Motivated by the Gospel

Well, as we come to the end of Romans, chapter thirteen, let's look here at this last paragraph, verses eleven through fourteen. And as we look at verses eleven through fourteen, it may seem a bit out of place, especially because of that first phrase and the way that it's translated there. Besides this, you know the time, and the question that arises, of course, is besides what it could also be translated in addition to this, or because of all this, and the reference there takes us back not just to the paragraph before it, but really it takes us back to the beginning of this section of the Book of Romans, to the beginning of chapter twelve. And we know that in chapter twelve there is a therefore statement that points us back all the way to the beginning of the Book of Romans itself. So at the beginning of chapter twelve, we. Go from orthodoxy to orthopraxy, from the indicatives to the imperatives. Now Here in the midst of these imperatives that we've received, there is a pointing back to another motivation that we have for our obedience and pursuit of righteousness and holiness. And what in the world could that be? Well, it's not that we were motivated by the Gospel and what Christ has done for our justification, and now we find something other than the Gospel as our motifications, as our motivation. But in fact, there is an aspect of that message of the Gospel that is highlighted here in this last paragraph, and that aspect is our escatological hope. Remember we've talked about eschatology, the esketon the Age to come, and here what Paul does is he points to that last aspect of our theology, that last aspect of our message of the Gospel. Remember, if we put the Gospel in simple overarching terms, we talk about creation, fall, redemption, and then recreation. The hope that we hold out for recreation, the hope that we hold out for consummation, that is our eschatological hope that we live in this present age. But there is an age to. Come that is not separate from the Gospel, that is essential to the Gospel. And Paul points out that essential aspect of the Gospel as a motivating factor in our pursuit of holiness and righteousness as new creatures in Christ. And so we find here beginning of verse eleven. 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 believe. Is that not good news? Do you have to think about that salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. Now. When he says, of course, salvation is nearer to us now, he doesn't mean that we're almost saved. Amen. But remember how our salvation comes to us. There is the sense of justification. We have been saved from all of our sin. There's also the sense of adoption, whereby we are made part of God's family and partakers of all of the benefits thereof. Then there's the sense of sanctification. We are being saved right here, right now, from the very power of sin, from the dominion of sin. But then there is a future sense, the glorification that we anticipate, And that future sense that we anticipate says that we will one day be saved from the very presence of sin. This is not foreign to the Book of Romans. We've seen that in Romans Chapter eight. Have we not those who are predestined and foreknown, and called and justified and sanctified and then glorified? It is inevitable, yet not fully complete. So what he says here is not that we're not quite saved, but that that process is not quite complete, but we're closer to the completion of it today than we were yesterday Verse twelve. 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 in jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. But when we talk about this issue of eschatology, which is. His point here, our hope that we have that is yet to come, we often get tied up and frequently don't like to think about eschatology because eschatology is taboo. The reason eschatology is taboo is because. There's so many competing views, and we believe that since there's so many competing views, that there must not be any truth there, because if there was, then there wouldn't be so many competing views. Imagine this, if you will, a police officer comes upon an automobile accident, and as he walks up to the automobile accident, he looks around for witnesses, and there are four witnesses. And he asked the first witness what happened, and the first witness tells a version of what he saw. He asked the second witness what happened, and the second witness tells a story that's different than the first witness. He asked the third witness what happened, and the third witness has some elements of the first and the second. But is unique in some aspects as well. And then he asks a fourth witness, and from the fourth witness he gets another version of incident. So the police officer puts his pen in his pocket, puts his book away, and says, there were competing views here. Therefore, I conclude that there was no accident. No, there was an accident. There's going to have to be some work done in order to determine what happened, But there was an accident. Folks, there is right eschatology just because they are competing views. But then it gets even more complicated and more difficult because not only are their competing views, but they are competing experts. For example, when we talk about post millennialism, we look at names like AA Hodge and Charles Hodge. And of course Augustine. Then we look at dispensational premillennialism, we have names like wolver Zuck and Pentecost and Rary John MacArthur. Then we look at historical premillennialism, we have names like George Ladd, John W. Montgomery and of course Ironaeus. Then we look at a millennialism and we have names like Berkhoff and Hoikima, John Frame and John Calvin. So now not. Only do we have competing views, we got competing experts. We got all of these different views that