Main Scriptures: Rom.13:11-14
More Scriptures: Jn.3:16, Jas.4:17, 1Jn.4:8
Another reason for right living is this: you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of the Lord is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is far gone, the day of his return will soon be here. So quit the evil deeds of darkness and put on the armor of right living, as we who live in the daylight should be. Be decent and true in everything you do so that all can approve your behavior. Don’t spend your time in wild parties and getting drunk or in adultery and lust or fighting or jealousy. But ask the Lord Jesus Christ to help you live as you should, and don’t make plans to enjoy evil. (Rom.13:11-14) TLB.
The greatest need of the good and godly shepherd is to live as Christ would. He wants to please God. He wants to do the will of God for his wife and children. But time and again, he finds himself doing the opposite of what is expected of the godly man, husband and father. He gets involved in drunkenness, adultery, lust, fighting and jealousy. As the good shepherd, you must not continue in your sinful life. You must quit evil deeds and put on the armor of right living. You must not live as someone in the dark. You must allow the righteousness of Christ to reflect in you and through you to your wife and children. You must awake from your slumber. You have heaped up so many excuses why you cannot act and conduct yourself like the good and godly husband would. It is now time for you to shake off the excuses and be alive to your responsibilities. Secondly, you must lay aside the undisciplined patterns of the flesh. You must be disciplined with your time, emotions, finances and relationships. If you check yourself, you will observe some patterns in your life that are contrary to God’s expectations of you. It could be uncontrolled anger, sexual desires, bitterness, envy, dishonesty, strife, drunkenness, unforgiveness and much more. It is time for you to say no to these ungodly tendencies. Thirdly, you must put on Jesus Christ, the same way you put on your dress. The life of Jesus Christ must reflect from inside out. But for you to put on the armor of right living, you must engage the force of the Spirit of God. This includes aggressive word engagement, maintaining an effective prayer life, associate with godly people, pray in the holy Ghost and speak and walk in faith. So, it is not enough for you to say that you are the good and godly shepherd. It is much more important for you to live the godly life. You must let your light so shine before men that they may glorify God in heaven because that is the only proof that you have removed the garment of sin and put on the garment of righteousness.
SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
- Father, in the Name of Jesus, awaken my spirit man from spiritual slumber and sin.
- Father, in the Name of Jesus, stir up in my life a new zeal for righteous living.
- Father, in the Name of Jesus, make me a living sacrifice, holy acceptable to You and my sheep.
FAITH CONFESSION
I take away the garment of wrong living and put on the armor of right living because that is what makes me the good and godly husbandman in Jesus Name. Amen.
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