 In chapter 13, beginning at verse 8, reading to verse 10, Paul writes, Oh, no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment are all summed up in this saying, namely, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is a fulfillment of the law. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is a fulfillment of the law. When the Lord Jesus Christ had a young scribe approach him and asked him the question, what is the great commandment in the law? Jesus gave to him in response the most common prayer that the Jewish people of his day would recite. It's called the Shema. It's found out in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6. Basically says here, oh Israel, the Lord thy God, the Lord he is one. You're to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, soul, all your strength, all your mind. He said there's a second commandment like unto the first, he said it is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. So what he did is he cited two portions of Scripture, neither one of them coming from the law of Moses. Well actually one of them, Leviticus 1918, you shall love your neighbor as yourself, but neither one of them coming out of the Ten Commandments, which is interesting. And what he was basically saying is this, in summarization, if you want to know what is going to make you a person that really, really demonstrates that you have a relationship with God, it's going to be this. It's going to be love. It's going to be loving God and it's going to be loving others. It's going to be loving God and loving man. Because like John would say later on, at first John 4, he would say, who loves not, knows not God for God is love. And so beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves knows God, is known of God. And he says, who loves not, knows not God for God is love. And so the Bible makes it very clear that if you know God, you're going to love. If you love God, you're going to love your neighbor. Because how can I say that I love God whom I have not seen and yet I do not love my neighbor whom I can see. So it really doesn't work. It doesn't work because I can't say that I love that which is invisible if it's not demonstrated by that to my love to that which is visible. And so love is a summation. Listen, if I love God with all of my heart and I love my neighbor as myself, then I'll do no harm to my neighbor. And notice what he says here in verse 9, you shall not commit adultery. If I love God and I love my neighbor, then I'm not going to take my neighbor's wife. He says, you're not going to murder. I will not take my neighbor's life. You shall not steal. I'm not taking any of his substance. You'll not bear false witness. I won't lie about him. You shall not covet. I'm not going to be desiring the things that he has and wishes that he didn't have them and that I had them. So he says, all of this is summed up in this one scene which is you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And that's why he says love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. So love is going to demonstrate that I have a relationship with God. Now what we have here in this particular portion of scripture is what is called a transition. He is transitioning from verses 1 through 7 and he's moving on to some practical application. In chapter 13 verses 1 through 7, we already saw how that he was speaking concerning Christian's responsibilities to human government. Well, in verse 80, actually he's continuing on. He's actually giving a summarization, if you will, in the first few words when he says, oh, no one anything except the love one another. He's actually summarizing and he's taking and generalizing that which he had already begun to share in verses 1 through 7. So I have responsibilities to government, but I also have responsibilities to those who are not involved in government. And so what we have here is an introduction to my obligation to all men. Now, when he begins by saying, oh, no one anything, he's really speaking concerning our obligations. Oh, no one anything except love one another is literally saying that we are to let no debt remain outstanding. That's a very practical command. He's simply saying be paid up. He's instructing Christians to resist being over our head in debt. Now, when he says, oh, no one anything except the love one another, he's making it very clear that there is an obligation that I have and the obligation I have is to actually care for somebody else. But he is not saying that I am not to ever have any debt. I mean, the fact is, is just as a human being, you'll always incur debt. We have house payments and transportation payments. We have credit card payments like that. We have loans that we have taken out from friends or family. Those things in and of themselves are not strictly forbidden in scripture. There's no Bible verse that says that you shouldn't take out a loan. It's just you're not to get yourself in over your head as you accumulate goods. The real point is learn to live in moderation. Learn to live within your financial means. And by way of application for us in the 21st century is a good word. Do not give yourself over to habitually living on credit. Now, the application is for the believer to avoid materialism and to live with moderation. Jesus once said this. He said, a man's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses. My life is not made up by my possessions. I may own some things, but they're never to own me. I'm to use, but not abuse things. All things that I have perished with the using, we should know that. If we don't know that yet, we'll learn that over time. You watch the ad, you see the nice looking car. And you think that's a great car. I'd like to have that car. It seems to be reasonably priced. And so you go out and you buy that car. It's a nice car. You take it off the parking lot and you drive it down the street. The minute you hit the driveway and the minute becomes your car and you drove it away, it becomes a used car. Now it's depreciated in value. Just a minute you drive away. And as you use it for five years and use it up for five years, it just tarnishes with age. It gets old. I mean, what you had at first, which was so great and so wonderful and so, oh man, it's everything. And I wanted to be, well, the next year, they changed the entire body style. They add some gizmos and this and that to it that, oh, I just can't live without this. I need somebody to be able to tell me. I need something to tell me when I'm changing my lane. I'm wondering, oh, I've got this little radar thing. Oh, it's so great. I don't know how to read a map. So I need a nav system. Because I've got to have a voice telling me turn left, turn right. And it's always a woman's voice. I don't know why, but it is. A little over stupid. So we need all these things. I mean, we have gotten ourselves accustomed to needing them. At least haven't we? I have to have these things. I have to have this new product. I have to have it. Jesus said, your life doesn't consist in the abundance of the things that you possess. You can use things, but don't abuse them. You can own something, but don't let it own you. So it's really learning to live moderately. And so a man's life does not consist of the abundance of things that he possesses. Jesus was speaking on one occasion. And he was saying to us, you know, the things that the Gentiles seek after, the things that they desire, the things that who don't, the people who don't know the Lord, you know the things that they're looking for constantly. It's what they eat. It's what they drink. And it's what they put on. Eat, drink and what you wear, which is what the substance of commercials for us today, by and large are. You have your weekend commercials and watching a game, even if the game isn't that good. Even if your team loses nine to nothing. Even if that happened theoretically. But what kind of commercials are you getting? Eat this crazy chicken here. Drink this beer there, right? I mean, what you eat, what you drink, look at our commercials and what you put on, what you're what you're going to wear. And all of that. I mean, that's where we're taught our lives consist of. And I always am amazed by these, I shouldn't really be, but I am amazed at how healthy these people who eat chicken and drink beer all day long are. Not one of them has a beer gut. Not one of them has a piece of chicken off their teeth. Not one of them looks real to me. They're always handsome and just smart and just like the best, you know, oh, I drink this. I never have a hangover. You know, and the drugs I've known, anything but commercials, you know, they wouldn't fit in at all. They don't even have all their teeth. But the Lord speaks concerning that in his word, doesn't he? And he says, listen, it's not what you eat. It's not what you drink and it's not what you wear. Your life is more than these things. He said, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you sufficient for the day is the worry thereof. You don't have to be worried all day long and then next day and the next day because worries one of those things that does absolutely no good. And so the Lord is trying to teach us through his word to trust him. And Paul is simply saying, listen, Oh, no man, anything but to love him. Don't get caught up in debt. Because when you get caught up in debt, you end up being owned by the things that you're supposed to own. Now, if you borrow money or you use credit, a good practical application for us would simply be make sure that you make payments when they are due. Now, lending and borrowing are simply part of life. And you find these, these things in scripture, you find this in scripture. A good man deals graciously and lends Psalm 112 verse five says, Jesus said, love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return. And your reward will be great. And you will be sons of the most high for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. So obviously that the ability to lend in furs proper stewardship and it in furs that that we actually budget in marriage to do the marriage counseling, premarital counseling, when I used to do premarital counseling here, I would point out to the young people, I would say to the young bride to be and and her victim, I would say the sacrificial lamb, we'd always said, I'm getting married. Yeah, you are. But I used to say to the young couple, be careful for three things. Three things will destroy your marriage. One is you have to develop a healthy attitude and practice of sexual intimacy. To you have to be careful in the way that you learn to communicate and know that words are more or communication is more than simply words. Communication is an entire lifestyle. So learn to verbally communicate as well as understanding the signals and nonverbal communication of your mate. And then finally, you need to budget. Because if you don't budget, you're going to have nothing but problems. And the other things that you have the communication and sex, those things are going to go out the window because you're going to be stressed out over your bills. So set up a strong and solid budget and stick to it. Because that'll keep you from having the pressures that actually divide marriages. A lot of people get so caught up with putting so much money into just the wedding itself that they enter in to their marriage under a financial burden that they don't need. A lot of the young people, as you may know or already know, are entering into marriage contracts are getting married, but they're bringing in their student loans and their car payments. And so many credit card bills and debts that it creates a tremendous pressure for them in the marriage bond. And so we have to be aware of these things. And that's what the Bible's talking about. Oh, no man anything but to love them. Don't get caught up immoderately spending money and putting yourself in a position where you can't lend to anybody, but you're actually going to be the