How's Your Love Life?

Well today we're going to talk about your love life. Now that I have your attention, it's not what you think. Okay, the Bible talks about our love for one another and our love for God. And we want to talk about that today. You know we have an incredible capacity for trivializing love. This bumper sticker was spotted outside Nashville, Tennessee. Do you believe in love at first sight or should I drive by again? We have this incredible capacity to trivialize love. And if I don't say this right now, I'm going to forget it. It is great to see Junior Broiles back today too. Junior... I just spotted you and it's been months and months since you've been able to be here. So God bless you and thank you for being able to be back. In the same way that we have the capacity to trivialize human love, we have the capacity to trivialize our love spiritually speaking for one another and for God. We have a tendency to say I love you to each other, but do we really? We have a tendency to say I love you God, but do we really? Today we're going to take some tests to find out whether or not we really do love one another and love God in the way that He tells us to. So we're going to check on your love life and my love life this morning. What's it like? In Romans chapter 13, and we've been moving our way through the book of Romans. We find ourselves in the last half of Romans 13 this morning beginning in verse 8. In these verses in Romans 13, Paul will show us that real love is seen in actions not just said in words. Real love goes much deeper than just saying it is seen in our actions. Both our love for others and our love for God. So let's begin where Paul begins in verse 8 with our love for others. Notice what he says in verse 8 of Romans 13. Let no debt remain outstanding except the continuing debt to love one another for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet and whatever other commandments their commandment there may be are summed up in this one rule. Love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. Paul is talking about how we should love one another and he says three things about this love for others. First of all, he says that love this kind of love for others fulfills an obligation right in the beginning of verse 8. You see it where he says let no debt remain outstanding except there's the one exception the continuing debt to love one another. There is an obligation to one another, a debt that we owe to one another to love one another. Now I believe that some have seriously misused this verse and because I've been questioned about this some in lieu of the fact that we're incurring a debt in our building program, I think it's wise that I address it at this point. If you have the King James Version it says oh no man anything. If you have the New American Standard it says basically the same thing. If you have the ESV it says basically the same thing and all of them have missed the real point of the verse. I think in this case the NIV got it right. When it says oh no man anything it's not saying you should never incur any debt. And some also use the verse in Proverbs 227 which says the rich rule over the poor and the borrowers slave to the lender thinking that if you ever incur any debt you're a slave. Well that doesn't really understand the historical context. In the Old Testament there was not a currency type of economy like we have today it was an economy based on land and animals. And so if you owed something that you could not pay back you literally had to work it off. If you gave land or you worked for another person like Jacob did for Laban for 20 years to pay that off. And so you did literally become a servant to the one who was loaning you money or enabling you to go on with animals or land so that you could pay off that debt. So that's a little different than our economy today. What Paul is saying the verb in Romans chapter 13 is in the present tense. Oh no man anything is in the present tense. Now for us the present tense in English just simply means something that's happening right now that's not what the present tense in Greek meant. Present tense in Greek means to continually do something to continually keep on doing something. And that's why I believe the NIVs got this right. They translated it let no debt remain outstanding. In other words literally the Greeks says don't continue to owe people something. Don't continue in other words pay your debts. fulfill your obligations. If you have a mortgage for instance and you're able to build that into your budget and you monthly pay those fulfillments of those obligations and you consistently faithfully pay that that's no violation of this verse. If you have a car payment that does the same thing no violation of this verse not as not in Paul's intent some financial teachers see otherwise but they're not taking this verse the way it should be taken. I spent a good bit of time in the hospital over a period of a year while I was away from here and I incurred some debts. But those are monthly installments to hospitals three of them in fact and so as long as I fulfill those monthly fulfillments there's no violation of this text or any other in the scriptures. What Paul is saying is don't have any outstanding debts don't don't incurred that and then just not pay it. If you have a debt you pay it you put you fulfill your obligations consistently faithfully routinely in your budget. You pay that but there's one exception he says there is one debt you will never finish paying and should never finish paying and that is the debt to love others. You should never pay that off that should keep a running balance that is the same and even growing every month you never pay that off and you should never intend to pay that off. That is the debt that is an exception to all other kinds of financing you do not pay that one off. It's the one exception. And so what Paul is saying is that when you see someone and you know what it's like when you see someone maybe it's you borrowed money from and you haven't paid them back. First thing you think of is oh I owe that person fifty dollars. What Paul is saying is when you see someone your first thought ought to be I owe them a debt of love. I have an obligation to love them. Now we should love from our heart yes that's what the word means but we also have an obligation because of God's love for us to show that love to other people. It literally fulfills a debt an