Treasures New and Old

Redeeming the Time by Fearing the Lord

We need to carefully redeem the time. However, our motivation needs also to come from the proper source which will aid us to insure we are redeeming the time in the best possible way. Consider the following passage:

“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 armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.“

– Romans 13:11-14 (bold added)

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

– 1 Peter 1:17-21 (bold added)

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

– Ephesians 5:11-17 (bold added)

We are all given the same twenty-four hours every day. But what we do with them is up to us. Time is, in a sense, like money, it can be spend. The question is, how shall we spend it? Do we invest it wisely in eternal things? Or do we squander it foolishly on material and worse, ethereal things (like games, movies, pleasures of the world) that do not even provide anything lasting in this world – let alone in the next.

Both Romans and Ephesians warn us to “wake from our sleep.” Before we are able to wisely use our time, we have to be alert to the dangers around us, the needs, and the will of the Master. We have to be aware of the eternal issues before us and be able to choose between what is eternal and what is temporal – and that means we must be spiritually awake. We can’t afford any longer to close our eyes to those things going on around us and say “everything will be alright.” Notice the verse in 1 Peter “. . . in fear.” That word is phobia. Phobias are not all bad. It is a healthy phobia of heights that keep us from jumping off high heights and killing ourselves. It is phobias of poisonous things that makes us careful around spiders, snakes, and scorpions. Why then are we not fearful of evil things, and where is our phobia of evil and its power to destroy us or our children?

And why are we so blind to the fact that the most important phobia we have – or should have – is the phobia (fear) of God? “Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.” That includes a very healthy fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of life and of wisdom. To fear Him is to have a true spirit of worship. Are we afraid of His smashing us or striking at us? NO! He loves us and has redeemed us. We fear to displease Him; we fear to break our relationship with Him; we fear to lose communications with Him. We fear to lose His blessing (or we certainly need to fear those things!).

How’s your time keeping? Where’s your focus? How is your phobia quotient? Is anybody out there awake?

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

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