borrower. Because the scripture is very careful when it speaks concerning that. You see, why should I pay my debts on time? Well, if I do pay my debts on time, it reveals that I have good character and it also gives testimony that I have a proper sense of responsibility in reality. It's really learning just to love my neighbor. And honesty is the earmark of a Christian and honesty demonstrates genuine integrity. The scripture says the wicked borrows and does not repay some 37 21. So we should be careful not to accumulate heavy debt, because the accumulation of heavy debt ruins our testimony. Irresponsible money management brings a reproach on the name of Jesus Christ and accumulating debt places me under the power of the person that I owe. Proverbs 22 7 says it like this, the rich rule over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender. So as stewards, we are to be responsible. We budget our finances and we remember that we as stewards are simply taking care of that which belongs to God. So instead of always spending, we should be learning to save. We should invest it in the kingdom of God. It's obviously unwise to overspend and get into heavy debt. It's better if you can. It's better to pay cash or if you use your card to pay the card off at the end of the month. Some things, of course, you can't. You can't pay cash for by a house by a car. You're going to have to finance that normally. I mean, there are those who are rich enough to pay cash for a house or cash for a car. They just don't go to this church. Most of us, most of us have to finance things and so just be wise. Be wise. Don't enter into debt. Don't get caught up spending. Live with moderation. Why? Because your life does not consist in the abundance of the things that you possess. And so when we're actually putting those things into practice, we are doing what the apostle Paul said. We are loving our neighbor as ourself because when we owe no one anything except to love them, then we're going to treat them with kindness and we're not going to do harm to them. And so love is the fulfillment of the law. If we were to love the Lord and love our neighbor, then we wouldn't need amazing amount of laws that this nation has to govern behavior. We would simply do the right thing because we love. And that's what he calls us to. Somebody says that's impractical. No, that's simply confessing the reality of sinful human nature. But believers can learn to love God and believers can learn to love their neighbor. And in doing so, believers can actually shine as a testimony in a very dark place. Now moving on in verse 11, he goes on to say this and do this. Knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness. Let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day. Not in revelry and drunkenness. Not in licentiousness and lewdness. Not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. And so love motivates the believer to care. It actually motivates the believer to care about those who are yet unsaved. When he had said love your neighbor as yourself, on the bottom line is, is we want to be saved and therefore we ought to want them to be saved as much as we would like to be saved. So love motivates us to share the gospel and we do so according to Paul here in this passage, being mindful of the season that we are living in. Now he's speaking of the last days when he speaks of knowing the time. And his exhortation really simply put is, in light of the soon return of Jesus, believers should love their neighbors and share the truth of the gospel. Loving your neighbor. Now who is my neighbor? Someone once asked. Someone once asked, well my neighbor is the one who is nearest to me regardless of whether it's somebody who lives next door or somebody who's working in the cubicle next to me or is seated next to me as I'm driving that van or that truck. My neighbor is a person who is there and that person often has a need. And when I have people around me, I ought to be loving them enough to live for Christ because in my living for Christ I'm laying down a foundation developing credibility so that I can share my faith in Christ with them because they may ask me as to why I am the way that I am and I can share with them. Well the reason that I'm this way is because Christ has saved me because I'm walking with Jesus Christ. Now somebody who doesn't care about where their neighbor is going, what their final destination is, is really not loving them. It's this love that I had for my mom and my dad, for my sisters, my brother, it was that love that God placed in my heart because they were lost and needed to be found by Christ that provoked me to share, to share the gospel with them, to let them know. It's the same love that provoked me to start Bible studies or to share with strangers or to become a pastor. The same love to share the goodness of the love of God with people. And we do so as Paul is speaking because we know the time. Jesus is returning. We ought to share the truth. In the book of Titus Paul says this in chapter two verses 11 through 13. Paul said the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. So he speaks of them knowing the time. In verse 11 the word knowing speaks of understanding or perceiving. Knowing, understanding or perceiving the time, that word time is a Greek word that speaks of fixed seasons. It's a set period of time. What he's saying is you are to know the necessity of the moment. You're to be a people who are aware of the moment that you are living in. He's saying we are living in the last days. We have an allotted time to make an impact. So he said be wise. Make the most of your time because the time is short and there's a war for human souls being waged all around us. And so he says we need to wake up, do this knowing the time. Now it is high time to awake out of sleep for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. What a powerful thing for him to say. Calvary Chapel ministry briefly, Calvary Chapel ministry is birthed