Romans Chapter 13
The Expression Bible

Submission to Civil Government

13:1 Let every person
> Allow yourselves to be part of an institution; don’t separate yourself out from that which is meant for stability and peace keeping. See yourself as living within an area cornered off by God, so that he can allow growth and social function to take place in a fallen world. The evidence is clear that man will never attain a perfect societal structure that pleases God in its entirety. The Jews tried it and failed, and the Gentiles are no more pleasing to God in their attempts. But live within the structures that exist, God is more powerful then all their rules and what he wants in you to do, will not be prevented by them, even if they are against him. So use them for Gods purpose, it is a waste of energy to spend an inordinate amount of time debating endless politics, the structure of the government is not as necessary as your willing heart towards God.
be subject
> Live under the rule of law, do not think yourself above the law or that your entitled to more then what has been granted you, based on your concept of right treatment. Everyone cannot write their own law to live by and expect others to respect your outlook, when it comes in conflict with theirs. It would be chaos on earth, there must be compromise and submission in areas of weights and measures, and of proper etiquette between a group of people. These are the laws that govern your lifestyle and business with others, set by a standard that may not be exactly as you like. However, if you want to play in that game, it must be by their rules and their standards. They may not even be equal rules for everyone, but none the less, they should be adhered to in the light of Gods laws.
to the governing authorities.
> These are the people, whose job it is, to construct a proper discourse and method for everyone in their province, to guide them in all their civil affairs. These to which I am speaking are not religious leaders, but civil leaders. They are there, to give the people a legal and enforceable security among each other, which are prone to abuse one another without it. This gives violators a warning ahead of time, that there is a consequence of their action, and keeps those who are violated, from taking matters into their own hands.
For
> This is an important point to keep in mind because it causes us to come face to face with our trust in God and his superior authority. Our total belief and trust, that he is control of creation, despite what it appears like due to the sin that shows up in all things that man does, including governments. Therefore, it has to due with faith in God, which seems to man as an odd place to find God and act in faith, but it is.
there is no authority
> Because all of these governing bodies that exist every where in the world, are there and only able to have authority, based on Gods willingness to let them have control of that area, despite the conditions there. God has the final say in whether or not they are able hold that position, even though they may come about thru war, it is God who determines the winner and who holds the reigns of power.
except by God’s appointment,
> Outside of God giving man authority, there is no power that is attained by man, that God did say that it is theirs for the time being. They did not take or receive it of their own worldly powers, had not God already decided to give it to them, they would have failed to have retained it.
and the authorities
> So all of these authorities that God put into place, are not random acts and or happenstance at work. They have a certain state of power and a deliberate cause behind them.
that exist
> Their all part of Gods purpose to glorify himself on earth and at the same time, establish a form of discipline for man to live under. So that means that they have Gods permission to retain and implement that power over mankind and God will even defend their hold on power, even if their evil rulers.
have been instituted by God.
> This may seem odd to man, but as God sees it, all men are evil rulers, some may have better senses then others, but all are below Gods standards. So God works around their faults and establishes his will, against theirs.

13:2 So
> That means we need to expand the reality of this situation beyond the common understanding of mans point of view of this and see it as God sees it. Which is how we as Christians should see things, in that, it is God we have chosen to glorify in our lives and him we are serving with our yielding to authority, not man.
the person
> If a person then decides that he is superior to the established law of the land, then he sets himself above all authority. Making himself a greater judge then God in who should rule the land, he does not yield in trust, as a servant to God.
who resists
> Those who rebel, should be noted in society with that label, so people know to stay clear of them. So as the scripture teaches "One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm". Because they have chosen this lifestyle, they should be avoided, so that you do not follow or learn from their foolish behavior. Remember they are self-serving and that they will abandon you in the struggle if it gets to tough. So mistrust these people from the beginning and you will be much wiser in the end.

such authority
> Because in Gods eyes, any law breakers, are all law breakers, in that they do not respect established authorities, no matter the source. In that, no law is greater then Gods law, in what they require of man. Therefore, they can ask nothing more of you then God does himself, or what he required of himself in his death on the cross. So in essence, unless they are instructing you to break Gods laws, they are instructing you to fulfill Gods law, but only in details and areas that are civil in nature.
resists the ordinance of God,
> God operates from an authority structure, and a rebellious person is a rebellious person to God. Whether he rebels against mans laws simply for self-preservation and personal conflict, or Gods laws due to rebelling against holiness to God. It is the same issue, with the putting on of the same face; they both spring from sin, which is the enemy of God.
and those
> The people who do this have not thought it thru to its final meaning and what it is saying about their faith in God. They have not considered the fact that God does not honor anything that is not done in faith to him. This means he is not going to rush into the rescue if you have put a noose around your neck in acting out rebellion. Which means you’ll acting in the flesh, not the Spirit.
who resist
> So do not use God and your new faith as an excuse for political motivations. God did not save you so that you could alter the political landscape of your own accord and have God, as your enforcer to carry out you will. This is using Gods name in vain to achieve personal ambitions in your life in the name of the Father. However, God sees that as a rebellious act, not spiritual warfare against evil, know the difference or suffer the consequences.
will incur judgment
> Because there will be a price to pay if you align yourself against the political structure that exist over you. They have been empowered by God to put you down if you threaten others existence or their own. God will not remove that authority structure from you, just because you are his child. The fact that you are his child means that you should live under their rules, not disobey them. If you do, you’ll go to jail or even worse, be put to death for treason, and rightly so from Gods point of view.

13:3 (for rulers
> Because those who believe in law and order and are put in that position to establish that in their community, are there for a sole purpose, and that is to stop lawlessness and preserve the peace. If they are not above the law, then they have a personal interest in executing proper enforcement. If they see themselves above the law, there is God, and he has clearly demonstrated his willingness to do away with them.
cause no fear
> So those who live under these good rulers, have only to fear them if they are a criminal sort, seeking to take advantage of others. But law abiding citizens have no cause for alarm and no authority from God to try to destabilize these rulers or rebel against them, especially for religious reason that are done in the name of God.
for good conduct
> Because you are making they job easier, and are allies with them in the same goals. That is, to create a proper and stable way of life for which to raise their families and live out their lives, a safe environment against those who wish to live by way of evil methods.
but for bad).
> For those who do choose to do evil and rebel against the civil authorities. God will bring down on them the consequences of what they have done, thru the strength of these authorities and their power to enforce the law and meet out proper punishment.
Do you desire
> So if what you want is to live at peace with those in the government, and it is in your interest to discover the way of doing this, so that they do not look upon you, as an enemy of their state.
not to fear authority?
> If you do not want to live day to day, wondering if this is the day that they will come and take you away and put you in prison. If what you want is to not worry about your future in light of their power over you.
Do good
> The answer to this is very easy, practice being a law abiding citizen, don’t look to cheat your way thru life and their will be no reason to sit around and worry that someday the hammer will fall and they will take you away. To worry about the law that you are obeying, would be paranoia over something that will not happen.
and you will receive
> And if you go the extra mile and actually help those in authority, be their friend instead of their enemy, be their eyes and ears when they are not around, as to who are the ones they should watch out for. They will be grateful and have respect for what you have done for them and their position as leaders of your community.
its commendation,
> Then they will demonstrate to you their gratitude and give you a good name among the people. They may even elevate your status to that of a leading citizen, giving you civic accommodations that are displayed or awarded before the people. To let them know that you are a valued citizen and that your example is highly acclaimed among the leaders, because you have proven your worth thru the deeds that you have lived by.

13:4 for it is God’s servant
> These authorities are the very instruments of God, enabled by him to punish those who want to make a life out illegal activities. Their goal as instituted by God, is to punish wicked behavior that threatens the stability of the community. If left unchecked, they would undermine the peaceful communities and bring about chaos.
for your good.
> So it is for your benefit that they exist, so you do not have to endure your own defense day and night. They are the watchmen against evil while you sleep, all of those who live right before God, should be happy that they are there, even though it may be tough, it would be a lot harder without them.
But if you do wrong,
> On the other hand, if you choose to live a life preying on the weakness of others and looking for opportunities to steal or kill, to make yourselves rich and powerful. If your goal is to gain from illegal activities that are against the law to do, then you are the enemy of the state.
be in fear,
> In that case, you will live your life, day and night, worrying that they may come and take you away at any time. You will know that they are after you and sooner or later will find out where you are. You will live a life of anxiety, and you should be afraid, because they will take away all your freedoms. If you want to live like an animal, then they will lock you away as one.
for it does not
> Because God did not set the authorities up to be a paper tiger or to let the people have a meaningless set of standards, that no one follows. On the contrary, they are there for the intended purpose of executing judgment.
bear the sword in vain.
> They have amassed a centralized and organized group of men, to execute the will of the magistrates. They have the authority of God to use the weapons at their disposal, in order to execute the enforcement of these precepts and laws.
It is God’s servant
> They operate according to Gods plan for them, because God has set up a hierarchy of obedience for them to operate under. This pattern is sustained by the will of God, if it is not functioning the way he wants it to, he will change it.
to administer
> It is their job to do Gods bidding and to sustain the earth from falling into a complete state of chaos, until Christ returns to establish his justice in earth.
retribution
> Punishment is in their hands to be metered out according to their judgments, as to the harshness of the crime that was committed.
on the wrongdoer.
> And that person, who chose to live under the ways of sin, will be the ones that they come after in the middle of the night to take away; they are the one the authorities are at war with.

13:5 Therefore
> As a result of this, that creates a situation where you as a believer in Christ, are not at liberty to pick and choose what laws, that you will live under and which ones you will not.
it is necessary
> Because you are bound by this decision of God to operate thru these authorities and if you are Christ and are for what he is for. How can you be against what he has established?

You can’t, it doesn’t make sense. You cannot pick and choose, anymore then you can pick and choose what attributes of Gods holiness, you will or won’t incorporate into you life with him, it requires all of them to know him, not just some.
to be in subjection,
> So then this is where you are at, you must yield to them, just as you must yield to God, view them as emissaries of God doing his will for you. If there is need for them to yield their authority for your mission to succeed, God will move them to do so, there laws are not above his will, no matter what they are.
not only
> The reason for your submitting to this is two fold, and you should consider both of these as part of your compliance with my instruction on this. I want you to have understanding of it as fully as possible, because I have lived this way myself and am convinced that I am right in telling you to do so also. So don’t just obey blindly and feel there is no reason for your submitting, think of these to their logical conclusion.
because of the wrath
> First reason is a physical one and deals the external conditions around you. To avoid the trouble you could get into legally, it just makes practical sense that you would want to avoid unnecessary conflict. Why pick a fight with someone who will be prevail against you every time, just do not do it.
of the authorities
> Because they have more manpower and the instruments of the law and enforcement granted to them. They can then wage a bigger battle against you, and then you can mount against them.
but also
> The other reason is a spiritual one, one which deals with ethics and virtue. These are the unseen qualities that one wishes to reside within them, for the sole purpose of having an untarnished character. Whether anyone else even knows of your wrong doing, you will, and that is enough to say no to the misdeeds.
because of your conscience.
> It is so that you can carry on with life, knowing that there is nothing in your past to be ashamed of that could come out to embarrass you down the road about your past. Guilt is a debilitating condition that can render an otherwise functional person, impotent in the face of advancement in this life. Due to the spotlight, it might cause on secrets that you are harboring within you that you do not want others to know about.

13:6 For this reason
> That brings up another point to which we must address ourselves, these protections, they provide don’t come cheap. The police, judges and prison facilities, all need upkeep, so that they can continue to function in an open and productive way. They are not unlike any other business; they require money to pay the bills that these functions generate.
you also pay taxes,
> And that is why everyone is required to give a portion of their own income to provide for these services. It is your own investment in your safety and future, so it doesn’t make any sense to fight against these people, to whom you are paying to fight against you, if you do wrong.
for the authorities
> These very people, that you have hired to do this job, are no different then those you send on missionary journeys at your expense. They have a role to play in Gods rule over his creation, it is just that one is physical and the other is spiritual, and they aid one another in Gods work.
are God’s servants
> And that is why God has empowered them and strengthened them, to do his work in the physical realm of society, they are performing a physical mission for God. Because there is sin in the world, God has ordained them to exercise his judgements against those who want to break laws.
devoted to governing.
> So they are focused and deliberate in their action, they have power to seize and take away. They have power to right wrongs, and set weights and measure for others to set their standards to. They are a resource for allowances and restrictions, letting everyone proceed with life in a well-mannered and prosperous way.

