First Sunday of Advent — Romans 13:8-15
“Urgently Live the Law of Love: Time is Short”

“Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfils the requirements of God’s Law.  This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out.” (Romans 13:10-11a, NLT)

Paul just cut out all the fat and got down to the lean meat; what really matters.  Whether we’re talking about the second coming of Jesus or when our personal life time is up; Paul says we need to live with the urgency that time for us is running out.  Don’t waste time on trivial; but stay focused on what is most important to God.  Loving God and loving people.  So we need to stop what we’re doing right now.  Take inventory of our lives.  Illuminate all the distractions (temptation) our enemy uses to get our focus off our mission and waste time.  Our family, friends, neighbors, and people we work with; desperately need us to live as children of the light.  So clothe yourselves; better yet saturate yourselves with the presence of the Lord so we can truly have the power to love.

Search me O Lord to the depths.  Show me the things that are hindering my relationship with you and with others.  Give me the repentance and grace to clean those things out of my life so I can be saturated with your holy presence and love and then give it away.

– Pastor Stephen C. Floyd, First Church of the Nazarene, Falls City