Wake Up

Romans 13:11 ~ "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed."

Do you know the hour wherein we live, dear reader? It is nearing unto daylight, for soon the Son of God will illuminate the sky in His preeminent glory and dispel the night of sin. It is time for all of God's people to wake up.

The world is unaware that the return of Jesus Christ is nearer now, and they carry on as if the only matter that concerns them is the continued satisfaction of their own life. Jesus told the disciples, "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man" (Matthew 24:38-39). They have no fear or dread of the day that will bring the final judgment of the LORD upon this earth, there is no consternation in their hearts for they cannot imagine anything different than what they currently see. Peter addresses this in 2 Peter 3:4, "They will say, 'Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.'" And though it should not be, there are some who hold themselves as believers in Christ and yet have a dismissive consideration of our soon returning King.

We are, however, encouraged to maintain a vigilant stand, an awakened awareness of the coming of the LORD Jesus. Our LORD says in Matthew 24:44, "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." We are commanded to "stay awake" (see Matthew 24:42). Yet, how many Christians have grown drowsy as they wait for the Master to return? 

Our text for today tells us that we already know the time. And, as we consider when the book of Romans was written, imagine now how much nearer is the coming of the Son of God? Now is not the time for any Christian to grow sleepy in their salvation, but to awaken their hearts to the great promise of Christ, that He will come again and it could be now. Romans 13:12 tells us how to live with such an awakened awareness, "The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light." 

Beloved, you are, today, one day closer to the final day you spend on this earth. Paul tells us in our text, "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed." The return of Jesus is imminent. Yet, what if it does not happen in our time? It does not change the truth of this text. Salvation is nearer--and growing nearer every day. You may have only just woken up to the salvation of Jesus and have only spent one hour walking with Him. You are one hour closer to the day you will stand in His presence. Jesus will either return in our lifetime or we will depart to be with Him when our journey on earth is done. Either way, it is drawing near.

Spiritual drowsiness does not become a child of God. Do not hit the "snooze button" on your Christian life, believing that you can linger a bit longer in the slumber of your former life. Paul says in Ephesians 5:14, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Jesus our LORD chastised the church in Sardis for their spiritual stagnation, "Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God" (Revelation 3:2). Rise up, believer, out of the death-bed of this world, for you are actually alive. There is no need for you to linger any longer in a condition like those who will perish in their sins. We can walk in the light as Jesus is in the light (see 1 John 1:7). You can, in Christ Jesus, cast off the works of darkness. You can and must put on Christ. 

On this first day of June, as the summer draws near and the world is awake with growth and life, let it be said of us that we also have awakened to the life of Christ and will no longer slumber in sin, for the dawn of salvation has broken and the final Day is at hand.

In His Grace,
​Pastor Michael

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