ROMANS 13
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. – Romans 13:8-14
ROMANS 13 PUT ON CHRIST
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you believed in the Lord, you will walk in love
Love covers a multitude of sins and can do no wrong
You will no longer walk in the works of darkness
Instead, you will put on the armor of light in Christ
Your flesh dies from cravings when you please God
The sinful nature won’t keep you anymore in bondage.
When you believed in Christ, you are born again. The old nature is gone and the Holy Spirit regenerates your entire being. Those sinful things you used to do will now be replaced with righteousness. The Spirit of the Lord will equip you to say “no” to sin and “yes” to what is right. This is called regeneration. There is a spiritual rebirth that was done in your mind, heart and soul. The fruit of the Spirit is now made manifest in you. You can now be patient, loving, kind, joyful, peaceful, gentle, good, faithful and have self-control. That is the work of the Spirit in your entire being. That is how you put on Christ.
It is sad to watch some people who claim they are believers and yet do not put on Christ. I wonder if they are truly born again. If the fruit of the Spirit has not been manifested in their lives yet, how are they regenerated?
REFLECTION
- How do you know a true believer?
