Level Up (Romans 13:11–14)

"Level up" is a phrase often used in video games where a player goes to the next level because he has met certain requirements in the previous level. It also describes real-life experiences where one moves to a higher position or gains prestige & achievements that put them on a figurative pedestal. Most of us have probably experienced moving to a higher level, whether it is getting a promotion or raise, or some other form of "leveling up." We generally desire to move to higher levels of achievement or status because it means more money, perks, or benefits or an increased sense of fulfillment. Few prefer the status quo unless they are the type who avoids bigger responsibilities or more difficult tasks.

Around this time of the year, we often reflect on the year gone by and how we fared against some goal or expectation. Most of us want to be able to say that we have leveled up when it comes to our personal achievements, our business goals, our grades, and so on. I wonder, though, whether we are leveling up when it comes to our walk with the Lord.

So often, the last thing in our life that levels up is actually our walk with the Lord. We spend so much energy making our businesses more profitable, improving our school grades, or working on our career that we forget that which is most important – How is my relationship with my Lord? Have we ever really thought about what really matters most in thislife and the next? There will come a time when you will no longer be in school, you can no longer engage in business and you'll have to retire because of your age. However, your relationship with the Lord goes on forever. From the day you trusted the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you began a relationship that goes beyond this life. This relationship, like all other relationships, need to be cherished. The relationship needs to keep growing.

So how exactly do we "level up" in our relationship or walk with God? Looking at Romans 13:11-14, the apostle Paul gives us three things to do if we want to "level up" in our walk with God. To help us remember them, they are all phrasesthat end with the word "up."

WAKE UP!

The first "up" Paul mentioned was for the Roman Christians to "wake up" from their slumber. What exactly were they to wake up from? We don't see an explicit answer but I believe Paul was referring to the problem of apathy among believers.

Apathy, as defined in a dictionary, is the lack of interest, concern or enthusiasm. It is a problem that seemed to plague individual believers as well as entire churches during the time of the New Testament. In the book of Revelation, we find a couple of churches mentioned by Jesus as being guilty of apathy. Consider the Laodicean church which was neither hot nor cold (not enthusiastic in loving and serving the Lord). The church in Sardis was described by Jesus as being a dead church. Such descriptions point to the fact that apathy is not something new but has plagued churches in the past.

What are the signs that a believer is apathetic? The first sign I see is a believers' unwillingness to be involved in ministry and witness. Every member of the body of Christ plays a vital part in making the body function fully. Unfortunately, many parts do not want to function. They just want to come to church, sit back, relax and do nothing. They possess spiritual gifts but have no intention of using them to serve the Lord and the church. Let us ask ourselves, do we truly care for the Lord's church by being an active part of it?

A second sign of apathy is failure to maintain a relationship with the Lord through prayer and the Word. Some might say they don't have time for it. However, when they go on vacation and have all the time in the world, they're still not spending time with the Lord. If this is the case, it is probably because they just don't think its important. The truth may be that the only thing important for them is that they're going to heaven and that God blesses them. The blessing has become more important than the relationship.

Another sign of apathy is the "I don't care" attitude when it comes to others sinning. Do we feel any sadness or grief when we see people sinning against the Lord? Is our sense of morality already affected by the world that we don't think there's anything wrong when people sin? We may also have the notion that what people do is their own business, even when they are already sinning against the Lord and against other people.

These signs of apathy have no place in the life of a true follower of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul called on the Roman believers to wake up! Don't fall asleep when it comes to your walk with God. Make sure you are moving forward and continually building your intimacy with God by praying and reading his Word. Never become callous when you see yourself or others sinning. Don't condone it – Be moved and grieved just as God is grieved when we sin against him.

CLEAN UP!

The second "up" is "clean up." I'm sure we've all heard this before, when we are told to clean up a mess or to clean up our rooms. I used this phrase to emphasize that if we really want to "level up" in our walk with God, we have to clean up our act – We must deal with sin decisively in our lives.

