Romans 13:12-14 “Let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature”

Living in the light is a matter of taking something off and putting something on. Off goes a lifestyle that simply lets our urges and desires run wild. There are three word pairs here. Each word in the pair is loosely connected. With orgies and drunkenness Paul is saying, “You can’t join your neighbors in losing all self-control and decency, in hard partying and drinking. It is not wrong to feast and celebrate. It is not wrong to have an alcoholic beverage. But those who live in the light won’t let living it up turn them into a different kind of person than they are when they are stone-cold sober.”

The second pair generally covers our sexual behavior. Paul isn’t saying that sex is evil. He is reminding us to refrain when it is not between one man and one woman who have taken a vow of marriage. Christians understand that sex is not just for recreation and fun between consenting adults. God has a higher purpose for it, one that requires the stability of a life-long commitment.

The last pair, dissension and jealousy, deals with the angry passions. Do believers still recognize the sin involved in them? If the kind of language I hear coming from the mouths of professed Christians is any indication, or the kind of things I see them post on Facebook, it appears that even many Christians struggle to recognize the problem. We have become inclined to defend our expressions of anger instead of regretting of them. But off they have to come in repentance if we intend to live in the light.

In place of all this “darkness” Paul urges, “Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Off goes sin. On goes Jesus. Clothing ourselves with Jesus begins with simply trusting him. We stop with the rationalizations, the defenses, the excuses for our bad behavior. We trust him when he calls it sin and calls us to repent. Even more, we see his perfect payment for our sins, his resurrection to new life and ascension to power, and we trust him when he forgives us, offers us grace, invites us into God’s family, and gives us new life.

When we do, Jesus comes and lives inside of us. We know his power. We take on a new identity. It changes us. You know how dressing up can affect how you feel about yourself, your confidence, your behavior? If you put on wedding formals, and you know you look sharp, you start to act the part. You carry yourself with dignity. You are civil and well-mannered. You are gracious and charming. Admittedly, sometimes people become arrogant and insufferable, too. But dressing up can change things inside as well as out.

When we put our faith in Jesus we become new men and women. We are dressing ourselves up in Christ, putting him on, only it is not an act. Jesus begins the process of making us more like him. The more we look to him in faith, the more we focus on his love, the more like him we become. With the return of Jesus nearer every day, there is no time like the present to live in the light of his grace and love.