Covenanter Witness Vol. 55 - Rparchives.org

(?Having Done All to Stand"price."moment."miseries."evil."away."A Series of Five Devotional Addresses Given Before the SynodIV. How to Redeem the Time(Devotional message at Synod. June 13, 1955)M. K. Carson, D.D.Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5.This word "redeem" means "to recover from another by the payment of a The meaning inthis particular text seems to be that we are to makea wise and diligent use of every opportunity we haveto witness for Jesus Christ.One word for time means the succession of moments, days weeks, etc. (Chronos). Another word for"time"means an "opportune or seasonable time.".Kairos) This is the word which is used in our text.Our farmers in Ohio and elsewhere had a special opportunity this spring to plant their corn. That opportunity soon passed. If a farmer could not or didnot avail himself of the opportune time, it is too latenow for this year. We are told that the longest totaleclipse of the sun since 705 A.D. took place on June20. Its maximum duration was a little more thanseven minutes. What an opportune moment for theastronomers! How quickly those seven minuteswould pass ! One word means "time" in general. Theother word means a "limited portion of time with theadded idea of Thayer. If suitableness."we used thetwo words, we might say, "The nick of time." This isthe one suitable moment to strike while the iron ishot. We cannot redeem the time in the sense that thepoet suggested."Backward, turn backward, O time, in your flight.Make me a child again just for tonight."We might return to our childhood homes but thedays of childhood will not return to us. Herein liesthe solemnity of life. We cannot go back. But we can"redeem"the "opportune"There is a tide in the affairs of men,Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortuneOmitted, all the voyage of their lifeIs bound in shallows and inShakespeare."There are three things that never return, thespent arrow, the spoken word and the lost opportunity."Persian proverb.Being busy does not mean that we are redeeming the time. We may be very busy about many"trivial"things. Some ministers complain about being burdened with organization, with meetings andwith speaking, with little or no time for the studyand meditation of God's Word. Others are too busyfor Family Worship. Are we really redeeming thetime, busy as we may seem to be, if we are neglecting the things of the Lord ?134Are there more opportunities to do good in evildays? Is there a greater need? "Redeem the timebecause the days are How can we seize everyopportune moment to redeem the time? The answerof INSPIRATION is found in the contextI. By Walking CircumspectlyThe command here is that we are to be strictlycareful about the life we lead. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan used the illustration of a cat walking on the topof a concrete wall. This wall had been made with alarge number of broken and sharp pieces of glassstuck in the top of the concrete. Certainly we wouldexpect a cat to be very careful as it walked along thiswall walking circumspectly. We have covenanted todo this. "Taking as our example the faithful in allages, and most ofall, the blessed Master Himself,and with our eye fixed upon the great cloud of witnesses who have sealed with their Iblood the testimony which they held, we will strive to hold fast theprofession of our faith without wavering, in hope ofthe crown of life which fadeth not Covenant1871"We do covenant with God that we will seek toconform our lives to the teaching and example ofour Lord Jesus Christ ; that we will endeavor to forsake all that is sinful and that would compromise ourwitness for Him; that we will separate ourselvesfrom all association, especially secret societies, whichwould hinder the development of Christian character ; and that we will encourage by our example, temperance, love and Covenant godliness."1954.Surely we would be walking circumspectly ifour lives conformed to the example and teaching ofChrist ! Who can estimate the far-reaching influences of a godly, Christian life. One of our Covenanterelders was told that he preached a sermon on Sabbath Keeping, every Lord's day, a sermon which wasfive miles long. This was the distance this elder andhis family had to drive to Church. In those days ofmud and dust, heat and cold, five miles was a longdistance. A young minister was leaving his first pastorate and was bidding goodbye to one of his mempacking,"bers. "I have almost finishedhe said."There is one thing you will not be able to pack,"saidhis friend. "What is that ?" "You cannot pack yourinfluence."Walking circumspectly is surely a wonderfulway in which to redeem the time. Jesus did alwaysthose things which pleased the Father and He wantsCOVENANTER WITNESS