BY PUTTING ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH 2022

We are going to look at the book of Romans, one of the greatest epistles written by Apostle Paul. It's more about the glorious Gospel of Christ being presented to the saints in Rome on how they can live their Christian lives, which is patterned after Christ Himself. It is a book that introduces us to the life of righteous and holy living, because we have been freely justified by God's grace through our faith in Christ. It is also the first book among Pauline thirteen epistles in the New Testament and it is titled "Pros Romaious" because Paul addressed it to the Romans.

Reference: Romans 13:14 English Standard Version (ESV) "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

This is a Scripture of practical exhortation and it's significant because it is our individual responsibility to adhere well to this practice. Beloved, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and don't provide the means necessary to carry out the desires of the flesh. The desires of the flesh are not limited to strife and jealousy, intemperance, grabbing every worldly longing in sight or arguing about petty and trivial matters, they also involve every other work of darkness. Mainly this verse is pointing our focus to eternity, instead of mere transient or fleeting desires.

The flesh and its desires here can also represent what we see and behold with our natural eyes, not with the eyes of faith, because Christ represents eternity. For instance, the Bible says, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV). When you put on Christ, you are focusing on eternity and Christ's eternality; not the temporary things of this world but the unseen Christ who is eternal.

Christ is what defines the reality of our Christian faith. He is the armour of light (Romans 13:12 NIV). By putting Him on, we explicitly walk in the realm of light and eternal life, something that we hold fast to on the inside, and so people see Christ in us manifesting on the outside. More importantly, Christ is the glory that God sees as He looks at you always. Therefore, take some time and think about how you are living your life. Are you a radical Christian on fire for God, living a life worthy of Christ always? Or do you take Christ off sometimes at some places in order to blend with ungodly association or try to act like everyone else to be accepted? If as a born again Christian, you are guilty of this and your conduct is twisted as such, it means that you are either ignorant or forgetful of this truth, which the Spirit of God reminds you of today.

To radically remain on fire for God is to thoroughly and habitually wear Christ. In fact, understand this vital truth: Apostle Paul was awakening and enlightening the Roman Christians in the area of fulfilling the law or commandments through love, who is Christ. This is why in the earlier verses (Romans 13:8-10), he listed the commandments for them and how best to fulfil them, and later introduced Christ as the absolute solution. Why? Christ has fulfilled all the requirements of the law (Matthew 5:17 ESV).

Now watch this: Instead of trying to obey the commandments one by one as required of the Mosaic law, which the people of his day failed to, or anyone will definitely fail to accomplish, here's what to do: Simply put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When we put on Christ, it denotes that there would never be any room to stumble as we remain led by His Spirit. However, making provision for the flesh is equal to trying to fulfil the law independently (Dos and Don'ts) or walking by your own understanding because you will fail again and again. But by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the full requirements of the law on our behalf, we equally or automatically fulfil the entire law as we yield and live in submission to His will - by the Spirit's empowerment and enablement. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Ephesians 4:22-24; Galatians 5:16; Colossians 3:9-12; Galatians 3:27.

Exuberant Declaration: I have put on the Lord Jesus Christ in all the measure of His capacity and love. By walking in the Spirit, I daily experience the ever-increasing degree of Christ's fulness, thereby walking faithfully before the Lord and leading a life worthy of His calling, for I have been ordained to serve God and live for His glory. Hallelujah!