obligation to other people and to whom should this continuing debt be owed. Now here's where it really gets interesting. Paul says the continuing debt to love one another for he who loves his fellow man if you have one of the other translations of the in IV you may have the same word another there. Love one another for if you love another. Then you have fulfilled the law but the two words another are not the same word in our English translations they may be again I think the NIV got it right by translating it with a separate word. The first word another love one another is the Greek word a loss which means another of the same kind in other words love your brothers and sisters in Christ people who are in the family with you people who share the common family heritage of being in Christ who love Christ just like you do love them when he gets to the next word he uses a different Greek word. I love one of a different kind another kind a different kind I left my pen down on the pew but I have a pen that I really like I write very small and this pen allows me to do that. And so I like that pen when that pen runs out of ink I'm going to get me another one not a different one but another of the same kind. I use the word in two different ways too Paul uses two separate words here so we are to love one another in the family of God but we're also to love our fellow man even if they're not in the family of God. So it doesn't matter anybody we see we are to love we are to love that person and we owe them an obligation after all look at how God is love does and he's demonstrated that love through Christ and through giving us salvation and so we have an obligation to love others. Whether they are in the family of God or not loving one another loving others fulfills on obligation secondly it fulfills the law. You see what he says there at the end of verse eight for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law and then he flashes that out a little bit fills it in for us. Verse 90 says the commandments do not commit adultery do not murder do not steal do not covet and whatever other commandment there may be summed up in this one rule love your neighbor yourself verse ten he repeats it again therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. What Paul is saying is that if you love another person then you are fulfilling the goal of the ten commandments of the law of God you are in a sense doing the same thing that the law commanded us to do. You see the law was was written in two tablets you remember when Moses came down from the mountain he had two tablets that had the law on them and most people think well five on one five on the other but probably not most Bible scholars believe there were four commandments on one and six on the other because there's a real neat break in the intent of the commandments after number four the first four have to do with your relationship with God. So I have no other God before me in other words don't worship another God don't make any grave an image don't use the name of the Lord your God in vain keep the Sabbath holy which is a data rest and worship God. So he says those four have to do the relationship with God the next six on the second tablet probably had to do with your relationship with man those of the do not steal do not murder do not commit adultery do not lie you know that kind of thing do not bear false witness do not covet those six those six have to do with our fellow man. And Paul quotes four of those six so he's taken from the second tablet of the law all of which have to do with our fellow man our relationship to one another we are not to do those things he says but he says if you love that person then that will be reflected in the way you treat them you will not murder them you will not committed adultery you will not steal what they have you will not covet what they have because if you love that person you will fulfill the law it's not a good thing. It's not that we're being put back under the law it's that we are fulfilling from the heart the same goal that the law had and that is a life which is pleasing to God. When God gives us moral commands in the law he wants us to live in a way that's pleasing to him when we love one another we accomplish the very same thing and Jesus Jesus did basically the same thing when he was asked the question what's the greatest commandment. He said I'll send them all up into number one love the Lord your God will all your heart so mind and strength this is the greatest first and greatest command that summarizes the first four the ten commandments then love your neighbor is yourself that summarizes the next six and really all the rest of God's law can be summarized into those two headings those two commands. So Paul's doing much the same thing he's saying all the commandments that have to do with our relationships with one another can be fulfilled in this one love one another so loving others fulfills the law fulfills an obligation fulfills the law but thirdly it also shows in our actions and you can see that in what Paul says there in verse nine the actions of do not committing adultery do not murder do not steal do not love these are summed up or do not covet rather these are summed up. So rather these are summed up in one command one rule love your neighbors yourself that notice the next expression in verse 10 love does no harm to its neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law the reason why love really summarizes all of these commands is because if you love someone you would not violate any of these commands toward them. If you love someone you will respect their marriage and so you would not commit adultery if you really love someone you would respect that person's life so you would not murder them you would not harm them you would not even kill them with words you know as James talks about the power of the tongue. If you love someone you will respect that person's property so you wouldn't steal from them if you love someone you you respect the fact that they've accomplished something in life they may have earned a few things in life they may have reached a certain position in life so you will not covet whatever they have attained because you love them you see if you love them it's seen in your actions it's seen in the way you treat them you will rejoice in that person's reputation not try to steal it. Not try to damage it if you love that person you will that will show up in your