13:7 Pay everyone
> What ever is your share in this; you should pay, carry your own load and accept your responsibility for in this.
what is owed:
> If they say such an amount is your share, then that is what you must pay, if you have the money. Don’t lie and say you don’t have it if you do, it may or may not be a fair tax, but resisting could land you in jail.
taxes to whom
> If they come to you to tax your income, then pay tax on your income to them, if that is their proper place to in government to do so.
taxes are due,
> Give them their due amount, because this is seen as a debt on your part. It is not avoidable, because they are in charge, if they catch you cheating, you’ll pay an even higher price than before.
revenue to whom
> If it is based on your net worth, and they say you need to pay a portion of its value to them, as they are the proper authority to charge you with this. Keep in mind this is only in respect to the proper authority, not criminals or people who try to extort from you.
revenue is due,
> Then pay them the amount you owe. It is only money, and it is not as valuable as you think. Its intrinsic value is zero; only its perceived value has any meaning, and that includes your perceived value as the most important valuation of it. It should certainly not speak to you, as what is your own self-worth or value to society as that is a deception of true self-worth or value.
respect to whom
> If they are those who are upstanding in their efforts to protect you, as do rescue workers and police or military personnel. These are people, who take on the daily burden of both danger and oppression, so you do not have to.
respect is due,
> Give to them your highest praise and gratitude for what they are doing for you. You’re not the only one they have to deal with; their days are full of confrontation. So showing them simple respect helps them in all that they have to encounter.
honor to whom
> If they are magistrates, that must have wisdom and insight to do their job, give them the respect that they deserve. They have to deal with lives of every citizen in their decision process and must strike an equitable solution for all parties, if possible. Not an easy job, seeing as no want wants to have to take less, than they perceive themselves to be entitled too.
honor is due
> Speak respectfully about them and to them, so that everyone is aware of the power that they hold over others. If you devalue their position in society than you only devalue your own state in life also, they are interconnected, and cannot be divided from one another. The honor you give to them displays the honor you have for your own state in life. If you have no honor for them, then you have no honor for anyone else, including yourself.

13:8 Owe
> This is what you should do in order to keep things the most stable in you life, don’t live beyond your means. You cannot possess everything that your neighbors do; it’s just not practical, so don’t borrow to buy what it is that you don’t need.
no one anything,
> And that way you won’t end up owing money, for something you don’t need and never really wanted. What could worse than having to pay a finical debt for something you do not even want?
except to love one another,
> There is only one thing that you will always be in debt to and that is to love others. Because it is an essential in pleasing God, and because God first loved you, you must love others also. It is also that which contains true intrinsic value; it is not manufactured, as is money or trade ware. Although it cannot be touched or held in a jar, it has an intangible value, which far exceeds material possessions. In fact, if there is love present, the absence of material wealth is meaningless. Therefore, being in debt for material possessions is stealing away from the true value of love in your life. The more time we take to possess things, the less time we have to share the true love that has value in life. So the more those you care about possess materially from you, the less they have of you. Where the more they have of you, the less they will possess materially.
for the one who loves
> This takes the form of action in your life. So then, act upon those things that lead to the life that God wants in you. It is not as difficult to obey Gods commands, when your motivation is based in love. Because love sets aside personal motivations that will bring about a misinterpretation, of what is necessary to fulfill Gods desire in you.
his neighbor
> If you can act out of love towards those you live with in your community, then you will circumvent the frustrations in life. Because you will not consider what you have as that important, but what the others have as important as what you have. Even if it cost you something, you will feel you have a share in their blessing, and the reward of having loved, is better then that which you gave away. Because love is like a muscle, that increases in portion to it being exercised. So you are not only healthier and stronger in your walk with God and man, you also appear as healthier to them who look upon you in your actions.
has fulfilled the law.
> So when you goal is to love others. Then nothing that is wrong will come out of you. It will override any desires of your flesh to operate out of sin, because love is not sin, righteousness will prevail and reproduce itself in you. If you do this, then God will have no charge against you, concerning sin or disobedience to his laws. This does not though, make the flesh Holy, it only provides for acts of holiness, despite the sinfulness of the flesh.

