Living in Light of the Near Return of Christ

Transcript

GR 1472
05/22/11
Living in Light of the Near Return of Christ
Romans 13:11-14
Gil Rugh

I got a call last night from one of our members. I answered the phone and he said, “I just wanted to be sure you were still here.” I'm glad we are past yesterday with all of that silliness. It's amazing, a man gets by with this once, turns around and does it again and there are still people foolish enough to think, maybe he's right this time. We have to take a moment, go back to Deuteronomy 18. I sometimes feel like Spurgeon who said, if people knew what I didn't say, they would appreciate me a lot more. Verse 20, but the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. You may say in your heart, how will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. Now Harold Camping can be glad that we don't live under the Mosaic Law any longer, he would have died in 1994. But it does clearly indicate that God's people ought to have nothing to do with these kinds of people. There are no prophets today anyway. But how does a man get by with declaring the Lord is going to do something and then say, oops, I made a mistake. And then do the same thing. You discredit the testimony for Jesus Christ and the truth of the Word of God by such foolishness. So even though we don't stone false teachers and false prophets today, God's people ought to have the courage of their biblical convictions to make sure they have nothing to do with such people. Then they wouldn't be confused and deceived by them and bring dishonor the testimony of the Lord.

Turn to Matthew 24:35, heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away, Jesus speaking. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father alone. What arrogance that man would declare to know what God says He has not revealed or made known. What a tragedy that he holds up a Bible as though he is representing the Lord and telling the truth, when Jesus Christ makes clear that God the Father has not told anyone. What a statement it is on the condition of the evangelical church that so many people give ear to such clear lies and blatant foolishness.

And that leads us into Romans 13. And you may wonder why or how. Well, Romans 13, where we are in our study today, verses 11-14, focuses on the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and how we are to live in light of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember this section in Romans, beginning in Romans 12, began with the exhortation, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a sacrifice. On the basis of the mercies of God, looking back to what God has done in Jesus Christ in providing Him as the Savior and all the benefits that have come to us who have believed in Him and become the recipients of His salvation. That's the mercies of God that is the basis for the exhortation that we give our bodies as a sacrifice to God to live for Him at all times, with all of our lives. Now when you come to the end of Romans 13, picking up with verse 11, Paul writes, do this—what he has said in Romans 12-13. Do this, knowing the time. And the end of verse 11, for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. So he says we ought to be living for the Lord on the basis of the mercies of God in bestowing upon us the salvation He provided in Christ. And we ought to be living for the Lord in light of the fact we have moved nearer and nearer to the time when God will bring our salvation to its fullness, to its completion, bringing us into the glory of His presence. So the motivation of living our lives in obedience to God, in a way that is pleasing to Him involves our looking back to what God has done for us in Christ. And looking forward to what God will do for us when Jesus Christ brings us into His presence. And those two aspects of the work of Christ bring together our salvation and are the driving motivation for us to be pleasing to God in every way in all that we do.

Verse 11 begins, as we've noted, do this, knowing the time. And the do this refers to what he has instructed them in Romans 12 and 13, beginning with exercising our gifts properly and then manifesting God's character in all of our behavior. His love, being diligent in our service for Him. Romans 12:12, rejoicing in hope, and that hope is what we are talking about. All through that section those instructions are based upon the fact that we have been the recipients of God's mercies in salvation and we are those moving toward and looking forward to the completion of our salvation when Jesus Christ brings us into the presence of His Father.

Do this, knowing the time. Knowing the time. Indicates we are aware of the plan of God. We know we are living between the first coming of Christ and the Second Coming of Christ. Doesn't say we know the exact time when He will return for His people, but we know the time. We are living between the two comings of Christ—when He came to earth to provide salvation and when He will come a second time. We know the time we are living in. We do these things, we live for the Lord, knowing the time.

