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Romans 13:11-14 - Part 2 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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While you're getting yourself settled, please go ahead and take out your copy of God's Word and turn to the book of Romans, chapter 13.
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!
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Father, we truly do need you.
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We need you in everything that we do, in every hour and moment of our short days.
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We need you, Father, to sing praises to your name.
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We certainly need you for the understanding of your Word.
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So I pray, Father, this morning that you will bless the words that I speak,
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that they will be right and true,
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that they will properly send us in a direction that honors and glorifies you in everything.
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And I pray for all of us, Lord, you will apply it by your Spirit to our hearts,
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that no one who's here this day will leave the same,
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that we will leave this place with a greater and deeper appreciation for the personal work of Christ,
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that we will want to make him known everywhere that we go.
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We pray all of this in his precious name. Amen.
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So we've been preaching through the book of Romans, and we have arrived at verses 11 through 14.
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We dealt last week primarily with the first two verses there, verses 11 and 12.
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But join me in reading, and I'm actually going to back up a bit and begin reading in verse 8.
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Oh, no one anything except to love each other.
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For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
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For the commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,
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and any other commandment are summed up in this word.
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You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
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Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
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Besides this, you know the time, that the long hour has come for you to wake from sleep,
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for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
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The night is far gone, the day is at hand.
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So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
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Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness,
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not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy,
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but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.
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So recall, as we've been working through Romans, that we get to the end of chapter 11
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and Paul sums up his doxological statements, right?
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He's finished laying out the truth of the gospel for us,
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that we're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, and Christ alone forever.
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And he praises God for that in the doxology there found at the end.
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And then he turns at the beginning of chapter 12 to appeal to us,
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to say to us, in light of these great truths, these mercies of God, as he calls it there in verse 1 of chapter 12,
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we are to present our bodies as living sacrifices.
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That is, all of us.
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We're meant to give all of who we are now in response to the fact that God has redeemed our souls.
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He goes on to talk about what this is now going to look like,
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how it's going to play out in our living.
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And in verse 9 of chapter 12, he says,
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Let love be genuine.
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Abhor what is evil.
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Hold fast to what is good.
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And I propose to you that the very essence of godliness,
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if I ask for a word to explain what godliness is,
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a proper response would be love.
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Not the love that we speak about in the world,
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not the romantic comedy type of love,
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but the superseding, the unconditional, the Christ-like type of love.
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And he went on to expound about that,
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what this love looks like in various ways to different peoples and people groups.
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And then in verse 8 of chapter 13,
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he expands that to speak of this continuing debt of love.
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Something that we're going to be constantly working towards,
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constantly paying back.
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Our lives are to be characterized by this very love.
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Because love is the fulfilling of the law.
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In the beginning in verse 11, he says,
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Besides this, in addition to the fact that love is the fulfilling of the law,
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you know the time.
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You have a knowledge of the time.
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And we talked about what that time is in verse 11 and 12.
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There's a metaphor of the daytime and the night.
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He uses this metaphor to explain to us a truth.
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And that truth is that the salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed.
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Not that we are working in these days to gain salvation,
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but that we are eagerly awaiting the full and final realization of that salvation,
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the glorification, if you will.
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When all things will be complete and all things will be made new.
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When the kingdom of God that's been begun in Christ will be finally and fully finished.
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So we see that we live between the times.
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We're kind of at a juncture there.
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And not that we're in this gap between the times,
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but in the overlap between the two.
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Between the reign of sin and death
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and the coming full and final reign of Christ.
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I also propose to you that our knowledge of time
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also includes the knowledge of who we are.
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We are the ones who live with the revelation of Jesus Christ
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in this sinful world.
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We have the weight of our flesh pulling us one direction.
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We have the Spirit of God guiding us in the other.
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And this Paul is proposing to us
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is how it is that we are to cast off and put on.
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So what is it then that we are to cast off?
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We're going to be looking at the last half of verse 12 and 13 and 14.
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He gives us some specific things,
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which I believe are just a sampling of things.
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I don't believe this is an exhaustive list
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of what we're to cast off,
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but we can categorize these things here.
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He talks about in 13,
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orages and drunkenness,
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sexual immorality and sensuality,
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quarreling and jealousy.
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And if you'll allow,
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I'll categorize them in this way.
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One, we're to cast off being outside of our minds.
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The word here translated in the ESV
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is orages,
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means carousal.
