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Series: Be the Remedy
Title: The Remedy for Darkness
Text: Romans 13:11-14

Dawn

So it is still dark during dawn, but that first glimmer of light that appears before sunrise is a promise of what is to come. Soon there will be sunrise and a new day filled with light.

Advent is the arrival of the first glimmer of what is to come. Those who are awake at dawn can see it and point to what is to come—a new day. Followers of Jesus are people of the dawn. Although it is still night, we are up watching for the dawn of something new, and when we see it, we point to it as a promise of what is about to come in its fullness.

...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; Romans 33:12 (NRSV)

Armor of light

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

At dawn, it is still dark. We have gone through the dangers of the night, and yet it is still dangerous. Why? Because it is still dark and danger hides in the dark. Attacks almost always come out of the dark. We tend to lock doors and take more protective steps in the dark because what we can’t see can harm us.

Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. Romans 3:13 (CEB)

Numbing. Numbing is a way to ignore negative feelings. Paul gives some examples of excessive behaviors like drunken partying and what we would now call sex addiction. But we can find all kinds of excessive behaviors that help us “take the edge off” our negative emotions. Here are some common modern ones: Workaholism, compulsive overeating, social media addiction and binge watching TV (or anything that has the word binge in it), and even religious obsession.

Deflection. Deflection is away to ignore negative feelings by focussing our attention on others. Paul talks specifically about fighting and obsession. By “fighting” he means being quarrelsome. By “obsession” he means an unhealthy focus on resentment, bitterness, jealousy, and envy of others.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 3:14 (NRSV)

Although the Ego is necessary for survival, unless we can transcend the desires of the ego, we are stuck putting on the same old armor we need when we are in a world ruled by spiritual darkness.

Paul tells us to put on the armor of Light, and then tells us to put on Christ. Which means instead of clothing ourselves with ego, we learn to clothe ourselves with the mind of Christ.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NRSV)

Grace and Truth. You cannot have one without the other. Jesus fully embodied both equally at the same time. If you try to have one without the other, you get only half a Jesus and you lose the light.

That kind of truth is the old dark armor of the ego. It creates division and quarreling–the very thing Paul warns about. Truth without grace is a lie.
Grace without truth is not grace, because when there is no truth, there is no need for grace. Grace without truth is just another ego game which requires someone to become a heroic “martyr” so that someone else can keep living a lie.

If we are to be children of the dawn, we must have only one piece of armor. That armor is a light that shines in the darkness. The remedy for darkness is to hold the light of Christ at all times.

“When I arrive at the rehab center, Louie greets me with un abrazo [a hug], and once in the car, he launches in. “I had a dream last night—and you were in it.” In the dream, he tells me, the two of us are in a darkened room. No lights whatsoever. No illuminated exit signs. No light creeping from under the door. Total darkness. We are not speaking, but he knows I am in the room with him. Then, silently, I pull a flashlight from my pocket and aim steadily on the light switch across the room. Louie tells me that he knows that only he can turn the light switch on. He expresses his gratitude that I happen to have a flashlight. Then with great trepidation, Louie moves slowly toward the light switch, following closely the guiding beam of light. He takes a deep breath, flips the switch on, and the room is flooded with light. As he tells me this, he begins sobbing. “And the light,” he says, “is better than the darkness.” As though he had not known this was the case. We cannot turn the light switch on for anyone. But we all own flashlights. With any luck, on any given day, we know where to aim them for each other.” —Father Greg Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart

May you be a CHILD OF THE DAWN. May you put away the armor of the darkness and put on the armor of Christ’s light. And may you, armed with the Light of Christ, be the remedy for the darkness others are walking in even now.

Songs from Today's Service:

Hosanna by Hillsong
You'll Come by Hillsong
Even So Come by Passion Worship
God with Us by All Sons and Daughters
Remedy by David Crowder