can not just put up some guns, but all of them can put up big guns on their side. The result of this confusion is often resignation on the part of believers. We just won't talk about eschatology since there are so many competing views, and not only competing views but competing experts, we just won't talk about it. And our not talking about it. What we have done is we've concluded that eschatology is unimportant, it's not essential. There are other things that are more important, and we need to measure on those things. But know this, the basics of eschatology are not in dispute. These different views of the millennium notwithstanding the basic issues of eschatology are not in dispute. The difference in these views basically. Come down to this, how and when does the Esketon take place? And when do we understand Christ coming at the consummation or the end of the age. Is it all in one fell swoop or does it happen in stages? Those are the basic questions, folks. Is it all in one fell swoop. That would be the post millennial and amillennial view, that it happens all in one fell swoop or does it happen in stages? That gets you premillennialism or dispensational premillennialism. Basically, you've got two things. Does it happen at once or does it happen in stages? Those are your basic questions. But everybody agrees that it happens. Christ is going to return at the end of the age. Listen to this, Matthew, Chapter twelve, Verses thirty one and thirty two. This is the air we breathe scripturally. The idea of the Esketon or the end of the age. Therefore, I tell you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or the age to come. There is this age, and then there's the Age to come, Luke eighteen twenty nine to thirty and he said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife, or brother, or parents or children for the sake of the Kingdom of God who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life. Again two ages. There's this age and there's the Age to come, Luke, Chapter twenty, verses thirty four to thirty six. Jesus said to them, the sons of this age Mary and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead, neither Mary nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. This Age the Age to come. Finally, Ephesians chapter one, verses sixteen to twenty one, A little more lengthy passage, but very much worthy of our time and attention. I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, What are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority, and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also. In the Age to come. The Esketon is not in dispute. The fact that we now live in this age and there is yet an age to come, is not in debate. It is clear from what we read in the scriptures. So not only should we not avoid the question of eschatology, but your eschatology should be a primary issue in your theology, a primary issue in your theology. Now, when I say a primary issue in your theology, don't mean that it should be something that you should divide with other believers over. What I mean is this, as you study theology. And as you determine what are those main things that you must grasp, eschatology. Must be one of those things. You cannot pick up a systematic theology, for example, that doesn't have a section on eschatology. All systematic theologies are going to end with a section on eschatology because it is the last major category in systematic theology. You cannot escape it. But the way most Christians live their lives is like a systematic theology book without a chapter on eschatology. Why because it's just too complicated. We'll just leave that alone. There are too many divergent views. We'll just leave that alone. There are not many divergent views. Everybody agrees on the escaton. The question is does it happen in one single fell swoop or does it happen in stages? There is no. Question as to whether or not Christ will crack the sky and return to judge the living and the dead. There is no question about that, and it is an essential aspect of our understanding of theology and our understanding of the Gospel. We must avoid the idea of an underrealized eschatology and the idea of an over realized eschatology. An underreal eschatology does not take into account the fact that Christ has, by virtue of his first coming, brought the Kingdom of God to bear on this present age in a very real sense. Mark one, verses fourteen to fifteen. Now, after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Gospel. By the way, we could read this over and over and over and over and over again in the early part of the Gospels, because that's Jesus' message when he arrives on the scene, the Kingdom is at hand. Repent for the Kingdom is at hand, folks. Eternity broke into time when Christ came into being in the world as a baby. He has always existed, He has always been the second person of the Trinity. But in the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity doesn't just take on a body, but in taking on a body, he invades this age with the Age to come. That is why he comes preaching with authority that no man has ever seen. That is why he comes healing the sick, that is why he comes raising the dead, and that is why he comes casting out demons. Why in order to communicate clearly the Kingdom has arrived. Now we can then get into an overrealized eschatology. What's that believing that the Kingdom has arrived in full and that there is virtually nothing for which we await. The Kingdom has arrived, but not in full. We therefore do not have an overrealized eschatology. There is still something for which we wait. There is still this age and the Age to come. There is this real sense in which the Kingdom of God has arrived on the scene. And from a spiritual stand point and a spiritual perspective, we are reigning with Christ Amen right here, right now today. That's what we're doing, right here, right now today. As we exercise what we exercise as the church. We say in the midst of this dark age. That the Kingdom has arrived, we proclaimed the Gospel. Captives are set free. And yet. We have yet to see all that there is to see of the Kingdom, that is, the already not yet tension. Listen to this from Kim Riddlebarger. When we look at the qualities ascribed to this age by the Biblical writers, we find that the following are mentioned. Homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, and with them persecutions Mark ten thirty. The people of this age marry and are given in marriage Luke twenty thirty four. The scholar, the philosopher, and such wisdom are of this age First Corinthians one twenty. Secular and religious rulers dominate First Corinthians two, six through eight. The God of this age, Satan, has blinded the minds of unbelievers two Corinthians. Four to four. This age is explicitly called this present evil Age Galatians one to four. Ungodliness and worldly passions are typical of this. Age Titus two twelve. All of these qualities are temporal and are certainly destined to pass away with the return of the Lord. This age is the age in which we live, and it is the age in which we struggle as we long for the coming of Christ and for better things in the age to come. We do not have an overrealized eschatology. This age is not the be all to end all. This age is not as good as it gets. And therefore that brings us to this paragraph in Romans thirteen. Our eschatology should motivate us toward righteousness. Our eschatology should motivate us toward righteousness. Let me explain how and why as we look at this text. First, let's do a little review here this idea of indicatives and imperatives. Remember indicatives to indicate, I'm indicating that is a candle. That's an indicative. I'm indicating what it is an imperative pick up the candle. That would be an imperative telling me something to do. Indicatives an imperatives. From theological perspective, remember this, the indicatives are what Christ has accomplished on our behalf to the Father's glory through his active and passive obedience. Those the indicatives who we are in Christ, what Christ has accomplished. Who we are because of what Christ has accomplished. Those are the indicatives and we get those overwhelmingly in chapters one through eleven of the Book of Romans that treat us on justification and sanctification, that treatise that tells us what Christ has accomplished, what our condition was, and what our condition is as a result of what Christ has accomplished. Then we move from the indicatives over to the imperatives, beginning there in chapter twelve. Imperatives, what God demands. Of us in light of, and as a direct result of, what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Again, what God demands of us in light of, and as a direct result of, what Christ has. Accomplished on our behalf. You cannot divorce the indicatives in the imperatives. Christianity cannot simply be a list of dues and don'ts. If Christianity is a legalistic list of dues and don'ts imperatives without the indicatives, you end up in works righteousness, and you negate the very Gospel to which you are attempting to conform. Not only is it workless, it's blasphemous. It's blasphemous. What we do we do in light of, and because of, and as a direct result of who Christ is and what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. This is important. Give an example of some eschatological imperatives places in scripture where we are called to obedience, where we are called to action, and it's linked directly to our eschatological hope. Two Timothy, Chapter four, verses one and two. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead. There's the indicative, and by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Preach the word. What's the indicative. The indicative is Christ is the judge of the living and the dead. Christ is coming back. I charge you, in light of that reality, to do something, to do what to preach the word? Revelation three eleven. I am coming soon. There's the indicative. Hold fast what you have so that no one may seize your crown. There's the imperative, hold fast in light of what the fact that I'm coming soon. Hold on, I'm on my way. Revelation chapter sixteen, verse fifteen. Behold, I am coming like a thief. There's the indicative, blessed as the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed. There's the imperative. Revelation twenty two seven, and behold, I Am coming soon. There's the indicative. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Revelation twenty two twelve. Behold, I'm coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay everyone for what he has done twenty two twenty. He who testifies to these things says, surely, I Am coming soon. Amen, Come Lord Jesus. The Book of Revelation itself can be characterized as this eschatological imperative to hold on, to have hope because Christ is coming. And here in our text, what does Paul do? Look at verse eleven, and what do we see in verse eleven? Not imperatives, but indicatives. Besides this, you know that one the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. Two salvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. Three the night is far gone, and four the day is at hand. Folks, you have been told to do anything. Those are indicatives. It is pointing to the reality that Christ is coming. It is pointing to our scatological hope that we have because Christ is coming. We are about to be given some imperatives. But these imperatives that are coming are being brought forth in light of the fact that we have a hope that Christ is coming, that his return is imminent. And that first phrase there besides this or in