That it is already the hour for you to waken from sleep. To awaken from sleep. It's already time to wake up, be alert. That's the idea. What happens when you're asleep? You are drowsy, you fall asleep. Then you are not paying attention, you're not aware of what is going on. I'm getting to be the age, I sit down and get comfortable in a chair, then I go to sleep. Sometimes Marilyn and I will watch television together. We have a comfortable sofa in a TV room, but I never watch TV in there because I sit down on that sofa, push the button, and that's the last thing I remember. I have to go sit out on an uncomfortable stool, that way I stay awake. You know what happens when I go to sleep? I don't have the foggiest idea. Marilyn will say, what did you think of that? What? What they just said. What did they just say? I'm not alert, I'm not aware. That's what he is talking about. It is already the hours, it is time for you to awaken from sleep. Don't be going around as a Christian in a daze, unalert, unaware, not sensitive to the fact that the Lord is going to be returning. It's getting near.

That's his emphasis as he'll stress in the last part of verse 11. For now salvation is nearer than when we believed. Every hour, every day brings us closer to our salvation. You say, I thought we were already saved. We are. As you are aware the Bible talks about salvation in a past, present and future tense—we have been saved, we are being saved and we shall be saved. We also break it down, we have been saved from the penalty of sin, we are being saved from the power of sin and we shall be saved from the presence of sin. The point here is he's looking toward that time when our salvation is brought to its completion. As I John 3 says, when Christ returns we shall see Him as He is. What does that mean? We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is, the time when we will be glorified even as He is glorified. Our salvation is nearer. It doesn't say how near. Paul wrote this 2000 years ago. You know what? He lived recognizing that every day brought him nearer to the fulfillment of the promises of God in bringing us into the glory of His presence and glorifying us for the glory of His presence.

Now there is a difference here in being near and saying when. We talk about the nearness of the return of Christ and the completion of our salvation, we are talking about its imminence—it can happen at any time. It is going to happen, but we have that as a marker. We are not told when it is going to happen, but since we know it is going to happen, every day that passes brings us nearer that time. So I can say, yes, we have moved nearer to our salvation, the return of Christ to bring us to the glory of His Father and in His presence. Will it be in your lifetime, Gil? I don't know because I don't know when but I know it's getting nearer. And sense of imminence. There is nothing in the Bible that has to take place before the return of Christ to take us into the presence of His Father. When we talk about this event that we're moving toward, it includes the rapture of the church, the first phase of the Second Coming, the seven-year tribulation on the earth, and the return of Christ to earth for the establishing of His kingdom. That's what we're talking about. Different passages will have a little different emphasis on what aspect of that return and the events associated with it that we're talking about. But there is nothing between the return of Christ for His church and the subsequent events that has to occur. And we are 2,000 years nearer. If Paul thought that they ought to be living with expectation and anticipation every day because they have moved nearer over the days of their salvation, how much nearer are we. So that's the point. It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep. Be alert, be watching, be expecting for your salvation is nearer than when you believed.

Turn over to I Thessalonians 5. Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. We're going to look a little bit at this and you'll see this passage is very similar in content to the passage we are looking at in Romans 13:11-14. It's a little longer, we're just going to take the time to read through it with you and then when we move through Romans 13 a little further we'll see how much of it ties together. I Thessalonians 5 begins, now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While they are saying peace and safety, then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child. They will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness that the day would overtake you like a thief. Now note this comparison. For you are all sins of light and sons of day. That's a picture of those who belong to God.

Turn back to I John 1:5, this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet walk in the darkness, we like and do not practice the truth. If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of His Son, Jesus, cleanses us from all sin. You see God is light. Those who walk in light are the children of God, they partake of the character of God. His goodness, His character, His love, His truth, His righteousness, His holiness characterize us. Those who walk in darkness know nothing of a relationship with a God who is light.

Now come back to I Thessalonians 5. When he says, verse 4, you, brethren, are not in the darkness that these events would overtake you unexpectedly. We don't live in sin, we have been cleansed and made new. We are partakers of the divine nature, God's seed abides in us as I John 3 says. So we don't do the things that characterize those who have no relationship with God, who live in the darkness and the realm of sin and Satan. For we are all sons of light because we are children of the God who is light. And sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness. So then let us not sleep as others do. The world around us goes on in its sleep, in its unawareness of the purpose and plan of God being carried out in the world, dull to the fact that Jesus Christ is going to come again. But we aren't to sleep as they do. They get all caught up in the things pertaining to this world, the concerns about the things of this life and this world, the fears and worries about the things of this life and this world. And soon we get caught up like they are and we think Christians are just like the world. They are walking around with their eyes closed, they are in a sleep.

