First Sunday in Advent (2024)

Romans 13:8-14

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what a wonderful epistle lesson for us today as we meditate upon God’s grace and love shown to us during the Advent season as we look to that precious gift of God’s love made manifest not only in the Stable at Bethlehem, but also in the paradise that Christ won for us that we might dwell in the new creation in everlasting peace. In our lesson today, the Scriptures encourage us based upon that love that we first received to not fall asleep like the foolish virgins did last week, but rather exhorts and encourages us to be about the work of God for the night has flown and it is now day.

His Law is Love

Love is the fulfilling of the law.

When we hear the word Love, we don’t think of it as being a Law word, that convicts us of our sins, or shows us the wrongs that we have done. We typically have a good or positive feeling when we hear love. It’s important to know how Love is being used lest we confuse Law for Gospel. When Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment? It was Love the Lord your God, and Love your neighbor as yourself. When we are told to love, it law.

Love also does no wrong to your neighbor.

It means that you are to seek only your neighbors good, but to set aside any and all selfish motives and focus on them, their needs. You see this type of love between a parent and a newborn child. The child does nothing, it offers little, and demands much more than it can repay, and yet the reason we are all here, because someone loved us while we had nothing to offer and nothing to give.

Love doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing.

This is conflicts with the world’s idea of love. The world defines love as acceptance, and encouragement of our neighbor even when they are doing what is wrong. But that isn’t love, a parent who encourages their child to go off and play in the highway, or sends the outside to play while a pack of wolves is on the prowl isn’t showing any love. For what would we say about any child that is without discipline, or correction, it means the parents don’t care about the child, that means they have no love.

Sin Lulled Us to Sleep

In our dreams we can do or be anything.

So when it came to loving people, we are able to think and believe that we have shown great love to all people as long as we are asleep. Sin convinced us that it is enough to treat well those who treat us well, that as long as I don’t actively seek to harm my neighbor that I have loved them, and if I have a general positive feeling towards all mankind.

Love isn’t just a feeling.

We certainly should feel positively towards our neighbor, the Scriptures warn us against hatred towards each other. But love is more than just feelings.

Love is action towards all people.

This is where Love takes shape as Law, and convicts each and everyone of us here. When we think of loving someone, we typically think of the people that we like, but to genuinely love all people in thought, word, and deed condemns us all. For while we have no issue showing love towards those who we consider family and friends, this is to extend out even to the people that we wish to avoid. To rejoice when those that have wronged us repent, and their sins are washed away and we are to forgive them even when they haven’t earned it. For isn’t that what you pray in the Lord’s Prayer to be forgiven as you forgive those who trespass against you? Isn’t that the very grace, and love that you depend upon for your salvation?

God’s Love for Us

God gave the Law because He loves you.

It is hard to hear that you are wrong, but that you are corrupted by sin, and your deeds are worthy of hell and eternal damnation, but God didn’t say that you might perish in your sins, but that you might recognize the danger you are in, like a parent warning their child away from danger.

The Father also sent Jesus out of love.

Here is where the word Love becomes Gospel. When it is the love that the God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has for you. You can’t free yourself from the dangers of hell, and that meant you would perish eternally. So what did your Father in Heaven do when He saw you one whom He loves was going to perish? The Father sent His Only-Begotten Son to save you. So Jesus took upon your flesh, that He might pay the cost of your sins, as He goes into Hell ahead of you.

Jesus laid down His life for you.

What greater love is there than that? If love is just a feeling, and we think ah well Jesus just had a positive feeling towards me, he just looked at me kindly, if God loved us as we sinners loved, then this message doesn’t mean much, and we would all be in hell. But the Love of God is shown by what Christ was willing to suffer, that Jesus was willing to put Himself into harms way, and die. Jesus descended from that paradise we talked about last week, where there was no pain, no anguish, no sorrows, Jesus gave up what we long for, that He might be pierced for our transgressions, Jesus didn’t just have ephemeral feelings, Jesus was crucified for you, that’s what true love looks like. Why did he have to do that?

We Were Sleeping

This is the spiritual sleep of sin.

Christ did this for all of us while we were yet in our trespasses and sins, while we were yet still separated from God, while we were God’s enemies. We enjoyed our sins, while we were God’s enemies, Jesus was bled for us that he might wake us from this deathly slumber. Now we are awake, and

It’s already late in the day!

Some of us have hit the alarm a couple of times before getting up. We realize that the time of Christ’s return draws ever closer, and we spent how much time sleeping, not realizing the danger we were in, but God’s Word roused us from our sleep. Gave to us the gift of His Spirit that we might be His children, and God might be our Father, so we stand on a battlefield and see that

Jesus has already won.

His Victory on Calvary over the powers of sin, death, and the devil means that we are on the winning side of this battle, for when Jesus fought, He fought for you, and He did so to secure a spot in His kingdom, but like any conflict, after the battle is won, there are still skirmishes before all hostilities cease and the enemy is brought to heel. That is why

He gives you the armor of His Kingdom.

Now in other passages he speaks about this armor in great detail, and the greek word here for armor is hoplon which is what a hoplite would wear into combat. But why does Jesus give this armor to those who are on the winning side? Because even though Satan lost and cannot overthrow Christ, Satan is working hard to reclaim what has been taken from him before he is banished eternally to hell. This is why we are warned against the sins of the flesh, the works of darkness, and reminded to walk properly in the light of Christ.

Set Aside the Works of Darkness

The first are those distracting pleasures.

They would have us love ourselves instead of our neighbor. Now our english translation makes an interesting choice, but the word used for orgies, is better understood as carousing, revelry, and excessive feasting which would often then lead to other activities. But he does include fornication, and sensuality or licentiousness which means a lack of self-control, just doing whatever feels right to me, and not being concerned about what God considers good or evil . For if we know what’s right and wrong, then we ought to flee from evil. Now what do these things have to do with the loving our neighbor? If you are feasting excessively, then what about your neighbor who is hungry? When it comes to sensuality, why are you treating your neighbor as an object and not as a person? That is not how Christ treated you.

The next are about envy.

Now this has to do with quarreling, and jealousy, but these things belong to the world that is chasing after goods without real concern and doesn’t see their neighbor as someone to care for or love. Rather we should speak well of them and instead of coveting their life, their family, or their goods, be content with what God has given us and trust him. When it comes to these sins,

Make no excuse for them.

For these works belong to the darkness, and want to lull you back to sleep, and set aside the armor that the Son of God Jesus Christ your Lord has given to you! If you are in the midst of conflict, Why would you ever set aside your armor? If one of your sins comes up and says, hey I’m coming in peace and seeing if would like to join us as we blow off some steam and remember the good times before you never can again. The problem is if you’re wearing that armor, you might have a hard time getting there, just leave it here, it’ll be fine. Whenever you’re ready just around the corner. So they want you to take off the armor of God, and be surrounded by enemy forces. That’s a textbook trap folks, don’t be a fool. Remain awake, and look forward to the day that Christ returns.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Father has forgiven our loveless deeds, and has shown great love to us that we might be called His children. Let us not cast aside the Love the Jesus has for us, for it is the garment of Christ’s righteousness that keeps us safe, so do not laid aside that garment given you in baptism, but always keep it close and make no room for the flesh, which would lead you away from the one who truly loves you, Jesus Christ our Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen.