Book of Romans - Ch. 13, Vs. 11-Ch. 14, Vs. 8 (05/07/2000)

Romans 13:11-14 and Waking Up to Salvation Nearer Than When We Believed

Romans 13 verse 11, and that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Bill, how can that statement be true? That's right, and we'll be able to say that each and every day until he does return.

When he speaks of salvation here, he's talking about the real time salvation. Now we have salvation, and it is just as good as if we had it. But we don't have it yet. We have the promise of it. We have the down payment of it.

What is the down payment that we have on our salvation? The Holy Spirit. The earnest of our salvation. The salvation, when it is real, we will not be in this world. We'll be with him forever. He says to wake up.

Wake to the reality of things. Unless we stay in the word every day, unless we wake up thinking about it, meditate on it during the day, we'll drift into a state of thinking about everything but God. Everything that we do, everything that we think about, should always be in relation to our association with the Lord.

Everything is relative to God. We're to measure things by Jesus Christ. So wake to this reality. Get rid of those worldly wishes and dreams. Salvation grows closer and closer with every moment. Twelve, the night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Diane, what's he mean by armor of light? What does he mean to put it on?

So you're closing the door of your state to get up to righteousness.

That's right, and in order to do that, we have to be aware of it, have to be conscious of it, we have to be thinking about it.

It's also our supreme protection.

Oh yes, absolutely. Put on the armor of light. Time is pregnant with future events. You know, we're always complaining that our days are but a few, but Greg, we're living as though there would be no end to.

Time is that narrow passage between two eternities. Think about it. Eternity past, eternity future, and in between the two is this space called time. Time exists only for the human beings on this earth.

Thirteen, let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting, drunkenness, not in chambering, wantonness, not in strife and envy. Don't do those things. The word chambering here means prostitution. Wantonness means reckless and extravagant expenditure, chiefly for the gratifications of one's own sensual desires.

Also there is included the idea of debauchery. Greg, what's that mean, debauchery? Often it leads to immorality, but the fundamental thought is the acknowledging of no restraints. As Greg said, the arrogant doing of whatever one's fancy may suggest.

Can you see the world going more in that way, everybody doing what they want to do with no regard of anybody else? Even we that claim to be fundamental, claim to be Bible-oriented Christians, living the very best life that we know how to live and learning more each day, even we think of ourselves too much, and it's in unguarded moments.

I ask you again each day, check yourself to see where your mind goes when it's not occupied. That's one of the best checks that we can have on our growth. Verse 14,. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

Now let me ask you, Bill, does that mean, verse 14, that we're not to make any provision for our life whatsoever on earth? I think it means that. But I do think it means that. All right. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, each and every hour, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

So he qualified the statement. Lust.

Fred, what's lust mean? Lust? Don't you know the question? Yes. Well, it's seeking a little debauchery, I guess is what you're talking about.

No, I'm talking about the word lust. L-U-S-T. That's right.

It's what the world has taught you to ratify some desire. All right. David?

Is David back there? Can one lust after the Lord? Yes. In what way? A longing for the Lord. So the word lust itself is not a bad word. Usually in our language we use it, meaning debauchery or lustful things that are immoral.

But that's our meaning we put to it. The word itself is not bad, but still every time I hear it I think of something that's not pleasant.

But it's used that way first. We're not to put our provision out there for the love of our flesh. We put it that way.

That's right. We're not to desire things just for us in this life in an inordinate way. All right. Anything else on Chapter 13? Come to Chapter 14. Three things I'd like for you to be aware of this morning.

Joy requires sorrow. Belief requires unbelief. Death requires life. Now we come to Verse 1 in Chapter 14. Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. There's another $25 word, Diane.

Disputation. What's that mean in our language? Belief, yes. Who said that? And it would involve what they believe because they look at a situation different than you. Don't argue with them about it. Him that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Let's talk just a little bit about faith. We have grown up with this word and we think we understand it. But I'd like to make sure this morning that we do understand it. Faith. The only faith that is real faith is the faith that originated with God.

When you say, I have faith that bench will hold me up, that's not correct. You trust it will hold you up, and what you're really doing is trusting the people that build it, that it will hold you up. You really cannot have faith or trust in an inanimate object.

Faith. From where does our faith come, Greg? Can you tell me? All right. So it belonged to the Heavenly Father through Christ. So in the beginning now, the faith is extended to us. I must ask the question, is faith a condition of salvation?

Anyone can answer. Is faith a condition for salvation? Who said no?

Explain your answer. A lot of people think it is the only condition of salvation, but it's really a result of salvation. Because before you're saved, you don't have any faith. That's right. You're blind.

That's right.

It's an instance of salvation. That's right. Which comes first, faith or belief? Faith.

I think you have to say faith.

What? Because we're told, the Bible says, that if you don't have the faith, you can't have the belief. That's right.

And without the belief, you can't have the faith.

That's right. Faith comes first, then belief. All right.

In my mind, belief comes first and then faith, but they're so closely related, you cannot tell the difference. God gives both. He gives everything to us, even that that we don't want sometimes. Both is a part of everything.

What? Both is a part of everything. Both? You just said God gives everything. And this pen is taken from my daughter. You're doing all right.

Now, I would like for you to think with me, how many do not know what I mean by the word conduit? Everybody knows? Conduit to run electric wires in, to run water through. You're familiar with a pipe, I'm sure, a ten-foot length of two-inch pipe.

Faith is but a conduit that makes it possible for the Lord to communicate with us and us to communicate with Him. Everything goes and comes through this conduit of faith. Unless we have that faith, we cannot pray.

We cannot acknowledge the Holy Spirit. We cannot do anything to please God except through the conduit of faith. Faith is a passageway, a thing that brings the mind of God to us and takes our heartfelt desires back to Him.

It travels through the conduit of faith. So he says here, him that is weak in the faith. Now, understand this. When we are saved, we are given faith. We're given as much as we'll ever receive. But we have not learned to use all that we have.

So when it uses the statement weak in faith, it simply means that we are not using all that we have the potential to use. And we learn to use more by our study, by our growth, by our practice and exercise of our gift, of associating with other Christians, drinking coffee, fellowshipping, whatever.

I'm going to have to change the time on that train. So to be weak in faith is that they do not understand all that perhaps you do at this time. And anyone that comes into the congregation that is on a level of immaturity, an infant, maybe in the third or fourth grade, and you now are almost ready to graduate high school, they cannot think like you do.

It doesn't mean they're not saved. Because they don't do what you do, you cannot say, well, you're not saved. So we're to welcome them, receive them in, but not to argue with them, not right quick to try to prove where they're wrong.

You just cannot do it that way, and God tells us not to. The best way to teach or to train is by precept and example. First of all, find out on what level they do exist. Any good salesman in selling a product will first find out what you think about that product and then go from there.

Never put your brother in a position that will lead to sin. Paul gives us some wonderful examples of that. He said that if eating meat would cause my brother to sin, then I won't eat it. Meaning that if he did, then his weaker brother might do it because Paul was doing it, and he knew Paul was a strong Christian, so therefore it must be right.

But he did not understand it being right. He would commit a sin by doing it because it would violate his conscience. All spiritual weakness springs from unbelief. Now, there's a gap in between the unbelief and the spiritual weakness, and lots of times we do not understand that there is.

But if something that you consider to be a sin, which to others it would not be, it simply means that you have not overcome enough of your unbelief yet in order to believe like the others do. But there will come a time that you do.

Don't worry about what you don't know and don't understand, folks, because you understand things right now that you didn't understand two years ago. So if you understand that, that at one time you did not understand, then what you do not understand today, there will come a time when you do.

Just let the Holy Spirit work in your life at his own free will. David, would it be better to deny ourself than to cause a brother to sin? Yes. Absolutely. Even though what you're doing is no sin at all, would it be better to deny yourself of that than to cause him to sin?

The earthly church does not have the authority to decide questions of personal liberty in things not expressly forbidden by Scripture. Let me say that again. The earthly church does not have the authority to decide questions of personal liberty in things not expressly forbidden by the Scripture.

The church cannot dictate to you. Your preacher cannot dictate to you. Your fellow Christian cannot dictate to you. They can alter suggestions, they can lead, they can truly help you understand. If you're looking for the truth and want to understand, then that's joyful time in the Scripture.

Verse 2. For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak is a vegetarian. He won't eat any meat. Now, I have a reference in the new program I have. No, I'm not going to say that because I'm justifying myself.

It's verse 25. I have no idea where it is. Verse 25 is somewhere. Somewhere. And this is what it says, and maybe one of you can tell me. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience' sake.

Does that ring a bell with anybody as far as the book? Yes. Thank you. Well, just believe me then that it is Scripture. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles. David, what's shambles? The market. The meat market.

It's the best meat in town. Remember, that was a country full of idol worship. And they had tremendous buildings, temples of their own. And they would offer meat sacrifices to their animal, to their animal, to their god.

Then after they had offered it, they would take it down to the meat market and sell it through the meat market to the public. And it was usually the very best meat you could get. So, whatsoever is sold in the meat market, eat it.

But don't keep asking questions about it. Greg's invited to a heathen's house for lunch, for dinner. And he sets down and they bring in some nice roast beef. The aroma is just overpowering. And he's hungry.

And the first thing he wants to know is, where did you get this meat? I'd like to get some. Where'd you buy it? They told him down at the meat market. He said, well, where'd the meat market get it? Well, they got it from the heathen temple over here.