What does it mean? Verse 6, let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. That's the idea. The opposite of being asleep is being alert and sober, being aware, knowing. We are those who know the time that Jesus Christ will be coming again. God is going to bring to completion the plan of salvation that was accomplished by His Son's death and resurrection which will result in our rescue from this sin-cursed earth, from judgment on a world in preparation for its being released from the curse of sin. So we are not going to live like the world. We are going to be alert, we're going to be sober.

For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, those who get drunk get drunk at night. He's going to talk about living like that, doing those things. Since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation. That's where he is going in Romans 13, we'll get there in a moment. You put on the armor of God, the clothing that God has provided, this armor. Faith and love, the character of God—His faithfulness, His love, our salvation, our trust in Him. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. There is coming a day of wrath on the earth, but God hasn't destined us for wrath. He talks about that at the end of I Thessalonians 4, the rapture that has been brought into some disrepute by the error that was promoted.

Incidentally you're aware, I heard someone on an interview last night making light of what this man had said, that the rapture was going to occur. And they were correct on that. But then they wanted to sound profound and said, you know, the word rapture doesn't even appear in the Bible. I wanted to get on and call the station and say, you know the word salvation doesn't appear in the Bible either; the word heaven doesn't appear in the Bible either; the word hell doesn't appear in the Bible either. Because the Bible wasn't written in English, it was written in Greek and Hebrew and a little bit of Aramaic. So the word rapture is just a word we use in English that we got from Latin. The harpazo, when we study the rapture, is the Greek word. People think they are saying something profound, the word rapture does not appear in the church. Oh you are so intelligent. But you have to translate the Greek word. That's why we have an English translation. So the rapture, the catching away, does, that's just an aside, in I Thessalonians 4.

God has not destined us for wrath, I Thessalonians 5:9, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. And that salvation will ultimately bring us into His presence. He died for us that whether we are awake or asleep, and there he is talking about living physically or having died physically. We mentioned two of our number who experienced physical death, their body is asleep, placed in the grave. Some day it will be raised from the dead. So whether we are alive at the return of the Lord, physically, or have died, God has provided for both. We are to encourage one another with these words.

Come back to Matthew 24. Jesus spoke of these matters as well. We looked at verse 36 where Jesus said, no one knows the timing of when His return will be. The fact of it we know. It is imminent, it could happen at any time. It may happen today, it may happen tomorrow, it may not happen for fifty years. I don't know. Down to verse 42, therefore be on the alert. There we see the opposite. Don't be asleep, be alert, be awake. For you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, if the head of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming in an hour when you don't think He will. And then He'll give the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25, and five are ready and five are not. And in Matthew 25:5, what are the five doing that are not ready? While the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. Danger for us as believers today, well they've been talking about the return of the Lord for a long time and I think He's coming, but it's probably far off. And we get absorbed in this life, the things of this life. And if we're not careful that kind of mentality also opens the door to getting involved in the deeds of darkness. We become more open and tolerant of sin and the practice of sin. And we forget our Lord is very near and will return soon.

Come back to Romans 13:11, for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. Verse 12, the night is almost gone, the day is near. The Apostle Paul lived with that expectation. He had the Lord of heaven revealing truth to him. The Lord of heaven did not reveal when the Son of God would return. He has chosen not to make that known. The good thing about that is Paul lived on the edge of expectation. The night is almost gone, the day is near. We are lights in the midst of darkness. But the time when the Lord will come, and part of that package of His return will result in the establishing of His kingdom with the knowledge of the Lord covering the earth as the waters cover the sea. So ____ he just talks about this event as the event. We're moving toward the climax of God's plan of salvation. It will unfold in stages but we are moving toward that climactic event. The night is far spent, the day is at hand, the process is underway. Christ has come and provided salvation, that salvation is being proclaimed throughout the world. Paul lived expecting Him, not knowing when but the expectation that He would come.

With that expectation it shapes our conduct. So what do we do in light of that? Verse 12, therefore, let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. So it's a picture like your behavior is the clothing you have on and you take off the clothing that is characterized by sin, the behavior that characterizes people in the darkness, those who walk in the darkness. But we are sons of light, we belong to the living God. So we put on the armor of light, we put on the very character of God in the way we live and conduct ourselves and behave.

