City Life Starter

I. The Word: Romans 13:14

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

II. Study Questions

1. What is the meaning of sanctification?

2. What does it mean to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ?”

“As I look upon the two sides of His Holiness, as revealed to the Egyptians and the Israelites, I remember that what was there separated is in me united.  By nature I am the Egyptian, an enemy doomed to destruction; by grace, an Israelite chosen for redemption.  In me the fire must consume and destroy; only as judgment does its work, can mercy fully save.  It is only as I tremble before the Searching Light and the Burning Fire and the Consuming Heat of the Holy One, as I yield the Egyptian nature to be judged and condemned and slain, that the Israelite will be redeemed to know aright his God as the God of salvation, and to rejoice in Him.”  Andrew Murray.

As Christians, we have been justified by faith through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Throughout Romans, Paul asserted that justification is not the end, but the beginning of a new birth, as Jesus explained to Nicodemus about being born again (John 3).  It is through the justification by faith that the process of sanctification begins, becoming more like Jesus.  

There is a battle raging as we speak – the flesh waging war against Spirit.  It is the nature of sin that contradicts and opposes the new nature that God has given us through His Spirit.  We cannot be so naive to believe that our former nature will automatically submit to the Spirit of God once we decide to follow Jesus.  As a matter of fact, if we believe that coming to know Jesus would somehow lead us into a perfect state of being, we are simply deceiving ourselves.

It is our daily battle where we rise each day to follow Jesus rather than submit to our flesh. Our flesh yearns to please our carnal nature rather than the One who delivered us from the bondage of our sin.  There are two types of people, those who live for themselves and those who live for the One greater than themselves and pursues for the glory of God.

Paul concludes this chapter with exhortation to his readers to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”  The reason for this is simple – to battle against our fleshly lusts that is contrary to the Spirit of God.  By putting on Christ, we are making our declaration that we are no longer our own but belong to the One who saved us.  JY