What is Greg to do after that? Not if he has inquired so much that he knows that, then he is not to eat it. No. Well, it might be. But it'd be more of an insult to his own conscience. Well, because of the influence of this Christian, Greg is known in several circles, and word would get around that he ate idol-authored meat.

And to be saved, he should not do that. So, to prevent any of that, just keep your mouth shut. Don't ask. I have a sister-in-law. Bless her mouth. She talks all the time. A wonderful Christian will do anything in the world for you.

But her husband, when he asked Bob one day if she talked to him and not had to sleep in her seat, he said, I guess so, because I get up the next morning and there's words laying everywhere. But I remember one time she had a new hat.

And she asked me how I liked it. I didn't like it. But I didn't want to tell her. So I told her everything I could think of without lying. And she wouldn't hush. She kept on wanting to know. Until I told her, and then she got mad at me.

Don't ask questions. You might get an answer. So, whatsoever is sold, eat it. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. Now we go to verse 27, wherever it is. If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go, whatsoever is said before you, eat, asking no questions for conscience' sake.

If any of them that believe not, so Clarence, this is unbelievers. But if any man say unto you, this is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience' sake. For the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.

Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other person. For why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience for it? I by grace be a partaker. Why am I evil spoken of for that which I give thanks?

Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God, giving none offense, neither to the Jew nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. So, the baseline for all of that discussion would be, just don't ask unnecessary questions.

Brother Utters, I've lost my place. Where are you reading from?

Well, I told you I was reading from some place in the Bible, and I didn't know where it was. 1 Corinthians? 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 10? Let me make a note. 25 to 47. 1 Corinthians 10. 25 to 47. Okay.

I say, that was an unnecessary question, but Roger fixed it where it wasn't unnecessary. Verse 3. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not. Now we're back to this weaker brother and stronger brother.

And let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth. For God hath received him, just like he hath received you. Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth.

Yea, he shall be old enough, for God is able to make him stand. The weak brother, the strong brother, one that won't eat meat, one that will eat nothing but meat. One may esteemeth one day above another day.

Another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Now, Bill, what does the term fully persuaded mean? No doubt. All right. You believe it without any reservation. You don't have to go check the wet paint sign to see if it's really wet.

You really fully believe it. Now, this esteemeth one day above another. Greg, what does esteemeth mean?

To think something special.

All right. So one man considers one day to be more holy than another day. Another thinks that every day is alike. Is there anything wrong on either side? No. As long as they each are fully persuaded in their own mind, and they're not violating their conscience, and they're both Christians saved, then that's all right.

You should do only those things to which you can give yourself fully and without reserve. Did everybody hear that? You should do only those things to which you can give yourself fully and without any reserve.

So people can actually sin by going to church or doing church work. How could that happen? How can you come to church every Sunday and sin at the same time? Your heart's someplace else. Your heart's someplace else.

You'd just rather not come. You'd rather be home. You'd rather be fishing. You'd rather be in bed sleeping. If you cannot come to church with your heart totally set upon the activities ahead of you, then don't come.

If you're called on to pray and you do not feel that you are in the mood or that you are adequately able, there's no sin in refusing. I'm having more trouble all the time with public prayer. Many, many cases have deteriorated into a ritual, into a habit.

As I've told you before, we had a cousin of my father, a grown man, wasn't very well educated, bless his heart, but he was a fine Christian. Education has nothing to do with it, but it did have something to do with his vocabulary.

And every time he was called on to prayer, I can remember reciting it to myself just as he said it because it's always the same thing. Now, there's nothing wrong with that unless it has become just a habit.

That doesn't mean it.

Yes? I did what I wanted to do. I mean, there are things I'd like to do. I'm tired or I'm sick or I'm mad, but once I get here, I know that it's the right thing and I worship God in the right way. So, just like if we were disciplined in our children and we said, okay, I want you to do this, to do what you think is the right thing or something, I mean, you have to go ahead and do this.

You have to go ahead and come to terms because if we told everybody kind of what to do instead, then these kids would be personally influenced and they practically are, although they might not be able to do what they want to do.

Well, the strange thing, and what you say is exactly right. The strange thing is we always do that which we want to do. Now, they might say, we don't want to go to church, but you go. That proves you really want it to more than you want her to stay home.

So... Maybe the key is to pray for her instead. What you do, you do it under the Lord. Under the Lord doesn't mean your flesh necessarily won't be interested. No. But the real thing is you've had, once again, a journey to seek the Lord and you do what it takes to get ready and get up and keep going and keep going.

Like you said, when you get there, you're happy that you did. The whole time you were doing it under the Lord.

How many of you have ever come to church when, before you come, you really didn't feel like it or didn't want to? How many of that same group, after you arrived and after the day was finished, you were glad you did?

Sure. So, don't let the flesh dictate things.