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It was the Greek term used initially
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to speak of the celebration of a war,
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or a victory over war,
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or in a game,
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in a competition of sport.
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It was the celebration that followed it,
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but it had developed
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into much, much, much more than that.
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It developed into a licentious celebration,
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a losing your mind
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over the celebration that you're having.
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And interesting here,
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it's connected to
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this idea of substance abuse,
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which often accompanied
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that type of celebration.
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as well as,
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as the word translated here,
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orages.
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People stepped out of their rational thinking
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in the celebration of things,
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and he's coupled those together
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as he's done in Galatians 5.21,
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and Peter does it as well
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in chapter 4, verse 3,
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of 1 Peter.
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So that's the picture
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that we're being given here
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of an example,
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a sampling of something
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that we are to cast off,
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being outside of our minds,
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not being in control
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of our very faculties.
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Secondly,
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improper sexual desire.
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He says to cast off
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sexual immorality
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and sensuality.
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Now sexual immorality here
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is not the Greek term
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pornea,
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which is where we get
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the term pornography from,
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but rather koite,
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which is the improper use
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of the marriage bed.
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The improper use
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of the marriage bed.
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Sex outside of marriage
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or sex within marriage
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done improperly.
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Right?
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But gentlemen,
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you're not off the hook
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because the Greek term
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doesn't mean that,
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because the term
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sensuality would include,
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would be all inclusive
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of those types of acts.
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Shameless excess
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and absence of restraint.
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That's what it means.
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We're to cast this off
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as well.
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Thirdly,
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we're to cast off
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the desire
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for preeminence
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or control.
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We see this
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in quarreling
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and jealousy.
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The idea here
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behind quarreling
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is an antagonistic
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competitiveness
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that seeks
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the highest recognition
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possible,
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the Greek phrase here.
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And jealousy,
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zealos,
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it's where we get
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the word zeal from.
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Right?
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Used in the positive
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in a number of places
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in the scriptures,
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but it's used negatively
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when the self
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is the object
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of one's zeal.
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So,
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the seeking of gain
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for yourself,
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we're meant to
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cast that off
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as well.
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Now,
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some translations
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use this term
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cast off
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and they say
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instead,
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lay aside,
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which is a good
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way to think of it.
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To toss it away.
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It's the idea
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of disrobing
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without the intention
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of putting the garments
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or garment
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back on.
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To put it off.
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To lay it aside.
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I kind of like
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cast off in the ESV
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because it has
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this picture
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of tossing it
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away from your
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very being.
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If you've ever
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done much manual labor,
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you've probably
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found yourself
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in a situation
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where you've so
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disgusted your clothing
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that the serious
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consideration is
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just to throw it away.
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I don't know
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that I ever even
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through cycles of washing
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want to re-wear
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this clothing.
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I've done that.
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I've just said,
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put it in a bag
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and get rid of it.
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It's that idea.
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I'm going to take it off
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without the intention
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of ever putting it
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back on.
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It's a discardment
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of it.
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It's a rejection
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of it.
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Have any of you ever,
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I'm asking this rhetorically,
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have any of you ever
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received pajamas
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at Christmas?
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You get the Christmas PJs,
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right?
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You get up in the morning
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and you've got on
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your pajamas,
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you're comfortable,
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you're lounging around,
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you get the new pajamas
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and you're likely
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at that moment
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to take a break
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in the opening
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of Christmas presents
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to go put on
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the new comfortable clothes,
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right?
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You're going to run off,
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you never go put on
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the nice clothes
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that you get for Christmas
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to sit around the house
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and open things,
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but if it's a new pair
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of sweatpants,
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right?
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When I was a kid,
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I got the sweatpants
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with the new elastic band
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because you had to have
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a good tight elastic band
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around your ankle
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in those days,
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right?
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You want to go put on
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the new comfy pants
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and bring them back.
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My mother buys
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for all the grandkids
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for Christmas every year
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a new pair of pajamas
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and we do this
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on Christmas Eve
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and my favorite child
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to,
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that changes,
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we change all the kids,
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we take a picture of them,
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it's really fun.
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The older ones,
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Jed and Britton,
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they run off to their rooms
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and go change.
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My favorite though
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is LJ,
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who is three,
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who wherever he is,
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whatever he's wearing
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is coming off
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right there
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and he's putting on
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the new pajamas,
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he's so excited about them
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and this picture's in my mind
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of casting off
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because he does not care
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what happens
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to the old pajamas,
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right?
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He's getting them off
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as fast as he can,
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he throws them to the side
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and there they would stay
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if somebody else
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didn't come along
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and pick them up
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on his behalf.
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That's this picture
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of casting it off,
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of putting it away
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from us.
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So,
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what then are we to
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put on?
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Right?
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At the end of verse 12
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he says,
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let us cast off
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the works of darkness,
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which he's expounded
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upon here now,
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and we're to put on
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the armor of light.
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The implication here
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is that we're dressing
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for a battle.
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If we're to walk
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as those
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who walk properly
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in the daytime,
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Paul's suggesting to us
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that that's not going
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to be a stroll.
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That's not going to be
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an easy little jaunt
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through the park,
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but it's going to be
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a battle.
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He uses this term
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armor.
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We must necessarily
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put on the armor
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of light.
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In a parallel text
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to this one found
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here in Romans,
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1 Thessalonians 5,
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5-9,
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Paul writes,
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you are all
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children of light.
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Children of the day,
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we are not of the night
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or of the darkness.
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So then let us not
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sleep as others do,
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but let us keep awake
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and be sober.
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For those who sleep
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sleep at night,
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and those who get drunk
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are drunk at night.
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But since we belong
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to the day,
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let us be sober.
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Here's the point
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I'm driving to.
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Having put on
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the breastplate
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of faith and love,
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and for a helmet
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the hope of salvation.
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For God has not
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destined us for wrath,
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but to obtain salvation
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through our Lord
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Jesus Christ.
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Christ.
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So it's safe here
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to say,
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when Paul's talking
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about this armor
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of light,
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that he's talking
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about the armor
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of faith,
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and love,
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and hope.
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We're to put these
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things on,
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and more specifically,
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in verse 14,
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we're to put on
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Back in Romans.
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We're to put on
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the armor of light,
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which is,
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to put on
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the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Christ.
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There's another place
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in the New Testament
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that Paul speaks
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of putting on Christ,
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and that's found
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in Galatians 3.27,
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where he says,
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for as many of you
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as were baptized
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into Christ
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have put on Christ.
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Notice the change
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in time frame here.
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Those of us
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who are believers,
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who have been baptized
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into Christ,
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have put on Christ.
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So the understanding,
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then, again,
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is that we're
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between two worlds.
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We have put on Christ
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as Christ's redeemed ones,
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and yet we're also
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to continually
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put him on.
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We're to put him on
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because we've already
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put him on,
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if you'll allow.
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So that begs
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a question, then.
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How?
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How?
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What does that even mean
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to put on
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the Lord Jesus Christ?
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It's not a garment
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that we can wear,
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you see?
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How do we put on
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the Lord Jesus Christ?
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2 Corinthians 4.6
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gives us a clue to this.
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God who said,
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let light shine
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out of darkness,
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has shown in our hearts
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to give the light
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of the knowledge
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of the glory of God
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in the face
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of Jesus Christ.
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We have beheld Christ.
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Christ.
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We have seen him
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in all his magnificent glory.
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Anybody can read
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of him in the scriptures.
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We have the revelation
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of him.
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This is why I will
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always and forever
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argue
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that the call of God
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in our lives
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is an effectual call.
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That when he shows us
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Christ,
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we will necessarily
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respond,
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yes,
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and please.
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Right?
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We have beheld
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the most glorious thing
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we can possibly behold
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in all of eternity,
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forever,
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in the person
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and work
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of Jesus Christ.
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So why is it then?
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Why do we so easily,
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so readily,
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turn back
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to sin?
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Why do we put off
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the garment
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and pick it back up
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and put it back on?
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And I think the answer
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to that,
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at least in part,
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is that we are
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finite
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in our senses.
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We can touch things
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and feel things
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and taste things
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and smell
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and see,
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if I haven't said that already.
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Right?
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We experience the world
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in these ways.
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And sin
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is easy
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to gratify
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those types
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of senses.
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Right?
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It's easy
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to see the value,
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the short-term value,
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albeit,
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in some of these things
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because it's so readily
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available for us.
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So,
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if then we choose
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sin
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over the glorious
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ways of Jesus Christ,
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what I propose to you
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is that we're not
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tasting,
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we're not seeing,
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we're not
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feeling
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Jesus Christ.
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You set the
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pleasures that are
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available to us
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from the things
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of the world
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and the things
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of Christ
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on a scale
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and the scale
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in an amazing,
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immeasurable way
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tips to Christ.
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The things of earth
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will go strangely dim
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in the light of what?
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Christ's glorious
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grace.
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So,
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so let's talk about this
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a little bit more,
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this idea,
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and to further
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explain it,
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I want to use
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another biblical metaphor.
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So,
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Paul's been talking
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about not being
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of the night,
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but rather being
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children of the day,
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walking as those
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who walk
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in the day.
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Another common
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biblical metaphor,
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which is found
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often,
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particularly in the
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Psalms,
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is of men
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with divided hearts.
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For example,
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Psalm 119,
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verses 2 and 3,
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reads,
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blessed are those
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who keep
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his testimonies,
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who seek him
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with their whole heart,
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who also do no wrong,
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but walk in his ways.
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And here we see
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that language of walking,
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just like we've seen
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in Romans chapter 13.
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Right?
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Blessed are those
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who keep his testimonies,
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who seek him
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with their whole heart,
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who also do no wrong,
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but walk in his ways.
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Walk in the Greek
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means to behave,
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the act of behavior.
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In the Hebrew,
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it's a manner of life.
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Same thing, right?
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Synonymous here
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in this way.
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Psalm 119.10 reads,
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With my whole heart
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I seek you.
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Let me not wander
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from your commandments.
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Psalm 86.11,
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Teach me your way,
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O Lord,
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that I may walk
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in your truth.
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Unite my heart
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to fear your name.
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Do you see
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the connectivity
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between us
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having undivided hearts,
18:28
hearts that are together
18:29
and focused
18:30
and the obedience
18:32
that comes with that.
18:34
Right?
18:35
Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ
18:36
that we may walk
18:38
as those who walk
18:39
in the day.
18:41
John Calvin said
18:42
of Psalm 86.11,
18:44
those of you
18:44
who think he's a scary guy,
18:46
listen to these
18:46
beautiful words.
18:47
Right?
18:48
In the word unite,
18:51
there is a very
18:52
beautiful metaphor
18:52
conveying the idea
18:54
that the heart of man
18:55
is full of tumult,
18:56
drawn asunder
18:58
and as it were
18:59
scattered about
19:00
in fragments
19:00
until God
19:01
has gathered it
19:02
to himself
19:03
and holds it together
19:04
in a state of steadfast
19:06
and persevering
19:07
obedience.
19:11
To cap off
19:12
the Psalm,
19:13
Psalm 119.32
19:15
and I love this one,
19:17
it says,
19:18
I will run
19:18
in the way
19:19
of your commandments
19:20
when you enlarge
19:21
my heart,
19:22
which can also
19:22
be rendered
19:23
when you set
19:25
my heart free.
19:28
Right?
19:28
Here is Psalm 119,
19:30
more than likely,
19:31
David wrote it,
19:33
right?
19:33
I will run
19:34
in the way
19:34
of your commandments
19:35
when you set
19:36
my heart free.
19:39
Children of light,
19:41
our hearts
19:41
have been set free.
19:43
We're no longer
19:44
slaves to sin.
19:47
We've been,
19:47
the bondage of that
19:48
has been broken for us.
19:49
We don't have to go
19:49
on sinning.
19:50
We don't have to be those
19:51
who dwell in dark places.
19:53
We've been granted
19:55
to be those
19:55
who walk in the light
19:57
and that is the point
19:58
that Paul is driving us to.
20:00
This knowledge of the time,
20:02
recognize who you are.
20:05
Right?
20:05
Not only that you should
20:07
live this way,
20:08
it's the fulfilling
20:09
of the law.
20:10
Right?
20:10
But that you can.
20:13
It's possible
20:14
that you might live
20:15
sinless lives.
20:19
It's been granted to us.
20:22
You recall the story
20:23
of when the Pharisees
20:25
brought the woman
20:26
to Jesus,
20:27
wanted him to condemn her.
20:29
You know the story.
20:29
He reaches down
20:30
and writes in the sand.
20:31
We don't know
20:32
what he wrote in the sand.
20:33
I would presume
20:34
it was the sins
20:35
of the men,
20:35
the accusers.
20:36
Don't really know.
20:38
But then he stands up
20:38
and he says,
20:39
you who is without sin,
20:40
throw the first stone.
20:42
And of course
20:42
they all drop their rocks
20:43
and walk away.
20:45
Right?
20:46
What does he say
20:46
to her after that?
20:48
Go and sin no more.
20:51
It does not mean
20:53
that we will.
