Fireside: Redeem the Time, Or Else

“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

Colossians 4:5

I have long glossed over ‘redeeming the time’ as a mere trade-off. My haziness to obey this command I blame on: 1.) my understanding of time, and 2.) my understanding of redeeming. As usual, the Bible cross-reference to redeeming shook the scales from my eyes.

Paul exhorts the believers at Ephesus and Colosse to redeem their time. Ephesians 5:16 says, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” There is a good reason not to let time go unredeemed. There is a lost world that is counting on us. There is also an evil present every day devouring the passing hours.

The passing of time is a natural evil. To a cursed world, nothing could be more sinister than the ticking of the second-hand, or the turning of the calendar. Time is against the lost man.

To the saved, time is a blessed countdown. While we live, it is Christ, and when we die, it is more of Christ. We’ve entered into a relationship that does not end. Every passing hour brings His Presence nearer.

The seriousness of this paradoxical view of time defies practice. If time for a Christian has been redeemed, why the twofold urge to redeem it still?

Postive

Part of this answer is fallow potential. I may redeem a field, but that does not mean it will grow a garden without more work and time invested. A Christian belongs to God, but he is not guaranteed to bear fruit unless he abides in Christ. This relates to the time.

The other half revolves around the concept of redeeming. The friendly illustrations of ‘making it mine twice’ play to the positive part. Webster’s 1828 snuck his definition under #11: “To redeem time, is to use more diligence in the improvement of it; to be diligent and active in duty and preparation.”

Negative

In art, you have to see what is NOT (negative spaces) to fully see what IS. What is it to be un-redeemed?

To Moses is given the first promise to redeem a people. “I will redeem you,”(Ex. 6:6) said the LORD. After ten plagues and a few months, the Passover confirms the fulfillment of God’s promise (Ex. 12). God redeems them.

In Exodus 13, God commands Israel to redeem their livestock. Everything born in Israel must be redeemed. Just as no man naturally was set apart and had to be redeemed, so for the things they possessed, they had two options. First: “And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb;” That was preferred. The lambs were the substitute; they were acceptable to God.

Second option: “And if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck.” (Ex. 13:13a)

I am beginning to see my time this way. It is a possession that is constantly renewed; each day is it’s own “firstling.” Unredeemed time is not ‘second-best,’ it is according to the Bible good for nothing. It is this ass’ colt– unclean, unacceptable, and dead without the Lamb. There is no trade- it’s for Him, or it’s for nought!

How evil are the days I have not given to the Lamb! How much wisdom we need to give our fleeting time to Christ– or risk losing it forever.

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