When the New Year rolls around we find ourselves saying things like this:
It hardly seems possible that a new year has rolled around already.
We will have to get into the habit of writing 2012.
Where did the past year go?
It’s only natural that our thoughts more frequently turn to how quickly time is passing us by when we put up our new calendars.
The New Year is the time when we hear or read from the media things like, “The year in review.” And it is a good thing to look back and think about our own personal “year in review.”
A question serious believers in Christ may ask themselves is, “How much of the time did I invest for Christ last year? Another way of asking this question is this: “How much of last year was invested by walking in the light in fellowship with Jesus Christ?”
A passage in Romans may be viewed as the basis for this last question. Maybe this following section of Paul’s letter has come to your attention, especially now at the turn of the calendar year.
Romans 13: (NIV)
9b. "Love your neighbor as yourself."
10. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
This challenge first given to the believers at Rome is fitting for us to consider as we are more thoughtful of the passing of time at the turning of the calendar year. And we shall see that loving your neighbor as yourself is to put on “the armor of light,” which is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Following the teaching about the role of government in our life, the Spirit inspired Apostle Paul brings into view that the main thing we owe one another is love that is of God.
The context of the verses:
7. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8. Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
10. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11. And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Since the “night is nearly over” and “the day is almost here,” let’s “put aside” sinful deeds. Off with the bad and on with the good. Let’s get serious about investing time by putting on the “armor of light” (13:10).
The “Day” Time Is Near
But what is meant by the “night” being “far spent” (NKJV) and the “day” being “at hand” or “almost here?” To help us answer this question, the New Living Translation (NLT) provides this interpretation of Romans 13:10-12:
Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. 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.
From the larger context of the teachings of the New Testament, the NLT provides a good interpretation of the text. The “night” time of the darkness of sin and evil upon the world will come to an end. The “day” time will soon come when the light of Jesus Christ will shine throughout the earth and He will put an end to the free expression of sin.
But, however soon Jesus’ return and the establishment of His kingdom will be and the creation of the new heaven and new earth that follows, we should be mindful that time is fleeting and we will very soon be standing before our gracious judge, Jesus Christ (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). It won’t be long before our time here on earth will be over and the fruitfulness of our life will be evaluated by the Lord Jesus at His judgment seat for believers. Time invested by putting on the armor of light will be rewarded by our Savior.
The Passing of Time and the Final Judgment
The Apostle Peter by the Spirit of God warns mockers of God’s Word that they should not assume God’s promise is not good when it addresses the coming day of judgment and the end of the world as we know it (2 Peter 3:3-18). In this passage Peter makes reference to how God views time from Psalm 90:4.
2 Peter 3:8-9 has application to unsaved people who might scoff at the biblical teaching of the return of Christ. They should not conclude that the promise of Jesus Christ’s return is not true and will not be fulfilled for it only seems that a long time has passed since the warning of a day of final judgment from God was given from their limited perspective. They should understand that God does not view the passing of time as we do.
How God Views the Passing of Time
The inspired song written by Moses tells us how God views time in Psalm 90:4
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
A thousand years is a long time for us, but not for God. He does not view the passing of time like we do. So from God’s perspective we should think of the first coming of Christ Jesus as having taken place only two days ago.
If you ever have an opportunity to get in on a conversation in which people scoff at the promise of a coming day of judgment, you might want to direct them to this passage and ask the question, “How much time has passed since God created the world and then brought judgment upon His creation?” Scientists who are experts in the field of geology recognize that there is evidence for a catastrophic event in history that brought death to most of the world’s population (Scott Garney, “Did a Comet Cause the Great Flood,”Discovery, November, 2007, 66-67).
Since God does not view the passing of time like we do, in light of His patience, we should always have an awareness of the judgment that we will escape by His grace.
Yes, another year has come and gone and still Jesus has not returned to rapture His people and set in motion the events that lead up to His glorious return. Will Jesus return this year? Only time will tell. But a longing and love for His coming is to be characteristic of all our days (2 Timothy 4:5-8). We are to be serious about the reality of “day” time of Christ Jesus.
Since we understand, since we know what time it is on God’s clock, there should be at least five results in our life:
(1) Since you know God’s time, you should keep on responding to God’s spiritual wake-up call. Romans 13:11
As you think about applying this passage to your life, keep in mind what has been stated in Romans 12:1-2 (cp. James 4:12-17).
(2) Since you know God’s time, “put off the deeds of darkness.” 13:12a
Romans 12:13 points out what some of the “deeds of darkness” are:
Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. (NASB)
(3) Since you know God’s time, “put on the armor of light.” 13:12b
Whenever you apply the truth of God’s Word in the power of the Spirit, you are putting on the armor of light.
When you love your neighbor as yourself, you are putting on the armor of light.
(4) Since you know God’s time, “love your neighbor as yourself.” 13:7-10
(5) Since you know God’s time, “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” 13:14 (cf. Ephesians 5:8, 14-18)
Romans 13:14 (NASB)
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
To love your neighbor as yourself is to put on the armor of light which is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When we love one another with the self-sacrificial love of Christ we are shining forth His character, His integrity. This is how we are to invest our time.
What Year Is It?
When we distinguish time historically we usually refer to the present time as A.D. A.D. is the abbreviation for Anno Domini (pronounced ainou dominai) the year of our Lord, dated from the year of Jesus birth.
It probably won’t warm your heart to read that it is quite likely that our calendars are five years off, give or take a year. Technically speaking, we would be more accurate by writing 2017 A.D. for this year. This is because after our Christian calendar became popular in the Western world following the twelfth to the fifteen centuries A.D., chronologists realized we made a four to six year mistake. From historical events uncovered and from comparatively recent archaeological discoveries dated to the time contemporary to the time of Jesus’ early life we can determine with reasonable accuracy the year of Jesus’ birth. One of the key events in determining the time Jesus was born was the death of King Herod who demanded the death of the infants in Bethlehem. As contradictory or strange as it may sound to our ears, Jesus most likely was born about 5 B.C.
Whatever the date might be that we find printed on our calendars, the fact that time passes ever so quickly should be very sobering to us. The night and darkness of this evil world will soon be over and the way we can make a difference is by cloaking our life with the light of the truth of God’s word.
Question of Application: Since I will see my Savior very soon, how serious am I about investing time for His glory by putting on the “armor of light” in the application of His Word?