13:9 For the commandments,
> God has given us many commands, and they are very detailed, spelling out to us all the various things that he has a problem with. Things that we practice and do in our lives, that cause continuos problems in our lives and are an offense to God, some of them are.
"Do not commit adultery,
> You should never use sexual relations in your life to satisfy you, unless it is with your own spouse. Under any other condition, it is wrong, because it wounds others by either allowing them the pleasure of sex, without the commitment to family in marriage first. Or because if that other person is married already also, then you have interfered with another ones family that is ordained by God, as a solitude relationship. Both are selfish motives, which cannot originate out of love, but is lust misinterpreted as love.
do not murder,
> To kill someone is a pure act of anger and rage, venting out against someone with an act of violence to take away their life. It should be easy for anyone to see that this is absent of love in any circumstance, where you are acting out of your own motivation to hate someone, there is no love present here.
do not steal,
> To take something from someone or place, that is not yours without permission to so, is to steal. In which case you are depriving someone of something that rightfully theirs, whether you just intended to hurt them, or you work acting out of envy or greed. Neither is arrived at as an act of love, but is taken for your own benefit, at another’s expense.
do not covet,"
> If you require something in your life, solely from the fact that someone else has it and you do not. It is an act of envy and lust, not the virtue of gladness, that they are more fortunate then you. If you rejoiced in their blessing and are happy that they received it instead of you, then you would be acting out of love.
(and if there is any other commandment)
> I think I have made my point, and you can apply the same concept to every law that God has given us. They all spring the same God who has given the instruction of every command, all based on his same Holy attributes.
are summed up in this,
> So every command of God is fulfilled according to the same deed, and that comes under the proactive heading of love. If love conquers all sin, then it obeys all commandments. If there is a not-so-secret, secret, to living the successful Christ life, that secret is love.
"Love your neighbor
> We have already been told in the scripture, that loving you neighbor is the right thing to do and it is commanded for us to do so. Therefore, that is where your Christian life must begin, and if it begins there, it will end there with your life being Christ like in all that you do.
as yourself."
> Consider them as you would consider yourself in this matter. Treat them the way you would treat yourself if the roles were reversed and you were at the receiving end of the matter. If we are always disconnecting ourselves from the condition of others, than we will not see ourselves under the same conditions as are they themselves are in.

13:10 Love does no wrong
> If we look at love in action, it makes it very clear that we avoid sin by loving others in our actions, not just our thoughts. Our thoughts may be telling us that we are acting in love to someone, by having a kind thought as to how we might treat them or do something for them. However, if we only think about what is right to do, and then in the opportune time, we act in the opposite way in which we planned. Then our love was not real, it was only a fantasy in our minds. To just think about love should not satisfy us or let us feel good about ourselves just because we thought about it. The idea of loving is an action, not an emotion, because thinking about doing it is not the same as doing it. Just as thinking about cleaning the house, is not the same as cleaning the house, the house remains unclean until you act upon it. In the same way, the heart remains unclean until you act on it in love. Acting out in love, cleans the heart and avoids sin. Acting on love also prepares the heart for its next act of love. Love is built upon other acts of love; it is not built upon acts of sin, the two are incompatible actions.
to a neighbor.
> Therefore, those in your life will receive no harm from you, if all they receive is love in action. Because love replaces sin, it is impossible to wrong your friends and acquaintances, if you act in the basis of love. Love need not be loud and draw attention to you; it can be quite and simple. Gestures and mannerisms go a long way in revealing who you are. If you are the likeness of Christ, then it will be seen in the basics of life itself and how you control your actions. Do not have grandiose ideas of love that require heavy lifting and extreme exertion to accomplish. Consider them in simple task that shows an individual our action of love, specific to them. Don’t make it a great spectacle for all to see. Love is also humble and does not seek recognition as a reward; love is its own reward.
Therefore
> As a result of that which I just explained then, we have the necessary information to draw conclusion and get to the moral of the story; we can now define the affects of love.
love is the fulfillment
> Love never draws away from us more then it returns, actions can be tiring on the body, but not the soul. The soul is accomplished in the actions of love; it finds completion in its entire environment. The context of what it does is to fill everything with itself and press out anything that is not love. It accomplishes its task, with love to spare, in excess of what you gave away, so your love increases as you give it away.
of the law
> So all the commands of God, have their basis in loves action, obeying the law is a computation or the combined efforts of the acts of love, so the law is love in action, just as Jesus fulfilled the law in acting on his love for mankind, and breaking the law is sin in action.

