Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Romans 13:8-14 NLT
What can you do when you live in a culture where selfishness is promoted and sold as “good”? These verses list sins of an empty life—drunken parties, sexual promiscuity, and jealous fighting. But for many in our culture drunken parties are the best part of their week. Sexual promiscuity is part of a hook-up culture, and saving sex for marriage is seen as strange. Jealous fighting is celebrated as entertainment and reinforced on social media. Christians sometimes try to live halfway in culture and halfway in Christ; this leads to moral compromise, draining His joy and resulting in feelings of guilt and insecurity.
Paul says we are to take off selfishness and sin like dirty clothes, and to put on the presence of Jesus like shining armor. We need His armor for the battle. We need to stay on guard. Don’t believe the lies—the self-centered life leads to emptiness. The life with Christ serves others, has self-control, and forgives and apologizes. This is the life people love to see but don’t always want to live—because it takes discipline: God’s work in us and our cooperation. This is a good life, fulfilled and shining with hope. Take off your old life and put on Christ’s armor. Stay on guard against the selfish pleasures of our world and experience true pleasure and joy in Jesus.
Are you “playing with sin” in any areas of your life? Who is a mentor or spiritual leader in your life that could give you accountability? Why is purity a good thing, and vital to a strong life in Christ?