Verse 13, let us behave properly as in the day. That word translated behave is the Greek word to walk. We've seen it often used in the Bible, the New Testament of our behavior. It's our pattern of life, one step after another is our walk. That's our behavior. So let's behave, let's walk properly, decently in a way that would be expected of children of the living God. You see what we are. We are light, walking in a world of darkness. But we are not in the darkness. Se know the living God, we belong to Him, we know something of His purposes and plans. We know the times, that the Son of God is coming and we move with every moment of every day nearer to the completion of God's plan of salvation in the world. That's the picture. Let us behave decently, properly, as in the day. I mean, we are children of light, we belong to the day. Let's live accordingly.

Now he's going to give three pairs of things, this is just a brief summary. We had a more extensive list in Romans 1, for those of you who were there in our study. But these are three pairs to give you ideas of things that believers will not be associated with or involved with as those who live in the day and conduct themselves as children of light. Not in carousing and drunkenness. And these pairs go together, there is overlap. But they are the same. Carousing, partying, carrying on like that. And with that often goes drunkenness. I often think, what do they talk about when spring break comes for the colleges and universities across the country and the college kids are going to pour into certain places where they all go for spring break. And what is it? They interview the kids—parties, booze. And that's what it is, that's life for them, that's exciting. Kids leave home and come to the university and it becomes a problem—they want to party, drink. Fraternities have problems with that. Characterizes the world. We are supposed to have fun. Eat, drink and be merry. But they forget the last part—for tonight you die, tomorrow you die. They don't consider the consequences. We oughtn't to be part of that. Not in carousing. For us life is not to be a party and we're not involved in those things the world does and what goes with it—drunkenness, carousing.

The next pair, sexual promiscuity and sensuality. Sexual promiscuity, that means all kinds of immoral behavior, whatever it is. Characterizes the world. Immorality. This has always been the characteristic of darkness. Sensuality, basically carrying the same idea, carries it maybe a little further. One person who writes on the meaning of Greek words said this. This Greek word is one of the ugliest words in the Greek language. It does not describe only immorality, it describes the person who has lost his shame, a person who is not embarrassed to have his immorality revealed. Then it goes on with a long paragraph which I won't read to you. All you have to do is turn on TV, we have leaders of government, representatives of our nation promoting homosexual marriage. Is anybody embarrassed? What a shame. I was reading national newspaper today, a man graduating from Harvard University with a Master's Degree, I believe. Stated that in 1920 people were kicked out of Harvard for homosexuality, but now I'm proud to be able to be open about it and be supported by the university. Any shame anymore? You know what happens, though, if we're not careful, we as believers get dulled to it, become sleepy, no longer live alert in light of the return of the Lord and become accepting because it just gets practiced so much. There are some people sitting here who are involved in immorality. Is that acceptable? Profess to be a believer but come and sit and practice immorality. Does the church practice church discipline by and large? People get disciplined in one Bible-believing church, rarely, then just go off and go to another church. That church is not so judgmental. Well, we just don't do those things. Things become acceptable. We become dull, drowsy, sleepy as though it doesn't matter. You understand it matters to the God who is light, it matters to the One we call Father. These things we are not to do. Immorality, sensuality.

Strife and jealousy. Oh my, we think those first ones were really bad—carousing and drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and sensuality. Strife and jealousy, we find more ways to create discord, jealousy among ourselves, the strife that comes. Anything that is associated with darkness, we are to have nothing to do with. We are to behave properly as in the day. You know we belong to the God who is light, we are lights in the midst of darkness.

Turn back to Matthew 5. Jesus speaking here in the Sermon on the Mount. Look at verse 14, you are the light of the world. You see the similarity to what we are saying? We behave properly as in the day because we are the light, we are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand. It gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. You see our behavior, our conduct is to be a manifestation in this world of darkness of the very presence of God, the God who dwells in us, the God whose character is being manifest through us so that we behave as the children of the God who is light. We are lights in the midst of darkness. We look around and see that the world does this, this is the way the world is, this is acceptable in the world. And then the world puts the pressure on the church and if the church doesn't accept these things the world does, then we are judgmental.