out of, was birthed out of a revival. The Jesus movement. God chose to use certain people including my own pastor Chuck Smith. Chuck didn't do anything amazing. He didn't do anything different really. It was different than the traditional church of his day. He actually taught the Bible and opened the doors to those who are hungry to hear. And that's how Calvary Chapel began and that's how the Jesus movement began. And we were all imparted. One thing all of the guys from the early days what we call first generation, we were all imparted. One thing and that is this the days are short. Jesus is returning be busy performing the master's business. That's what we receive from the beginning. We know that there's a war for human souls. We believe in a literal devil. We believe that he wants to destroy. We know that he wants to do whatever he can to undermine the work of God. We believe that. And so when we first got saved we went about doing the Lord's work and we should continue to do so to the very end. But the problem is these believers have grown spiritually apathetic. They've grown lazy. They lost their fire. They lost their zeal. That's why he's saying to them you need to wake up. You need to awaken out of your unresponsive inactive apathetic spiritual doldrums. That's what he's saying. Wake up. Jesus said watch therefore for you do not know when the master of the house is coming in the evening at midnight at the groin of the rooster or in the morning. Unless coming suddenly he finds you sleeping. And what I say to you I say to all watch be alert be awake why because he said I'm going to return I'm coming back and so we need to believe that. The night is far spent he says. The day is at hand. That time is limited. Do not be indifferent. Let us consider one another in order to stir up loving good works not forsaken the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching the writer of Hebrews said. And that is true. That's what provoked me to share the gospel with my mom. This knowledge that's what provoked me to share the gospel with my dad. This desire for him to go to heaven. That's what provoked me to share the gospel with my sisters and my brother. That's what has provoked me as a Christian. Not always faithfully I would not want to stand up here pretending that I've always been solid and always growing. I had my my ups and my downs I had to learn stability I had to learn so many lessons especially obviously in the early days but there was one overriding factor and that was this is true Jesus is returning we have to be ready we have to be ready and that's something that wasn't created by watching different things you know movies on the return of Christ or reading books or hearing lectures on that. I believed very much that Jesus Christ is returning because the word of God says it and he's saying the night as far as spent the time of man's rebellion and sin is about to end God's reign is about to begin Jesus he's saying is returning at any moment and we are to be busy until he comes Paul when he was writing to the Corinthian church said to them awake to righteousness do not sin for some of you do not for some do not have the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame some do not have the knowledge of God he's saying listen you're in church and the bottom line is you've got people around you who are coming to listen to the message who don't even know the Lord and he said I'm saying this to your shame because you really ought to care enough about the people around you to at least want them to be saved and he was telling the Corinthians he is saying to them this church that is well known for so much bad he was saying to them you need to awaken to righteousness you need to sin not you need to live more properly you know the bible speaks concerning the walk of the believer in a variety of ways there's so many things that were commanded in scripture as it pertains to our walks with God but one of the words that is used in order to kind of speak concerning the way I'm to walk is when Paul says I'm to walk worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ that word worthy means to walk appropriately if the message of the gospel is a message of God's holiness his love his transforming power then I'm supposed to walk in an appropriate way in other words if I've embraced this then my life ought to be giving testimony that it's true so somebody says what do you think the greatest threat to the United States is do you think that that foreign belief systems entering in like Islam and others is the greatest threat do you think that the issues related to politics like immigration or the budget do you think that those are the greatest threats what is the greatest threat that the United States may have today and if I were to take the time to ask you to to text in your response to give me some answers as it relates to what you perceive it you might get a variety of responses the breakdown of the American family the lack of religious training in in in the homes of disregard for Christian traditions you know the attacks on Christmas things of that nature and a lot of people would write well I think these are the greatest threats my response to that question if I were to be asked would simply be the greatest threat to the United States is carnal Christianity it's believers in name only who are not following Jesus Christ that's the greatest yeah I yeah that's the truth carnal Christianity where people are walking calling themselves Christians and undermining the power of the testimony listen information leads to assimilation which produces transformation but a lot of people stay at the information they just get the information but information is supposed to be assimilated so information should be assimilated in my life so that it produces a transformed life and so I'm undermining the gospel of Jesus Christ when I just rest on gaining information because when all I do is just subscribe to information I'm simply saying