No Provision
“Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in carousings and drinking; not in co-habitation and lustful acts; not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh.” Romans 13:13, 14 (MKJV)
Living life as a follower of Christ is often referred to as “walking with God.” In Romans 13, Paul declares that it is time for all followers of Christ awaken from their state of slumber, for the culmination of our salvation—the revealing of Jesus Christ at His second coming—is nearer than when we first believed. Night—the time when sleep is the common activity—is over.
It is no longer acceptable for those who would be on the side of Christ to remain in their listless indifference and lethargy. Day has come; the time to work has arrived. The precious daylight hours must be spent in soul-winning, for, “Night comes when no man can work” (John 9:4). The end of the day that is “at hand” is marked by the glorious appearing of our Lord.
In light of the dawn of this final, metaphoric day, we must walk becomingly—or in the proper manner—as the situation calls for. Because of the soberness of the message we must bear, this is not a time for drunken merrymaking. Because the message calls for a return to God’s standard of morality, this is not a time for lust and immorality. Because the spreading of the message requires unity and oneness, this is not a time for contention and jealousy. Because of our personal inadequacy to spread the message, this is the time to “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ. In the original Greek text, the word is “enduō,” which means “to sink deeply into,” or “to invest in.” Literally, we are to completely immerse ourselves in Jesus Christ, so that we will be so thoroughly inculcated with His Spirit that He shines out in everything that we say and do.
Paul closes by saying, “And do not take thought beforehand for the lusts of the flesh.” Far too often, the self-proclaimed followers of Christ think and plan beforehand for the lusts of the flesh. They leave a space in their lives so that when a temptation comes along, they can decide whether or not it is “good enough” or “worth” sinning to enjoy the temporary pleasures it offers. Those who truly desire to walk honestly and fully immerse themselves in Christ cannot and will not make these provisions for the fulfillment of the fleshly lusts. To truly follow Christ, we must make no provision for the flesh.