Thursday, March
9, 2023
AN AGE OF DISORDER
Rom 13:10-14
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love
is the fulfilling of the law.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed.
12 The night is far
spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put
on the armour of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering (this begs an explanation)
and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the
lusts thereof. KJV
You may think that our Bible
portion does not fit the label of today’s devotional, but I am a presbutes, an old man, and I have seen a few things. Like
you, I have worn the garments of youth and sampled more than a sip of life. I
understand what is called peer pressure and am old enough that it no longer
matters. Now, I see a world in disarray, and I wonder just why it is so.
Love works no ill
to his neighbor. We are seeing everything but this. The Greeks had several words, eight
actually, for “love” and the one most seen today is ϕιλαυτία ( philautía) Philautia is self-love. No, not that kind. Philautia refers to how a person views
themselves and how they feel about their own body and mind. The modern equivalent
of philautia would be something like self-esteem but today’s particular form is
selfishness. It is a “me first and me only” mind set.
Let us walk
honestly. Today our word “honestly” means without falsehood but the Greek word
used here is euschemonos and means “decorously.” Ladies will know what “home décor”
means and it has a similar meaning here. So, let us walk honestly means let us
conduct ourselves in an orderly fashion. I have lived through the fifties, the
sixties, the seventies, and well, you get the idea. I’ve observed a kaleidoscope
of fashion trends. But we seem to have yet another roaring twenties marked by
brand-new worn out jeans and a thing called “dress tennis shoes.” Well, let’s
move along.
Not rioting and not
in strife. The two Greek words used here are VERY interesting. Rioting, which we think we understand is the word komos from which we
seem to get KOMO-TION. Our current brand is called insurrection. The word strife,
which we also think we understand, is the Greek word eris and means “wrangling” or contentious debate. So this is NOT how we
should be living.
I promised to deal
with the word chambering. Well this is the Greek word koite and it means just what you think it does. It refers to a couch,
co-habitation, etc. So, yes, we have
plenty of that as well.
Verse 14 sums
things up. Put on Christ. His actions, attitudes, and motives. Copy Him and stop
excusing yourself for sin.
Dear Lord, let me walk in this world with the understanding that you
are coming soon. Let me walk with maturity and decorum. Let me not join the
rioters but prepare myself to meet you. AMEN
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