“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:11-12).

The New Testament often ties proper living with reminders of the Lord’s return. Peter—after affirming that the physical universe will be burned up—asked, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” (2 Peter 3:11-12). John wrote, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:1-2). Many more examples can be found throughout the New Testament that would encourage increased attentiveness to the Lord’s directives as time passes, for, as Jesus said: “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:48-51).

In Romans 13, the apostle Paul had just showed how loving one’s neighbor was of supreme importance (vv. 8-10). If the Lord is returning to repay tribulation on those who are persecutors (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9), then it is wise to return good for evil and let vengeance belong to the Lord (Romans 12:17-21). The envy which leads to strife would be curbed if men would think about how they stand with the Lord rather than how they look among others(Romans 13:13; cf. James 3:13-18).

The other works of darkness which Paul mentioned here are wantonness which leads to chambering and drunkenness which leads to rioting (Romans 13:13). Worldly people celebrate the closing of one year and the dawning of a new one with lustful dancing that leads to fornication and drinking which leads to carousing. How foolish this is in light of Jesus’ warning mentioned above! As Christians, we are coming together to encourage one another spiritually for the new year. After all, saying farewell to another year of our lives means we are closer to death or the day appointed by the Father for the world to be judged by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31). Whichever comes first, “our salvation is nearer than we believed” and we should behave as children of light who expectantly look toward the eternal day that is on the horizon (Romans 13:11). Praying all of us choose to put on the light and shed the darkness as the years come and go.

-Mark Day