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| image by Michael Smolla |
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Romans 13:8-14
While we wait in anticipation for the promises of God, there is a life to be lived today. How are we to live that life? One of the great gifts given to the church is the writings of the Apostle Paul in which he gives practical instruction on how to live in the way of Christ.
In this text, Paul bases his instruction on two things. First, we have a love debt. We were placed in this debt by God's love to us - which we could never deserve but was given to us without limits. We show love according to what has been revealed in the law. Simply put, love does no wrong to a neighbor. The implications of this simple truth are astounding.
The second basis for Paul's instruction is an awareness of the time in which we live. The light has come. Day has dawned. Jesus has shown us the way of God. The Holy Spirit has made us alive. Christ's return and the full salvation he brings are imminent. Is it time for indulging the works of the flesh? Is it time to fight with each other? Is it time to jealously guard our possessions? If we believe what God has said about what he will do and what is to come, then we must walk accordingly - casting off these deeds that belong to darkness and embracing these that pertain to the light that has been brought to us.
Take some time to consider the following. Perhaps it would be helpful to record your responses in a journal.
To what degree do your works reflect the light of Christ? Are you controlled by sensuality? Do you need emotional highs and experiences to keep you going? Do you engage in acts of love or do you spend a lot of time in quarrels, arguments, and disputes? How do your activities show that the return of Christ is imminent?
Here is a prayer in response to today's text. You can pray this as your own or use it as a prompt for a spontaneous prayer.
Our actions betray our perspective. We get wrapped up in the moment - forgetting to see the view you have given us. Pleasure, selfish passion, and self-preservation push aside love, holiness, and purity. Forgive us these sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us. May your Holy Spirit and your Word remind me daily to embrace light and the attitudes and beliefs that go with it and show me where my actions are failing to demonstrate the salvation that is coming. I pray that my life might be used to bring healing in the places you have put me.
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