20:55
I'm not standing here
20:56
to tell you
20:56
that I live
20:57
a sinless life.
20:58
I do not.
20:59
But it has been granted
21:01
to me
21:01
the ability
21:02
to do so.
21:03
And we should live
21:04
as those
21:05
who've been set free
21:06
from the bondage
21:08
of sin.
21:10
So back in
21:11
our text,
21:13
Romans chapter 13,
21:14
here's kind of
21:15
a further clue
21:15
trying to bring us
21:16
back around
21:17
and pull this idea
21:17
together for you.
21:18
Verse 14 says,
21:20
but put on the Lord
21:21
Jesus Christ
21:21
and make no provision
21:23
for the flesh
21:24
to gratify its desires.
21:26
The one is subservient
21:28
to the other.
21:29
So notice
21:30
that the putting
21:31
on the Lord Jesus
21:31
is the way
21:33
in which
21:33
we make no provision
21:35
for the flesh.
21:36
And here's how.
21:38
The word provision
21:39
translated here
21:40
means literally
21:41
forethought.
21:44
Forethought.
21:44
So put on
21:46
the Lord Jesus Christ.
21:47
This is how this
21:48
could read.
21:49
And don't let
21:49
any thought
21:50
in your head
21:50
that will lead
21:51
to a sinful desire.
21:52
Not just
21:53
to the gratification
21:55
of the sinful desire,
21:56
but even
21:57
the desire
21:58
itself.
22:01
Paul's not saying
22:02
here,
22:04
put away
22:05
those things
22:05
that are a temptation
22:06
to you
22:06
to act on sin.
22:08
He's saying here,
22:10
cast off things
22:11
that will even
22:12
tempt you
22:12
to desire
22:13
sin.
22:15
He's getting again
22:16
at the very root
22:17
of who we are,
22:18
which is what?
22:18
It's the heart.
22:21
If we're putting
22:22
on the Lord Jesus Christ,
22:23
we will be people
22:24
of undivided hearts.
22:27
And we will
22:28
then necessarily,
22:29
as an outflow
22:30
of that,
22:31
we'll walk
22:31
in his ways.
22:35
Romans 12.2.
22:36
Let me back you up.
22:38
I always want to
22:38
show you context.
22:39
It's so important.
22:40
Paul didn't
22:43
write these
22:43
as little
22:44
jotted notes
22:45
and then somebody
22:46
put them together
22:46
in a collection
22:47
later on.
22:47
He wrote this
22:48
as a train
22:49
of thought
22:49
for us.
22:50
Romans 12.2,
22:51
he says,
22:52
do not be
22:53
conformed
22:54
to this world,
22:55
but be
22:55
transformed
22:57
by the renewing
22:58
of your mind.
23:00
Be transformed,
23:01
changed,
23:02
shaped.
23:04
It's continual
23:04
action that's
23:05
taking place here.
23:06
that we might
23:08
have hearts
23:09
that are
23:11
undivided.
23:13
So I ask
23:13
the question,
23:14
and some of you
23:14
may feel like
23:15
I haven't answered
23:15
it yet,
23:16
and that's okay,
23:16
because I haven't
23:17
completely.
23:18
How are we
23:19
to put on
23:21
the Lord Jesus
23:22
Christ?
23:23
So in part,
23:24
I've said
23:24
that we experience
23:26
him.
23:28
We behold
23:29
him.
23:29
We see him
23:30
in our lives
23:31
and in the lives
23:32
of others.
23:34
So how do we
23:35
do that practically?
23:35
Right?
23:36
If you want to
23:37
jot the notes,
23:38
what am I going
23:38
to do this week
23:39
to experience
23:40
Christ in a newer
23:41
and a deeper way
23:41
that I might
23:42
cast off the
23:43
works of darkness?
23:44
That I might not
23:45
live in that way,
23:46
but I might live
23:47
in the way of the
23:48
light?
23:48
How am I going
23:49
to do that
23:49
practically?
23:50
Break it down.
23:51
It's not all
23:52
that complicated.
23:54
There's no mystic
23:55
answer I'm going
23:55
to give you.
23:56
Some special
23:57
key to unlock
23:58
this.
23:59
Practice
24:00
the graces
24:01
that have been
24:02
given to you.
24:04
For example,
24:05
read your
24:06
scripture.
24:08
It is the
24:09
revelation
24:10
of Jesus Christ.
