What does Romans 13:13-14 mean by "behave decently, as in the daytime"?
score:5
Jesus and others in the Bible have used day and night figuratively. In general, light and day refer to positive aspects of a believer's relationship with God while darkness and night refer to more sinful aspects.
For instance, in John 3:19-21, we read,
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
The light in this case is God sending Jesus into the world to save us, and especially to make us aware of that need. The darkness here is that part within us that prefers to hide from God's truth about our sinful state rather than have our sins exposed and forgiven. But "whoever lives by the truth," that is, he who is honest with himself about his shortcomings and recognizes the need for God's remedy, comes to the light -- comes to the need for faith in Jesus and forgiveness.
Darkness refers to the "shady dealings" of mankind, where people will do what's wrong secretly in order not to be found out and accused. Being people "of the day" (1 Thess. 5:5) means to be bold and open in one's conduct, unafraid because it is right and honest and good.
Upvote:3
Just to add to Steve's excellent answer:
Jesus used the word light to highlight Christian living.
Jesus said;
Matthew 5:14 through 16 KJV
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Since we Christians are the only image of God that the World can see, It will judge the effectiveness of the Gospel by our actions. Many times I have heard people use the bad actions of Church members as an example of why they don't need Jesus in their lives.
Here Jesus is saying that those who are his disciples need to reflect it, and Paul is just adding to that in Romans chapter 13, by saying that we should be the same when we think we are hidden by darkness as we are in the daylight.
If we get down to the bare facts of the matter God sees just as well in darkness as he does in the light of day. So it behooves us to remember that God is always watching, and act accordingly.
We should keep in mind that Jesus is at the right hand of the father making,intercessions for us; when Satan accuses us; but what can he say in our defense when we deliberately do something wrong.
Jesus is still human and I feel it is just as embarrassing to him to have to say to the father.
"Yes that is one of those I died for, so please forgive him/her."
as it is to the mother whose child throws a tantrum in a store; to say to the other mothers whose children are well behaved; "yes that's my kid."
More post
- 📝 How common are apparitions of Mary and/or other Saints amongst non-Catholics?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for "Do Least Harm" or "Do Greatest Good"?
- 📝 How do those who reject the deity of Christ understand the 'sameness of honor' in John 5?
- 📝 What does "Tres Personae" mean in Tertullian's "Una Substantia Tres Personae"?
- 📝 Is the emotion of sexual passion a result of the fallen state? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 How do Trinitarians explain James 1:17, John 4:24 and John 17:3?
- 📝 Why does God forbid Aaron's descendants with "defects" from offering food?
- 📝 Why do saints perform fewer miracles over time?
- 📝 What are other explanations for Malachi 4:5-6?
- 📝 Please explain how the Israelites were supposed to keep the Sabbath year
- 📝 Is a testimony from devil about Jesus, good?
- 📝 Why did God speak Hebrew?
- 📝 Is an action morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?
- 📝 Why do adherents in laestadianism consider watching television and listening popular music as sin?
- 📝 What was at issue in the Clark-Van Til controversy?
- 📝 What is Sedevacantism?
- 📝 Was Islam originally considered to be a Christian sect?
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from Christians about their personal experiences with the gift of prophecy?
- 📝 What is the significance of Ehud being left-handed?
- 📝 What is the history behind Angelus prayer?
- 📝 Are there any estimates as to how many people witnessed the crucifixion of 'Christ'?
- 📝 What did the original Christian writings look like during the 1st century CE?
- 📝 Do Protestants understand Jesus to be both "the son of Adam" and "the son of God"?
- 📝 Morality of transacting with damaged currency note/bill
- 📝 What do we mean by person?
- 📝 How did Jethro know Moses's God?
- 📝 What makes the spirit and body inseparable after the resurrection?
- 📝 Does Paul ever actually quote Jesus anywhere?
- 📝 How did God's morality not change between OT and NT times?
- 📝 What was meant by the charge: "the upsetting of the lamp"?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What does Romans 13:13-14 mean by "behave decently, as in the daytime"?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law but did not abolish it?
- 📝 What exactly does it mean that Jesus Christ is the son of God?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus was the "second Adam"?
- 📝 What does it mean to "Bless the LORD"?
- 📝 What does it mean to interpret the Bible literally?
- 📝 What does being lukewarm mean in contrast with being hot or cold for the church of Laodicea?
- 📝 What does the abbreviation "RNIO" mean in a painting of the Virgin and Child?
- 📝 What does the Catholic Church mean when it calls humans co-creators with God?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus, Father, and Holy Spirit are of the same nature but different personas?
- 📝 What does it mean that John's Gospel does not have an account of the institution of the Eucharist?
- 📝 What does John Calvin mean to imply by the "suffrage" of the church?
- 📝 What does "communion of saints" mean in the Apostle's Creed?
- 📝 What does it mean for the Spirit to only speak of what he hears? (trinitarian perspective)
- 📝 From a Fundamentalist viewpoint, what does it mean to "take the Bible literally"?
- 📝 What does "Christ was born across the sea" mean in Julia Ward Howe's The Battle Hymn of the Republic?
- 📝 What does TS Eliot mean by "old dispensation" in The Journey of the Magi?
- 📝 What does it mean to magnify or glorify the Lord?
- 📝 What does inherit the earth mean in Matthew 5:5
- 📝 What does R. C. Sproul mean by the 'essence' of God?
- 📝 In the tradition of Jehovah's Witnesses, does Romans 6:23 mean that all people who are resurrected have their sins blotted out?
- 📝 What does it mean to say the Bible is the "Word of God" and how is it justified?
- 📝 According to Jehovah’s Witnesses what does the name Immanuel mean in light of their belief that Jesus is a created being and not God?
- 📝 What does it mean that God is the saviour of all people, especially those who believe?
- 📝 What does the Nicene Creed mean when it says that the Father and the Son are of the same substance?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholicism, what does "proceeds' mean in the Nicene Creed?
- 📝 What does it mean for the soul to be "immediately" created by God?
- 📝 When the Pope says "We commend to the Lord the souls..." what does it mean exactly? It it a symbolic gesture, a prayer, something else?
- 📝 What does the Chalcedonian Creed mean by person?
- 📝 Does the “until now” in Romans 8:22 mean that the creation's groans have ended?
