week of 3-22-11 4th recorded Highquest Bible study

The passage I read was Romans 13:8-14

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13:8-14&version=NIV

The verse that most stood out to me:

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.

As I reflect:

In the first verse here, Paul says, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” I like that he includes that this is a continuing debt. It can never be paid. I will never come to a point in my life when I will say, “I have loved as much as is needed and now I am done loving others.” It doesn’t work that way. Just as the Father’s love for us doesn’t run out. That tells me that the journey I began so many years ago is not a journey that will have an end. So I’m not trying to get to an end as much as trying to be more effective in the means. That’s what I received from the first portion of this passage.

The second portion of the passage says that the return of my Lord and Savior Jesus is soon. And that we should wake up, take off the darkness, and put on the light of Jesus. I can see in this a scenario of servant and master and the servant (knowing the return of his master is soon) must quickly get out of his bad habit of pretending to clean and start actually getting the job done. The scenario of course isn’t full proof, because we who are truly saved are not only servants but friends of God and we truly desire to serve Him. That being said, I can take this as a daily reminder to shed off my old self; the sinful flesh that I was once commanded by, and instead to daily put on the armor of God; to walk in the light of my Lord; to abide in righteousness. And included in that daily devotion is the loving of other people which actually is the fulfillment of the law. For if I love another:

I desire not his wife (no adultery)

I desire not his possessions (no coveting)

I don’t want to steal his possessions (no stealing)

I don’t hate him (no murder)

In this way does my love for others fulfill the law. May I be a Christian that is very much awake and growing and bringing the kingdom nearer and may the Lord produce much good fruit in and through me. May I never fall into a dark sleep pretending to walk with God but knowing not His will as so many in the church are today.

My response to the Lord:

Lord, I am not deserving of your love. I am not deserving of your grace or mercies. In fact, I have not earned anything from you apart from death and eternally damnation. I thank you for the redeeming work on the cross and from the tomb which could not hold my Savior. I thank you that though I earned only wrath, you have forgiven me, adopted me, brought me into the light of your Son, and promised me a place at your table in your home, in your eternal kingdom. Lord, thank you. I pray you help me to love others as selflessly as you have loved me. Open the eyes of my heart and help me to act rightly on what is seen. I am alive in you and I am awake in you Lord. Let me not fall asleep in the world, but rather shine so intensely through me that those who are asleep will be blinded and woken up to serve the King of Kings. Hear me Father and grant my patient petition in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.