13:11 And do this
> After having then reached a conclusion as to that which is the substance of love and what it looks like in action. What should we do with this knowledge about loving each other in light of our current condition?

Is there a pressing and ongoing concern, which should direct us to pursue love in action?
because we know
> Now we know things, that we did not know prior to our becoming Christians and that should spur us on to thinking more directly with our thoughts then we did previously. The variety of things that we pay attention to should be trimmed in order to allow our minds, to be focused more intently on what it is, that is most pressing and urgent in the destiny that we have adhered ourselves too. This only makes sense if we truly believe and have absorbed into our lives the reality of our present condition in Christ. If we only have partial faith in Gods presence in our life, in that we believe he will save us from eternal judgment. However, are not allowing him to go before us in our thoughts, so that we see all our involvement’s of life with him, in the picture of what we do and how we act. To the affecting of us as to how we live now, then we will only have the partial effect of Christ in action in our life. Because we have acknowledged the destiny that God has established in us, but have isolated ourselves from his mission on earth, with our continuing in the presence and priority of worldly pursuits. Rather then heavenly aspirations that makes God alive in us now, having put off living the experience of heaven till death. Rather than that this in which is alive in you now and waiting to be made a visible part of you.
the time,
> So there is no reason to delay and put off that which God is currently doing, as you are alive and intending your beginning of eternity, to be happening right now thru him. He never intended for your fullness of life to only come into play after your death, but for you to come fully alive in him currently, as you live and breathe in this world. God is presently in your life and expressing his desire in you, to accelerate your entrance into the life that awaits you in eternity, by living it out now while you are alive on earth. That is his plan and the time is right for you to act upon it right now, not later. Don’t see God as some, off in the distance of time event, when you will be joined with him in bliss at a specific point only, or in the past as someone you met with great affect. But only had meaning for that period and the meaning of that encounter is fading before you with time.
that it is already
> Things are currently going on around you right now, that are part of your life with God, that you are not acknowledging as having any immediate concern for you to take the time to deal with them from an eternal prospective. As opposed to a worldly outlook, in which it puts no emphasis on the things of God and his eternal plan at work in you. This in which is thru you presently and not futuristically, as though you should go about life absent minded about the things of God and only present minded on the things that have no lasting value. How can you be absent minded of God, in your daily confrontations with a world, that you now know is meaningless in its state before God?

Where is your presence of mind in such thinking; stop and consider your rationale in this matter.
the hour
> Because there is really no more time to delay your actions of love on Gods behalf, and for your inclusion in his objectives on this fast fading earth and all its contents. The hourglass of time is running out of sand faster than you think, and none of that sand of time is reclaimable. Once it passes thru that narrow window of opportunity to be acted upon, once moved thru the portal from the present and into the past, it will never be seen again or the hourglass reset to start over. Your grains of sand are numbered and being spent one by one into eternal oblivion. So spend them wisely now while you can, only what involves Christ in this world, will carry over into our eternal life.
for us
> So the question is not what the world around us does, but what do we do in spite of what the world does. Where we are as we see it, not as the world sees us?

