Relation in this current age

Introduction

Living in Love - (Rom 13:8-10)

Love satisfies the law of God (13:8-9).

Love seeks the best for one’s neighbor (13:10).

Love others because we experienced incredible love from God.

As we choose to be loving towards others, we are representing our God in this world.

The urgency of the times.

Romans 13:11 (ESV)

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.

Romans 13:11 (NLT)

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Besides this

This a a way of connecting what was previously written with what he is about to write.

Meaning living in love with one another. (8-10)

Paul is going to point out 2 things in relation to the time in which we live.

Realization - of the times.

Response - in understanding the times, how are we to live?

Our Realization (13:11–12a)

Time is running out (13:11a, 12a).

Romans 13:11–12 (ESV)

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. ...

Time - occasion (event) n. — the time (or a period of time) of a particular event. (Sense)

Wake from sleep - Physically Awake as Spiritually Alert — Spiritual alertness is conceptualized as being physically awake.” (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.)

Just like waking from sleep means physically.

Night is Gone, day has come. (12)

Romans 13:11–12 (ESV)

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. ...

Night/Dark

“Night as Time When Being Spiritually Unalert Is Acceptable — The time when being spiritually unalert is acceptable is conceptualized as night.” (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.)

is used figuratively in scripture as sinfulness, sinful actions, and Evil. Ignorant to righteousness or rebellion against righteousness.(Sin is done at night in secret)

Light/Day

“Day as Time When Person Needs to Be Spiritually Alert — The time when a person needs to be spiritually alert is conceptualized as day.” (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.)

is used figuratively as moral/upright living, right understanding, and fruitful activity.

Jesus says:

John 3:19–21 (ESV)

And this is the judgment: 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. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Paul is saying:

The time has come for us to no longer live in the dark living out our sinful desires, but to awake and live in the light fulfilling righteousness.

Living in love. (8-10)

The time of salvation is near (13:11b).

Romans 13:11 (ESV)

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.

Salvation is addressed as a future event in this text.

Salvation - “salvation (event) n. — the event that consummates the salvation of God’s people: the return of Christ and the redemption of our bodies.” (Sense)

Hebrews 9:27–28 (ESV)

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Paul, in his writings, talked about the second coming of Christ as an event coming soon and as a motivation for right behavior.

Titus 2:11–14 (ESV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

The hope and certainty of Christ return should motivate us to live righteously.

C&MA Doctrinal Statement:

“The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is imminent and will be personal, visible, and premillennial. This is the believer’s blessed hope and is a vital truth which is an incentive to holy living and faithful service.”

Our Response (13:12b–14)

What we are to put off (13:12b, 13b): Works of darkness.

Romans 13:12–14 (ESV)

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.

Cast off darkness (12)

Cast off - “to remove a piece of clothing quickly and cast it aside—‘to throw off, to remove and throw aside.’" (Louw, Nida)

Works of Darkness

Work - Deeds, actions

Darkness - “Darkness as Evil — Evil is conceptualized as darkness.” (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.)

Fleshly desires (14)

No Provision - “provisional thinking n. — the cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening.” (Sense)

Gratify its desires - “to strongly desire to have what belongs to someone else and/or to engage in an activity which is morally wrong—‘to covet, to lust, evil desires, lust, desire.’" (Louw, Nida)

What we are to put on (13:13a, 14): Deeds of light.

Romans 13:12–14 (ESV)

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.

Put on armor of light (12)

Put on - “to put on clothes, without implying any particular article of clothing—‘to clothe, to dress, to put on.’" (Louw, Nida)

Armor of Light - “an instrument designed to make ready for military engagement, weapon: in imagery, pl. of a Christian’s life as a battle against evil" (BDAG)

Walk properly as in daytime. (13)

Walk - “to live or behave in a customary manner, with possible focus upon continuity of action—‘to live, to behave, to go about doing.’" (Louw, Nida)

Put on Christ (14)

“To Put on Clothes as To Be Aligned With Jesus’ Virtues — To be aligned with Jesus’ virtues is conceptualized as putting on clothes." (The Lexham Figurative Language of the New Testament Dataset.)

His Character and Priorities. (Great Commandment, Great Commission, Fruit of the Spirit.)

Paul’s other writings on this topic (Eph 4:17-24, (Continue through rest of letter) Col 3:5-11, (Continue through vs. 17))

Ephesians 4:17–24 (ESV)

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians 3:5–11 (ESV)

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

Takeaways

Time to wake up.

There is an urgency for God’s people to live right lives.

There is the reality of Jesus return and that is a source of hope and motivation for right living.

We need to put off our old self and make no provisions to live sinfully.

We need to put on the virtues of Christ and live guided by His Spirit.

Romans 13:11–14 (NLT)

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.