CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST

Passage: Romans 13:8-14

Key verse: 14

NIV

Love Fulfills the Law

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.(A) 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a](B) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up(C) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b](D) 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.(E)

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come(F) for you to wake up from your slumber,(G) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.(H) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness(I) and put on the armor(J) of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,(K) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.(L) 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,(M) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[c](N)

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
  2. Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
  3. Romans 13:14 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

8 (A)Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for (B)the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, (C)“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: (D)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore (E)love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you (F)to wake from sleep. (G)For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 (H)The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us (I)cast off (J)the works of darkness and (K)put on the armor of light. 13 (L)Let us walk properly as in the daytime, (M)not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, (N)not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But (O)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, (P)to gratify its desires.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Pay the debt of love (8-10)

We are debtors to God, for he loved us with costly love. He wants us to pay that debt by loving our fellow man. Only love fulfills his law. Real love builds up the loved one; it does not tear him down. Using another to gratify one's own desires is not love. We must seek God's best and highest will for those we love.

2. Put aside the deeds of darkness (11-14)

It is an urgent matter. We don't know when our Lord will come again. Paul says that the night is nearly over and the day is almost here. It is time to put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Many people hold on to dark secrets in their daily lives. Everything will be exposed soon. We can only defeat the darkness when we invite Jesus into our lives to rule our hearts and thoughts and actions every day and every night.

Prayer: Lord, clothe me with Jesus and with the armor of light. Expose all the dark places in my heart and in my thought world, and let Jesus rule.

One Word: Put on Jesus