| The Christian Life | April 1940 |
Walking as in the Day
“Let as walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness,”—Romans 13:13
IN THE verse preceding our text, the apostle says. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.” Here St. Paul is using the literal nighttime in contrast with the daytime to illustrate the long period of sin and death in contrast with the coming new day of divine blessing, when the Sun of Righteousness arises with healing in His beams. The literal night has been the time when crime and vice and all sorts of dishonest deeds mostly have flourished. Probably this was more true in the apostle’s day than it is now.
In this modern age, the daytime is, possibly, as much used for perpetration of evil deeds as is the night. But the illustrations of the Bible must be viewed in the light of the circumstances then existing. At that time, apparently, the darkness of the night afforded a much more suitable occasion for evil deeds and practices than would be possible in broad daylight. Presumably the light of day rendered it more or less incumbent upon all to walk honestly. So the apostle uses these circumstances as an illustration in his admonition to the church at Rome, and to us, to walk circumspectly. We should walk, he declares, as though we were in the day.
But St. Paul made the application of his illustration to include much more than the thought merely of the literal day and night. He speaks of the entire period from creation down to the full setting up of the Kingdom of God, as one long period of darkness. And then he alludes to the new Kingdom period as being the new day. In that new day, the Scriptures assure us, judgment will be laid to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. (Isa. 28:17) Nothing will be permitted to hurt nor to destroy in all that holy Kingdom, the Lord assures us. (Isa. 11:9) It will be a day in which, through the bright shining of the Master’s presence, all the works of evil, hypocrisy and sham will be exposed, and none will be permitted to live and enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom except as they bring themselves into full heart sympathy and harmony with the laws of that new day.
What a heart-searching lesson the apostle thus gives us! He says that we are to walk honestly as in the day. That is to say, we should endeavor to walk now even as all will be compelled to walk when the laws of the new Kingdom are put into full operation. Surely this does bring before us a wonderfully high standard of Christian conduct.
In that new day the people will walk by sight. That is to say, their evil deeds will be immediately punished, and their good deeds at once rewarded. Thus they will be continually reminded of the vital relationship that exists between them and the mediators and lawgivers of that Kingdom. It is different with the Christian. We walk by faith and not by sight. This is illustrated in the fact that our evil deeds are not always immediately punished. Nor are we always rewarded at once for our good deeds. Apart from our conviction of faith, it would be easy under such circumstances, to become careless and indifferent—to feel that, after all, it doesn’t matter so much. For, while we have entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord, yet we do not see God, and if we become slack along this, that or the other line, apparently nothing happens, so what great difference does it make?
These are but the reasonings of the fallen flesh, aided and abetted by suggestions from the adversary and the influences of the world. Faith is the victory that overcomes, and if our faith is strong, we will view the matter of the Lord’s will for us as being equally as vital in our lives as it will be in the lives of those who will be dealt with during the Kingdom period. It means that we will view our consecration contract as being just as genuine as though we had talked with God face to face, and had personally affixed our signature beside His upon the legal document of our covenant of sacrifice.
We are to walk honestly before the Lord, and also before the brethren. Evidently the apostle would have us understand that he is using this term in a much more refined sense than is implied in the commandment given to Israel which says, “thou shalt not steal.” Honesty with the Christian means sincerity—the lack of hypocrisy or sham. In this respect our lesson is a very heart-searching one. It is a lesson which needs to be applied in our every thought and word and deed. We should examine ourselves carefully to determine if we are actually walking sincerely before the Lord. Are we indeed living up to the profession of our faith? Are we, also, dealing sincerely with the brethren? Or, are we professing one thing before them, while in our hearts something else is taking place?
