One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #287, March 2025
For the Night is Far Spent: Recognizing the Darkness
Romans 13:12
“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.”
The first step to curing a problem is the recognition that there is a problem. We feel satisfied in our state when we are in darkness. We believe we satisfy ourselves and enjoy our life. The things of darkness seem to shine brightly because they are pleasing to our physical senses and social appetite. Humans enter a state of darkness when born. The phrase, ‘for the night is far spent’ reflects this. This darkness represents unawareness. However, he must come to realize that a better condition exists, one filled with light, as the following phrase, ‘the day is at hand,’ indicates.
The Hope of the Messiah
We must understand that mere existence is not all there is to this world and that death doesn’t have to be our end or doom. We must know that the things that serve and please this cloak of flesh and dust are temporary and will soon vanish away. But the light remains available. A slave is not blind to the light unless he is a willful slave to that darkness. Because of the promise of a coming Messiah by the Prophets, man gained hope by the substance of things that are in faith. He prayed for the day that he wouldn’t be in the darkness of ignorance. The Prophets finally conveyed the message to some minds, and rays of glorious light revealed itself to man. The long-awaited dawn had come. The Son of righteousness revealed His face to the world still filled with sleep. Sadly, after two thousand years, the world still wants to live in darkness.
The Night Is Far Spent: Watching Blesses those who are diligent
Watching blesses those who are diligent. Cursed was the man that wouldn’t tarry and ate and drank with the drunken; when the dawn came, he still slumbered. Now that day has fully come, no man has an excuse to dwell in darkness. But because of this veil of unbelief, Christ said:
“and this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
– John 3:19.
It must have been frustrating and grievous to sacrifice so much and accepted so little. To be in a state from where there is no escape.
The Righteousness of God
Lamentations 1:16 – “For these things I weep, mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me.” It must have been a sorrowful condition to have lived under the law, knowing that there was no freedom or escape from the condition of the soul. Most people didn’t recognize the condition, but there were a few who did, and Jeremiah was one of them.
The Blessing for Those Who Are Prepared
Watching blesses those who are diligent. They remain conservative, wise, prepared, and patient. Those that have studied other people’s life, their lifestyle, and the consequences of their habits. The one who has studied the word of God and paralleled their life according to its teaching. Also, blessed are the ones who give God the glory and thanks for His goodness and love. Remember, God is the Father of all righteousness, and righteousness is the display of God’s Holy work in our natural setting.
For the Night Is Far Spent: The True Light of Christ
The Apostle John gave us the key to understand the difference between spirit light and darkness. The Word of God was the expressed will of God in word and deed. This means that Jesus was the offspring of the Father, and as the offspring, He fulfilled all of God’s will completely. Additionally, He was the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and as these three things, He was a light, the high noon sun. But, in His position, all of what He did was to educate the spirit, soul, and spiritual mind. Since He had these three attributes, He was the essence of true life and eternal living. In John 1:4 it says that in Him was life (spiritual); and the life was the light of men.
In 1 John 5:11 it says,
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
John went on to say in verse 12:
“He that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
With these words, John established the truth, the way to truth, and the life of truth, which form the foundation of Christianity.
The Flesh Profits Nothing
When Jesus was in a man form, He was of the flesh, but we know, it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing, the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. These are two words to understand in order to believe what He was saying: Spirit and Life. When He came on earth, the natural part played its part, but when the spirit, like a dove, descended upon Him, everything became spiritual in His ministry. Even His body became a spiritual part of the work He was to do. ChatGPT said:
Christ’s body never died. He returned to the glory He had with the Father before taking human form, saying:
“It is finished” – John 19:30.
In Luke 23:46, He also said: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said this, He gave up the ghost.” This means that the spirit, which descended from heaven like a dove, left His body. He assumed the position He had before His earthly beginning.
For the Night Is Far Spent: The Sacrifice of Christ
Remember, No one killed Jesus. Because of what God had predestined in the beginning, Jesus was to sacrifice His body to redeem souls back to God. May God bless you.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts