used in the pages of scripture.

Paul also says;

Ephesians 5:11 NASB95

Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

Ephesians

And if you remember in...

John 3:19–21 NASB95

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

John 3:19

The point is this, our time is running short. And the day of judgment comma the day of light, his coming where the deeds of man will be exposed. We have a very limited time to get this message to people and it is a message that people are not willing to comprehend the first time you tell them.

And the scriptures revealed to us that that is how the world sees the word. That the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing. But time is running out and as all of us get older we realize how short life truly is. Tomorrow is no guarantee for anyone in this room. This time that we have now is almost gone.

And the time where we live in everlasting light will be here sooner then we think. This is our motivating factor to treat each other the way Paul has instructed, to treat the world as Paul has instructed, they treat the state as Paul has instructed. Because our time he is coming to an end.

Paul then transitions and says therefore put on the armor of light. This is something that Paul really likes to use, the image of armor. Most likely because he has been imprisoned multiple times and has scene Roman armor up close. And Paul doesn't use armor the same way every single time. his point is protect yourself with the things of God.

So put on the armor of God, put on the armor of light which he has laid down for us already. If you're beginning to forget you better go back and reread , if you are beginning to forget you better go back and remind yourself the importance of this letter.

He says therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light period what are the deeds of darkness? He explains;

Romans 13:13 NASB95

Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

Now the first thing you have to keep in mind before we discussed this is that Paul is addressing the church. He is addressing the church and he has addressed these people as saved. But he is also calling out specific activities to the church.

This might come as a shocker to some of us but Christians do sin. Not can sin, not capable of sinning but actually sins. And in the early church we see a lot of issues. We see them in the pages of scripture. When people are super critical of the church because they believe it is in perfect they have to understand that was the start up of the church.

Imperfect people serving a perfect savior that is who we are. The church in Corinth was one of the worst New Testament churches we read about. And yet they were still called a church by the inspired Apostle.

He is talking to a group of people that lived as gentiles their entire life. Paul knew that for them to suddenly be changed and act like Jesus immediately was not realistic. But he also knew that he could not let the church continued to think that the activities that they were doing was OK.

So he instructs the church , as a caring pastor does, let us behave properly as in the day. Let us behave as if we are already in the glory of God living in that everlasting light. Let us act holy before God and before the people.

we should not be the ones commanding others to live this way we should be showing others how to live this way. Living life in the light. So he says not in carousing or in drunkenness.

the definition of these 2 words are similar but the pronunciation is different. 2 completely separate Greek words to describe one type of attitude. So we see the word drunkenness and we all know what that means. But we also have this word carousing which In English means to be drinking but to be obnoxious at the same time.

In the Greek it means something very similar and it means to be half drunk and rioting. It was used to describe people who would celebrate in the streets as they were drinking. And Paul's instructing the church do not do that.

That is living in the darkness you must be living as if in the light. That is being conformed to the ways of the world you must be transformed by the renewing of your mind. He then moves on to say to not be in sexual promiscuity and sensuality.

Pretty self explanatory but that word sensuality in its Greek form means somebody who does not have moral restraint an it's related to sexual behavior.

They would use this to describe a dog by the way. a dog that could not control itself. now this is not restricted to people who cannot restrain themselves in this area of sin as far as the act of committing sexual sin.

But it describes people who cannot even restrain their own image. It literally means to be sinful in appearance because somebody is putting an appearance out there that is meant to be lusted after. I think all of us in here know exactly what I'm talking about.

But the word is often used to describe an outward appearance that is a reflection of the inner soul. That when somebody tries to put on the physical appearance of sensuality it's really a reflection of what is taking place within them.

Paul moves on to say not in strife or in jealousy. Strife is a huge issue in just about every church around the world. it is somebody who always is divisive. Somebody who always wants to cause division.

Typically there is a controlling nature behind this but not always. But the church has always had to deal with people of strife.

Jealousy is another issue in just about every church around the world. To some that may seem odd but it is very much a real thing it is very much in issue. Now , jealous over what?

The possibilities are endless. It could be jealous of position it could be jealous of a relationship it could be jealous of power, it could be jealousy of talent, it could be jealousy of any sorts.

One thing is for certain is that these things were an issue with the Christians that Paul is writing to in Rome. He's not in bracing their lifestyle he what he is telling them is don't live that way.

he goes on to say;

Romans 13:14 NASB95

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

Like he does with the armor , Paul speaks of Christ as a garment. Put on Christ. Every day people wake up and they put on their clothes for the day and will Paula saying is when you get up put on Christ.

Walk in him be like him be guarded by him in continuous fellowship with him. And the unfortunate thing is that people want Jesus but they do not want to be like Jesus. And everybody has their own ideas of the example that Jesus left for us to live by but the scriptures flat-out tell us.

we are to walk in love , meekness, patience , humility , honesty and holiness. Jesus has a love for the father's word because he is the word. Jesus has a love for the church because the church is his bride and it is a love gift from the father.

Jesus actively work to see the redemption of the world through the beads of preaching and supplying the needs of people.

now these are the examples that Jesus gave to the church, this is not a descripcion of the actual sacrificial atoning work he accomplished.

And one day we will have a study on what all of those words mean and we will soon learn that being christlike is no easy task. So we must put on Christ and make no provisions of the flesh. Literally do not pay any attention to the flesh and it's lust.

Do not feed it, do not give into it, recognize that it is there and then completely disregard it. But the one thing that is absolutely essential in the Christian life and in the Christian walk is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

And your fruit will become evident. So if you are unwilling to be the example that Jesus laid out that I have just described but are more willing to create strife, to give in to your own desires and when Paul says the lust of the flesh he is not restricting it down to sexuality.

It is you as a human being wanting things more than you want Jesus. And if you say you want Jesus but you do not want to be walking in love, meekness, patience, humility and holiness.

If you say you want Jesus but you have no love for God's word or the active cede the world be redeemed then let it be known right here right now that you are actually not putting on The Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, If you desire to continue proclaiming it is a relationship and not a religion you better have it in your mind that it is a relationship on God's terms not your terms. And that is the point that Paul is making here.

This is why he is telling us how to behave because we are prone not to behave the way we ought. Do we understand this about ourselves. Do we know that we morally fail every single day? Do we not see house in rains within us and actually robs us of our joy in Jesus Christ.

Paul introduced all of this by urging us to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice. He told us to not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

And we're now wrapping up chapter 13 and Paul is letting us know stop being lazy. Now is not the time to sleep, the darkness is almost gone. You have no time to waste. And yet what we're doing is wasting so much time.

And we do it because we are following the lust of our flesh. Salvation is near. Lets be the mighty and faithful soldiers that God has enlisted us to be.