The spirit of insincerity and misrepresentation is so prevalent in the world today, that the Christian finds it difficult to keep himself entirely aloof therefrom. It is not necessary, for example, to say that black is white in order to be guilty of falsifying. It is frequently quite possible for those who are adept in the use of language, to give an impression that is entirely out of harmony with the real facts, and yet not be actually guilty of misstatements. This sin of misrepresentation and insincerity is especially reprehensible in the sight of God. It not only is dishonesty, but it is a dishonesty which is calculated to harm others even more, than the open declaration of untruths. This is a form of dishonesty, moreover, that will not for a moment be tolerated in the new day. Hence, if we are endeavoring to walk honestly as in the day, we will avoid any form of insincerity in our associations with the brethren.
This refined and more or less modern form of dishonesty, which even Christians are, at times, tempted to practice, will, like all forms of wrong-doing in the Christian life, apparently go unpunished for a while. But it is sure finally to lead to disastrous results. In II Thess. 2:11 the apostle makes a suggestion which would seem to indicate that, the punishment for this astute form of dishonesty is comparable to the nature of the sin itself. Here the apostle says that God will send strong delusion to those who hold not the truth in the love of it. This would seem to indicate that when brethren are dishonest in the use of the Truth, and by profession cause their brethren to believe that they are something which they are not, the Lord in turn will send them strong delusion, so that they will be caused to go into darkness. And after all, this is but another example of the operation of the divine law of retribution.
What a wonderful thing it is to associate with those whom we feel are wholly sincere, entirely honest. It means that we never need to be on guard lest something is said or done which will harm us. It means that every statement is a bona-fide one upon which we can depend. It means we do not need, in our association with such, to feel that there is always a hidden meaning behind that which is said. Where such honesty and sincerity of faith and of purpose prevail, there can, indeed, be a blessed fellowship of kindred minds which is like to that above. Where it is lacking there is no sense of security in our associations, hence no real sweetness in fellowship.
“NOT IN RIOTING AND IN DRUNKENNESS”
The thought of rioting is that of disorderly or unbalanced conduct. It is a condition quite in contrast with that which is described by the apostle as emanating from the spirit of a sound mind. It is a condition in the Christian life in which the will of God is set aside in preference to our own imperfect judgments. Our own judgments being influenced by the lustful, selfish desires of the fallen flesh, are liable to run to wild extremes of one sort or another, which sooner or later must inevitably make shipwreck of our Christian lives. The antidote for this is an earnest, prayerful study to know and to do the Father’s will. Thus we may have our own conduct regulated by the instructions of God’s Word. This is the order that will be imposed upon all in the New Day, and it is one which we, who are now by faith the children of the day, must voluntarily take upon ourselves.
The term drunkenness as used in our text, is apparently intended by the apostle to describe a condition of intoxication other than that which results from the use of intoxicating liquors. One might become intoxicated with the spirit of the world, the spirit of pleasure, the spirit of revelry, or other time-killing side issues which, while not particularly harmful in themselves, nevertheless detract from that which should be the real issue in the Christian’s life.
A very harmful form of intoxication is when one becomes inebriated by the importance of his own ideas. It sometimes happens that an otherwise faithful and loyal Christian develops in his mind a pet theory which he rides as a hobby, and finally this hobby assumes such great importance in his mind that he can think of nothing else. His intoxication over the idea is manifested when he endeavors to force his theory upon the brethren. And even worse than this, is when the intoxication leads such an individual to rule out of the favor of God brethren who do not accept his theory; and to the conclusion that the only ones who can be of the “little flock” are those who are walking in the same pathway of drunkenness as himself.
Here again the only proper antidote is the Word of God. In the Word we are all counseled not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. What a beautiful grace is that of meekness and humility. And how humble we should all feel in the presence of the Lord. Surely He has highly favored us in permitting us to know the secrets of Present Truth. Alas, that this knowledge of the Truth given us by Grace should cause any of us to feel that we are such. profound students of the Word that we can take therefrom ideas and theories of our own which could possibly be so important as to be a test of Christian discipleship for other brethren.