Their motivations and goals have nothing in common with ours. So we need to live as though we see God before us upon his throne and us acting in response to that reality, not as some shaded dream that is vaguely remembered in concert with the way we live our life.
to awake from sleep,
> We need to be fully alert and conscience of that which we are doing, not as though we are drifting in and out of sleep in the night. Confused of present mind and not aware of our surroundings, as though we have only have partial senses active in us, slow to act and living in diminished capability. Neither our bodies, nor our minds able to fully respond, due to the groggy lifestyle we have established. That has no presence of mind or quickness of reflex, to see God in our awareness of where we are and what is proceeding on around us, absent of his consideration as to how we respond.
for our salvation
> There is to be sure, a day when all that is in this life will be done away with and the struggles of it will never burden you again. But that day should be active in you now as an ongoing process, not to attain salvation with works and deeds, but to attain works and deeds as a result of salvation. Being modified away from your former self and into the latter state of Christ glory, in which you will one day fully become. Having in you that which is being saved daily from the slavery of sins bondage, to the glorying of Christ, which you are now enduring in this life, for the benefit of this life and that day when you come in the eternal presence of God.
is now nearer
> Time marches on, as the eventuality and the realization of our being face to face with God in a new spiritual body approaches. Getting closer everyday, by narrowing the time that we put off the things that are of God, until some future eventuality, which may never come in your life. You cannot know that the next day will be there for you, to not live fully for Christ today. That is why you must not allow delaying tactics by the enemy, to plant seeds of doubt or mistrust in you. Which is the opposite of faith, telling you that your time of ministry is tomorrow and not today. Or that there will be more ample time in the future, which will provide better soil to grow upon the vine of Gods provision. You are fully ripe to achieve your purpose with God every day, whether that is study or activities, all are in his purpose for you today as well as tomorrow.
than when we
> That time when we did not now our destiny was a time of little understanding and misplaced deeds. However, that was then, now you have learned the truth and know where your future is. Therefore, it is good to keep this in perspective when considering what you are doing and how much time we have left.
became believers.
> Because you are distancing yourself from that time when you first became a Christian and that alone should bring about a maturing process in you. So long as you apply all the things that you are learning, and are doing it in love. The closer you become to that state of Christ existence that will one day be permanent.

13:12 The night
> That time in your life where you once foraged around without knowing the truth of the gospel. Where everything was unclear, as to why you acted out the way you did. Love based on emotion; instead of the evidence of truth that Christ is now revealing to you, which is how things were once like for you.
has advanced
> But that state of mind is systematically being left behind, as you move away from a fleshed based existence. Where not only are things changing for you daily in your physical ability, but you are aging to a spiritual based existence. Maturing in a way that is departing the ways of the flesh, ways that see the flesh as irrelevant to the future.
toward dawn;
> And the place you are moving in that direction too, is where your new body will be spiritually based and externally free of sin. It is a dramatic departure from how you came into existence and what your permanent state will be; it will be an endless time without measure, right in every way.
the day is near.
> Moreover, the longer you live on earth, the closer you are to the reality of this existence. As life slips slowly but steadily away from you, you more quickly approach your day of redemption into that eternal state with God. As your time on earth is spent everyday and the body becomes diminished in its capacity to retain its hold on life, you stand at the threshold of eternity and the benefits that await you there.
So then
> As a result of having that knowledge, we have a reason, and should have a passion, for living a life that is beyond comprehension to those who do not believe. Because we now have a vision of our future, with no maybes or wishful thinking, clearly defined and revealed to us, what is lying in wait for us beyond our flesh.
we must lay aside
> That, enables us to make definitive decisions for our present, based on our future, not our past. Which is what the flesh wants us to live in and for, but we do not have to make any commitments to satisfy the flesh, because it is dying. We need not let the spiritual life of our souls die with it, but live outside of our flesh in our thinking, by turning our back on its passions and turning our face towards the passions of eternity with Christ.
the works of darkness,
> When you labor at doing things that are not part of Gods holiness, you are in essences laboring against God himself. You are making it a point to exercise and establish evil practices in your life, as your normal function and way in life. But those are deeds that happen in the shame of darkness, where you would rather not have those deeds known to the public as part of who you are, so do not labor in doing evil.
and put on
> Instead wear a code of ethics that is not part of evil that exist in the flesh, be covered in a protection that repels the evil that is in the world. Clothe yourself in that which is part of your eternal life and last beyond the restrictions of mortality. Because the flesh will one day cease to exist, but your love for the things of God, will continue on forever and that is what the cloth of your covering must be made of.
the weapons of light.
> There is nothing wrong with having an aggressive stance in your life for Holy things. The world will not appreciate it, but these are necessary coverings for you. These coverings make sure you know what you are up against, because they have the power to fulfill the law and conquer sin, and these are faith, hope and love. They are all able to reveal truth, which rejects the power of sin, if you will accept it into your life.