24:11
We talked about
24:12
this morning
24:12
in Aletheia Way,
24:13
didn't we?
24:13
Even those
24:14
Old Testament
24:15
stories.
24:16
The grand
24:17
heroes of the
24:18
Old Testament.
24:19
There are truths
24:20
to be mined on the
24:21
surface of all
24:21
of those stories
24:22
and there's the
24:23
truth that we
24:23
always want to
24:24
get to and that
24:25
is the person
24:26
and work of
24:27
Jesus Christ.
24:28
Take, for example,
24:29
the story of
24:29
David and Goliath.
24:30
Right?
24:31
A beautiful
24:31
story of an
24:32
obedient boy
24:33
who, in the
24:34
face of great
24:35
danger, faced a
24:37
giant to deliver
24:38
the Israelites.
24:40
Right?
24:40
What's the truth
24:42
in that?
24:43
Can we learn
24:43
things about being
24:44
obedient to God?
24:45
Sure.
24:45
Can we learn
24:46
things about God
24:47
being able to
24:47
accomplish things
24:48
with small means?
24:50
Absolutely.
24:51
Right?
24:51
But what is the
24:52
truth?
24:53
That David is a
24:54
type of Christ.
24:56
That coming to
24:58
defeat sin and
24:59
death on our
24:59
behalf, notice
25:01
that the
25:01
Israelites stood
25:02
by and watched
25:03
as he went and
25:04
slayed the giant
25:05
that was Goliath.
25:07
Right?
25:08
That's the
25:09
truth.
25:10
It's everywhere
25:11
in the scriptures.
25:13
From the very
25:14
beginning to the
25:15
very end, it all
25:17
speaks of Christ.
25:20
Spend time in
25:21
this book.
25:23
Church, we
25:23
don't know the
25:24
scriptures the
25:25
way we should.
25:25
I put myself in
25:27
that category.
25:28
Right?
25:29
It's a lot of
25:30
words found in
25:31
here, these 66
25:32
books of the
25:33
Bible.
25:33
But if we would
25:34
diligently study
25:35
this, we would
25:36
know it so
25:37
well.
25:39
It's a book.
25:40
So many of you
25:41
can quote from so
25:42
many other books.
25:44
What about this
25:45
one?
25:46
The most precious
25:47
book ever written.
25:49
It was written by
25:49
our Lord.
25:51
And beyond that,
25:53
we have the
25:53
Spirit of God to
25:55
help us understand
25:56
it, to discern
25:57
it, to apply it to
25:58
our living, to
25:59
bring it to
26:00
remembrance as we
26:01
need it.
26:02
It is alive and
26:03
it is active.
26:05
And if you have
26:05
not experienced
26:06
that, get busy
26:08
experiencing it.
26:10
Every day you
26:11
open the scriptures,
26:12
you will not have
26:13
your affections turn
26:14
towards Christ.
26:15
Do it anyway.
26:17
Keep after it.
26:18
It is a discipline
26:19
at times.
26:20
A great, great joy
26:21
at others.
26:23
Make it a habit
26:24
if you can.
26:26
Time permits.
26:27
Make it a habit
26:28
to do as George
26:29
Mueller did,
26:30
where when he
26:31
started reading his
26:32
scriptures in the
26:32
morning, he read
26:33
them until his
26:34
affections were set
26:35
on Christ.
26:37
Set on Christ.
26:39
That's how he
26:39
began his day.
26:41
That he might
26:41
behold Christ at
26:42
the very beginning
26:43
of the day.
26:44
That all that other
26:45
stuff would then
26:46
become filthy,
26:48
rags, to be
26:48
cast off.
26:50
Right?
26:50
Are you feeling
26:52
defeated in sin
26:53
and you don't
26:55
read your scriptures?
26:57
It's a place to
26:58
start.
27:01
Secondly, pray.
27:04
Church, we've been
27:05
given a great grace
27:06
in prayer.
27:08
We have been
27:08
granted by Christ
27:10
to approach God
27:12
at any time
27:13
of the day
27:14
with any
27:16
concern.
27:17
We can cast
27:17
all of our
27:18
anxieties and cares
27:19
on him because
27:20
he cares for us.
27:22
The Most High,
27:23
the Creator of
27:25
the universe,
27:26
by his might
27:27
and power,
27:27
he spoke it
27:28
into existence.
27:29
He now holds it
27:30
in its sway
27:30
with that very
27:31
same word,
27:32
wants to have
27:33
a conversation
27:33
with you.