mentally I agree with that well that makes sense to me but I have to assimilate it I have to in other words activate by faith I need to respond to that take it into my life so that it'll produce a transformation and that's what gets people at least it gives me the ability to speak credibly to somebody who can say I know what you were but I see what you are can you tell me how you became what you are now because I knew you I knew you when you were this way I knew you in that way but I see that you're different than that now how is it that you became different how did you change and so you can answer and you can say how did I change I really didn't change myself I simply came to realize what I was what I was was lost what I was was a drunk what I was was a fornicate what I was was angry or whatever the sin may have been or all of them that's what I was but then I heard this message of grace and love and peace and joy and it comes to faith in Christ and I and I embraced that and Jesus Christ by his spirit dwelt within me and transformed me from the inside out he wrote his law on the tablet of my heart and I do those things now out of the pleasure of pleasing him not so that I might gain some brownie points in heaven with him but because that's the life he gave to me because I'm dead I'm dead to my old life and alive in Jesus Christ and that has transformed me so what is it well I received information and it became an assimilation and it produced a transformation and that's how it works you see and so if I really here's the key if I really believe that Jesus Christ is returning it is going to be something I live with anticipation for he's coming at any moment he's coming at any moment and I ought to be ready when he comes and that's what he wants us to know so I should be watching and the night is far spent indeed what am I to do cast off the works of darkness the night is far spent the time of man's rebellion and sin is about to end so I cast off the works of darkness the Lord soon return is intended to provide motivation to the believer to be prepared like like Peter said the end of all things is at hand therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers so Jesus is returning soon because Jesus said that he would I go and prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you he said I will come again receive you unto myself that where I am there you may be also I'm coming to receive you so what am I to do well he says cast off the works of darkness put on the armor of light we cast off something and put something else on what do I cast off well I cast off the old things my life and my associations those things that that hinder me are to be cast off so I might walk and serve the Lord unhindered this old lifestyle is like an old suit of dirty clothes to be removed and discarded it's like what Paul said when he said put to death the sinful earthly things lurking within you he said have nothing to do with sexual immorality impurity lust and evil desires don't be greedy for a greedy person is an idolater worshiping the things of this world because of these sins the anger of god is coming on those who disobey him you used to do these things when your life was still part of this world but now is the time to get rid of anger rage malicious behavior slander and dirty language don't lie to each other for you've stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds he said that in Colossians 3 5 through 9 in Ephesians 5 11 he said have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them by contrast the way that I live ought to cause the works of darkness to be exposed for what they are he says live a life like that so we cast off this whole way of life and we put on something new and he tells us put on god's armor put on god's armor we're engaged in spiritual warfare so we put on the armor of god we take up the whole armor of god like paul says that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all the stand stand therefore having girded your waist with truth having put on the breastplate of righteousness having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace above all taken the shield of faith with which you are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one and take the helmet of salvation the sword of the spirit which is the word of god praying always with all prayer supplication in the spirit being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints we're in a spiritual war we need to wake up to that the enemy is after us like a roaring lion he is seeking whom he may devour and he's after us listen the minute that you say yes to Jesus Christ you become his enemy and he wants to destroy you he wants to undermine the work that god wants to do there are things that he'll place in your path the day you get saved that you never had opportunity for before the day you get saved somebody will call you up and say hey you don't want to smoke some pot this guy hasn't called you up in weeks and now he's calling to the day you got saved hey let's go out and club tonight i got some things man i just got a new ride let's go and and man you know i like this and they want me and it just the opportunities to sin just it seemed to just knock on your door the phone rings you get text whatever it may be and so we have to realize that we're in spiritual warfare the enemy had you and now you doesn't and now the lord has you and so the enemy wants to destroy you so we put on the armor of god we gird our ways with truth we're strengthened on the inside knowing that the word of god is true it's like what jesus said sanctify them by your truth your word is truth we have put on the breast plate of righteousness it guards our our internal organs and our heart and kidneys and all of those and this breastplate was intended to do that and what we do is it is guarding our insides so we rest in our right standing with god we know that we've been made right by jesus christ our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace