Take Note Podcast

Walk Honestly

Romans 13:8-14

- Early in our chapter of the day, we read about earthly authorities
- Our attitude toward authorities
- And our actions based on the commands of authorities

- In it, we discover that God expects us to both honor and obey those over us
- To obey their laws and even to pay their taxes

- Our neighbors deserve love, we find
- To love them is to fulfill our command to obey
- And we must, because we have limited time

- In everything we are to "Walk Honestly"
- As we find in Romans 13:8-14

- There are many things to discover in our passage of the day
- A lot of specifics are outlined for us
- It would be worth reading the whole passage to get an overview
- And then we'll take a look at individual verses…

Romans 13:8-14

8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

- You'll recognize some of the ten commandments here
- They are universal principles that hold true in any age
- There are things we should do and not do as followers of Christ
- Because we are His representatives on earth

- Here's where we start…

Romans 13:8

13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

- We shouldn't have an overdue tax bill, for instance
- But we do owe men (whether in authority or not) love
- If we have love, we obey God's commands and (as a result) the commands of our authorities

- If this is the case, our law-keeping is coming from the heart
- It is obedience for the right reasons and on the right basis

- A heart of love for others results in the keeping of certain commands
- Because means thinking of others first
- Giving without regard to what we may receive in return
- Doing what is best for someone else

- Here are the specifics…

Romans 13:9

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

- These are the commands that are kept by those who love
- Love provides the reason behind avoiding such behaviors
- It is a motivator
- When we love we do not betray - as in adultery
- When we love we do not anger and strike out - as in murder
- When we love we do not take that which belongs to others - as in stealing
- When we love we do not deceive - bear false witness
- When we love we are content - instead of longing for something else, coveting
- All of this is possible, if we love our neighbor as ourselves

- The commandment-keeping is not the focus, others are our focus
- Their good is our focus

- Here are some further descriptions of love…

Romand 13:10

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

- This kind of love is a tremendous help to us in the world
- In our relationships and in our communities
- When we have this kind of regard for our neighbors, everyone is better off

- This really means love does no wrong to neighbors
- We don't hurt them
- We're not bitter against them
- We don't slander them with our words
- Love doesn't allow for any of this

- There is no time to waste…

Romans 13:11

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

- There is no time for drowsiness in the Christian faith
- We must be awake and vigilant and alert
- Aware of our responsibilities to God, our authorities, and our neighbors

- We go to be with God in heaven soon
- Sooner than we think
- Life is brief and there is much to do for Christ
- We have a mission
- It is not just to obtain salvation, but to live our salvation out

- Every day is precious, because…

Romans 13:12

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

- There are many evil and dark things that can distract from our mission
- Or even make us incapable of carrying it out
- Instead of dwelling (even for a brief time) in this darkness
- We must put on light
- And this can only mean walking closely with Christ

- We can't do anything commanded in the passage so far without Him
- Without His power
- His enabling
- His grace

- Our theme appears in the next verse…

Romans 13:13

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

- There must be a genuineness
- Our lives must be a testimony of authenticity
- We cannot live in any unruly way
- A way that would destroy our influence and hinder gospel advance
- It is not permitted and not in our best interest
- Or in anyone else's best interest

- A restatement of this verse may help us understand the details…

"We should live in a right way, like people who belong to the day. We should not have wild parties or be drunk. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous."

- God gives us power to have victory over sin
- Jesus walks by our side to help us face sin challenges
- He will help us avoid these things

- Here's what we have to do…

Romans 13:14

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

- We must put on Jesus Christ
- This is essentially about submission to Him
- Certainly an understanding of His will and His word
- But total surrender
- Abandoning our own desires
- Abandoning our old life in the flesh and living only for Him

- This is how a believer may walk honestly
- Or in genuineness
- As one of His
- In a world that is so often set against Him