Romans 13:8-14 (NRSV)
Read Romans 13:8-14 on biblegateway.com
Verse 8Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Verse 9The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Verse 10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
Verse 11Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; Verse 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; Verse 13let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Verse 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Devotion
Paul describes the life of love that comes with following Jesus. This life does not give us the privilege of feeling justified for following rules, or allow us to presume that anything goes. Our old nature (or sinful desires) craves some active behavior to hang onto. So Paul gives us the one thing that we can hang onto... “salvation is nearer now.” The vision of our Lord’s return creates an expectant life style that looks for opportunities to glorify the one who saved us by grace. So instead of putting on ourselves, our concern is to put on our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Change our vision, Lord, so that we seek your glory in our lives. Amen.