11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. 14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
If you ever needed to wake up at a certain time, you set an alarm. Many years ago, that was a mechanical device which you had to wind and then a bell rang at the correct time. Then we had the electronic device which was programmed to turn on the radio or a very annoying beeping sound. The problem with this was if the power went out, so did your alarm. Now we have phones with a clock app, which we can set for an almost unlimited number, to remind us to wake up or to do something at a certain time. But we all have alarms to wake us up or remind us to do something.
Just as our alarms alert us to wake up from sleep, Paul is giving the Romans, and us, a spiritual alarm to wake us up from unbelief and disobedience. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. A spiritual sleep can take many faces and names, but perhaps a few call our attention. Spiritually sleeping could be ungratefulness and presumption for all of God’s many blessings. Spiritually sleeping could be despair and anxiety about the state of our communities or futures. Spiritually sleeping could be apathy and indifference to our neighbors in a time of inflation and recession. The church in Rome had these struggles, as does the church in Ashtabula; and for this purpose, Paul wanted to sound the alarm on them, and us. Because none of these things, and the many more ways one could be spiritually asleep, are a life living in the light of Jesus Christ.
Paul reminds the Romans, and us, that the Advent or Coming of Christ was closer, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Days have passed, time has come and gone and the glorious coming of Christ is closer now than then. We are ever moving forward in time and therefore closer to the Day of Lord, and the Advent of Jesus Christ. The dawn is growing brighter, and the darkness is shrinking smaller. We should not therefore be hitting the snooze button and falling back asleep spiritually but becoming more and more spiritually awake.
One lives an “awake” life by putting off one’s pajamas and putting on the work clothes. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. The clothes to be taken off are deeds of wickedness and unrighteousness like for the Romans uncontrolled drinking and constant conflict. When we fall asleep these, and many more, are the things that we fall back into. When we wake up, we start doing the things of Christ, like self-control and mutuality.
This Advent season what do we need to take off and put on, if now is the time to awaken? Perhaps the things of the light could be a hopeful outlook and choices or a reconciliation between yourself and an adversary or a peacemaking between enemies. Perhaps it could be a joyous attitude and encouraging others. But perhaps most assuredly, the greatest thing of the light is to love God and to love each other sacrificially. This is what putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires means. The greatest light to put on is Christ and that means putting on self-sacrificing love. This advent season we all could use less of our self-interested, sinful ways and we all could use more self-giving ways of Christ. The alarm is now sounding, now is the time to wake up, now is the time to put on Christ and live in the light. Now is the time for hope, peace, joy and most importantly, love. Amen.
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