Romans 13:11-14

This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. 

*** 

When these words were first read, the original recipients by necessity had a somewhat different frame of reference for understanding them than we do today. “You know how late it is; time is running out… The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here…” 

Many people today reading these words think about world events and Bible prophecies of the end times. We might think of Jesus’ warning to us that near the end of this age there will be ‘wars and rumors of wars. Nation rising against nation…’ And think, “Wow, that sure sounds like today.” We may think of Paul’s cryptic description of the releasing of the “Man of Lawlessness” or one of the mysterious visions from the Book of Revelation. 

And, actually, this is very much what the original readers would have been thinking of as well. One big difference, however, was their belief – their assumption – that all these things were going to come about within their own lifetime. When Paul says, “the day of salvation will soon be here,” most everyone took that to mean a matter of a few short years, months, or even days. 

Now, there are many people who are convinced that they can make a biblical case proving that for this (our) generation, the return of Christ in fact is truly a matter of a few short years, months, or even days from now, and perhaps they are right. (In fact, I truly hope so!) 

But we can’t help but have a little historical perspective here in realizing that people in pretty much every age, in every generation since Paul first wrote to the Roman Christians, people have been convinced that theirs was the final generation, that the return of Christ was ‘just around the corner.’  The big difference for us is that 1900 years of history should at least prepare us for the possibility that we might be wrong! 

On the other hand, we live in the reality that our human lives, in the context of eternity, are extremely brief! So whether it is by our death or by the Lord’s return, we do know that we are all going to meet with God in our lifetimes! The Lord is going to come back in my lifetime – one way or another! 

Last weekend, you remember was “Christ the King” (Sunday) - the last weekend of the liturgical calendar. Pastor HeyYoung, in her message to us talked about the Kingdom of God, reminding us of the Scripture’s teaching that as believers in Christ our citizenship has been transferred from this world to another kingdom. We truly don’t belong here – as she put it , we are ‘resident aliens’. 

In that message Pastor HY used a description of the Kingdom that was first articulated by a theologian by name of George Eldon Ladd, who summed up the New Testament’s teaching on the Kingdom of God in four words: “Already, but not yet.” He pointed out that in the New Testament there is a dual teaching regarding the Kingdom of God, which might at first glance seem contradictory. 

On the one hand, particularly in Jesus’ parables and narratives there is the teaching that the kingdom of God, in Christ, has already come. It is here. It is ‘among us’. It is ‘in us.’ For example, in Matthew 12 some people accuse Jesus of wielding demonic power because he was casting out demons from people. In his response to them, Jesus says, No, rather, this is evidence of the power of God. Then he adds: “But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.”  The Kingdom is here. 

On the other hand, there are numerous other teachings – including some of Jesus’ as well – that suggest that the Kingdom is something that we are still waiting or watching for. One obvious example is the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” Why pray for the Kingdom to come if it is already here?  Paul often refers to a future time when Christ will return to set up his kingdom, as does John in the Book of Revelation. 

I know this might sound a bit detailed, but there is a point to telling you this; one that is especially appropriate to make on this first day of the Church year! Let’s think about the ‘big picture’ for a minute or two…i.e., Biblical history. 

The Bible, in broad terms, is the story of God’s interaction with the human beings created in his image. To have been created in the image of God means (among some other important things) that we have been given a tremendous gift – i.e., the ability to know God.  This is something that sets us apart from all the rest of creation. This gift as it was meant to be, is portrayed in the first two chapters of Genesis in terms of a narrative, a story. 

Adam (the Hebrew word for ‘man’) and Eve, his mate, walk in the Garden with God. They talk together, they commune together. This was the ‘point’ of our creation, to be able to do just that.  We’ve been created to have fellowship with God. But this fellowship, this communion was broken. Through the exercise of free will, Adam and Eve break their trust, and everything – literally speaking – goes to hell! 

They are cast out of the Garden. And the earth that they now live in is cursed. Life becomes much more difficult. Life spans are shortened. There are problems all over the place. Work is hard, people become envious of each other, mistrustful. There is anger and hatred, diseases and disasters. And above all, death now reigns – spiritually and physically. It’s all because of sin, and the resulting brokenness. The curse of sin – i.e., this built in rebelliousness – is something that has been passed on from generation to generation ever since. It describes who we are as human beings – fallen human beings. We are still in the grip of sin (as if I had to remind you of that!) 

Now that’s just the first two chapters! The rest of the Bible describes God’s plan to restore what was lost by that original rebellion. The plan begins when God calls a man named Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to a distant place. When he gets there, God makes a promise to him: that from him God would grow a great nation. A nation of people who will follow God and through whom God will bless the entire world. 

(I’m skipping a lot – this is ‘bigger picture’ teaching!) God fulfills that promise through the nation of Israel. There’s a lot of learning here. God gives the Law to them through Moses and teaches us what it means to live a holy and obedient life. It also teaches us at the same time that no one can do that! We’re sinners. We need help. Israel then, becomes the ‘Kingdom of God’ for a time. A Kingdom of people who choose allegiance to God, who remain citizens of that Kingdom through birth and acts of their will. 

Next, in fulfillment of hundreds of ancient prophecies, Jesus is born.  He’s a Jew by birth. And through his life, and  sacrificial death, and through  his Resurrection, Jesus opens a new age – a new opportunity. An age of grace  where the relationship with God is restored. This is the ‘next step’ in God’s plan for the restoration of all things. 

