Night Is Far Spent; Day Is at Hand
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 12/31/2018 PM (New Year's Eve) |
Text: | Romans 13:11,12 |
Psalters: | 105, 80, 136, 274 |
- What time it is.
- The “time” refers to the particular season in which we are living (cf. 8:18; 9:9; 11:5).
- While non-believers use only calendars and cycles, believers “know” what time and history mean.
- We are in the time between our Savior’s first and second appearings.
- We know that we are living in the last period of earthly history.
- Our present time is characterized by “night” and “darkness.”
- God teaches us that unbelievers are “of darkness” (John 3:19; 8:12; Acts 26:16-18; Col. 1:13; I Peter 2:9; I John 2:8,9).
- Because God has given us light, we are strangers and pilgrims in this world.
- “Our salvation nearer” is better translated “nearer is of us the salvation” referring to objective salvation.
- Our full salvation will be realized when Jesus appears the second time.
- The “time” refers to the particular season in which we are living (cf. 8:18; 9:9; 11:5).
- There is a powerful affect in the knowledge that Jesus appearing is soon: for it inspires us to holy living.
- We realize that we are able to live as those belonging to the day and no longer to the night.
- We follow Him Who is the light of the world, and we know that we are not to walk in darkness (John 8:12).
- We are enabled to see the inconsistency of still living as in darkness.
- It is “high time to awake out of sleep.”
- “High time” means that we are in an hour when we should be risen out of “sleep” (spiritual lethargy).
- We must shake ourselves awake and alert. When we nod off while reading, we must rouse ourselves and get fresh air.
- Then we are willing to “cast off the works of darkness” and to “put on the armor of life” (i.e., weapons of light).
- This is clothing given us by God Who is light.
- The weapons with which we fight are salvation, righteousness before God, peace, and truth.
- We realize that we are able to live as those belonging to the day and no longer to the night.