Friday, December 6
Written by Christopher Williams
First Congregational Church of Fresno
Romans 13:11-14
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
In this passage Paul is giving Christians a “wake up call”, telling us that the long night is over and that the morning approaches. Paul is speaking figuratively and not suggesting that Christians must become morning people (much to the relief of several Christian friends I know). Paul is saying that as Christians we need to set aside the things that make our spirit unclean, literally calling out the sins of drunkenness and sexual immorality. If we are to make a better world or a paradise as the one that Christ has promised us then we must work towards purity of spirit. God sent humanity His son as an example of what each of us is capable of achieving. To hear the gospel, ignore it, and wonder why God hasn’t given us a shiny new planet to live on is pure folly.
When Paul says “the night is nearly over; the day is almost here”, he isn’t referring to humanity being whisked off to some kingdom in the clouds but is instead giving
humanity the instructions on how to create such a world here on earth. If we clothe
ourselves “with the Lord Jesus Christ” and perform His works rather than those of a malevolent nature then we will only bring about our salvation and the salvation of
humanity.
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