Don't Be Deceived - This is NOT Love! Romans 13:12-14

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1 Sermon Notes Don't Be Deceived - This is NOT Love! Romans 13:12-14 January 17, 2010 FBCam What is true love? The definition of love is a great point of debate in today s culture. At the recent NJ Senate hearing on a bill to allow Gay Marriage in NJ there was much said about LOVE. jleg.state.nj.us/internet/2010/s/ pm-s0-1.wmv! minutes into the above session, Senator Raymond Lesniak made the following statements: S In WW2, white soldiers fought along black soldiers who died, yet were denied their civil rights. S Today, Straight soldiers fight along gay soldiers who are denied their civil rights, simply because of a condition of their birth. There are TWO FALLACIES in his statement. 1) Homosexual marriage is not an issues of civil rights. No one s rights are being infringed. Marriage is the bedrock of society, the most important relationship and those societies have ALWAYS maintained the God-given foundation of marriage. 2) Homosexuality is not a helpless condition of birth. With these, there is an assumption that sexuality is NOT a MORAL ISSUE. Senator Lesniak then cited 120 churches that wrote to support same sex marriage. He is writing a book, The Power of Love - the Case for Same Sex Marriage. Here s what he said... Why should we care about love? Because the Bible tells us to love. THEN he quotes 1 John 3: Words that actually bring CONDEMNATION on his position! (1 John 3:18-24) "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." Foolishly, Senator Lesniak actually condemned his own position through citing Scripture! This passage, like our passage today in Romans, demands that there is a specific condition for love. That condition is that LOVE is always consistent with God s commands! THEN the Senator accuses those who do not support homosexual marriage of being UNLOVING! TODAY, most in our society accept the following as genuine love

2 S S S S Homosexual relationships Teen sexuality Couples living together Extramarital sex Young people, you better understand what God says about LOVE. Someone that you love, and you think loves you, is going to ask you to do something that really is not loving at all! OUR THEME TODAY from Romans 13:12-14 CONTEXT = LOVE What love looks like I. True Love Has Nothing to Hide. Romans 13:12 A. LOVE exists in the LIGHT. B. SIN exists in the DARKNESS. The Bible describes the difference between LIGHT and DARKNESS 1. (John 3:19-21) "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. " 2. (Ephesians 5:8, 11) "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light"..."have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them." 3. (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8) "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 4. (1 John 1:5-7) " If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." C. "deeds of darkness" 1. A List of SIX DEEDS of DARKNESS 2. OTHER NT lists: 3. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 4. (Colossians 3:5-7) "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,

3 which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived." 5. (Galatians 5:19-21) "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." 6. The context of THIS LIST is the CHARACTERISTIC of LOVE TRUE LOVE has NOTHING to HIDE If you have to keep it a secret... It s not love! If you have to hide to do it...it s not love! If you are embarrassed about it...it s not love! If you don t want your parents to find out...it s not love! If it would harm your good standing...it s not love! If others blush when it is discussed...it s not love! If it could get you into trouble...it s not love! If you re told don t tell anybody...it s not love! If it s something that others have to keep a secret...it s not love! If it makes you feel dirty...it s not love! II. True Love Always Follows God's Commands. Romans 13:13 A. Debate concerning MORALITY. 1. Culture says morality is RELATIVE 2. This is FALSE B. Christians are slowly accepting the idea that morals are relative to the situation or culture. C. R. Scott Smith, Truth and the New Kind of Christian. THREE REASONS Christians are more accepting of moral relativism: ( ) 1. Over time, the attacks have taken their toll, and many Christians have become less confident in the unique truth of Christianity. 2. Some Christians think that Jesus himself taught us not to judge others (misunderstanding of JUDGMENTALISM and DISCERNMENT - Matthew 7:1 judge not... ) 3. We as Christians have been deeply affected by the surrounding American culture, which has brought the belief that the goal of life is to indulge our desires.... Relativism lets us think that we can be in charge. D. LOVE BEHAVES a certain way. 1. Decently.,ÛFP0:`<TH a. GOOD WAY b. Honestly KJV 2. Daytime (contrast again with darkness)

4 E. The COMMANDS 1. ALCOHOL. (Lack of self control) a. Orgies. (1) a festal procession in honor of Dionysus, then a joyous meal or banquet, (2) God of WINE (3) Common, pagan festivals (4) Regardless of your view about social drinking, the NT makes clear that partying with our unsaved friends is something unquestionably sinful. b. Drunkenness. c. Everett F. Harrison combines this... Drunken orgies. 2. SEXUALITY a. Sexual immorality (NIV) chambering (KJV) (1) literally beds (2) (Hebrews 13:4) "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (3) ANY FORM of sexual activity other than marriage. (4) Relationship between a MAN and WOMAN involves GIVING (a) you DATE - give gifts (b) ENGAGED - a RING (c) MARRIAGE - YOURSELF! b. Debauchery (NIV) wantonness (KJV) (1) FX8(,4" (2) Abandonment of all morality. (Ephesians 4:19) "Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality [same word] so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." c. Harrison, Sexual debauchery 3. SELF SEEKING DIVISION a. Dissension. (1) fighting. Quarrels, (2) Strife (KJV) (3) 1 Corinthians 1:11 some from Chloe s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you." b. Jealousy (1).8@H

5 (2) Can have a GOOD SENSE (3) Here, it is NEGATIVE. (4) KJV Envying III. True Love Brings You and the One You Love Closer to Christ. Romans 13:14 A. Closer in identity.. 1. Clothe yourself 2. Aorist middle 3. Put on Jesus Christ. 4. We do this at salvation (Galatians 3:27) "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." 5. We do this also in our sanctification B. Closer in obedience. Do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature illus - Confessions of Augustine. Writes about his struggles with leaving ths worldly life he was living. He sat weeping in the garden of a friend in Milan. Suddenly, he heard a child singing Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege! ( take up and read! Take up and read!). He picked up a scroll lying there, and his eyes fell on Romans 13: Not in orgies and drunkenness... Clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ... immediately his heart was flooded with a clear light, and the darkness of doubt vanished (Mounce, NAC, Romans, 248) C. Closer in selflessness. True love desires the BEST for the person being LOVED WHY is this so important? Because the definition of LOVE has been challenged! We are told that LOVE means ALLOWING Everyone to have what they want! THIS IS NOT LOVE! FOLLOWING your HEART will lead to DEATH! Notice this picture of my family. I want you to focus not on me, but on my father. Grandpa. Great Grandpa. This is a picture that many have ruined by following a Satan s definition of LOVE. S A young man accepting Satan s lie that God made him gay, and pursuing a life that ends in loneliness, AIDS, back alleys, and a broken heart. S A young girl that listens to the begging of a testosterone filled boy, telling her but baby, I love you... This ends in a break up, lost virginity, lost reputation, pregnancy and second hand merchandise that will be rejected by most godly young men. S A father of two young girls, accepting the lie that fidelity means bondage. In the rush of emotions that tell him he can be free, he breaks the trust of his wife and children, and destroys something he will never get back. GOD knows best! He desires the BEST for you! He knows what love is because HE IS LOVE. Don t fall for Satan s lies! They will destroy you and your life. Don t be deceived. There is a

6 true definition of Love. It comes from God s Word. It is seen in God s Son. It has rewards greater than what you can imagine right now. Pursuing true love is worth it.