PUT ON CHRIST

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ROMANS 13:13-14 “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 DRUNKENESS, 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.”

We live in a darkened age where temptation abounds. Like the waves of the ocean, which encompasses land on every side, wave after wave of temptation beats against the shores of our lives, erodes the shoreline of our moral selves, while wild parties, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and immoral living, quarreling and jealousy are the norm, all fragments which comprise the darkness which rolls in like fog upon us, we are called to be the Light, even as He, Christ Jesus is the Light. Jesus said, “YOU now are the light of the world”.

The command is clear; because you are the day, do not participate in such darkened living, rather, CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.”

Notice the Apostle does not say that you will not have evil desires; too many Christians want to believe they are beyond the temptations of sin and while they may not indulge in drunkenness or sexual immorality or sexual promiscuity they love to quarrel and indulge in petty jealousies. They take pleasure in causing controversies and delving into drama; confusion hangs on them like a cloak, wherever they go there is disruption and debate.

There is instruction though; “CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.” The old hymn says, “Take Time To Be Holy”; daily take the time to enter into your prayer closet and put on the presence of Christ. Before you step out into the darkened world, you must put on your armor of light. Allow yourself to be covered with the protection of Christ from your feet firm on the truth of the Word of God to the helmet which protects your mind from devising or surrendering to evil thinking; devising ways to satisfy your evil desires.

TODAY; “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 DRUNKENESS, 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.” AMEN.