Romans 13:12 – Wake up!

The night progresses, yet the day is near. We, then, should be putting off the acts of darkness, yet should be putting on the implements of light.

“The night” in Scripture represents the time when the Lord as “the light of the world” is absent (John 9:5). “The day”, on the other hand, stands for the time when the Lord will rise on this world as “the sun of righteousness” and will be present from then on. With the passing of time, of course, the night progresses and the day approaches more and more. That is a truth that has been true for two thousand years, but (as we saw) had a heightened actuality in the days of the apostles and now again after two millennia. Then the actuality was conditional (because dependent on Israel’s conversion) and in our day the actuality is absolute. The time has finally expired.

But Paul’s comment is more than just a statement. It’s a wakeup call. When the night is fading and the day is approaching, we would anticipate it. When we belong to the day it makes sense to put off “the works of darkness” and put on the armor of light. Wake up!

Delen: