Ready!
Opening Prayer
Gracious Lord, thank You for hearing and understanding my prayers. You constantly give me all I need–and more!
Read Romans 13:8-14
[8] Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. [9] The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. [11] And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. [12] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. [13] Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. [14] Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How does Paul sum up some of the Ten Commandments?Some people are put off by Christianity because they think it involves a rigid set of prohibitions, seemingly designed to keep you from having any fun. They don’t understand the reason for no carousing, drunkenness, sexual shenanigans, or debauchery. What are we supposed to do on Friday or Saturday nights instead? The prohibitions might seem restrictive, but they are actually just a natural outworking of love. Focus on love, and everything else will fall into place (8). As we strive to live in a way that makes us ready for the imminent return of Christ, we don’t need to be overwhelmed by “dos and don’ts.” Jesus said that the greatest commandments were to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-40), and Paul here says the same thing (10). This is more about what we are embracing than what we are rejecting. If we “clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ” (14), our behavior will adapt to our new style.
Apply
Meditate on what it means to be clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ, and how that helps you “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for being my Good Shepherd. I praise You for leading me in righteous paths and enabling me to love others.
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