Off with the Old, On with the New Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Off with the Old, On with the New ----------------------- Date: 9/1/1999 Keywords: "clothing" "lusts" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Romans 13:12-14* 12. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh with regard to its lusts. Questions 1. In this passage, the apostle Paul says that we are to "lay aside" certain things? What things?   2. Paul also tells us to "put on" certain things. What are Christians supposed to "put on."   3. Do you see any reason why Paul would tell us to "lay aside" the certain things before he tells us to "put on" the other things?   4. There is a great contrast between "day" and "night" in these verses. How does the knowledge that you're living in the daytime/light affect you when you are tempted to log on to a pornographic Web site?   Practical help This passage affirms what science confirms — all nature abhors a vacuum. If you have come to the point where you know you need to stop your involvement with pornography, great! That is a great place to be. But realize that if you stop accessing porn today, you will have created a vacuum in your life. While pornography was not the right way to go about it, you derived something from viewing it, or you wouldn't have done it. Something you have depended on is gone from your life if you "lay aside" smut. At the moment of laying aside the old, you are unclothed and undefended. Now is the time to arm yourself with "the armor of light" and to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Here is one way to fill the vacuum. Fill the time you formally spent in useless surfing by looking at Christian Web sites. Try typing BIBLE with your favorite search engine, and see what happens. There are many, many sites on the Internet that will bring you knowledge, wisdom and God's perspective and will leave you refreshed and jazzed about walking with Jesus. Better than a guilty conscience! Off with the old, on with the new! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1999 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."