Take Up and Read

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Scripture: Romans 13:13-14 (ESV)

13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Devotion:

            Today’s scripture instructs us to walk in the light. We are to avoid what the unsaved world does in the darkness. These are grave warnings to Christians to avoid participating in the evil which pervades the world. This scripture has a great history of warning the saints not to be drawn into the sin that so easily entangles those who are not wary. Let us consider the story of St. Augustine for whom these scriptures spoke into his sin weary life:

One example is Augustine. “In his Confessions Augustine tells of his conversion to Christianity (viii.12). In A.D. 386, at a time when he was deeply moved by a desire to break from his old way of living, he sat weeping in the garden of a friend in Milan. Suddenly he heard a child singing Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege! (“Take up and read! Take up and read!”). He picked up a scroll lying there, and his eyes fell on Rom 13:13–14, “Not in orgies and drunkenness …” Immediately his heart was flooded with a clear light, and the darkness of doubt vanished.”[1]

            While not all of us will have such a conversion experience as St. Augustine had. We do well to open ourselves to these words from Romans. We may not do all the evil things that Augustine was involved in prior to his conversion: each of us is enticed by our own private sins which we cling to with religious fervor. Let us accept these words as our invitation to escape our private sin patterns and seek to follow Christ into a new life that awaits those who follow him.

            Once we have been forever changed by God’s word let us seek to share our story with anyone who asks us why we are different. If your life reflects the changes spoken of in this scripture you will not have to search for opportunities to witness to your new-found faith in Jesus. People will be drawn to you. May God grant all who have accepted His invitation to new life in Christ be filled with boldness and courage to bear witness to the One who changed their life.

            If we are faithful in this matter God will bless us. We may never have the same effect that St. Augustine had, but our faithfulness will be rewarded in heaven. Let us pray for strength and courage to face the world with the truth of the gospel.

Prayer:

            Lord, thank you for the example of Augustine. May we be found as faithful as he was in reaching the world for the gospel. May our sins distress us, so that we earnestly desire to be free from them forever. Grant us courage to speak out and tell the world about the change that you have brought about in our lives. May we seek to earnestly follow you wherever you may lead us. Amen.


[1] Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 248.

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