27:35
Not just to hear
27:37
what you have to
27:37
say, but to
27:38
respond to you.
27:41
It's such a
27:42
blessing to pray.
27:44
If you appreciate
27:46
the Father,
27:47
part of Father
27:48
God, he wants
27:49
you to sit on
27:49
his lap.
27:51
Right?
27:51
And chat
27:52
about how your
27:53
day's going,
27:54
what's concerning
27:54
you.
27:55
And he wants
27:56
to speak
27:56
into your ear
27:57
about how
27:58
he is going
27:59
to work
28:00
through you
28:00
and for you
28:01
to accomplish
28:02
good in your
28:03
life.
28:04
Why do we not
28:05
pray?
28:09
Thirdly,
28:10
invest in the
28:12
church.
28:13
Notice that I
28:14
didn't say
28:15
attend the
28:16
church.
28:17
church.
28:18
It's an easy
28:19
thing.
28:19
I'm thankful
28:20
that every
28:21
single one of
28:21
you are here
28:21
this morning,
28:22
that you took
28:23
the effort to
28:23
get up, get
28:24
ready, to
28:25
show up.
28:26
That's the
28:27
easy part.
28:28
Right?
28:29
And it's not
28:30
all there is to
28:31
church life.
28:32
invest in it.
28:34
Get to know
28:34
people.
28:35
Share your
28:36
life with
28:36
them.
28:37
Right?
28:38
Serve.
28:39
Be involved
28:39
in these
28:40
ways.
28:41
Because if our
28:42
goal is we're
28:43
going to try to
28:44
behold Christ so
28:45
that we can
28:45
discard, we can
28:46
cast away the
28:48
works of
28:48
darkness.
28:49
You want to
28:50
see Christ in
28:51
the world?
28:52
Look at him in
28:53
his people.
28:54
He is
28:56
transforming us
28:57
day by day,
28:59
little by little.
29:00
And if you
29:00
will take the
29:01
time to get to
29:02
know somebody
29:02
beyond the
29:03
surface of
29:04
things and get
29:04
into the
29:05
spiritual of
29:06
things, you
29:07
will see that
29:07
he is working
29:08
in people's
29:09
lives.
29:09
He's causing
29:09
them to do
29:10
things that
29:10
they wouldn't
29:10
normally do.
29:11
Right?
29:12
He's making
29:12
them new
29:13
creations.
29:14
It's a work
29:15
that only can
29:16
be accomplished
29:17
by God.
29:18
You will be
29:19
amazed as you
29:21
spend time with
29:21
people in that
29:22
way of how
29:23
enthralled you
29:24
will become
29:25
with Christ.
29:26
So invest.
29:27
Invest in the
29:28
church.
29:28
Not necessarily
29:29
this one,
29:31
although we'd
29:31
love to have
29:32
you.
29:32
Get involved
29:33
with a group
29:34
of believers
29:34
and consistently
29:35
march it out
29:36
with them.
29:38
And then
29:39
fourthly, be
29:40
radically
29:40
obedient.
29:43
Go where
29:44
God calls
29:45
you to go,
29:46
whether that
29:47
is this
29:48
afternoon to
29:49
a neighbor or
29:50
to the ends
29:51
of the earth
29:51
someday,
29:52
wherever God
29:54
leads, go
29:55
there.
29:55
Because if
29:56
you go where
29:57
he's working
29:58
and inviting
29:58
you, you
29:59
will experience
30:00
him in that
30:01
place.
30:02
You will see
30:02
him in the
30:02
same way you
30:03
see him
30:04
working in
30:04
the lives
30:04
of people
30:05
in the
30:05
church.
30:05
You will
30:06
see him
30:06
working in
30:07
grand ways
30:08
in the
30:09
lost world.
30:11
Be
30:11
obedient.
30:13
Track
30:14
him where
30:14
he goes.
30:16
Our God
30:16
has a grand
30:17
mission.
30:18
He is calling
30:19
his church
30:19
out of this
30:20
world.
30:20
When he
30:21
is done,
30:21
all things
30:22
here will
30:23
come to an
30:23
end and
30:23
he'll establish
30:24
a new
30:24
heaven and
30:25
a new
30:25
earth.
30:26
It's getting
30:26
done,
30:27
everybody.
30:27
It's not
30:28
done yet,
30:28
but it's
30:29
getting done.
30:31
He doesn't
30:31
need us.