actions it is seen in your actions it is not just said in words so here's the point if you say I love so and so but you gossip about them you don't love them if you say you love someone but you commit adultery you don't love them if you say you love someone you don't love them you don't love them. If you say you love someone but you lie about them you don't love them if you say you love someone but you you try to ruin their reputation you don't love them that's what Paul saying love is not just spoken it is lived it is seen in our actions. Apostle John said very much the same thing in another well known passage in first John chapter three this is how we know what love is okay what what is love this is how we know John says and he gives the classic example Jesus Christ laid down his life for us now let's stop right there and let that sink in let's have a you know an Old Testament say la moment you know in the Psalms where you stop and think about what you've just read let's do that for a moment. How do we know what love is by showing how Jesus loved us see Jesus didn't step to the edge of heaven I love you good they got it he didn't just say it he came he left everything he had in heaven he came to this earth and he gave his life on the cross that's how we know what love is. It's one thing to hear it it's another thing to see it in action and so John draws the application from that and he says and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters because that mean you have to die for each other well could potentially mean that but he goes on to explain what he means next first if anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them how can the love of God be in that person. And here's his conclusion in verse 18 dear children let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. You know when you really love someone when you're willing to sacrifice for them that's what love really is you can talk about love all day long you can profess love all day long you can say you love someone all day long and it will always be called into question unless it's backed up with sacrificial. That is how we know what love is John's that's how you see love that's how you know it's real and so love is seen in our actions so let's do a check up for a moment mentally how's your love life. With other believers and with your fellow man with that can tankers neighbor down the street has your love life are you loving just in word or indeed are you just saying it or are you living it. Acting it out genuinely from your heart how's your love life Paul then moves from love for others to love for Christ in verses 11 through 14 and let me for a moment set the table for these verses because Paul put something kind of in the backdrop against which we see what he's saying about love. As his words play out across the stage this is the backdrop this is the scenery against which he paints the picture of what it means to love Christ and that picture is the coming of Christ that backdrop that back scene is the coming of Christ the return of Christ. And in against that against that backdrop he says this is how you love Christ you see the new testament talks about Paul himself talks about those who love Christ's appearing second in the four eight all those who love his appearing to love his appearing is is an evidence of loving Christ if you love Christ you love his appearing you love is coming if you love his coming it will change. It will change the way you live and that's what Paul's pointing out here if you really love Jesus coming if you're anxiously expecting him to come you're waiting for him to come you're longing for him to come back it will change the way you live. So Paul says this in verse 11 and do this understanding the present time understanding the present time now as he flushes this out the time is going to be as we shall see the coming of Christ when he comes back the Paul uses very interesting expression here understanding the present time two words he could have chosen to say time the Greek language is so much more precise than the English and the reason why it's good to be able to kind of pick out what Paul's really saying here two words he could have used he could have said understanding the present chronos or chronological time sequence of time the kind of time you see on your watch or you look at on a calendar day after day yesterday today tomorrow the progression of time but he didn't say that. He used a different word understanding the chirous understanding what we would call the season or phase of time that you're in and it's clear what he means by that is we are in a season of time called the last days the time right before Jesus comes back now I know that phrase is sometimes misused by people who love the study nothing else but prophecy and he get all hung up on the details and they see earthquakes and fans. I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble but if you study the term last days carefully in the scriptures you'll find that it began after the death of Jesus was the death of Jesus that introduced us to the last days and you know why because any time after he resurrected and went back to heaven he could have come back. He's been in the last days since the days of the apostles you say well that's a long time to be in the last days remember a day is with the Lord like a thousand years I mean a thousand years like one day time is of you don't measure time in heaven like we do here. We've been in the last days since the days of the apostles which means ever since that time Jesus could come back at any moment and it's that which is in Paul's mind when he says understand the present time understand the season of time that you're in a season that could end any moment any moment Jesus could come back that's the season of time you're in the season of time we're still in the same time. We're still in today and none of us can set any dates as to when Christ will return but we know we're in that season of time when you could come back at any moment so understanding that Paul is going to say loving his appearing as a reflection of loving him it's going to change your life there are three things it's going to do to you and Paul gives three strong commands here. The light of the fact that Jesus could come back at any time it is time he says notice it in verse 11 the hour has come it's time times here for you and here's the first one to wake up wake up I know it's warm