Doubtless, at times, all of us have witnessed the confusion and disorder that result from the presence of an intoxicated person in a group of people who are endeavoring to conduct themselves in an orderly way. Frequently in such cases the intoxicated person becomes the center of attraction. This, in itself, is very flattering to him. Yet it is productive, of no wholesome or beneficial result among those thus brought into association with the man. A similar condition sometimes comes about in a group of the Lord’s people when one among them manifests a spirit of intoxication. It causes him to walk disorderly. He insists on his ideas and theories being heard. Naturally, for the time, he becomes the center of attraction. His drunkenness and conspicuousness force the others in the class to pay more or less attention to him. Many times this results in a real trial to all the friends concerned. And only by the spirit and grace of the Lord can friends generally meet situations of this kind in a way that will not be injurious to them as a group.
As individuals we cannot, of course, control the attitude of others. This is not particularly our business, although we should be willing to help, through admonition and by example, whenever and wherever possible. But it is our particular business to see that we do not ourselves become intoxicated in any way, and thus become a nuisance among those with whom we are associated in the body of Christ. Should we begin to feel that our ideas are not being considered in the class as they should be, or feel that we are being ignored or set aside—or in any way used by the brethren in an unchristian manner—because of their failure to see and appreciate some great or supposedly great item of truth which we have discovered, then it is time that we examine our hearts carefully to make sure that we are not being overcome by the spirit of drunkenness. The poet has beautifully expressed the proper thought in the words:
“I want the first approach to feel
Of pride or fond desire;
To catch the wandering of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.”
Another form of intoxication which some of the Lord’s dear people may need to guard against in this day is that pertaining to the political and national controversies now taking place in the world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we should always realize that so far as the kingdoms of this world ore concerned they are all to pass away and that it is our business to pray for the new Kingdom and while praying for that Kingdom to have our hopes and interests wholly centered therein.
This does not mean, of course, that we have no interest in or sympathy for the poor groaning creation. Neither does it mean that we can see nothing of good in the efforts that are now being made by nations and statesmen to better the world conditions. It does mean that while we see and appreciate all the good that is in the world, yet we recognize also that the best efforts of man are not good enough. And, not being good enough, the Lord is determined that He will set aside all of these kingdoms and associations of men and in their place establish His Kingdom of righteousness. It is His Kingdom that will bring in the new day, that glorious day when the laws of truth and righteousness—the laws of God—will become fully operative in the affairs of mankind. In this Kingdom our real interest centers. For the interests of this Kingdom all our efforts should be made.
While waiting and longing for the new day, we will busy ourselves, not in attempting to set straight the crooked ways of this decadent and passing world, but in bearing witness to all who will listen, of the blessed Kingdom of the Lord soon to be established. Thus, in our sympathy for the poor groaning creation, we will, in a practical way, be enabled to spread a little comfort and cheer here and there by proclaiming the glad tidings of great joy which yet shall be known and appreciated by all mankind.
The entire matter of walking honestly and without rioting and drunkenness depends upon our faith in the Truth of God’s Word which we have professed to accept. If by faith this glorious plan of God becomes a reality in our lives, we will, at all times, enthusiastically endeavor to bring our lives fully into harmony therewith. If our faith is weak, and we only half-heartedly believe what we profess, our conduct will, correspondingly, be half-heartedly in harmony with our professions. This means that we will be lax along almost all lines. Our covenant of sacrifice will not seem as: binding upon us as it should be. But if our faith is strong, so strong that the Truth will be to us exactly that which we profess it to be, we will be lifted up above the spirit of the world in all its phases of dishonesty, hypocrisy, revelry, rioting, drunkenness, etc.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God,” says the apostle, in Hebrews 11:6. And again we read, “according to your faith be it unto you.” (Matt. 9:29) It is faith, therefore, that lays hold upon the promises of God, and transforms them into reality. It is faith that looks forward into the Kingdom period and visualizes the reign of righteousness then in operation, and makes the spirit of that new age the guide for our own Christian lives even now. As we see so many evidences of the near approach of that new day, yea, as we see the early dawning already begun, being manifested in the crumbling thrones of earth, let us strive more diligently than ever to walk before God and the brethren in true holiness and love.