December 2, 2001 Romans 13:11-14
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 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. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies 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 sinful nature.
Fashions have changed dramatically throughout the past one hundred years, wouldn’t you say? I can remember back in the 80’s, when I was in high school, long hair was in fashion. Kids would wear their collars up. My classmate had pink pants. Another guy had what they called “parachute” pants. Looking back on those pictures, it is somewhat embarrassing to show people what I used to wear and look like, because fashions have changed. Fashions are hard to keep up with, because they change so often, and it costs so much money to keep up with current clothing.
But fashion can be important. If you wear the wrong clothing to an interview, you could lose an opportunity. If you wear the wrong clothing on a date, you may not be very impressive. If you wear the wrong clothing to go hunting, you may get too cold or too hot, or even get shot.
Fashion is important in Christianity as well. Paul talks about a specific kind of clothing that he wants Christians to wear, if they want to “fit into” the kingdom of God on Judgment Day.
Be a “Fashionable” Christian
The most important criteria to fashion is the culture you are living in. What you wear depends on where you live. When you go to your Christmas parties, you will naturally ask, “what will people be wearing?” One of the most embarrassing things for people is to stick out because they are either too formal or not formal enough. In a similar way, Paul wants Christians to be aware of what other people are “wearing.” He says that first of all a Christian should be understanding the present time.
It’s so easy for us to just live life and never reflect on what kind of “times” we are living in. When I was in high school, I only knew one kid with a computer. We would play a game that he would download from a tape recorder that we would play. Only one out of every ten kids owned a car. Even at the seminary, only one of my classmates owned a computer. Times have changed. When I went to the Tel-Tech conference back in July, it was very interesting for me to listen to the keynote speaker make mention of the tremendous changes that have taken place in these times. He predicted a time when people would all be carrying cell phones around - which would have little video cameras sticking out of them. He also said that we are caught in between a paper and a digital world. Instead of kids bringing notebooks to school they will be bringing portable computers and the like. These are the times we are living in.
But when Paul says to “understand the present time,” he isn’t talking about technology. He’s speaking from a spiritual perspective. Paul described the world of his time as living in orgies and drunkenness, in sexual immorality and debauchery, and in dissension and jealousy. That’s pretty bad, isn’t it. Orgies literally means excessive feasting. Debauchery literally means to live as if there was no law. The picture I get of Paul’s world was of people who lived to party, and people who were constantly trying to be rich and live in luxury by cutting others down and jealously seeking what others had.
Paul told the Roman Christians to “wake up from their slumber.” That word is “hypnos” - where we get the word hypnosis from - to walk around like a zombie - to not realize what is going on around them. It might sound incredulous that the Roman Christians were unaware of the orgies and drunkenness and sexual immorality, dissension and jealousy that was prevalent in Rome. But is it? The point that Paul is making is that it is easy for us to walk through this world not seeing evil for what it is. That’s why he uses “darkness” to describe these evil activities. The one characteristic of darkness is the fact that it is impossible to see in it. When the sun goes down at night, darkness slowly but surely creeps over the land - it isn’t a sudden thing. But pretty soon you find yourself needing to turn your headlights on. And that’s what’s so deceptive about evil in the world. Like a subtle turning of day to night, a blanket of darkness slowly descends on our world, making it more and more evil.
Just look at how these sins are good examples as to what Paul is talking about. You would think that a more educated society and a more advanced society would have better morals. But the exact opposite has happened. In our most advanced institutions of learning - excessive drinking, sex, and feasting is the norm. It has become so common that those who don’t do it are thought of as being “out of fashion.” Parents are neither shocked nor surprised at hearing of pregnancies and drunkenness. The lawlessness is obvious as young adults are taking drugs like “ecstasy” to have a good time. And what about those out of college in the every day working world? Dissension and jealousy? How many of you go through one day of work without a co-worker bad mouthing another or some sort of argument to work through? These are not new sins. But what Paul is saying is that as Christians, we need to understand this part of our culture - this darkness. Don’t be under hypnosis, just because of the prevalence of it all. Our times are not any “better” just because we are more technologically advanced. Understand the times - they are as “dark” as ever.
The difficult thing is what Paul says next - Let us behave decently, as in the daytime. He wants us to live as if it were light out, when it is actually dark out. I would compare this to working a graveyard shift. I used to have a job waxing floors at Shopko on the graveyard shift. It was not as easy as I thought it would be. My body was programmed to be fast asleep and under the covers at night. I never did get used to working while it was dark out. It is not natural.
So Paul says, do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. It is the natural and easy thing for us to want to live like the culture that we are in. If everyone is getting drunk, we want to join with them. If everyone else is having sex, why can’t we? One of the most difficult things we have to deal with as Christians is to live differently than the “atmosphere” of this dark and sinful world. And with a sinful nature, it’s only “natural” for us to want to have sex when we want to - to slander - and to be jealous of others. So we need to “not make provisions for those desires.” What does that mean? Don’t make it easy for your sinful nature to join in with the darkness.
Isn’t this just a sad reflection on what we’re made of? Even as Christians, we still have natural inclinations to want to live in the fashions of this world - to live like them - even though we are children of light. We live with a wickedness in us that is more than willing to jump into sin at the first chance. The Old Adam in you wants to have an affair. Wants to have sex now! Wants to do selfishly whatever it can to make more money - to get ahead of it’s neighbor. And more often we have fallen into these temptations - jumped in - head first. Don’t be naive to this, Paul says. Wake up! Don’t wear the fashions of the world - the clothing of lust, hatred, and deceit! They aren’t as comfortable as they look! They’ll give you guilt and God’s wrath!
