Channels of Love and Holiness

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This is a sermon based on Romans 13:8-14 and it is part of a series of messages on the book of Romans. This sermon speaks about the Christian believer's responsibility to live out their faith in a way that emphasizes love and purity.

Written text:
 

Introduction:

We are continuing our study of the letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome.

Since we resumed our series of messages at the beginning of this month, we have been looking at chapters 12 and 13.

We noticed how that Paul has taken a definite turn in his writing to speak more directly about the practical application of faith and living out doctrinal beliefs.

He provided the theological foundation for the faith in the first 11 chapters, but now he wants believers to apply their theology to everyday behavior and conduct.

Last week and the previous week we looked at the first part of chapter 13 concerning Paul’s admonition to submit and respect those in authority over us.

Today we are going to discuss the second part of the chapter.

If you are following one of the outlines that have been made available, we are ready to cover…

E.  Christian conduct involves public morality. (13:8-14)

At first glance, it might seem that verses 8-10 have little to do with verses 11-14.

In fact, when I preached through Romans in my previous church, I chose to view verses 8-10 as “Part 2” to the theme of love that Paul talks about in verses 9-21of chapter 12.

However, after further consideration, I have chosen to look at these two paragraphs as being more closely related than I previously thought.

I think the common theme between the two paragraphs is the theme of public morality.

The topic of morality has to do with choices and behaviors that are either right or wrong; good or evil. These verses highlight the aspect of “doing what is good” (i.e. love) and “avoiding what is evil” (i.e. works of darkness).

      i.  Morality is based on genuine love. (8-10)

The first of these paragraphs emphasizes the good or the right kind of life we should strive to live. And, there is no better theme that we can think of to capture the overall concept of moral living than the theme of love.

            a.  Love is the fulfillment of the law. (8)

This point is explicitly stated in the second half of verse 8, but let’s talk a little first about the first part of the verse.

“Owe no man anything, but to love one another.” – This verse is often quoted as a proof text against borrowing money. Others quote it as a text against Christians getting behind in their financial obligations.

However, I am convinced that the phrase is meant to be understood within the context of the preceding verses.

If we do that, then we will have to understand Paul to be literally saying, “Stop owing (getting behind in your payments to) any member of the governing authority in regards to taxes, customs, fear (reverence, respect) and honor.”

If we understand the word “all” in verse 7 to be referring to all people in general, not merely governing authorities, then verse 8 would extend to all people as well. But, he is still specifically talking about taxes, customs, fear and honor.

So Paul is essentially saying:

Don’t owe any man any of these things I have just mentioned, but only owe them love.

Even if you remain “paid up” in regards to all these other things, you still owe each other the debt of love.

Let everyone of us keep on owing love and paying out our debt of love to each other.

(Now, it does appear that Paul is expanding his view of whom we owe love to by including the commands of God in v. 9, especially the command “love your neighbor as yourself.”)

Then, in the second half of the verse, he proclaims that love is the fulfillment of the law.       

Moving on to verses 9-10, we discover that…

            b.  Love is defined by the law. (9-10)

I’m quite sure I made this observation when we back in chapter 12, but many people like to be pretty vague about what genuine love really involves.

There are those who have approached Christian Ethics with only one principle to live by, “Just do the loving thing in every situation.”

However, many of those same people are opposed to any specific definition or description of love. Love, for them, is strictly defined by the situation. i.e. there may be times when adultery is the “loving thing to do,” or there may be times when lying is the “loving thing to do.”

But Paul says that love is explained, defined by the law.

If we really love one another, then we will fulfill all of these commands he has quoted from Moses.

This makes it clear that “love” is much more than just warm, fuzzy emotions that we may or may not feel toward another person.

It is spelled out in objective and measurable terms.

[1993] “…in 15 years of asking high school students throughout America whether, in an emergency situation, they would save their dog or a stranger first, most students have answered that they would not save the stranger. "I love my dog, I don't love the stranger," they always say. The feeling of love has supplanted God or religious principle as the moral guide for [many] young people. What is right has been redefined in terms of what an individual feels.”  (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/m/morality.htm)

The Apostles James and John have plenty of things to say about love and what it means as well. It is a study well worth the effort to look up all that the NT has to say about loving one another.

“love does no harm” – This is not the same as the golden rule that Jesus gave, but it is what some have come to refer to as the “silver rule,” i.e. do no harm.

The golden rule, on the other hand, urges us to actively or positively do the good that we would want others to do for us.

Not only is morality based on genuine love (vv. 8-10), but…

      ii.  Morality is illustrated by light vs. darkness. (11-14)

There are various places in Scripture where light and darkness are used as synonyms for righteousness or unrighteousness; morality or immorality.

So Paul urges Christian believers to be people who live in the light rather than the darkness.

            a.  Awareness of current conditions is necessary. (11-12a)

“Awaken” – it is incumbent on every believer to be alert and awake in regards to the conditions of the world and society in which we live.

“time” – a word that speaks more of a season than calendar date(s).

Alertness and awareness are necessary because time is running out and the seasons are changing. Now is the season of grace and the season for repentance and seeking God, but when that is ended, it will be the season of judgment.

“far spent… at hand” – further description of the “time to awaken”. The season of darkness is ended and the dawn has arrived. A vivid picture of day-break. (Robertson, Word Pictures)

            b.  Response to conditions is required. (12b-14)

Since the present season of darkness is coming to an end, and our day of final salvation is nearer, therefore we must carry out some specific actions.

“cast off” (v. 12b) – the form of this verb is a mild command; exhorting the performance of some action or duty. (Hortatory subjunctive; Danta & Mantey Greek Grammar)

We are urged to cast off the works of darkness which would include anything and everything that is contrary to the light of God’s holiness and righteousness, but some specific examples are provided in the following verse, which we will mention in just a moment.

“put on” (12b, 14) – it is not enough to simply refrain from ungodly and immoral activities, which we obviously must do, but we must also positively seek to “put on” certain qualities and behaviors as if we are putting on new clothes.

We are exhorted to specifically put on the “armor” or “weapons” of “light.” This is probably a reference to a parallel passage in Ephesians 6.

In v.14 we are exhorted to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This implies an ordering of our lives according to His principles and example. Galatians 3:27 reads, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.”

(Reasoner) This implies a deliverance from the dominion and nature of sin, a participation in the divine nature, conformity to the divine image, the consecration of our heart and life to God.

“walk” (13) – The walk or “going around in daily life” is to be done “honestly,” i.e. honorably, seemly or decently.

How is that defined? Not this… (KJV) “not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

He is essentially telling them that the kind of life we are to be living must not involve carousing or partying; drunkenness; sexual immorality; unbridled desires; quarrelling and jealousy.

He uses these negative terms to describe the kind of walk we should not engage in, but it could also be thought of as a partial list that helps define the “works of darkness” mentioned in v.12.

In contrast to these things that we are NOT to practice, we are to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, as we described a moment ago.

We are finally exhorted to “make no provision for the flesh… for lust”

i.e. Do not make plans or forethoughts for the satisfaction of passions and desires of the flesh.

Conclusion

Once again we have been reminded that Paul firmly believes that a person who has been justified and sanctified by the blood of Jesus should live a lifestyle that stands in stark contrast to the lifestyles of the dark world around us.

We are urged to live a moral life which can be summed up as loving God enough to follow His standards of righteousness and loving our fellowman as expressed in the Ten Commandments and especially the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

There is a sense in which both of these paragraphs is talking about love. The first speaks about love for our fellow man. The second speaks about love for God that is so committed and faithful to Him that is draws us away from the former behaviors that can be characterized as the works of darkness.

How are you doing in respect to this admonition to publicly live as Scripture teaches?

May the Lord help each and every one of us to purpose in our hearts that we will more closely demonstrate the love of God and the works of light in our daily lives.

Our closing song today is a chorus that is not in our hymn books, but the lyrics are on the inserts in your bulletin.

Love Through Me


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