“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:10-14)
In Advent, we are preparing for the coming of Jesus. He’s already come to us in humility, as the babe of Bethlehem. As a man, He rode into Jerusalem on a humble donkey. He died a most humbling death at the cross. By His humility, He has lifted us out of our humility to exalt us to the right hand of God.
And this should mean something. The night is far gone. The day of Christ’s return is coming—though we don’t know when. But in the meantime, the day is at hand. As Christian people, we live in the victory of Christ’s resurrection. The pale daylight of that first Easter morning has only gotten brighter, and it will continue to do so until we see our Lord return again, this time to judge the living and the dead.
St. Paul urges us to walk as people of the light, because as Christians, we belong to the day—to Jesus, who is the light of the world and the light no darkness can overcome. If we walk in the ways of the world—in immorality, quarreling, jealousy, and in conflict with those around us—we are not walking toward the light of Christ, but fleeing from it as darkness does from the rising sun. This means that when the SON does come to bring His unending day, those who shunned the light will also be swept away.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the armor of light incarnate! He will not only defend you from the darkness without, but He will also remove the darkness of sin from within your heart by forgiving your sins and renewing your heart to be like His. You who have been baptized have put on the Lord Jesus. By abiding in His Word and His love, you make no room for your own sinful desires. In this way, as children of the light, you will begin to see how the love of God is fulfilled in you.
Let us pray: Jesus, You are God of God and Light of Light. Turn us from our sins of quarreling and lovelessness toward our neighbor. Fulfill in us Your Law, which is fulfilled in love for You and for one another. Amen.
Written by: Pastor Jordan McKinley
