Welcome To Search The Scriptures

1. Welcome • To • Search The Scriptures

2. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ • 1. Wake up! • 2. Throw off! • 3. Put on!

3. Romans 13:11-14 • [11] 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. [12] 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. [13] Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.

4. [14] But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. • When the early church was trying to find a name to call themselves . . . • “Christians” “Little Christs” • We are to be like Christ!

5. In Biblical writing, the imagery of being clothed with something . . . Taking something off and putting something else on • For salvation = • And • For sanctification = Justification Spiritual Growth

6. Col. 3:8-10 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. • Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices • and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. • This is referring to salvation

7. Eph. 4:22-24 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, • and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

8. It is like throwing off an old cloak and putting on a brand new one, so you are clothed in an entirely new way from head to foot • These verses are referring to salvation • 2 Cor. 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

9. A very important concept to understand: • We have been talking about salvation, which is a positional perspective . . . When God looks at us now, He sees us clothed with Christ. • This is the first step in the Christian’s life. Accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior • We are “saved” from eternal torment. We are one of His. • Many believe that is all there is . . .

10. The next word that we use to define what is happening in the Christian’s life is . . . • Sanctification • Rom. 13:14, But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. • Paul knows he is speaking to believers. He understands that they are . . .

11. Positionally saved. They are clothed with Christ. When God looks at them, He sees Christ. • Paul says, “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” • It is the idea of “planning for”. It is the idea of setting your plans for the fulfilling of your desires that are evil

12. this has happened to you positionally, let it happen to you practically • A judge is given a robe to wear, he is expected to act like a judge • An athlete is given a uniform to wear, and he is expected to act like a member of the team . . . Realizing he has a role to live up to. • So it is with a Christian . . .

13. It is one thing to possess the personal gift of the righteousness of Jesus Christ • and it's quite something else to live up to that. • Rom. 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”

14. Col. 3:8-10, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

15. You have put them off in position, put them off in practice (sanctification). • When the Lord sees you He sees you as righteous in Jesus Christ. But when you see yourself you know you're not all God sees you to be in that sense. • And so since you have put off the old man before God, since you have a new capacity for righteousness, then continue to put off those things. • One is positional and the other is practical

16. To feel lust or to feel a desire to sin is evidence of the presence of sin in us • To fulfill that desire is evidence of the power of sin over us. • As long as we are in our mortal bodies and in our flesh we will feel the presence of sin in us. • But at no time do we need to yield to the power of sin over us by virtue of the provision of Christ in the power of the Spirit of God.

17. Howdo we do that? • 2 Cor. 3:18, And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

18. The “temptation” is to focus on ourselves, and start measuring how many times we sin per day. If we see a decrease (by our interpretation), we believe we are “growing spiritually” • What is wrong with this thinking? • Focus on self • Jeremiah 17:9

19. “The heart is deceitful above all things, • and desperately sick; • who can understand it?”

20. As you lose yourself in His glory by studying the Word and communing with Him and praying and meditating, • You find that imperceptibly (you can't even see it) • the Spirit of God is moving you from one level of glory to the next, closer and closer to the very image of Jesus Christ.

21. James 1:21, “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” • Gal. 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” • Walking in the Spirit simply means obeying the Scripture

22. God is not asking us to do a whole series of things that we have to figure out, • He's just saying be like Christ. • Three commands: • Wake up (Urgency) • Throw off (Purity) • Put on (Integrity)

23. Rom. 13:11-12, “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.

24. Wake up!

25. v. 11 “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.” • What Is It About This “Time” That Should Motivate us? • What “Time” Is Paul Talking About in Verse 11?

26. “time” = “age”, a number of years grouped together • We may say today, “The Civil War Years” • We know these years to be a part of our nation’s history. • These years are marked by certain characteristics: war, killing, anger, strife, slavery or not, etc. • So there is a “time” or “times” in God’s dealing with mankind. For example:

27. Rom. 12:2 • “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” • “world” = “time/age” • we should not conform to it, but be transformed. So in Romans 12:2 the reality of this present time is evil and it should affect our behavior by prompting us to avoid conformity to it.

28. v. 11 “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.” • It’s a time for waking up. And then in verse 12 he says, “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” That’s why we must wake up.

29. 1 Thess. 5:2 “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” • “Day of the Lord” = Christ’s Second Coming • The Christians in the first century church were taught that the Lord was going to return. . . soon • They knew this, and anticipated this

30. We live in the time between the first coming of Christ, and the second coming of Christ • We live in the overlap between the present sinful age and the coming age of righteousness. • Christ has come, and, if we have acknowledged Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) • But we still live in the age of sin, pain, and death

31. On the one hand, we are set free from sin, but at the same time, we must live out at least some of our years, with sin and death all around us. • At the same time, we have the hope of Jesus’ return, His second coming! • Rom. 13:12, The night(sin and death) is far gone; the day(Second Coming) is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

32. Notice the overlap

33. You may say, “It’s been 2,000 years! Are you sure He is coming? • 2 Pet. 3:8“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” • Rom. 13:11b,“For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

34. This is a word of hope for us Christians! • We can see the end! • We no longer see Christ in a mirror dimly! • We can see that we are getting closer • Being done with disease • Being done with discouragement and depression • It is seeing Him, face to face! • He is nearer every day

35. This is the hour and day that we need to wake up • Sleep is what the people of this age (the lost) are doing • Do we want to spend our lives asleep in this sad, sin-ridden world? Or, do we want to . . . • “be awake in the dawning rays of the age to come where Christ and his people will lead lives so full of joy and love and justice and creativity that everything we thought was great in this age will look like the kindergarten of the universe?”

36. Rom. 13:12, “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.” • Do not set your mind on the darkness that is passing and how long it has lasted • Do set your mind on the second coming of Christ • the powers of darkness are broken • Every breath we breath brings us closer

37. What to Wear and How to Live When You Wake Up from the Sleepwalk • Rom. 13:12,“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.” • You Already Are Children of God—Now Dress, Live, and Fight Like It • You are already a Christian, now live like it!

38. Rom. 13:13-14,“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.” • How do we put on the Lord Jesus Christ? • Faith comes from hearing, so listen to the word of God about Christ

39. Hope comes from promises, so remember the promises of Christ • “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” • “provision” means “forethought” it may sound like this: • “don’t let any thought in your head that would lead to a sinful desire—not just to the gratification of the sinful desire, but even the desire itself.” • We know that by thinking certain thoughts we can awaken certain sinful desires

40. Verse 13 might be paraphrased like this: • ““Let us walk properly as in the daytime, 1) not in orgies and drunkenness, 2) not in sexual immorality and sensuality, 3) not in quarreling and jealousy.” • Inordinate desires for drink—or we might say, “substance abuse” (alcohol, drugs, nicotine, caffeine, etc.). • 2) Inordinate desires for sex—whether fornication or adultery or incest or bestiality or pornography. • 3) Desires for attention and preeminence and control that produces quarreling and jealousy.”

41. “Don’t let any thought in your head that gives rise to these sinful desires.” • Sometimes saying “no” to a wrong thought makes you think even more about that very thought. • Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ is more like: • Calling to mind the words of God that awaken more faith in Jesus, and calling to mind the promises of God that awakens more hope in Jesus, and calling to mind the beauty of Christ that awakens more love to Jesus.

42. Three Commands: • Wake up! • Throw Off! • Put On!

43. Wake up!

44. Throw Off

45. Put On The Lord Jesus Christ

46. Now, go out and do it • In the power of the Holy Spirit • Giving glory to God in all things