in here nobody's feeling that more than I am but wake up okay Paul says it is time to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Now Paul's not speaking of waking up from a nap or from a night of sleep he's talking about waking up spiritually understanding that season of time that we are in that Jesus could come back at any time realizing that the hour is such that we must wake up from spiritual slumber in other words that we need to get serious and sharp about spiritual things that we need to quit sleeping our life away spiritually. We really get serious about living for Christ and being passionate about him to come back so that it changes the way we're living our priorities how we spend our time what we think about if we really believe Jesus is coming back we will get serious about being faithful to Christ about living for him him being the real Lord of our lives looking to him for decisions that must be made not just how it's going to benefit me. If we really believe Jesus is coming back we'll get serious about witnessing to that neighbor that God's been placing on our hearts and we've been burdened about but we've been thinking you know next week I don't have quite as much to do or you know this summer I'll have more time if we really believe Jesus could come back we get serious about that if we really believe Jesus was coming back we would start putting priorities in the proper place we wake up from our spiritual slumber. And we'd say wait a second where are the priorities in my life where is work where is leisure where is money where is my stuff and where is Jesus Christ in my commitment to him is Jesus something I just kind of slide in the back door of my busy life or is he really the ultimate priority in my life you see we then to wake up wake up from our spiritual slumber and Paul tells us why. He says wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. So what what's that about I thought when I believed I got saved and that was it what does it mean my salvation is nearer than when I believe. Well a careful study of the doctrine of salvation throughout the scriptures will show you there are three tenses in salvation there's a past present and a future. Past tense of salvation is summarized with the word we used back early in Romans justification the past tense is then in that moment in your past when you received Jesus Christ as your savior you were instantly transformed and on your record book in heaven God placed the righteousness of Jesus Christ it is a legal declaration that you are righteous in God's sight and nothing can change that. A moment in time and you were justified that's the past of salvation you were delivered from the penalty of sin from the very penalty of sin sin no longer holds a penalty over you you will never be condemned for it that's what we normally think of when we think of salvation but the Bible speaks of salvation also having a present tense not only have we been saved we are being saved. In the sense that we are being delivered from the power of sin in our lives presently as we continue to grow in Christ the Bible calls that sanctification so you got glorification that immediately places your name in heaven and you're in the family of God you're going to have it you're saved but you are presently being delivered from the power of sin not just it's penalty as you grow in Christ that's the present tense of salvation but there's also a future tense. And we've seen this before in Romans 8 where God speaks of the future tense as already being certain you have been he says in Romans 8 glorified so there's not only justification and sanctification there's glorification it's not only being delivered from the penalty of sin and the power of sin it's also thank God one day being delivered from the very presence of sin when we will be taken home to heaven and that is when your salvation is complete Paul speaks out in the book of Ephesians as well as the Holy Spirit. And that is when the redemption of the body that's when everything else catches up with our soul and we are glorified even in our bodies that's when we get to heaven that's the sense in which Paul's talking here in Romans 13. That aspect of salvation that time when we will finally be with the Lord delivered from the very presence of sin glorified in his presence is nearer it's closer than when you believe. We've got to live every day that we're a day closer to being with Christ our salvation ultimate deliverance from this sin and this life in the presence of God it's nearer it's a day nearer than it was and it's nearer than it was when I believed because of that that motivates us Paul says to wake up from our slumber because I'm one day closer today to heaven than I was yesterday and this could be the last day before I get this. Before I get there that motivation should cause us to wake up wake up but then Paul says clean up our love for Christ is seen in waking up it's also seen in cleaning up our lives notice how he says this verse 12. The night is nearly over the day is almost here again those metaphors of the passing of time the season of nighttime is almost gone. Days almost here the daybreak the time when we will be in heaven is I think what he's speaking of almost here so he says let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light again the metaphors are so rich here the word pictures are so packed with meaning. Let us put off the deeds of darkness you remember when your parents used to tell you get home by 11 nothing good happens after 11 o'clock remember that what they were expressing is that you get into a lot of trouble if you're out too late because you know in the darkness in the middle of the night that's when people crawl out of the woodwork and do all kinds of evil and wickedness. Now there's a point to that you know Jesus even said men prefer darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil typically people like to do evil where they will not be noticed and seen that's the word picture here put aside those deeds of darkness the kinds of things that are done undercover secrecy hidden hypocritically in darkness put aside those sins. And then I love the way changes the metaphor to put on the armor of light because this is spiritual battle this is spiritual war we are in a war here that's how serious it is. And so he says clean up your life get out of the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light get ready for battle because