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The Light on the Horizon

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“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

Half-Hearted and Empty-Handed

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Under the former covenant, God gave the command to Israel: “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee” (Deuteronomy 16:16-17). God did not want the men of Israel appearing before him empty-handed. They were to bring of their possessions to give.

Photo by Adam Chang

The Israelites would give their best—their “firstfruits”—to God (Exodus 23:15-19). Hezekiah initiated religious restoration in the land by destroying the idols and reinstituting the Lord’s feasts. When he appointed the priests and Levites and commanded the people to give the portion due to them we read, “And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly” (2 Chronicles 31:5). It is easy to spend money on things we love. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). One can cheerfully give to God if God reigns supreme in one’s heart (2 Corinthians 9:7). God has always desired that His people have a sacrificial spirit. David said to Araunah, who volunteered to freely give him what he needed for the offering that would halt the plague, “Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Malachi 1 shows how the Lord feels about half-hearted worship displayed in giving that which has little or no value.

Last Sunday evening, we considered how giving is worship. When the Philippians sent financial support to Paul by the hands of Epaphroditus, he called it, “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). We are reminded in Hebrews 13:16, “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” To “communicate” is to share, to give to the Lord’s cause. Do we give the Lord our best? Does our giving affect the way we live or do we give what we have left after we have bought what we want? Jesus praised the poor widow for her offering, saying, “For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:4).

Consider the words of the Psalmist, “Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth” (Psalm 96:7-9). Giving the Lord what is due Him is not an aspect of worship that can be relegated to the former covenant; if Christians would worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness today under the New Testament, then they must give (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7). We must give more than lip-service; we must give our hearts (Matthew 15:8).

 

-Mark Day