Advent Romans 13:11-14
11] And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12] The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
[13] Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
[14] But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Advent – Prepare Your Hearts
Most people don’t realize that Lutherans live in a kind of time warp called the church calendar. In our church-life, the new year starts today, with what is known as Advent instead of on January 1st. Advent derives from a Latin word that means, “to come. ‘ Advent is the season in which children of God prepare their hearts for the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first Advent was His birth in the manger. The last Advent is His second coming , the consummation of the ages when he will create a new heaven and new earth, complete the salvation of all His elect, and pass final sentence on all the damned. Are we prepared for those comings?
The citizens of the world celebrate their own advent, only it started already a month ago. Businesses prepare citizens to celebrate Christmas, not with renewed hearts, but with the pocket book. They call this time the Christmas season and the best way to prepare for it is to spend on everything from scooters to cars. Our economy depends on it. Failure to spend can actually lead to a downturn in our lifestyle.
The purpose of this text is to urge us to begin this “Year of the spirit” with a new heart and a better life. Now we don’t have a lot of time to do this. The time is short as the apostle writes, “the night is far spent; the day is at hand.” The final deliverance, when Christ returns to welcome His own to paradise, could happen at any moment. Let me ask you, “How much time do you have left?” “Do you know?” We live on the edge of eternity. The minute that we are born, death is near. This is a truth that all of us, but particularly young people, tend to ignore. The older we grow, however, the more we are aware, and the more certain it is, that not only our end, but the end of our age is at hand.
“Wake up,” writes the Apostle, “put on the armor of light.” Now, what does that mean? Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, “I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12 His life is the armor of light and we are to put it on. When he writes, “Wake up to put on armor,” he is reminding us that we are involved in a spiritual battle, a battle that goes on every day and allows no room in our lives for sin. Rather says the apostle, be on guard against it and fight against it with the weapons God has provided in His Word, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11
To put on Jesus Christ is to come to Him in daily repentance, and to acknowledge how helpless we are. To put on Jesus Christ is to ask His Holy Spirit to take our sins away for Jesus’ sake, and to bring all our motives and desires, all our actions and words under His control. To put on Jesus Christ is to use the armor of His word in our struggle for godliness and holiness is our daily lives. You know, godliness and holiness do not follow automatically. They require the putting off of the old man and the putting on of Christ each day. We remain sinners, even after we have become saints. The battle against sin is never over in this life. There is no room for spiritual indifference in the life of a Christian. In stark contrast to the unbeliever who lives only for the day, a child of God lives for the day of Christ’s return.
The opposite to the armor of light is the darkness of unbelief which reigns where Christ does not rule with the Gospel. Christ is ruler of light and His kingdom is the church. The devil is the ruler of darkness, and his kingdom is the world of unbelievers. ”And even if our gospel is veiled,” writes St. Paul, “it is veiled in them that perish; in whom the god of this world [that is, the devil] hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should not dawn upon them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4.
How important, then, that we, “walk honestly as in the day.” Works of darkness frequently don’t happen in the day. Things that people are ashamed of often happen under the darkness of night. Night or day, however, a Christian is urged so to behave that he need never be ashamed of the character of his works, “Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,” Ephesians 5:8, 9. If our conduct and life is such that what we do in darkness cannot stand up to the light of God’s word, then we need to wake up. People should be able to point us out as Christians because we walk in the light and live accordingly. If the world can’t tell whether we are Christian or not, then there may very well be something wrong with our faith. Moreover, to try to hide our works of darkness with a pious front before men doesn’t avail with God or His angels, but makes us guilty of a hypocrisy which He will expose on the last day.
You and I cannot afford spiritual slumber; we can’t afford to play with the tools of the devil. Intemperance, sexual sins, and licentious behavior, (behavior in which we yield to our lusts) are not the marks of a believer who has put on the armor of light. Christians belong to Christ and not to the prince of this world.
Now it is interesting that the apostle goes into some detail to list the works of darkness. He speaks of, “reveling and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, strife and jealousy.” Everyone knows the meaning of reveling and drunkenness, the delight of over eating or getting drunk. It is not hard to understand what is meant by chambering and wantonness – every form of unclean behavior, playing with sex, day or night, vices that seek material darkness and secret places and that destroy the human soul. Quarreling and jealousy, however, go to the root of the matter. They have to do not only with our actions, but with our attitudes. Everything we do comes from the heart, one way or another. Psychologists tell us that jealousy is one of the major causes of murder. Man hates before he kills; he lusts before he commits adultery; he revels in self-esteem before he quarrels All these are sins of the flesh, sins of which every one of us by nature is guilty.
“Make not provision for your flesh,” St Paul urges, but how can we do this? The apostle gives a clear answer, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Each new day in the life of a Christian is an advent. Each morning, as we rise from sleep, Christ our bright and morning Star comes to our hearts. He removes the darkness of our sin with words of forgiveness. He shines His precious Gospel into our lives to give us the strength to do what is right and pleasing in His sight. He directs us to the light of His holy word, “His word [is] a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path.” Psalm 119:105 He lifts our spirits from the gloom of suffering and disappointment with the bright rays of his love. Finally He warms our hearts with the sure hope of everlasting life. Advent means “I’m ready.” With Christ in your heart, you are ready to face today and tomorrow and each new day of your life until that final day when you will be with Him forever.