Advent 2
Romans 13.11-14
‘Waken up!’ If you are not a morning person you must really hate those words. If you just love that feeling of rolling over and going back to sleep then to hear those words, accompanied by the duvet being pulled back must really rank up there as the worst way to start the day. Sometimes we hear ‘waken up’ and it means we need to have our eyes open to something that is going on around us that we are missing. I am sure you have heard the expression ‘waken up and smell the coffee!’ In the reading that Lindy read for us this morning that is exactly what Paul is writing to the believers in the church at Rome. These verses (11-14) are in fact a summary of the argument that Paul began in 12.1 concerning the Second Coming of Christ and the way Christian believers should live in the light of that fact. In AD386, in Milan, Italy, this passage led to the conversion of St Augustine – you can read it in his Confessions. Turn with me to 13 verses 11-14.
Verse 11- there is urgency in what Paul writes in this verse. Paul is not speaking about some remote time in the future for which they can prepare at leisure. Having spoken of the need to love their neighbours as themselves (1-10) Paul now exhorts them to understand the time in which they live and to waken up from spiritual slumber. They are to remember that they live in a critical period – the era between the first coming and the second coming of Christ Jesus. This expectation hovers over all believers and they are to live in the light of that expectation. Isn’t it interesting that he has to tell the Christian believers not to slumber but to be watchful and alert for the coming of Christ. He tells them the time of their ‘salvation’ is nearer than when they first believed in Christ Jesus. By that he means that the fulfilment of salvation is near. The bible speaks of salvation in past, present and future senses – so I am saved (Eph 2.8), I am being saved (1 Cor 15.2), I will be saved (1 Peter 1.9). Here Paul is speaking of the final consummation of their salvation when Christ returns. They must waken up to that fact. Obviously some of them had started to drift asleep in their walk with God. You know how you start to do the ‘nodding dog’, eyes get heavy, heaviness comes over you and suddenly you find someone poking you and you hear ‘waken up!’ That is exactly what Paul is doing here to the believers at Rome. He wants them to live that day, that moment in the expectation of the return of Christ. How would, or should, the fact that Christ could come today change how you live your life today? Seriously, if you knew Christ would come today would you live in a different way? Why don’t you then live like that now?
Verse 12 – Paul uses the contrast between day and night, darkness and light to depict the difference Christ and His return makes, and should make, in the life of the believer. Note also that he does not exclude himself from this admonition – ‘Let us…’ Paul does not place himself above them or above his own teaching. He too needs to step out of darkness into the marvellous light of Christ and to live accordingly.
Night/darkness – depicts evil and sin. The night is nearly ended in that the return of Christ is nearer than when they first believed in Him. There is also a sense in which their present life is still lived in the realm of darkness but they are to remove the clothes of darkness – that is the works of sin and the deeds belonging to their old lives. The lifestyle/behaviour which they indulged in before coming to Christ are to be taken off and left in the darkness because they no longer live in darkness but they have crossed over into the light of Christ Jesus. Light depicts those who have passed through the experience of salvation in Christ. Therefore the clothes (the deeds of sin) are no longer their clothing for their lives – they have done away with such things by coming to Christ Jesus. Hence the admonition earlier in this chapter to love Christ and to love their neighbours. Their lives are to be lives filled with love for Christ and for others – the very opposite of the self-centredness of the old life they lived when they belonged to the darkness. They put off the ‘works of darkness’ by putting on ‘the armour of light.’ Note will you they do not put on the works of light but the armour of light. This is important for them, and us, to grasp. It is a battle which they have entered by coming to faith in Christ and in order to fight that battle they need the right equipment. In Ephesians 6.10-20 Paul lists the armour of light – and in other letters he mentions armour. Christ takes us from darkness to light, from sin to salvation but we must not fall asleep in this present time – we must put on the armour provided and engage in the battle. How do they, and we, do this?
Verse 13 – Paul here lists three couplets which are meant to cover the whole of life. In an age when we hear very little of what we cannot (or should not) do Paul’s words here are a very timely reminder of how Christians are to live. Paul states quite clearly and categorically that by being a follower of Christ there is a way of life which is necessary if we are not to slumber and fall into sin. Intemperance, sexual sins and licentiousness (or unrestrained desires) are not the marks of a Christian believer who has put on the armour of light. Christians belong to Christ and not to the realm of darkness. Hence they, and we, are to live lives that clearly marks us out as followers of Christ. Paul is very clear, Scripture is very clear, - read these words again and take them on board. The first two couplets deal with behaviour – personal morality which if not brought captive to the word of God will lead us into sin and hurt others in the process. The third couplet deals with the attitude of mind and spirit. We may tick the right boxes in the first two areas but what about this third area – our attitude of mind and spirit. It is easy to be morally upright in our actions but what about our words and thoughts. Paul says that believers are to live decent lives – literally ‘walk becomingly’ before God. The lifestyle of those who walk in the light is one that is in stark contrast to those who walk in darkness.