the enemy is on the prowl he wants to destroy us we need to be on constant alert we need to protect our walk so our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace he's putting traps before you the roman soldier would have some sandals that he wore and they would line the the soles of the sandal with with protective insert perhaps some metal of some sort of whatever because when he was walking there were times that they would put these sticks and they would put in the sticks in the shallow soft ground and when he put the full weight his full weight on that that that disguised trap it the pungy stick would would burst through his his his sandal and and crippling him he couldn't he couldn't move he'd be there incapacitated and so they would protect their walks and the enemy is constantly putting out landmines for you to destroy you you need to have your feet shod with the uh preparation of the gospel of peace you need to have the shield of faith because the enemy will throw his fiery darts and try and distract you but we have the ability with the shield of faith to apply everything that we believe about god in that situation then we wear the helmet of salvation we need the helmet because satan constantly attacks our minds he encourages us to doubt our salvation he discourages us in our walks with christ so we dwell on the reality of our salvation and god's faithfulness to us the enemy will whisper in your some of you have heard it in one form or another but the the whisper is always the same you're no good you've never been any good this isn't going to work yeah you went forward or yeah you prayed or you did this and that but really do you really think you can change your spots you you can't change the way that you are you cannot change you're always been that way i mean didn't your dad tell you that's the way you are you're going to be a loser all your life will never be anything but that didn't your teachers tell you that you're stupid didn't they tell you that you had no capacity to do anything that you're you're just going to end up doing some low level work all the rest of your life didn't they tell you that didn't they tell you how stupid you are in one form or another you never were able to pass those tests were you you always got d's d minus is you barely made it out of high school and you think that you can be used by god are you kidding me you're an idiot have you ever heard those kinds of things i have you're a loser you are you are a loser you are just so you're nothing you can't change once a drunk always a drunk once a druggy always a druggy once an angry man always an angry man once a person who doesn't know how to love you'll never learn how to one who cannot keep a relationship you'll never be able to have a prolonged one you just can't do it and i i learned a long time ago that when the devil knocks on the door to ask jesus to answer the door when he knocks on that door and says something i've got my savior in between me and him he's my advocate he stands up and he's the righteous and he says this one belongs to me you can't have him i've transformed him he's new in me that comes to the gospel of jesus christ that comes to the power of god that's how it works and it does god changes you radically that's what he does and we have the sword of the spirit which is the word of god and it's wielded skillfully and precisely in the battles that we find ourselves in we learn to use that armor he says to us again and finally verse 13 let us walk properly as in the day not in a revelry and drunkenness not in licentiousness and lewdness not in strife and envy but put on the lord jesus christ make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts so we are to walk properly conduct our lives appropriately we walk in a way that is worthy of the message of god and like he had said to the thessalonians in first thessalonians five six through eight he said let us not sleep as others do let us watch and be sober for those who sleep sleep at night those who get drunk are drunk at night but let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation we walk properly he said not in revelry and drunkenness which speaks of wild drunken parties he said not in licentiousness and lust which speaks of hopping from bed to bed with unbridled lust shamelessly not in strife and envy that's contentious arguing rivalry jealousy that often accompanies the partying but instead of all of that put on the lord jesus christ make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust that's my responsibility i put on the lord jesus christ i make sure that i'm walking with him and i make sure that i don't give myself place to fail if i was an alcoholic i don't suddenly think that i can go to a bar and witness if i had a lust problem you're not going to find me going to some place where they have women dancing on poles i'm not going to be binding near the books because i know to stay away from that and i'm not going to make provision for those things in my life i have to stay away from those things and so the reason i want to stay away from those things is so that i can have a walk that brings honor to god and is blessed by him so i take off this old life and i put on the new one and i do so with anticipation of seeing jesus christ as it says he had a little while and he who was coming will come and will not tarry he was 1037 he who testifies to these things says surely i am coming quickly amen even so come lord jesus as it says in revelation 22 verse 20 so we are ready for him and we are waiting we will not make provision for the flesh but live in anticipation of being with him and we will learn to love one another because love demonstrates that we know the god of love and because that is true our lives will be changed we will have credible testimonies we will not bring dishonor to the gospel and we'll have opportunity to share of the soon return of jesus because we're living as if we expect it to happen even in our lifetime