Paul has been addressing the conduct of Christians since the start of Rom 12.
• It is the life of those who have believed the Gospel that he laid out in Rom 1-11.
• The right belief will lead to the right conduct. As followers of Christ living in a paganistic society like Rome, the readers’ witness and testimony matters.
• The Roman world will know and see Christ through their witness and conduct.
Their testimony before a pagan world matter, no doubt about that.
• Paul adds on another dimension in the next paragraph – Romans 13:11-14 – the need to watch our conduct because of an impending event - Christ is returning.
• He writes with a sense of urgency because they are going to see Christ again.
Romans 13:11-14
11Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
We are to KNOW THE TIME. “For salvation is NEARER to us NOW than when we first believed.”
• So the “salvation” here does not refer to conversion (when they first believed) but in the broader sense, our glorification, our transformation, the consummation of our salvation when Christ returns.
• And that day is drawing NEARER, nearer than we first believed. We are nearer to the Second Coming of Christ with each passing day.
• And for some, they may even meet Christ before that, if they die before His return.
Either way, it ends our testimony on earth. But are we prepared? Are we ready to see Christ? That is Paul’s concern and OUR CONCERN today.
• Paul says now is the time to wake up from your sleep, which might indicate that he notices some complacency among believers in the places he has been visiting.
• Paul expresses the urgency of the matter three times:
(1) “know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep” (11a).
(2) “salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.” (11b)
(3) “the night is far gone; the day is at hand.” (12)
• We are to wake up from our sleep because the night is far gone, the day has come.
When we factor time into the equation, something changes. Our time is limited, we have to leave this world and we are going to face Christ.
• With He returns, our witness ceases and we have an accounting to do before Him.
• Paul wrote earlier in 2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
• 1 Cor 3:12-13 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — 13each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.
By the mercies of God, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship, Paul said in 12:1.
• Are we offering that which is good or evil, as valuable and lasting as gold, silver, precious stones or something that can be burnt up like wood, hay and straw?
In the light of this coming event, Paul appeals to them in the next few lines, calling for their right actions:
(1) “So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.” (12b)
(2) “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy. (13)
(3) “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (14)
Still continuing from the metaphor he started with - waking up from sleep. We wake up, clean up, and dress up.
• We change out of our pyjamas and put on day clothes – clothes that are appropriate for the daytime and that can be seen by all in daylight.
• In order words, watch our conduct.
All three statements contrast the positive behaviours with the negative:
- from works of darkness to deeds of light,
- walking properly in the daytime and not indulging in sinful acts in the night, and
- putting on Christ, fulfilling His will and not gratifying the desires of the flesh.
• Paul’s thrust is clear. It’s time to wake up, Christ’s return is nearer than ever, and therefore watch your testimony.
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It’s interesting to see Paul using “put on the armour of light” and not just the deeds of light. He sees it as a battle.
• It is a spiritual battle where the works of righteousness are pitted against Satan’s deeds of darkness.
• Paul explained this in greater detail in Ephesians when he wrote to them some 5 years later.
• Eph 6:11-13 11Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
That’s OUR CALLING. We are called to put on the armour of light, to live in holiness and do the works of righteousness, while we still can before Christ’s return.
• Paul describes HOW we ought to behave in the next few lines.
• Rom 13:13 Let us walk properly [NIV behave decently; KJV walk honestly] as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy.
• All these vices stem from SELF – self-pleasure, self-indulgence, self-will – completely opposite of the Christian conduct that Paul has been saying, one that is marked by LOVE – selfless, sacrificial love, for the good and benefit of others.
In short, put on Christ. Our conduct matters because it is the light that the world will see. So put on Christ.
• NIV “clothe yourselves with Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” (14)
• That’s OUR PREOCCUPATION. People can only see Christ in us, nothing of our self.
• Paul says we are to do that WELL and do it NOW because the time is short and Jesus is returning soon.
• Life will end, either He comes first or we go first. Our testimony ceases and we have to give an accounting to God. Paul says it in Rom 14:12.
APPLICATIONS:
So we are to live with this END in mind and watch what we LEAVE BEHIND.
When I came up with the title “Living With the End in Mind”, the end I was thinking of is FACING CHRIST.
• We usually think of the end as death because that’s how this phrase is commonly used.
• It is helpful too because we want to live wisely knowing that we will leave this world one day.
• But for the Christian, our END is more appropriately FACING CHRIST. That’s our ultimate end.
• Death is not an end; it is just a transitional door that we step through into the presence of God. We shall all MEET Christ and that’s our ultimate end.
Remember Paul said earlier in Romans 8 that we are presently groanings on this side of heaven waiting for the glory that will be revealed in us.
• Rom 8:18-19 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”
• On that day, we shall all be transformed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor 15:52), and take on a new and glorious body that is imperishable and immortal.
• And that day is very near, much nearer today than when Paul said it.
So let us live with that END in mind, which leads me to the second application:
Watch what we leave behind
• Are we leaving behind a testimony as lasting and valuable as gold, silver, precious stones, or something transient and worthless like wood, hay, straw? (1 Cor 3:12-13)
To die is the simple part, I mean, for the Christian who knows Christ and the hope of heaven, dying is going to a better place, a release from the toil and pain of this world.
• But death has a context. WHAT are you leaving behind and WHO are you leaving behind? Are you leaving behind a mess?
• Have we fought the good fight, like Paul? Did we finish the race? Have we kept the faith? (cf. 2 Tim 4:7).
• Will you be leaving a good testimony for Christ, a good example for others to follow, a lasting impact in the lives of those you leave behind? Or are you leaving behind unfinished tasks, not fulfilling the responsibilities that God has given you?
• Will people be blessed by the fruits of your labour?
Heed Paul’s call. Let us make our lives count before we see Christ again.
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Moses wrote in Psalm 90:10-12 NIV
10Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
A man took to heart what was written in Psalm 90. God gives man perhaps 80 years on earth. And it encourages us to “number our days” so we may gain a heart of wisdom.
And so, starting with his current age and computing how many days he had left, this man filled a jar with marbles – one marble for every remaining day of life according to this Psalm. Every night, he would remove a marble out of the jar - a marble that represented one day spent.
For years, he faithfully removed marbles out of the jar. Seeing the jar being emptied progressively makes an impact on the way he lives each day of his life.
God has given us one life. What we do with it is our gift to God and our worship of Him, as Paul said in Rom 12:1.
• Whether we live for only a few years, or up to 100, compared to eternity, the time we have is short. Let us use it wisely.
• Each day that has passed is gone forever and we can never retrieve it.
• We are losing our marbles slowly and surely! So let us treasure our days and live them well for His purpose and His glory.
PRAYER:
Help us, Lord, live in the light of Your return or our return to You if it comes first. Remind us that this world is not our home, we are just passing through. Our destiny is with you, our Saviour and Lord.
Help us make our days count and live them wisely. May your Name be honoured through our conduct and testimony, until the day we see you.
In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
You can hear the sermon with slides at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAMzmfHISCg
and access all our earlier sermons at https://tinyurl.com/KTCC-EnglishService