I read recently, clipped out an article, of a man in another country that has laws about hate speech. He is a pastor and he was arrested when he preached against homosexuality because they think it's a form of hate speech and we cannot tolerate that in our country. What does it come to? The world expects the church to adjust to its standards. I'm not saying we impose our standard on the world, that's not what Jesus said. He said we are lights in the darkness and our behavior and our conduct along with our words is to be light in the world. And by God's grace God uses that light.

Come over to Ephesians 5:1, therefore be imitators of God as beloved children. What a statement. Be imitators of God in our behavior and our conduct. Our life is to be patterned after God, His character is to be my character. There is no darkness in God at all, no sin at all. I'm to imitate Him. Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, manifesting love, God's kind of love. But immorality, verse 3, or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you as is proper among the saints. This oughtn't to even come up. We ought to be hating the garment spotted by the flesh, as Jude would put it. Not even named. I mean, we keep such a distance between ourselves and sin that it shouldn't even be coming up as a possibility that we are involved in it. Oh yeah, I was at that drunken party but I wasn't drunk and I wasn't partying. I just was there. That kind of attitude. No, this oughtn't to even be named among us, we ought to keep a distance between ourselves and sin so that it's not wondered, are they involved in that? Do they do that? No, the world ought to see, as Jesus said, our good works shining so brightly that there is no answer, no reason to be given except that God is working in their lives.

There must be no filthiness, silly talk, coarse jesting which is not fitting, but rather giving thanks. For you know with certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. These are the characteristics of the unregenerate man. Why would you think you could dabble in it, taste it? Well, my life is pretty good, but there are some areas I should ..... I mean, overall my life is good. There is no room for sin at all.

Let no one deceive you with empty words. Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. God is going to judge the unregenerate person with an eternal hell. Therefore do not be partakers with them. This is so serious, God is going to bring His wrath on those who are practicing it. What makes you think that it is acceptable for you as a child of God, one who is a son of light to do it? Where do we get that kind of thinking? You were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. That's what you are. Walk as children of light, walk consistent with what you are. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold new things have come. We are new. The goal in being new is not to use our freedom for an excuse for the flesh, as we read in Galatians 5, but use our freedom for serving God and one another.

For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth. That's what the light produces in us, the character of God—goodness, righteousness, truth. Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead expose them. That is sin, it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light. For everything that becomes visible is light. What happens? Sin is revealed when the character of God, the truth of God shines on it. That's true in our lives. So we don't want anything to do with sin.

Turn over to Ephesians 6:10, finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God. Remember Romans 13? Put on the armor of light. Here is the full armor of God so you'll be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. He has a well worked out system. He will try to lure the children of God back into his sphere of influence, into the deeds of darkness. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you will be able to resist in the evil day. And having done everything to stand, and then you have the armor that we are to put on. Gird your loins with truth, the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Take up the shield of faith. Verse 17, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. And then pray at all times. That's what is to characterize us. We are out of step with the world because we don't fit in the world. We are not part of the world. Aren't you glad? We don't belong to the god of this world, we belong to the God of creation, the Lord of all, the Savior. And by His grace and power He has made us new through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Come back to Romans 13:14, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the same thing as we had at the end of verse 12, put on the armor of light. Put on the armor of light, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Behave, manifesting the character of God who dwells in you. You know an interesting thing, and we could take time to just make a study of looking at this subject. God is light, we dwell in the God who is light, we are light because we are children of the God who is light. In reality we never leave the light. I never run off to hide in the darkness to sin. The Spirit of God dwells in me, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Any time a believer sins, he sins in the fullness of the light of the presence of God. We talk about deeds of darkness and people want to do things in secret and hidden. But I'm a child of God, He is with me everywhere I go. What a comfort, what a blessing. How horrible sin becomes. We forget who we are. We think we can go and dabble in the darkness. We are sons of light, we are light. How terrible to bring the deeds of darkness into the light to practice it.

Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The other side of that—make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. That's two sides of the same coin, as we would say. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, His character, His truth, His righteousness, all that characterizes Him. And make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. You know the best way to avoid sin? Don't make any opportunities to practice it, to get involved in it. Do you know why people get involved in sin? There is something appealing about it so we like to provide an occasion, we like to pretend with ourselves that we're not going to do it. But we want to provide an opportunity in case. I like the way one person put it, a little bit old fashioned but it gets the point out. Put into very simple English, Paul is saying, do not plan for sin. Give it no welcome, offer it no opportunity, kick the sin off your doorstep and you won't have it in the house. Don't provide any occasion. Why do people get involved in immorality? They put themselves in a position where they can have a relationship with a member of the opposite sex that they shouldn't. And one thing leads to another and another. And soon they say, I never intended for that to happen. It would be like saying, you killed your neighbor? How did you do that? Well, I picked up the gun that was on the nightstand and loaded it with bullets, walked over to his house and when he opened the door, he wasn't smiling, so I shot him. I didn't mean to. You made a lot of preparation. You sit down and talk with someone who gets involved in immorality. Well, we had lunch together. Well, we talked about things and I thought I could help them with their problem. One thing leads to another and another, and then, I don't know how that happened. Well, you're an idiot.

I've shared with you, I went into a pastor's office who was a friend. He had given me a great book, Keeping in Step with the Spirit, by J. I. Packer. Still have it, and he wrote in the front of it to me. He was leaving because he had been accused of immorality. He was still denying it. But I go in to see him, _____________ work. But coming in, the secretary meets me. Beautiful woman, dressed very attractively. And ushers me into his office. I sit down. I didn't do this. I told him, I don't know whether you did this or not, but you are a fool. You sit out here with a secretary like this in this building, hour after hour, day after day. Whether you did it or not, you are a fool and don't belong in the ministry. You provide occasion. I mean, what in the world is wrong with people? I couldn't help it, we fell in love. I never fell in love with anybody I never met, I never fall in love with anybody I don't speak to. Do you know why I fell in love with Marilyn? She was after me all the time. But what happens? That's how it builds, right? We would tell our teenagers, you be careful. You go out, you're in the car, you're together, you're alone, things will happen. And then we get to be adults and we think those things won't happen. We send people off to war now, men and women alike and put them in close quarters. Then we wonder why women are getting pregnant. I mean, who is running this army anyway? Make no provision for the flesh. Some of us are here and we're making provision for the flesh and we're in trouble. Simple, don't make any provision, don't provide any opportunity, don't put yourself in situations where those things are a possibility. Simple, right?

We have, and I've shared with you, the Puritans called them bosom sins, things you like to keep close to your heart. You can get rid of all the other sins, but there are certain sins that if I'm honest I do enjoy and I'm not sure I want to be rid of them totally. I like to keep them close enough in case I do want to indulge in. When we're honest, that's how we get into trouble with sin. We provide an opportunity, and then the opportunity leads to the occasion to do, and then we're in trouble. Don't do it. If I'm harboring thoughts in my mind about someone and I'm not supposed to be thinking that way. Not just about morality, but about anger, jealousy. Cut it off, don't do it. Make no provision for the flesh.

So how do we live for the Lord? Well on the basis of the mercies of God, we present our bodies to Him. What He has done for us in Christ and all the benefits bestowed upon us in the salvation we have in Christ, we recognize our bodies belong to Him, everything we do, everything we think. And furthermore, we live in light of the times, knowing that we've moved nearer and nearer to the completion of our salvation with the return of the Lord and glory in His presence. If I'm living every day as though I'm expecting His return, certain things can't be part of my life, won't be part of my life. Very simple. We just need to put it into practice.

Let's pray together. Thanks you, Lord, for your grace, your power, the effectiveness of your salvation. Lord, only you can take hold of a sin-controlled, sin-cursed life, bring the power of your salvation through faith in the finished work of your Son and make a person new, provide the enabling power for us to live a new life. Lord, the temptations to sin, the world, the flesh and the devil work to draw us away from our devotion to you. Lord, we thank you for your Word, for its exhortations, for the abundant provision. And we rest secure in the mercies that we have received in the salvation in Christ, and we live with our attention alertly fixed on the near, imminent return of the Savior who loved us and died for us, the One who will bring our salvation to its final dimension—glory in your presence. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.