Romans # 24 Rom 13-6 thru 14-8
We’re going to continue on the book of Romans. Last time we left off at in Romans 13, where Paul was talking about leaders. Leadership is ordained by God. Leaders may not always do what is right, but there position is ordained by God. We need to pray for our leaders.
I. Paul said in (1 Timothy 2:1-3) “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.”
A. ROM 13:6-7
1. Authorities are set up by God, and they spend their time governing, in which they take care of us.
a. It take money for their salaries and for things to get done, so Paul says, “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.”
B. ROM 13:8-10
1. In (V 8) Paul’s teaching on Christians responsibility, but this is not a teaching on credit or loans as some have taken it.
a. You’re always going to owe something, like your rent or mortgage, your light bill, gas bill, phone bill, and things like that.
b. But we do need to use wisdom in finances.
2. But there is an obligation that we all have and that is to love one another with the love of God.
a. This is something that we’re always going to be in debt to.
3. In (V 9) he begins to tell us why love is so important.
a. ROM 13:9 again
i. The NIV says, The commandments, ‘‘Do not commit adultery,” ‘‘Do not murder,” ‘‘Do not steal,” ‘‘Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: ‘‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
4. The reason why love is a fulfillment of the Law is that Love worketh no ill to his neighbor.
a. Love is not going to do anything that is going to cause harm to anyone else.
II. ROM 13:11
A. Paul continues on the subject of walking in love and says it’s time to wake up and walk in love more and more every day, especially now because we’re closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ then every before.
1. ROM 13:12
a. When Paul says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand,” he’s referring to the time that Satan has been walking on this earth is the night and that time is almost over.
b. “The day is at hand” is referring to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Since the Day is almost here Paul urges the believers to put off all works of darkness and to put on the Armor of Light.
a. Christians are in a battle.
b. EPH 6:10-14a
i. We are in a battle and that battle is not with one another, it is not against unbelievers, but it is against Satan and all of his cohorts.
ii. We need to keep this in focus, so that we are not out against one another.
iii. Don’t let the Authority that you have over the enemy slip from you. Use your authority.
c. Sometimes Satan is not the direct cause of problems, we are.
i. We let our flesh rise up and do what it wants to. We need to keep our flesh under, but the only way we can do that is to have on the ARMOR OF LIGHT.
3. The ARMOR OF LIGHT is not only used to defeat Satan.
a. In (JOHN 1:7) JOHN told us to “walk in the light, as he is in the light.”
b. The means to walk in the LIGHT of His Word.
i. That means to walk in Holiness and Righteousness as well as using our authority over the enemy.
B. ROM 13:13-14 (rioting - orgies; chambering - sexual immorality; envying - jealousy)
1. In these Vs Paul continues his teaching from (V 12), but he changes from WARFARE to LIFESTYLE.
a. A Christian’s lifestyle must be pure and holy.
b. The secret to living chaste lives is for Christians to clothe themselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.
i. To put on Christ, to follow after Him.
2. The last ½ of (V 14) says, “And make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
a. The NIV says, “And do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
i. The 2nd secret of living a holy life before the Lord is to cast down all imaginations and every thought which is against the Word of God.
ii. We should not be thinking on how to fulfill the lust of the flesh. Our thoughts should be pure.
iii. Paul says in (PHIL 4:8) “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
III. ROM 14:1-4
A. In these Vs here Paul is dealing mostly with JUDGING one another.
1. In (V 1) he says, “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.”
a. People are at all different levels of spiritual maturity. When Paul says, “Receive them, but not to doubtful disputations.” He’s saying don’t quarrel about differences of opinions.
i. You might find out that you’re wrong.
2. If God shows you something, don’t try to force that on someone else. And don’t judge them for not doing it.
a. Paul says, “You’re not their master any way, God is.
b. If God isn’t judging them, who are we to judge.
B. ROM 14:5-8
1. Let me read this to you from the NIV translation it much clearer.
a. (Romans 14:5-8) “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
b. What does it matter the little differences that we may have, as long as it’s not against the Word of God.
WOLCC Thurs. 1/11/96