In verse 12, we read that we are to set aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 'Deeds of darkness' is another way of saying 'sin.'. The passage also compared the deeds of darkness to night time. Why? Because wrongdoing is generally (though not exclusively) done in the cover of the night. We normally do not want people to find out about the wrong things we do. The use of darkness as an analogy for sin also shows the contrast between darkness and light. Light is generally used to describe Jesus Christ and his followers. It is also used to describe the Word of God. Therefore, darkness, being the opposite of light, describes Satan and sin.

When we become Christians, there is a promise that our sins will be forgiven. There is no promise that we become sinless. As long as we are in the world, we have to deal with sin and temptation. The good news is that we can be victorious over sin through the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. What it requires, though, is the commitment that we will no longer allow sin to dominate us.

We can start cleaning up by confessing our sins to God and claiming the forgiveness made available by the Lord Jesus Christ. We must then make up our minds to no longer allow ourselves to become slaves to sin but allow God to renew us. Again, it all boils down to spending time praying and reading the Word of God. By spending time with God, we are weaning ourselves away from the grip and power of sin and allowing our thoughts to be renewed and our actions to be directed by the Word.

We can also start cleaning up by removing those things that lead us into sin. There is usually a vehicle that brings temptation to our doorstep. Is it the internet? Is it the TV programs or movies we watch? Is there a place we frequent that is a source of temptation, like a bar where we end up drinking too much or some venue where our eyes tend to wander? It's time to stop. Why not install an internet filter or watch less TV or go somewhere where we can enjoy clean fun. Why not take up a productive hobby or sport? Cleaning up means giving up the things that become vehicles of temptation. Are you willing to give these up and come clean? Cleaning up also means focusing your mind on the right things, as commanded by Paul in Philippians 4:8.

Do you want to level up in your walk with God? Then it's time to clean up. Don't allow sin to take a foothold in your life. Instead, confess your sins to God, start doing the things that will renew your mind (reading the Word, praying), remove the things that cause you to fall into sin and replace them with things that will make you more productive and fruitful. Start focusing your mind on the right things.

Spruce Up

The last "up" is "spruce up." This term is often used when we decorate something, like a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree without the shiny balls and Christmas lights looks drab and boring. However, a tree that has trimmings, the star on top and the lights is quite beautiful.

The same is true for us in terms of our appearance. We always want to look good. That's why, aside from nice clothes, we accessorize. Women put on make-up. We spruce ourselves up in order to look more attractive. In verse 14 we are told to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. According to a Bible scholar, clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus actually meant the deliberate and conscious acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is a decision done not just once when we accept Jesus, but is a lifelong process. Submission to Jesus Christ is an ongoing decision we need to make every day.

Now, what is the relation between everyday submission to Jesus Christ and becoming more attractive? Well, our submission to Jesus in every area of our lives makes us attractive because this will see us becoming consistent in both our walk and our talk. There will not be a contradiction between what we say and what we do. A surrendered life makes us attractive because people will see more of the Lord Jesus Christ in and through us. In 2 Corinthians 2 : 14 – 15, Christians are described as a fragrant aroma – We exude the fragrance of Jesus Christ. However, the fragrance only comes when we are in total submission and obedience to Jesus Christ. If we do not submit to the rule of Jesus, it will show in our behavior and speech. People will notice and will be turned off by the Christianity we profess to believe in.

It takes total commitment and obedience on our part to become a fragrant aroma that will bring glory and pleasure to God. When we willingly do this, we will spruce up our lives and they will become so attractive that people will be drawn to Jesus Christ through our witness and our deeds.

Conclusion

Level up! That is the challenge for all of us in 2011. Let us be content with where we are now spiritually, but let us exert every effort to grow in our relationship with God. Let us wake up from our apathy and begin to care about our relationship with God. Let us clean up our act through repentance and a firm resolution to live a holy life. Finally, let us spruce up our lives by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ – Submitting to His lordship every day and in every moment.

Why not make a commitment right now to the Lord to grow in our relationship with Him? Why not surrender to His lordship right now and give Him full control of our lives? Why not ask for the Lord's cleansing and forgiveness and for Him to give us a fresh start?