you're going to be attacked you're going to be tempted by Satan he's going to throw everything he can at you. And so maybe we like the Roman readers of this letter are saying exactly what do you mean Paul exactly what do you mean by deeds of darkness that we should put off so Paul says okay I'll give you some examples. These are areas of our lives we need to clean up we follow that command with three couplets three series of two words here. Things that were to put off for 13 let us behave decently the original word for decently means with restraint with discipline carefully so there's certain things we need to restrain if we're going to live like he wants us to and then he gives these three couplets notice them not in orgy and drunkenness not in sexual immorality and debauchery not in the sentient and jealousy. Okay here the specific examples of the kinds of things we need to clean up the first two orgies and drunkenness have to do with personal discipline what Paul is saying is be restrained be careful live decently in the area of personal discipline and he's speaking here by orgies and drunkenness he's speaking of what we would call the party life. The party life pursuing pleasure in a wild loose fashion it's marty gra it's carnival in Rio de Janeiro or in Trinidad it's the throwing off of all restraint and just engaging in all kinds of the party life it's the kind of life the Hollywood stars and starlets live and you see their stories and broken lives all over the newspapers and the news accounts that's the kind of life he's talking about don't live that way show restraint even in your leisure activities show restraint. So don't live the party life personal discipline secondly he uses the words sexual immorality and debauchery. Now you probably know what sexual immorality is what he's talking about here is personal morality in other words in personal disciplines show restraint when it comes to the way you live in personal morality get rid of sexual immorality and debauchery sexual immorality is the pursuit of the sexual sins that the society throws in our face. And debauchery is the word could be translated sensuality it has the idea of the constant pursuit of immorality and a corresponding and here's the second part an important part of the word a corresponding lack of shame no shame about it pursuing sexual immorality and having no shame about it I mean just the way we live Paul says put that aside. And then the last two have to do with personal relationships personal discipline personal morality personal relationships he says not in the sentient and jealousy the two go together if you're jealous of someone if you can't stand someone surpassing you if you can't stand someone being recognized over you or not you if you can't stand someone excelling and not you then you will do everything you can to tear that down and that leads to the same. And that leads to the sentient that leads to division that leads to fractured relationships grudges over other people's success and position that's what he's talking about in personal relationships give that up give that up. Now I want to camp here for just a minute because I think in our culture today we need to Paul is being very clear about the kinds of sins that we need to clean up on and clean out of our lives. And I'm convinced that we have real problems here in the western church in particular real problems with this area of cleaning up our lives. Here's my concern I think in in our desire not to be legalistic and not to be too strict sometimes we swing too far the other way and what we believe is freedom becomes license what we see is Christian liberty and we'll talk a lot about Christian liberty in chapter 14 but sometimes I think what we see is Christian liberty swings too far the other direction to excess and sin. For instance when I was growing up most believers in churches like ours were taught you do not go to movies and I understand the context of that in the 60s I understand the context of that but you know I look back on that I think that was kind of legalistic I think probably most of us would recognize that especially today it doesn't matter whether you go to a movie house you can get worse in your home on cable. On a DVD or on your computer so it doesn't matter you know not going to movies was kind of a legalistic way to try to refrain the real question is what are you watching wherever it is what are you allowing into your mind whether it's in a movie theater or on cable in your home. I think what we have what we have slid to slid or slid anyway where we move to I know what it is actually but what what we have actually moved to on the spectrum is that we said well don't be so legalistic and so strict and so we've begun to just open up to everything no matter what it is and there are many believers and this is not legalistic by the way this is exactly what Paul said. I'm just talking about get away from the deeds of darkness get away from the things that the world does and they take joy and pleasure in especially the sexual immorality there are lots of believers who think nothing of watching movies with explicit sex and raunchy language in it. Nothing of it no shame and you know what Paul says in Ephesians 5 that the things which unbelievers do in secret should not even be spoken of among believers. Now you can call that legalistic if you want but that's what the Bible says and so what I think is happening in our culture is that we as believers are making ourselves vulnerable to a shift in our thinking and it's not whether or not you go to the Bible. I go to the movie theater. That's not the point the point is what are you watching whether it's there or at home or on the internet what are you what are you allowing to shape and form and mold your mind. What are you enjoying what kind of pleasures are you secretly involved in because those are the values that you will now become tolerant toward and probably gradually accept in the March 31 issue of USA today just 11 days ago. The lead article was entitled is dating dead and the subtitle of that article read like this the new face of sex and relationships among young adults. The article went on the state that this research project had shown on college campuses 72% of college students say they have hooked up. Now if you're not familiar with that term most of you probably are basically that doesn't mean meeting someone the term hooked up today means that you've had a sexual encounter someone with someone. 