Scripture Reading(s)
Romans 13:11-14
13:11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;
13:12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;
13:13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.
13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Reflections
Paul was always focusing on the primary goal of the Christian life which was to look forward to the day that Christ would come again. He stressed that as long as we were still here on earth, we should live our lives in light of God’s Grace and spread the message of salvation to those who are around us.
We do not know the time in which Jesus will come back again. Therefore we should live with great urgency to shine Christ’s light to a dark world and show them the true nature and character of what it means to represent Christ. Verse 13 speaks on those things that were once part of the life of an unsaved person. Before one encounters Christ those are the things that may inhabit the life of one who does not know Christ. Those are the things that should no longer be evident in our lives once we become followers of Jesus.
Verse 14 paints a simple yet profound way of living for Christ and how we ought to urgently encourage others to live as well. As Christians we have the ultimate gift of having Jesus Christ reign in our hearts and lives. That is a gift that we should take and freely spread to others. Salvation is available to all who believe and it is something that will one day be seen put on display when Christ returns again.
Do not wait to spread the good news of Christ and do not wait to accept the wonderful news of Christ. Exercise your faith daily and be a shining light the world around you.
Paul is essentially preparing the Romans for the return of Jesus. In preparing to meet Jesus Paul is instructing them to put away the behavior of the flesh and to put away the sin that leads to death. Rather, walk in the Spirit as Christ did so that when He returns they can be found doing the works of God, not of the flesh. We do not know when Jesus will return but Paul’s words about it are still true today;
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.
Every day we are one step closer to being face to face with our creator. We will have to account for the time we spent here and what we did with it. I pray that you and I are able to stand in that day rejoice in the presence of God rather then repent for a life wasted away, serving our own desires and the desires of the flesh.
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