13:13 Let us live
> Having a lively spirit is a good thing, having vitality and a positive Spirit, having optimism for the future shows your are living beyond your earthly conditions. Knowing in your heart that you have it right, because God says you do. Not because the world does it and coerces you into believing something out of peer pressure. It is very empowering to know that it is Gods side that you have chosen, as a result of the fact that he has chosen you first. The essence of God is in holiness, so if that is what you are doing thru his spirit, then you know that God is in you.
decently
> Applying ourselves daily in the practice of wholesome living, looking towards the good and proper course of actions, that lead to respect and honor among the people. Where trust in you is a given because you are known as a person of dignity and honor, and that you practice these qualities in your life, as second nature to who you are. They are your natural response to everything and anything, and that should be your goal.
as in the daytime,
> People will act one way when everyone is looking and then another when no one is around to see their deeds and hold them accountable. What you need to develop is the right character, one that always responds the same way you would in the full view of everyone. Even though you are alone and there is no consequence to your action from others. Acting as though others had power of authority over you, even though they are not present with you at the time. This shows then the true character of whom you are and where your values lie.
not in carousing
> Don’t settle for a life that is filled with meaningless brief encounters, seeking only party atmospheres to indulge in your worldly desires, living only for loud and boisterous adventures. Reveling in the random tide of people, who are leaving behind their inhibitions and restraints. Trying to find satisfaction in loose living with others, who are doing the same thing, seeking sin without any consequence, in the company of likeminded people as an escape from stress or as a lifestyle. There is trouble in all of them and the next day they discover their shame. They sought spur of the moment impulses to act upon, without consideration of ethics, but there is no such thing and your personal life will bear the fruit of that confusion. It will come home with you and live in your life, whether you intend for it to happen or not. You cannot separate yourself from your indulgences of lifestyle; your action will follow your perceptions in life. If you view that as the good life, then you will pursue it, if you abhor it as evil, then that also will mark whom you are and what you pursue.
and drunkenness,
> Also, don’t live your life according the desire to become intoxicated as a course in life. It dulls the senses and pollutes the mind with false hopes and dreams. Leading you astray into a fantasy world, that cost you in soberness of your sanity and respect. It will expose your ugly side to others and they will not like what they see. You will speak out of turn and say things of a regrettable nature to those around you, and when you have forgotten your actions and dismissed them as the intoxication talking. Others will remember what you have said and done, leaving you to live with your shame. There is absolutely no benefit to this lifestyle; it decreases your self worth, both in your own eyes and others. Yet while under its influence, it will convince you of the opposite and subdue you to its thinking.
not in sexual immorality
> Do not seek out to satisfy your sexual desires, having thoughts of perversion and experimentation. Sexual desires were not created to be satisfied, they are perpetual and only create more of the same desires, in that they are designed to endear and make interdependent, married couples to one another. So giving yourself over to them is a prison of confinement to that lifestyle. You cannot enter the act and then leave separated from it as a lifestyle; you are not different from the acts you commit. They are a part of you, so if you engage in sexually immoral acts. Then that is who you are. Do not think that sexual involvement is any less than it is; you are who you acting out to be. If you study something with deep desire, then that rules your outcome in life, sex outside of marriage is wrong.
and sensuality,
> Also, do not allow yourself to be enticed by the fantasy of sexual pleasure. Do not initiate the thought process, to consider its pleasure. Your senses will be over powered and your will power is not able to rescue you from the call of your natural instincts, to engage your senses in these pleasures. They are meant and designed by God to over power you and drive your actions, but they are meant for marriage and family building, not for random physical intercourse’s or touching to physical stimulation. Or where one is making themselves up to entice sexually others to lust after them.
not in discord
> Also, it is wrong to stir up strife among people for your own interest or gossip, causing people to engage in confrontations for selfish motives. Just so that you can divide friendships and relationships, out of desires of wounding someone, or just for the sport of being divisive in life. There is no self-advancement in this, and one day all your friends will be fleeting and few, with revenge will be on the minds of many. Also, do not partake in the engaging of people in unnecessary arguments, only for the sake of arguing. Wanting to prove you right in everything, this only breaks up the joy of fellowship and turns it into sorrow.
and jealousy.
> Also, acting out of envy is not profitable for you; it will cause vengeance and spite towards others, causing you to steal with both thought and deed towards those whom you have become envious of. Sowing those seeds, that then lead to discord in you and among those whom you are envying, and turning those feelings into actions of hatred against them.

© Copyright. 2003 - By John Thomas Publishing Co.

John Thomas Publishing Co.
2243 W. Laskey suite A
Toledo, Ohio 43613

Content Copyright © 2003 John Thomas Publishing. 
All Rights Reserved.

mailto:John Thomas