Living As In the Day

Notes from David Gill's Ethics class - Week 1 on "Living as in the day -- when it is still night". See this previous post for the class overview.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

"Spiritual worship" in this passage could also be translated "logical response" or "reasonable service". The Greek words that are used are logikon latreia. Paul is presenting an argument about how we should live our lives and he appeals to us on the basis of logic.

"Do not be conformed to this world". There are two words for world in Greek. aeon meaning age or a period of existence; and kosmos meaning the spacial universe. The word used in this text is "aeon". The call is to not let ourselves be shaped or defined by the age or culture that we live in. Rather we should "be transformed by the renewing of our minds". And the purpose is the discernment of the will of God which is:
good [Greek: agathos, meaning good for us]
acceptable [Greek: euarestos, meaning well-pleasing, beautiful]
perfect [Greek: teleios, meaning end, complete]

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14

"you know what time it is". The Greek word for time in this case is kairos which means a period or point in time, not chronicle of time. Right now, at this moment, it is time for us to wake up.

"the night is far gone, the day is near". The image below is meant to give us a better picture of what "living as in the day" looks like. While we are not able to look into the coming age to determine how we should live, Jesus who is the "bright and morning star" (Rev. 22:16) left the Day and came to us, in the Night, and gave us a perfect example of what "living honorably as in the day" looks like. So we look to Jesus.