If Jesus is Coming Soon, How Should I Act?

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 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. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Like many others of his day, Paul thought Jesus was going to return sooner rather than later.  Some of Jesus' teachings inferred that Paul's generation would not pass away until the end had come.  While Paul does not necessarily predict the end times, he issues a warning for the Roman Christians to be aware that the hour of salvation is nearer now than when they first believed.
This seems obvious enough, for every day we live we get closer to the Lord's return.  But at the same time the urgency in Paul's tone is important, and I think useful for us today. Each day we are closer to the return of the Lord, or our own death. None of us know when the end will come and almost every description of the day of the Lord in scripture has a similar theme.  The theme is that the day will come when we least expect it.  Peter says that day will come "like a thief in the night".  The bottom line is that since we don't know when Jesus will return, it is smart and wise to be prepared at any time.  
Though we are not saved by good works, Paul urges the early believers in Rome to behave decently.  He characterizes the works of the "flesh" as, "drunkenness", "carousing", "sexual immorality" and "debauchery". Just like college "Spring Break" in Florida. Notice too Paul adds "dissension" and
"jealousy" to the sin list.  These are not normally thought of in the same as the other "sins of the flesh". 
On the contrary Paul says to "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ".  In contrast to our human, sinful nature, we have been given a new nature in Christ.   Paul says, "put aside" the deeds of darkness.  Then, "put on the armor of light".  And finally, "clothe yourselves with Christ."  Notice these are all actions words. I.e. "put on", "put aside", and "clothe yourselves".  Though we have been given new clothes so to speak when we were born again in Christ, we need to continue to put them on each day.  Someone puts on armor when they know they are in a fight.  It prepares them for battle.  As a believer you are in a battle.  Your enemy the devil loves to stir up the desires of the flesh that resist God's Holy Spirit.  But we have an option.  We can put on our armor. We can put on Christ.  He has won the war with Satan.  He was claimed the victory on our behalf.  As we "put on" Christ, we proclaim and live in that the victory that is ours in Christ!  The hour is closer my friend then we first believed. Let's be intentional about living a life that is decent and God honoring so we are ready whenever Jesus decides to return. 

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