10. Paul goes on to elaborate his admonition by explaining what it is
to walk circumspectly and wisely--to "redeem the time, because the
days are evil." In other words: Think not happy days are in store for
you and you may defer duty till better times; better times will never
be. The devil is always in the world to hinder your every effort to
do good, and his opposition increases with time. The longer you
tarry, the less your power to accomplish good; wasted time only makes
matters worse. Then redeem the time; grasp your opportunities as best
you can. Let no interest be so dear to you as the promotion of God's
kingdom and the serving of the public in every good and useful way
possible, whatever befall yourself.
11. Christ in like manner says to the Jews: "While ye have the light,
believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light." Jn 12, 36.
And Paul, after quoting from Isaiah 49, 8, adds: "Behold, now is the
acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor 6, 2. So
his counsel in our text means: Take heed you receive not the grace of
God in vain. Or, neglect not the matter of your salvation; enjoy
while you may the opportunity of furthering the kingdom of God, for
the sake of your own and others' salvation. Defer not the thing to
another time, lest the opportunity escape you.
Elsewhere (Gal 6, 10) the apostle says, "As we have opportunity, let
us work that which is good." In other words: Act now, while you may.
Your time passes with astonishing rapidity. Be not deceived, then, by
the thought, "Oh, I can attend to the matter a year from now--two
years--three." That is simply foolish. It is an unwise conclusion of
the thoughtless. Before they are aware, they have lost the salvation
extended them. They defer to consider God's will, putting it off for
a season, until they shall have accomplished their own aims; then
they have deferred too long.
12. The Lord comes to your door. You do not have to seek him. If you
are grateful he tarries to speak with you. But if you let him pass by
you will have to complain as did the bride in Song of Solomon 5, 6:
"I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and
was gone ... I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him,
but he gave me no answer." Think not you will find the Lord when he
has once gone, though you traverse the world. But while he is near
you may seek and find; as Isaiah says (ch. 55, 6), "Seek ye Jehovah
while he may be found." If through your neglect he pass by, all
seeking then will be vain.
For more than twenty years in my cloister I experienced the meaning
of such disappointment. I sought God with great toil and with severe
mortification of the body, fasting, watching, singing and praying. In
this way I shamefully wasted my time and found not the Lord. The more
I sought and the nearer I thought I was to him, the farther away I
got. No, God does not permit us to find him so. He must first come
and seek us where we are. We may not pursue and overtake him. That is
not his will.
13. Then be careful to avail yourself of the present opportunity.
Embrace it while he is near, and faithfully consider what he requires
of you. To ascertain this, go to the Creed and the Ten Commandments.
They will tell you. Regulate your life by them. Be helped by the
Lord's Prayer. Begin with yourself; then pray for the Church. Let it
be your desire that God's name be everywhere sanctified and that your
life conform to his will. If you are faithful in these things,
assuredly you will walk wisely; you will avoid sin and do good. For
the study and practice of these precepts will leave you no
opportunity to do evil. God's Word will soon teach you to sanctify
his name, to extend his kingdom, to do your neighbor no injury in
mind, body or estate.
14. Observe this is "redeeming the time." This is employing it well,
while the golden days last in which we have remission from pain and
sin. Not such remission as the Pope grants in his jubilees, wherein
he deceives the world. Right here let us be careful not to cheat
ourselves with the false idea that salvation cannot escape us. Let it
not be with us as befell the children of Israel, of whom it is said
in Psalms 95, 11 and Hebrews 4, 3 that because of their unbelief they
entered not into the rest of God. They would not accept their
opportunity in the forty years wherein he gave them his Word and
showed them his wonders, daily admonishing them and calling to
repentance and faith. They but tempted and provoked him the more.
Hence another admonition was given the people of God and a certain
day appointed: "Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your
hearts." Heb 4, 7. Every day with us is "today" and we are permitted
to hear God's voice still imploring us not to waste the time.
15. Surely we ought supremely to thank God, as the latter part of our
text enjoins, for the great blessing of his nearness to us. We have
his presence in our homes. He is with us at our board, by our
couch--anywhere we desire him. He offers us all assistance and grants
all we may ask. So gracious a guest should indeed receive our high
esteem. We ought to honor him while he is with us.
16. Well may we pray, as I have said. There is too much slumbering
everywhere in Germany. We cannot perceive how it is possible to
preserve the Gospel and fill the pulpits for ten years longer. To
such extent does wickedness rage in the world that blindness and
error must sweep it as before. And no one will be to blame but the
stupid bishops and princes, and those of us who esteem not the Word
of God.