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,
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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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