30:33
Hear me
30:33
carefully.
30:34
He does
30:34
not need
30:35
you, but
30:36
he loves
30:36
you.
30:38
He wants
30:39
you to
30:39
experience life
30:40
to the
30:41
fullest.
30:42
And you
30:42
know where
30:42
we're most
30:43
likely to do
30:43
that?
30:44
With
30:45
him.
30:46
Go be
30:47
where God
30:48
is.
30:49
Working
30:50
in this
30:51
world.
30:52
And you
30:52
will have
30:52
newer,
30:54
grander,
30:54
higher
30:55
visions of
30:56
Jesus Christ.
30:56
And when
30:57
you do
30:57
that,
30:59
casting the
31:00
garment off
31:00
and never
31:01
putting it
31:01
back on
31:01
becomes
31:02
easier and
31:03
easier and
31:04
easier.
31:05
The scale
31:06
always tips
31:07
heavily in
31:08
his favor.
31:10
If you're
31:11
finding yourself
31:12
fighting this
31:12
battle with
31:13
sin,
31:14
the woe is
31:14
me type of
31:16
Christian,
31:16
just can't
31:18
get a handle
31:18
on it,
31:19
you're probably
31:20
fighting it
31:20
wrong.
31:23
Fight it
31:23
by putting
31:24
on the
31:25
Lord Jesus
31:26
Christ.
31:27
Read about
31:28
him in
31:28
his scriptures.
31:29
Pray to
31:30
him.
31:30
Meet with
31:31
the church
31:31
that you
31:31
might see
31:32
Christ in
31:33
his people
31:33
and go
31:34
and be
31:34
obedient with
31:35
him in
31:35
the world
31:36
so that
31:36
you'll see
31:36
him alive
31:37
and active
31:38
there.
31:38
I can
31:39
promise
31:39
you,
31:40
you will
31:40
not be
31:41
disappointed.
31:43
Let's not
31:43
act as though
31:44
this battle
31:45
has no
31:45
consequence.
31:47
Get busy
31:48
killing sin
31:48
or it's
31:49
going to
31:49
kill you.
31:51
If you're
31:52
a Christian,
31:53
the final
31:53
full penalty
31:54
for sin
31:55
has been
31:55
paid for
31:56
you in
31:56
Christ.
31:57
But our
31:57
sin still
31:58
has temporal
31:59
punishment.
32:01
We still
32:02
experience the
32:03
downside
32:04
of sin.
32:06
We have
32:06
momentary
32:06
pleasure and
32:07
then the
32:07
downside of
32:08
all the
32:09
things that
32:09
come along
32:10
with it.
32:11
So don't
32:12
act like
32:12
it's not
32:12
affecting you.
32:14
That you
32:14
can bop
32:15
around,
32:15
experiencing
32:16
God's
32:16
grace as
32:17
he forgives
32:17
you for
32:17
the things
32:18
that you're
32:18
doing.
32:19
It has
32:20
dire and
32:20
serious
32:21
consequence
32:21
in the
32:22
here and
32:23
now.
32:24
Why would
32:25
you trade
32:25
lesser
32:26
things,
32:28
greater
32:29
things,
32:29
for lesser
32:30
things?
32:30
Excuse me.
32:31
Why would
32:32
you trade
32:32
joy and
32:33
satisfaction,
32:34
peace that's
32:34
found in
32:35
Christ,
32:36
for trifling
32:37
little,
32:38
momentary
32:38
pleasures?
32:39
sinners.
32:40
You do it
32:41
because you're
32:42
a sinner
32:42
by nature
32:43
and you
32:43
don't
32:44
behold
32:44
Christ
32:45
the way
32:46
you ought.
32:49
So beloved,
32:49
we know
32:50
the time
32:50
we live
32:51
in.
32:52
If we
32:53
didn't,
32:53
we know
32:53
now.
32:55
We live
32:56
between
32:56
these two
32:57
worlds,
32:57
but we
32:58
have been
32:58
set free
32:59
from the
33:00
bondage
33:00
of sin.
33:01
So then
33:02
let us
33:02
cast off
33:04
the works
33:05
of darkness
33:05
and let us
33:06
put on the
33:07
armor of
33:07
light.
33:07
let us
33:08
walk
33:09
properly
33:09
in the
33:10
daytime
33:11
because we
33:12
have
33:12
Jesus
33:13
Christ.
33:14
Let's pray
33:15
together.