“Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.” (Romans 13:11-14 NASB1995)

Who is this written to? It is written to the church, to those who make professions of faith in Jesus Christ. And it is giving us instructions in how we are to live, as those who profess the name of Jesus, and how we are not to live if we are true followers of Christ. And this is not a mere suggestion or recommendation. For if sin is our practice, deliberately and habitually, and if walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands are not what we live by, then we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what we say.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Basically, what this is teaching is the opposite of “Once Saved Always Saved.” For what does it say? “Salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.” For, biblical salvation is not based on a one time confession of faith in Jesus Christ whereby we now have salvation from sin and eternal life with God guaranteed us, but regardless of how we live. How we live matters to God, and it matters if we are to have salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And that salvation will not be complete until Jesus returns for his bride.

(Romans 8:24; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-2; Philippians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 1:8-9; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5,9; Matthew 10:22; John 8:31-32; John 15:1-12; Romans 11:17-24; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:10-13; Hebrews 3:6,14-15; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 1 John 2:24-25)

And that is why Paul spoke with those who professed the name of Jesus regarding how they lived, and the things that they practiced and lived by. For salvation and eternal life with God are not promised based on lip service alone. We need to be those who deny self, die to sin daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands as a matter of life practice, although not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection. But deliberate and habitual sin against God and deliberate disobedience must be gone.

We must not be those who are still walking in sin (in darkness). But we must be those who are living according to the light (the truth) of God’s word in holy living, doing what is pleasing to God as our daily practice. We are not to be those who are drunkards, sexually promiscuous, liars, thieves, haters, rebels, and the self-indulgent, etc., who live for sinful pleasures and who do not live to please God in all of who we are and what we do in this life. But we are to put on the Lord Jesus, and make no provisions for sinful flesh.

(Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22)

I’m The One

By Ray Overholt

I was not in the garden when He knelt to God and prayed
I did not kiss Him on the cheek when Jesus was betrayed;
I was not at the trial when the crowd jeered at His name
I did not make Him bear a cross or walk a road of shame;

I was not on the hillside when He gave His life that day
I did not nail His precious hands or take His robe away;
I could not do a single thing to hurt God’s only Son
But every time I sin on earth I feel that I’m the one

I’m the one who shouted “crucify,”
I’m the one who made His cross so high
I’m the one who stood and watched Him die;
What have I done? I’m the one

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Let Us Behave Properly
An Original Work / December 26, 2025
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