addition to this, takes us back to the first part of this section in chapter twelve, verse one, I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God. Now besides appealing to us by the mercies of God, to all of these acts of righteousness and attitudes of righteousness, he says, besides this, in addition to this, no, that the night is coming to a close, that today is near. Know that the end of things and the consummation of your salvation is nearer today. Than it was when you first believed. Know that we are not just marking time, but know that history is hurtling. Forward at break next speed toward. The end of all things, at the coming of our Lord, Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. He's coming. It's real. It is a real hope he is coming. It is an imminent hope He is coming, and it could be at virtually any moment, folks, there isn't much that needs to happen. Christ could come in our lifetimes in this week, but we don't think like that, and we don't talk like that, and that's consequential. Because of that, we've lived like we've got all the time in the world. We live like there is no sense of urgency. That's the problem with not having eschatology as an essential aspect of your things theology. You don't think like one who serves a risen savior who is a soon coming king. You don't live like one who believes that it is important that the Gospel be proclaimed to every creature because Christ. Is going to sum things up. You don't live like one whose life and doctrine needs to be guarded because your king could. Come at any moment. You live like one who's got all the time in the world, and there is no hurry that it doesn't matter that you've been guaranteed eons and eons and eons, that you've been guaranteed death. You realize this, Listen, the death rate is one per person, but it won't always be. Amen. Everybody who has lived has died. But not everybody who lives is going to die. As a matter of fact, not everybody who has lived has died. Some folks would just take it up to read Genesis chapter five. Amen, Christ is going to return, and you're not guaranteed a death. It's more than likely that you will die. Should the Lord Terry? It's guaranteed that you're going to die, But that should the Lord Terry? Why do you think that phrase is common to Christian vernacular? Should the Lord Terry? Or it used to be common to Christian vernacular. We don't talk like that anymore. Yes, do so and so and so on and so should the Lord Terry? Where does that phrase come from? And Christian vernacular? It comes from this reality, the reality that Christ is coming and he could come at any time. And yes, we are going to live our lives, and yes we are going to move forward like responsible people. But tomorrow is not guaranteed, not only from the standpoint of us possibly dying, but also from the standpoint of Christ possibly reappearing at any moment. It's real, and that's what Paul points to here, and he points to it not just for us to somehow be afraid, because that's not what our eschatology is about. Our schatology is not about us being afraid. Our schatology is not about us looking at the news and looking at the newspaper and being scared that armageddon is coming and that the rapture might happen and we might miss it. That is not what biblical eschatology is all about. Amen, Our eschatology is not to make us afraid. It's to give us hope. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Right after we have these indicatives, we have imperatives that are based on those indicatives. Look at the first let's look at the negative ones. What do you do in light of the fact that Christ and his return is closer now than when we first believed. Paul says, cast off the works of darkness verse twelve. Do not walk in orgies and drunkenness verse thirteen. Do not walk in sexual im morality and sensuality verse thirteen. Do not walk in quarreling in jealousy verse thirteen. Make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires verse fourteen. So first, from the negative, there are some negative imperatives. There are some don't use not don't do this so that you can be justified before God. But don't do this because you know that your savior is coming, because you know that the night is fading and the day is dawning, because you realize that the consummation of your salvation is closer now than it was when you first believe. Because of that, there are some things that you ought to put off. Cast off the works of darkness. That's the overarching umbrella statement. Cast off the works of darkness. First you have an overarching umbrella statement. Then you have some examples of what he means by that three couplets, and then after that there is a summary statement that tells you how this is done. Let's look at these first, cast off the works of darkness. Take off the works of darkness, by the way, look at the way that he puts these together first the indicatives verse eleven. Besides this, you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep? For why, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the day is at hand, The night is far gone, the day is at hand. What's the night? This present evil age? What's the day? The age to come? What are you a child of? Unfortunately? Both amen But what are you looking forward to? What are you living for? You are living for the age to come. If that's true, then the only thing that makes sense is for you to put off those things that pertain to this current evil age. Amen. If that indicative is true, then the imperative is the only thing that makes sense. Put off those things? Why because you don't belong to them anymore. That's not who you are. That's not what defines you. Don't wear that. It's not yours, Amen, Colossian chapter three, verse nine. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. This is a theme in Paul's theology, the put off and put on. We'll get to that more when we get to the next section on the put ons, but for now, just note that he says this frequently, that there are things that we put off. You don't put these things off, by the way, in your own flesh and in your own power, remember indicative imperative. You have been made new. You are a new creature. Old things have passed away, new things have come. You do this because of who you are in Christ. You are able to do this. Because of who you are in Christ. You are motivated to do this because of who you are in Christ. Now it gives these three couplets. This is not an exhaustive list of sins. Amen, this is not an exhaustive list of sins. But they are sins that very much portray the picture of darkness, especially the first two couplets, orgies in drunkenness. The word there orgies, from our understanding of the word, would probably be an unfortunate translation. It would be it would be revelries and drunkenness, In other words, the wild revelries that are associated with drunkenness. The second one is sexual immorality and sensuality. You see the relationship there, the one that grows out of the other, and the darkness found therein. And then quarreling and jealousies. By the way, according to James chapter four, where does quarreling come from? Jealousies? Sin? Your sin nature? Okay, you don't have things and you want them, so you fight and quarrel. So here's the picture. Again. It is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an exhaustive list, but it is a representative list. Let's talk about that for a moment. In the New Testament, we don't have exhaustive lists of sins, but we have representative lists of sins. That is incredibly important for us as New Testament believers. Why because it obliterates the idea that biblical Christianity is about you finding a list of things not to do amen somebody. That's not biblical Christianity because you can't write an exhaustive list of sins. It's not possible to write an exhaustive list of sins. And then even if you do write an exhaustive list of sins, pride will be one of the things on the list, And the minute you master all of the things on the list, you go right back to that one because you're proud of the fact that you're not proud anymore, which is pride. Which just forget the list, folks. This list is not exhaustive. None of the lists are exhaustive. These lists are representative. It is a picture of the age of darkness. That's what this list is. What are you putting off? You're putting off the age of darkness and such things as revelries and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, quarreling and jealousy. We put these things off first it's good that we don't have a list, because Christianity is not about keeping a list. But secondly, it's good that we don't have a complete list because that reminds us that it's not about this list of things, but about the age of darkness itself. See, the minute you have a list, the adversary loves nothing more than that, folks, Because the minute you get a list, let's say that there are you know, one hundred thousand ways for you to sin, and you get a list of one hundred. Sins that you're going to keep away from. You got a hundred out of the one hundred thousand that you're concentrating on, which means there's nine hundred thousand that you're not concentrating on. But instead, what do you concentrate on? This age of darkness and everything that it represents. That's where we concentrate. But why because we don't belong to this age. It's not us, it doesn't fit us. It's like wearing somebody else's clothes. They're not ours. We take them off because they're not ours. And then thirdly, make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. So first there's the call, and the call is cast off the works of darkness. Then there's a representative sampling of the works of darkness. And immediately after that, here's the wherewithal how do we do this? By making no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. We don't make provision for the flesh. Now here's what this doesn't mean that the way you stop sinning is by avoiding all of those things that could make you sin. If you believe that you have a wrong view of sin. For example, I am not going to have a computer. Why because in the past I've had sinful desires that were associated with the computer, and if I get away from the computer, then I'm not going to have that sin problem. Or television, I'm not going to have a television. Why Well, because there are sinful things associated with the television. If I get rid of the television, then I get rid of that. See here's your mistake. Television is not why you sin. Your sinful nature is why you sin. The computer is not why you sin. Your sinful nature is why you sin. So if you are going through your life trying to remove the things that cause you to sin, you just prove you don't understand what sin is because the thing that causes you to sin can't be removed. It's you. You are the problem. Your sin nature is the problem. Now, having said that, let me say quickly, this doesn't mean that we run into foolishness. I've been captured by alcoholism in my past, and I'm walking out of and away from this whole captivation with alcoholism. You don't come with me to the bar. I'm gonna say no, why because I know for a fact that that would be me giving an opportunity to the flesh. Not that bars make me sin, My sinfulness makes me sin. More about that in a moment. Now the affirmatives, what does he say in the affirmative? Well, verse twelve, put on the armor of light. Verse thirteen, Walk properly is in the daytime? Verse fourteen, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on the armor of light. Walk properly is in the daytime. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. First, put on the armor of light. Again, this is not foreign to Pauline theology. Take off and put on are always found there together. You don't do one without the other. You take something off and you put something on. He says, put on the armor of light. This ought to sound familiar. And in all of these we're going to look at the Book of Ephesians for an example. We could look at other texts as well, but just for now, let's look at this picture of palse theology Romans compared to Ephesians. Put on the armor of light Ephesian Chapter six, verses ten and eleven. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and then the strength of his might, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Galatians three twenty. For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Why do I add that? Because the question that we have to ask is, well, how do I put on the armor of light? He tells me that I'm supposed to put on the armor of light. He tells me, I'm supposed to put on the whole armor of God. How do I put on the whole armor of God? First of all, that armor is alien to you. Secondly, that armor is something that is given to you when you are saved. Paul makes that clear in Galatians. As many of you who were baptized into Christ, which is something that happens to you when you are saved, and your physical baptism is merely an outward expression and example of that. What happens to you when you are saved is you are baptized and Christ and you put on Christ. Well, why is he telling me to do something that I've already done. We've used this illustration before, but I'll use it again. Use the illustration of going into battle. You stand up before your men, and your men are about to go into battle, and you tell your men, remember your training. Did you just say to your men, go get everything that you've been taught and review it real quick before we go. Know what you just said to your men is this, You've got everything that you need. Remind yourself of that reality. Be confident in that reality that you have everything that you need. How do we do this? The Westminster Larger Catechism, What are the outward means, whereby Christ communicated throughout the benefits of his mediation? The answer the outward and ordinary means, where by Christ communicates to his church. The benefits of his mediation are all his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments and prayer, all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation. You know, one of the ways you put on Christ is happening right now, as you are being reminded of the gospel of your salvation through the preached word. As we come together in a few moments before this table, and you partake of these elements and are reminded again of having put on Christ. The act of sitting continually before His word, the act of sitting continually before these ordinances, the act of honoring the Lord's day. These are ways that we put on the armor of light. What you do in your home on a daily basis, when you gather together before these same things, when you read together, and pray together, and sing together, you are reminding. Yourself afresh and anew. And you are putting on Christ when you do that, and again and again and again. Part of me giving no opportunity to the flesh is this filling up the opportunity with Christ. There's only so much full your life can be. Amen the more full your life is with Christ, the less full your life is with this present age. Walk properly as in the daytime. Walk properly as in the daytime. Again, remember the indicatives. What are the indicatives that this day is fleeting, that the night is fleeting, and the day is at hand. In light of the indicative who are you? I'm a child of the day. So where do you walk? You walk in the day because you're a child of the day. You don't walk in the day so that you can be a child of the day. You walk in the day because you are a child of the day. It's the only thing that makes sense for a child of the day to do, To walk in the day and not in the night. You don't walk in that, not so that perhaps God can see you and reward you because you were good enough to walk in the right place. No, you don't walk in that because that's not who you are. You do walk in this because that's who you are in Christ. Because of Christ, and as a direct result of what Christ has accomplished on your behalf at the cross, and He is coming, and because you believe that He is coming, that the day is dawning, you walk in the day if he's in Chapter four, verses one to three, I, therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, maintain the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace. Four verse seventeen. Now this I say, and testifying the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the gentiles do in the futility of their minds. Why because you're not them anymore. That's not who you are. Finally, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on the armor of light. Walk properly as in the daytime. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we've done, as we've come to him in repentance and faith. We are being reminded here to walk in that reality and to pursue that reality as though we believe it is so, and not just for the here and the now, but also for the age to come. Clothe yourself in Christ. Here's the other thing. You know, there's certain places that you don't go with certain. Kinds of clothes on. Amen. What happens? What happens when you when you when you walk up to a party, you know, and there was supposed to be a party, and you were an invited guest to the party, and you walk up to the party and you have on your jeans and your flip flops and a T shirt, and all of a sudden, as you walk towards the house, you look in and everyone's in black tie. Hopefully you go change. Hopefully you don't just bust in and say, well, you're just gonna have to accept me as I am. Hopefully you have enough respect for the person who invited you to conform to the dress code. By the way, if that's not your answer, then you got a whole bunch of other issues that we need to talk about after this message. Amen. By the same token, if you do have on your tugs and you are dressed for a formal occasion, there are certain things that you are just not going to do because of the way that you are dressed. You want to walk in the light and not the darkness. You want to give no opportunity to the flesh. Clothe yourself in Christ, and it will be unthinkable for you to do so. Bathe your mind in the word and worship of Christ, and it will become more and more unthinkable for. You to do so. Here is the horrible irony when it comes to the way people generally deal with besetting sins. Generally, when we deal with besetting sins instead of clothing ourselves in Christ, bathing our minds in the Gospel, and thinking on Christ. Do you know generally how we deal with besetting sins by thinking more about our besetting sins? Amen, We go to groups and meetings where all they talk about is the besetting sin, and we do those things regularly all the time because we're afraid that if we don't, then we'll succumb to the besetting sin. And eventually we become dependent on those groups that talk about nothing but our besetting sin. And we're afraid to get out of those groups that talk about nothing but our besetting sin, because if we get away from those groups, then we'll go right back into our besetting sin. You know what you just said. You believe not in the power of the Gospel and of Christ, but in the power of the group and the program. And you can't let it go, and you won't let it go because it's the only thing that can keep you from sinning. That's blasphemy on its face. If you have a besetting sin, your greatest need is not to think constantly about that besetting sin. Your greatest need is to think constantly about Christ, who has overcome that sin through his shed blood on the cross. To fill your mind with Christ, to fill your life with Christ, to put on Christ. Folks, you do not need to be surrounded. Constantly by people who struggle with your sane, besetting sin. You need to be surrounded constantly by people who can't get enough of Christ. That's what your need is. That's what it means to not give opportunity to the flesh. Do we need to be wise about where we go and what we do? Yes, we need to be wise, but wise, not afraid and wise, not trusting in what we avoid, but wise and pursuing Christ. Putting on Christ, Christ, being bathed in Christ, doing those things that continue to conform us to His image and to His likeness. As we anxiously anticipate the day when He will come finally, our eschatology how to impact our worship? And it does? We sing it today when he shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in him be found dressed in his righteousness alone faultless to stand before the throne on Christ, the solid rock eye stand. All other ground is sinking sand. What is that? That is? I have an eschatological hope that actually leads me toward righteousness because of the hope that I have in Christ, blessed assurance. There are many hymns to which we could point that have this, especially in their last line. But here are a few, some more subtle than others. Perfect submission. All is at rest. I and my Savior am happy and blessed, watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love. That is worship that points out our eschatological hope. How about this one more subtle, Oh, Come, O Come Emmanuel. We think this one is all about Christmas. Listen to this, Oh Come, desire of nations. Come, bind all peoples in one heart and mind. Bid every strife and quarrel cease, Fill the whole world with Heaven's peace. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to the O Israel. Folks, that wasn't the first advent of Christ. That's the second Advent of Christ. That's when all those things are going to happen. How About to God be the glory. Great things he had taught us, great things he had done, And great are rejoicing through Jesus the Sun. But purer and higher and greater will be our one under our victory when Jesus we see. That's eschatological hope and worship. And finally, the solid rock as we sound today saying today when he shall come with trumpets, sound only I then and him be found, how. Dressed in his. Righteousness, put on Christ, put on the armor of light. Folks, our hope in Christ, our escatological hope, and a savior who is to come, not just who is to come, but who is to come soon. Motivates us to walk in righteousness, not in the sense of, oh, I'm so scared that Jesus is on the way. No no, no, no, no, not that at all. I am redeemed. I am his He is working all things according to his plan, and part of that includes one day him returning to judge the living and the dead. That is the one to whom I belong. How else can I live but in the light. In the darkness, there is no hope. In the light, there is nothing but hope. I don't know when he's coming, but he's my soon coming king, and I look to him, and I wait for him, and I live for him in anticipation of his glorious and victorious return. And when he shall come with trumpet's sound. May I, then in him be found dressed in his righteousness alone? Did you catch that? Dressed in his righteousness alone? Not my righteousness? Not, hey, Jesus, here I am. I live better than those folks. I'm ready for you. No, dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. Why Because I stand on Christ, the solid rock, and because I recognize that all other ground is frail and faulty and sinking. That's why, that's why, that's why we pursue holiness and we pursue righteousness, because there is no other way to pursue Christ.