In the past you may have heard the Tory party talk about ‘clear blue water’ – meaning the things which marked them out as distinct from Labour or the Lib Dems. Using that metaphor ‘there should be clear light’ between the believer and the unbeliever. A way of life which marks out the believer as different from those who still walk in darkness. Now let me ask you – can you tell the difference in your life? Without you saying a word would people know you are a follower of Christ Jesus? From your attitude and words would people mark you as a follower of Christ? Paul expects there to be convincing and compelling evidence of your confession as a follower of Christ. God expects there to be a clear distinction and difference between your life and the ways of darkness if you claim to be His. You see the six vices listed here by Paul paint the picture of someone who is self-centred and self-pleasing above all else. The gratification of self is the mark of their life and lifestyle. In stark contrast the believer is to live as though the day of the return of Christ has dawned, bringing with it the personal presence of Christ Jesus. Friends, especially you young people, heed this warning from the apostle Paul. Let me say also – to put on the armour of light and to walk in the light will lead you into a battle – a battle with your own sinful desires, with the sinful desires and actions of your friends, family etc and ultimately the world – so don’t expect to be popular when you walk in the light clothed in the armour of light.
This is a daily spiritual battle of consciously and habitually turning away from the paths of darkness and following Christ. To do this we need to spend time with God. We need to spend time in His word, in prayer, in fellowship with other believers so that our knowledge of and intimacy with God deepens. This is a daily process and progression. We need to encourage one another to put on the armour of light and to once again enter the battle.
Verse 14 in stark contrast to those who walk in darkness the believers are to clothe themselves with Christ and not to seek to gratify the sinful desires of the flesh. How do they clothe yourself with Christ? It is a deliberate and conscious acceptance of the Lordship of Christ in and over their lives. All their motives and desires, all their actions and words are to be brought under His control and guidance, under His Lordship. This they do by faith in Christ. This they do by obeying His word, following His commands and growing in love of Him and one another. Having laid aside the garment of the sinful nature and having put on Christ by faith, they are to live accordingly. Having learned the gospel in principle they are now to put it into practice daily in their lives. Paul has spent much of the letter to the Romans explaining how they are justified in Christ and in these last chapters he spends his time explaining how that justification leads to sanctification. Justification is the work of the finished work of Christ on the cross applied to their lives by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is the daily ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, with which they co-operate, in making the believer more like Christ each day. That Christlikeness will be seen in love in action in their lives. That is what Christ taught His disciples in parables and in actions – love for those whom society despised, rejected and abandoned. The Good Samaritan, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, Zaccheus, the lepers, the ‘little ones’ and even Judas. And we could go on with that list. Sanctification is a steady ongoing progression in their lives as daily they put on the armour of light and seek to walk in the light of Christ doing battle ‘against sin, the world, and the devil and so remain Christ’s faithful soldier and follower till life’s end’ as we say in our baptismal liturgy. By clothing themselves with Christ they make no room for sin in their lives. They habitually identify and associate with Christ Jesus. It is a strong and vivid metaphor that Paul uses by saying ‘clothe yourself with Christ.’ It is more than just putting on His character – it is being clothed with His grace and then living as Christ daily. People should see Christ in you daily. There is no room for complacency in the Christian life. Godliness and holiness do not automatically follow – they require the putting off of the old and the putting on of Christ each day. We remain sinners (7.14) even after we have become a saint and there is a constant battle in our lives against the sinful nature and we must play our part in that battle. A good soldier does not sleep whilst the enemy is around. A good soldier obeys the rules, follows orders, has effective armour, has a definite goal and exerts himself in the fulfilment of that goal. Yet soldiers do not fight alone – they are part of an army – each playing his/her part so that the whole are victorious. Should this not be true of the soldiers of Christ?
Conclusion
Here is a stark warning to us all. We are too inclined to slumber and to fall into grave danger. We need to waken up and to put on the armour of light because we are in a spiritual battle everyday. We are to make no room in our lives for sin but to be on our guard against it and to fight against it with the weapons God has provided for us. Today we are to put off the clothes of darkness and to put on the armour of light by clothing ourselves in Christ Jesus. This we do by consciously coming to Him and surrendering our lives to Him and asking the Holy Spirit to apply the finished work of the cross, the atonement, to our sinful lives. Then we are to clothe ourselves in the armour to enter the fray and to fight for godliness and holiness in our lives. People should be able to point us out as Christians because we walk in the light and live accordingly. Waken up to that point and do something about it if they cannot tell if you are Christian or not. For some in here this morning you don’t need to hear the warning you just need to be encouraged to keep putting on the armour and to keep entering the battle because you have clothed yourself with Christ and you are His. The task of some here this morning is just to get alongside that weary soldier and encourage him to keep going, to keep fighting because the day of Christ’s return is near. So maybe this morning someone here needs to hear encouragement from these words of Paul – to keep going because He is coming again.
For all of us we need to hear these words: One day the clouds will part and He will come – as we heard from Luke’s gospel this morning. Then we need to answer this question: When that day comes will how will He find you clothed? Amen.