We are now in the age of the Holy Spirit. Fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 29, now God’s Kingdom is internal. The Kingdom, after the coming of Jesus, exists anywhere where there are people  willing to receive it. The Kingdom is within us. 

The angel announcing Jesus’ birth stated that he would be called “Emmanuel” meaning, “God with us.” The Kingdom is now among us, it is ‘in’ all who choose to receive the new life that Christ Jesus has made possible. A life of forgiveness with the sure hope of eternity. 

But this is not the end of it!  Paul, in four different New Testament passages[1] speaks of the Holy Spirit in terms of a ‘deposit’ guaranteeing something that is yet to come. When you buy a car, you may put a down payment on it. That’s your guarantee that the rest of the money will come. Well, in Ephesians Paul describes the Holy Spirit as “a deposit [or, a ‘down payment’] guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.” 

The Holy Spirit in us is a guarantee of something that will happen to us.  That’s the ‘not yet’ part of the New Testament teaching on the Kingdom of God! The Bible closes, then, with a description of the Age to come. Let’s not get hung up on the ‘streets of gold’ and ‘giant pearl gates’ and stuff like that. There are lots of metaphors there, in the Book of Revelation, describing in human terms things that we (for now) can’t possibly understand. But the underlying, powerful, wonderful teaching in all this is brought out in Revelation chapter 21: 1- 5 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone[2]. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” 

Now, think of how this all started! Adam and Eve walking in the cool of the garden, in communion with God. And here we are, the plan of Redemption ends with the final restoration – God once again walks among his people. Rev. 21:3 “God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them!” 

At this point, God’s Kingdom plan will be complete – no more ‘not yets’! No more waiting! This is our inheritance as children of God. This is the reality that has been guaranteed to us with the ‘down payment’ of the Holy Spirit. And this reality is not fleeting. It is not temporary. It is eternal! 

That great song by Lynn Deshazo says ‘we are a moment, you are eternal’. When God’s plan is fulfilled, we too, will be eternal. We will be with God forever. 

Today is the first week of Advent, the beginning of the church calendar. Once again we are beginning the cycle of remembering – remembering that although the various seasons come and go, that there is within it all a linear movement. History is not meaningless cycles, there is purpose and direction in it. And someday it all will culminate in the fulfillment of God’s promises and the establishment of his kingdom. Forever. 

Advent doesn’t simply look back at what was; it looks forward to what will be. 

***

And that’s why Paul’s instructions to the Roman Christians in today’s reading are so urgent. Paul knows – what we’re doing here in this in-between age really matters. For now, the Kingdom is hidden. It is in us, and the only way that other people are going to recognize it is when they see evidence of that Kingdom displayed in our lives. 

So Paul writes: So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. 

The stakes are high and the time is short. What is the point of holding on to anger? What is the point of disgracing God’s name by dragging it into places it doesn’t belong? We are God’s representatives. We are his ‘ambassadors’ – which is an awesome thought considering what we know of Christ’s Kingdom. Our work needs to be done in a very short time. 

It’s up to us. Keep a sane view of things – God has given us so much to enjoy, to celebrate. We don’t need to abuse these gifts for fleeing moment of gratification or weakness. The time is short, our witness is in our actions. It all matters. The world is watching! 

I came across a story told by Ravi Zacharias. It is found in Marie Chapian’s book Of Whom the World Was Not Worthy (Bethany House, 1980) which follows the Yugoslavian Christian church’s suffering under a corrupt church hierarchy. 

He tells of an evangelist by the name of Jakov who one day arrived in a certain village. He commiserates there with an elderly man named Cimmerman on the tragedies he had experienced and talked to him about the love of Christ. Cimmerman abruptly interrupted Jakov and told him that he wanted nothing to do with Christianity. He reminded Jakov of the dreadful history of the church in his town, the plundering, the exploiting, and indeed with the killing of innocent people.

“My own nephew was killed by them,” he said and angrily turned aside any effort on Jakov’s part to talk about Christ. “They wear those elaborate coats and crosses,” he said, “signifying a heavenly commission, but their evil designs and lives I cannot ignore.” 

Jakov, looking for a way to get Cimmerman to think along a different line and said, “Cimmerman, can I ask you a question? Suppose I were to steal your coat, put it on, and break into a bank. Suppose further that the police sighted me running in the distance but could not catch up with me. One clue, however, put them onto your track: they recognize your coat. What would you say to them if they came to your house and accused you of breaking into the bank?”

“I would deny it, “ said Cimmerman. 

“‘Ah, but we saw your coat,’ they would say,” retorted Jakov. This analogy quite annoyed Cimmerman, who ordered Jakov to leave his home. 

But he continued to return to the village occasionally just to befriend Cimmerman, to encourage him, and share the love of Christ with him – through his words and actions. Until finally one day Cimmerman asked, “How does one become a Christian?” 

Jakov taught him the simple steps of repentance for sin and of trust in the work of Jesus Christ and gently pointed him to the Shepherd of his soul. Cimmerman bent his knee on the soil with his head bowed and surrendered his life to Christ. As he rose to his feet, wiping his tears, he embraced Jakov and said this: “Thank you for being in my life.” And then he pointed to the heavens and whispered, “You wear His coat very well.”[3]

Paul says, “The time is short…Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.”