I think we also need to bring in the word obedience. Because where it is, there's obedience. Yes, there's some where we're taking it from the church where... That's why the children don't give them a choice.

God doesn't give me a choice. That's right. And I'm not going to give my kids a choice because I am not. That's right.

I was raised the same way. There's a lot of times I didn't want to go. But, you know, it never crossed my mind to say so. No.

Well, it does things as fast as it's dealing with. In other words, when you're talking about people going to church, while they're going to church, you're not talking about the problem of scrutiny. No.

You're talking about the person who comes to church for the wrong reason. He's not for the Lord when he comes to gain power or he comes to have a social position or to meet clients for his business. Right.

That's right.

He's not in it for the Lord. That's right. How many know of someone in your life that you have met or you knew of that was coming to church just until their business got started or something? Sure. I think it's a good policy.

What? I think there's a lot of teenagers in that, and their business is whatever they're going to like. So most teenagers, all the ones I follow, they didn't always want to be in the kitchen or the stove or the stove.

There's just a tiny group. But that's kind of a blessing to that part.

Well, there's no blanket answer for any of this. It has to be individual.

Fred? Brother Otis, don't you think that there are some churches, quote, unquote, churches, they're not churches anymore? Well, sure. That when you go, you have absolutely hated being where you were. When that happens, you must leave that company.

It took me two years to get to that point. I've been in that church for so long. But when I left, I left with rejoicing because I didn't have to be mad every time I went. I didn't have to be unhappy with what people said.

And I just think that some so-called churches are just not churches.

That's true. The only difference between your leaving and my wife and I leaving, we had no choice. We didn't stay two years. He moved us out immediately. So everybody is an individual. And you robbed me of something I was going to say.

What you say is much more exciting than what I'm saying. What I was going to say was that right now, if you want to, we can shut this down. I'll take all of you to a church that's in session right now that you'd be as mad as a hornet by the time you left.

Well, we would be so mad if you tried it that you wouldn't be able to catch that.

So the church is drifting back away. In the sixth verse, he that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord. Now the next phrase, which is, and he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he does not regard it, should be struck out.

It was not in the original. It's a good statement. It's just that it wasn't there. It's a true statement. Then it says, he that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks. And he that eateth not to the Lord, he eateth not and giveth God thanks.

So in each and every case, we should be able to give thanks unto God for the situation. While in the trouble, give thanks. While in the turmoil and the tribulation, give thanks. Even for the fact that it has come, if you want to.

But certainly because there's an end coming. We go through in the 23rd Psalm, yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It doesn't say, yea, though I walk into it. I walk through it.

But that valley of the shadow of death is this life. So we know we walk all of the way through. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. What does it mean to himself?

We're dead. Christ is part of us. For what we do and our actions.

This coming week, I'd like for each of you to do something that affects nobody else. Absolutely zilch. Do something that will never, ever affect someone else. You'll come back next week and say, I couldn't do it because it's impossible.

So we do not live to ourself. We do not die to ourself. You're not living in this life just by yourself. Can you understand that Columbus' great grandmother made a decision at one time that affected us?

Then every decision we make affects everybody else. Those closest to us the most. Those that will be the furthest away the least. But it does affect everybody. For whether we live, we live under the Lord.

And whether we die, we die under the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we belong to who? The Lord. We're his. Our entire life belongs to the Lord. No child of God has any rights for himself. That's a hard saying.

Greg, do you understand it? We think we have rights. But we really don't. Let me ask you, Greg, when are you going to die? Yes, you do. But does everybody here say they don't know when they're going to die?

Right. You will die only at the preordained time and not before. If you're standing out in the middle of the street and get run over by a truck and it kills you, that was your time. It would be rather stupid to go do that.

And you won't do it unless it was the right time.

If it's not the right time, you'd run out in front of 12 people and stop.

If it's not the right time, I wouldn't trust running out in front of a car.

You're casting your children that way. I might be wrong.

True, true. Christians must at all times and in all things act in accord with the mind of the Lord and not follow their own will. And this is what Trudy was speaking about a moment ago. Our time is up.

We'll start with verse 9. Is there anything from anybody? I'm glad I came. I'm glad I came. And I'm glad you came. Let's stand, and Roger, would you dismiss us today, please?

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity you give to us to come together in fellowship and look at your word. We ask now that you will guide and direct us and help us meditate upon these things so that we might not, oh, no, avoid the experience that you've given us in our hearts and minds and continue to prepare us for the service of this day.

Amen. He's giving you glory. Are you smart? Oh, yes. I can make you a copy of it. That's your new book. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And then we're going to do this. Oh, okay. Okay, I didn't tell you. I hope you're going to have to give me the other one.

We are going to give you a copy. You can give that to your students. Thank you, Heavenly Father. Yes, yes. That's true.