I. Don’t get dressed with the dark
Instead, what did Paul say to do? He has his own version of fashion, and it’s completely different from anything that the world wears. He says, put on the armor of light and to clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is similar to what Jesus said when he told his disciples in Luke 12, Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. This reminds me of the story of the Passover. Before the angel of death came, God told the Israelites exactly how to eat the Passover meal in Exodus 12:10 - This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover. They were supposed to eat their meal at night with their cloak tucked in and their sandals on - in other words - be ready to run from Egypt!
In the same way, God wants us to be wearing the right clothing as we await the coming of our King! He wants us to wear something that’s completely unfashionable in this world - something that sticks out like a sore thumb - to wear Christ and armor light! This clothing would make the world ask us, “did you get dressed in the dark?” And the thing is, that God doesn’t just want you to wear this clothing for one hour on Sunday, he wants you to wear it all the time! Whether you are at work, or playing sports, or at school, wear your Jesus clothing and stick out like a sore thumb!
And how does he encourage us in this? Paul says, our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. Notice first of all what Paul said was coming? Paul means to say, “hold on just a little longer! The Son is coming soon!” When I was working the night shift, one of the things that would encourage me to keep going was knowing that I only had a limited time left to work! Even though their salvation seemed a long ways away - it was only around the corner! It may seem like you have to suffer a long time - but even if you live to be a hundred - the day is nearer for you every day you live! That’s what Advent is about! As you prepare for Christmas, so also prepare for the Second Day that is coming - because it will be here soon!
Notice also the confidence in Paul’s words. OUR SALVATION IS NEARER, Paul said with confidence. He didn’t say it may be, or it could be, but that it IS NEARER. In Romans 1:16-17 Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” The whole epistle of Romans basis this salvation on the fact that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. He brought us out of this kingdom of darkness and into his kingdom of light. The same Jesus who died for you is soon coming to take you home. Since Jesus already paid for your salvation and has given it to you, it’s just a matter of time before it’s yours! Imagine how wonderful it will be to have Jesus say to you on Judgment Day, come home, my son! Here’s a special place - a spacious mansion - just for you! The day is near - so hold on! What a great encouragement this is to wear the armor of light and the clothing of Christ!
Up to this point, I’m sure you’ve kind of wondered, “what is this armor of light,” and this “clothing of Christ.” First of all, what does it mean to “put on the clothing of Christ?” There’s really nothing to it. We don’t have to sew our own booties or stitch our own shirts that say “Christ” on them. For Paul explains in Galatians 3:27 that all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. When my kids get up in the morning, I put their clothes on them. That’s how simple “putting on the clothes of Christ is.” God actually puts his clothing on us at our baptism when he showers us with Jesus’ righteousness and gives us faith. So “putting Christ on” is no more difficult than leaving your clothes on. It is just a matter of continuing to have faith in Christ. This clothing is not itchy - like wool. It is not heavy - like the law. It isn’t too big or too small. It keeps the heat of God’s wrath out and protects our hearts from getting cold. It is the most comfortable clothing you could wear. It doesn’t slow down your work. It enables you to be active and stay active. You don’t have to purchase these clothes. They’re given to you. Because it’s not a physical thing. It’s a spiritual righteousness that God puts on your account. And what is best, is that even though the world thinks these clothes are gaudy and ugly, in God’s eyes - they make you look perfect and holy!
When a child in the inner city has real nice clothes, he often has to worry about someone stealing from him. In the same way, the devil is constantly trying to rip the clothing of Christ off of us. He’ll show us a new line of adultery in the blond in the next cubicle. He’ll say, “try these new shoes of promotion through some words of slander!” He’ll say, “I have some good mud you can throw right in the next aisle!”
So Paul tells us to then wear the armor of light! In Ephesians Paul says that this armor is the Word of God. How can we do this? Think about what armor is. It is something that hangs on you for protection. It is sometimes heavy and difficult to carry. And think of what light does - it shows you the way and lights up your path. In other words, God wants us to stay in the Word of God. That all sounds neat and tidy, to “put on the armor of light!” But do you really do it? What I mean is, do you hang God’s Word in your house? There are words of light that apply to every situation of darkness. For instance, bosses within the congregation could hang Colossians 4:1 in their cars before they go to work which says, Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. Or employees could read this passage before work every day - 1 Peter 2:18 Submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. Kids could hang the Fourth Commandment in their rooms. That’s one way that we can put that armor on - and apply it to ourselves. What good is armor if we don’t wear it? And what good is light if we don’t use it? It may not look fashionable in the eyes of the world. It may be more difficult to wear and live by. But it works! It is only when we wear this armor that we will be able to keep the arrows of the evil one away!
II. Get dressed in the dark
It is difficult to stay in “fashionable” in this world. New clothes cost a lot of money. Sometimes the fashionable clothes aren’t always very comfortable. They change a lot. They wear out. And they differ from region to region. But if you want to be a “fashionable Christian,” you don’t need any money. You don’t have to worry about the fashion changing. There is only one fashion - one set of clothing that we all wear for all time - and that is the righteousness of Christ. His holiness never fades. It always feels good. It always fits. Through faith in Christ you are wearing those clothing. You are a “fashionable Christian.” Now Paul says, “keep your clothes on as you wait for Christ. And keep wearing your armor.” How? Stay in the Word. Amen.
