Deeds or Spirit?

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 13:12-14)

I just noticed a significant difference between these two contrasted options as I reread this whole passage this morning from the middle of chapter 12 through all of 13. When the things of darkness are itemized they generally revolve around deeds – works – activities. But in these verses there is no itemized list of deeds as such mentioned for the side of light. The closest thing mentioned here is the word behave, but even then it is described by what not to do.

This reminds me of the main theme that I have been seeing all throughout the book of Romans. A life focused on externals and deeds and activities is not the focus that prepares one for living in harmony with God. That is the focus of those who are futilely striving to get to heaven by works of righteousness through rule-keeping. Deeds are also the descriptions of those who are in open rebellion against the authority of heaven.

Paul has been unpacking for 13 chapters now the need to shift our attention to the condition of our spirit and our relationship with God and others instead of focusing on managing our external behavior to look good. For behavior, if properly understood, is simply the fruit of what lies deep in the heart. And if we want to produce the genuine fruit of true righteousness we cannot do it artificially by working at it. We must, in fact, do the very opposite and learn to rest in a vital connection with the only real source of true righteousness, Jesus Christ and the Father God and the Spirit that He has given us.

The whole history of man throughout all the Bible and all the dark centuries that have passed since is an example of the struggle between these two views of how to be right with God. The Israelites strove for centuries to get it right and align their behavior with the requirements of God, but they usually failed to heed God's pleadings with them to have their hearts transformed and as a result they repeatedly fell into apostasy and rebellion and defamed the name of God throughout the earth.

In stark contrast to this mention of deeds which is connected with the word darkness, we are instructed to put on the armor of light which is synonymous with putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. But this is not accomplished by any amount of external work on our part but by a dramatic transformation of our spirit and attitudes. Certainly after this takes place there will be seen in the life a great deal of wonderful results and deeds in the external life that will be consistent with the righteousness demonstrated by Jesus. But those externals will be spontaneous in nature and not something forced.

So how do I get from here to there? What is really involved in this putting on?

I will not lay claim to having the final answers to this or to any other deep questions at this point. But given the many truths that have become much more clear to me over the past few years I have some good ideas of some things that can be done to bring this about in the life.

As I have noted above, this putting on seems clearly an action of the spirit much more than anything revolving around deeds and externals, except the choice to refrain from many deeds that we have been previously engaged in. Interestingly in the light of other things Paul has talked about in Romans, deeds of darkness may also include some deeds that many assume to be righteous. Any notion that our deeds somehow produce merit for ourselves to leverage God to allow us into heaven are in God's eyes deeds of darkness just as are the more obvious deeds of sin listed here. ...For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

So given the context and surrounding descriptions in these verses, I come to the conclusion that behaving properly means to move my attention to the condition of my spirit, my disposition, my attitudes and the condition of my relationship with God and with others instead of the external actions I may try to perform. To behave properly is to release my desires to act out in sinful behaviors my attempts to satisfy the deep longings of my heart and turn to the Creator of my heart with my spirit and receive real life and satisfaction from the real Source of life.

"This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. for everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

Not only do I need to put on light and an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, but I need to do it so committedly that I do not even hedge my bets by making alternate provisions just in case this doesn't work out. God cannot accept anything less than my total heart commitment to His side in this conflict. Anything else creates the situation of a heart harboring treason, and that is fatally dangerous in war-time. God commands that I make no provision whatsoever for my flesh and its lusts that clamor to offer me satisfaction through any other means than complete and implicit trust in God's plans for my life. I am to only receive life and satisfaction from my Lord and only Lord – Jesus Christ.

As I assimilate and take on the flavor and odor and luminance of the presence of Jesus, my life and spirit and aura will began to more and more reflect the glorious light of heaven. And that light of God's glory will be for me a shield and armor to protect my heart from the abuse and misuse of both others and myself as I learn to live in implicit obedience to the One who knows far better than I what my heart needs.

To live behind the armor of light is the same as what Paul described in chapter eight about being led by the Spirit of God. That is the relationship that the true children of God have with their Father. And while to our way of thinking, light is a terrible choice for protecting us from attack or harm, in the world of true reality as seen from heaven's perspective it is the only protection that offers any real hope of us surviving the deceptive assaults of the enemy of our Father.

Father, I give You permission right now to do whatever is necessary to bring my spirit into alignment with Your Spirit and Your heart. I ask for a more thorough spirit of humility and peace and submission to Your authority and the authorities that You have set up temporarily on earth. I ask that You transform my life into a much better reflector of Your love so that others can see more clearly the real truth about Your heart. Cover my sins and remove my guilt and inner condemnation. Fill my heart and mind and spirit with the brilliant light of the presence of Jesus and surround me with the sweet atmosphere of love and compassion that surrounded Your Son while He lived here in person on this earth. Glorify Your name through my life today.

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