72% of the hooked up and hooking up is having sex without any commitment of an ongoing relationship or even seeing that person again just like animals get together fulfill your sexual urge move on with partner after partner after partner. 72% of college students say we've hooked up. I think from what I read the percentages are not that much different in the Christian community among professing believers and that's what troubles me because I think what's happening is that the kind of behavior which is reported in this article hooking up which is now glorified in movies like friends with benefits. No strings attached love and other drugs and even for marriage hall pass. Some of you have seen those. I want to make it clear I've not I've not watched any of those movies nor would I recommend you watch them. The very reason I subscribe to USA today is to read the reviews so I can keep up with where the culture is. But if you've watched those I would submit to you today or anything like them that you are allowing yourself to be bombarded by the very thing Paul says not to even be spoken of among believers. So it's no wonder that we've got a mess to clean up morally in Christian circles today. It's no wonder. If Christian young people are hooking up. If believers who are adults in marriages are hooking up. Then we are in serious violation of what Paul's commanding us here. And if that becomes our entertainment. That which the world glorifies in that Paul says should not even be spoken of among believers. If that becomes our entertainment and the very fact that I have to address it and speak to it from the pulpit is because when we don't say anything we give blanket approval to whatever anybody wants to do. And so somebody needs to say, thus saith the Lord, this is what the Bible says. We've got to clean up our mess. We've got to clean up our lives. And we will not do that as long as we're filling our passions and our minds with the same stuff the world is. Are we really serious about this? Do we really believe Jesus could come back at any moment? If we love his appearing it will change the way you live. Paul says you'll clean up. Clean up he says get rid of this stuff in your life. Some of us need to make some changes. Some of us need to make some changes in our reading habits, our listening habits and our viewing habits. So that we're not filling our minds with the pollution of this world and lowering our toleration for it to a level that is subbiblical. Paul says clean up. That's not all. He also says dress up quickly and call your attention to verse 14. He says rather rather than this, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Another beautiful metaphor word picture here. Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Put him on like you would clothing every day. And I love how race, Stedman. Wonderful, godly pastor of Peninsula Bible church in California for many, many years. Mentored some of the great preachers of our time. Race, Stedman said this about this passage. He said when I get up in the morning, I put on my clothes intending them to be a part of me all day to go where I go to do what I do. They cover me and they make me presentable to others. That is the purpose of clothes. In the same way, the Apostle is saying to us put on Jesus Christ when you get up in the morning, make him a part of your life that day. He goes with you everywhere you go that he act through you and everything you do. Call upon his resources. Live your life and he puts this in capital letters. Live your life in Christ as though you have clothed yourself with him. Now we know theologically Jesus is with us all the time anyway. He said I will never leave you for safety. We know that theologically, how many of us really live that though? How many of us in our own mindset are every morning putting him on like clothes and saying Lord I know you are with me? I don't want you to be ashamed of anywhere I would go, anything I would say or anything I would do today. I am wearing you today and taking you with me. That is what Paul is saying. Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus. And then notice how he finishes the thought and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the simple nature. Do not think the word is profaner to think ahead to plan on something, to plan to do something. To carry out the clothing metaphor. Don't put on the Lord Jesus in the morning when you go out but pack a duffel bag to take along with you just in case. Don't plan ahead to change clothes during the day and entertain thoughts of how you might fulfill the desires of the flesh, the simple nature. Don't have a backup plan just in case I find myself alone just in case I get the opportunity just in case I feel the desire. I am going to pack me a little duffel bag so that I can gratify the simple nature. Don't do that, he says. Clothe yourselves with Jesus Christ. Have no backup plan. No forethought about any other kind of activity than that which would please Jesus. And go out to face the day fully clothed with Jesus Christ. I love the way lady by the name of Portia Nelson has put this into a poem. She caused this autobiography in five short chapters. Here's the way it reads. Chapter one, I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost. I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter two, I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I'm in the same place. But it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter three, I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in. It's become a habit. I'm in the eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter four, I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter five, I walk down another street. Some of us need to walk down another street. Would you pray with me, please? Father, we want to take seriously what you've said to us today. Paul was writing to a church that was in the middle of a very pagan immoral culture. We find ourselves in the same place, Lord, and you know where we are. You know what our culture not only allows, but tolerates and exalts. No God, I pray that you would help us to truly love one another and to truly show our love for you by the way we live. Where we need to, Father, help us to wake up, help us to clean up, help us to dress up. We ask this for the sake of your name and glory in this world. And because our Savior loved us and died for us. Amen.