Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20080406.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Romans: Charter Of Salvation Grace
Part VI: The Practical Application Of God's Spiritual Provisions To Living
E. Applying God's Spiritual Provisions Because Of The Future
(Romans 13:11-14)
  1. Introduction
    1. We have found in Romans 12:1-13:10 that we are obliged by God's grace to apply His spiritual provisions to live uprightly in relation to ourselves, to fellow believers, to society and to the government.
    2. However, besides the great grace of God that saved and sanctifies us, making us obliged to live uprightly, the believer should have a sense of urgency to live righteously in God's power in view of impending events, a truth Romans 13:11-14 teaches (as follows):
  2. Applying God's Spiritual Provisions Because Of The Future, Romans 13:11-14.
    1. Paul's concern that believers live righteously today aligned with John's declaration in 1 John 2:17:
      1. The Apostle John claimed the world with its false lusts of the eyes, lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, is in the process of constantly being made to pass away (paragetai is the present passive form of parago, "to pass away, be in a state of transition," cf. Zondervan's The Analytical Greek Lexicon, 1972, p. 301; U. B. S. Greek New Testament , 1966 ed., p. 816).
      2. As such, this world system that Satan controls (1 John 5:19), along with its lusts (1 John 2:16-17), is in a constant state of being made (passive) to pass away, a tragic destiny for all who live only for this life!
      3. In contrast, John wrote that those who did the will of God are in the process of remaining into the messianic age (menei is the present active form of the verb, meno , meaning "to stay, last, endure," Ibid., The Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 263; Ibid., U. B. S. Greek New Testament.
      4. Thus, those who now do God's will secure a personal future of eternal impact and reward, 1 John 2:17.
    2. Similarly, in Romans 13:11-14, Paul urged practical godliness in view of the future (as follows):
      1. Paul urged his readers to focus on fulfilling God's righteous demands noted in the Mosaic Law in terms of loving man so as to do no evil toward others; accordingly, he urged his readers at Romans 13:11a to keep this charge of Romans 13:8-10 in mind.
      2. This call to love and treat others well was to be applied due to an awareness of the time: the hour has come for the believer to awake out of a state of "insensitivity to sin", for his physical salvation of the rapture was closer than when he believed, Rom. 13:11b; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978, ftn. to Rom. 13:11.
      3. The spiritual "night", a depiction of Satan's evil current rule over the earth, is coming to an end, and the spiritual "day" of Christ's glorious kingdom of righteousness is approaching, making it logical for the believer to put off the unloving, self-centered works of evil that are so transitory and thus futile, and to put on the armor of light, a reference to the protective godliness of the Lord, Rom. 13:12 with Eph. 6:10-17; 1 John 1:7 et al.; Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament , p. 491.
      4. Thus, living righteously, believers should be sinless in sexual conduct, not indulging in orgies, immorality and debauchery; they should be sober, not drunk; they should seek to be compatible in relationships, not contentious; they should be considerate, not jealous, Romans 13:13.
      5. All of this is accomplished by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, a figure for living dependent on the indwelling Holy Spirit, so as not to make allowance for a life influenced by the transitory sinful nature, what Paul in this epistle termed the "flesh," Romans 13:14 with Romans 8:3-4!
      6. In summary, the believer must recognize how foolish it is for him to live in his sin nature and for this world that is passing away; that can only leave him destitute at the rapture. Rather, he must depend on the Holy Spirit to live righteously in view of his need to be found to be godly [and eternally productive and not destitute and thus humiliated at Christ's return], cf. Revelation 16:15; 22:12!
Lesson: Since living in sin and for this life is a hapless, transitory state that leaves us no reward from God, and since we NOW have opportunity to produce eternally valuable, lasting works by doing God's will, we believers NOW OUGHT to boycott the sin nature and do God's will by the Holy Spirit's power.

Application: As God's eternal kingdom WILL REPLACE Satan's rule, may we NOW do God's will!