Time to Wake Up

Romans 13:11–14 NKJV

11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

And do this -

This is the connection between verses 11-14 and 8-10. from the begining

of chapter 12 Paul has been teaching about how the true believer lives. And the theme has been love.

Let love be without hypocrisy

be kindly affectionate with brotherly love

distributing to the needs of the saints

given to hospitality

bless those who persecute you

do good to love your enemy

submit to the government

owe no one anything except to love one another

love your neighbour as yourself and so fulfil the law

The primary motivation for this lifestyle has been because of the mercies of God. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God. That is why we present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Thats why we resist being conformed to this age and instead we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The many many mercies of God that Paul shared in chapters 1-11. That while I was yet a sinner God sent His son to die for me for my justification. That if He has now justified me much more then He will save me from the wrath to come. That there is now no more condemnation. That nothing is able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The mercies of God are innumerable and worthy of us who are vessels of His mercy that we give our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, not being conformed to this age but being transformed by the renewing of our minds in the the image of Jesus Christ. This image is one of love.

But now Paul gives us another motivator. Not only is this a motivator but it gives us the urgency of our transformation.

It Is High Time

“And do this”, Paul says, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

It is time to wake up Christian. Stop sleeping. Stop putting off what you know you must do. Now is the time to stop being conformed to this world, now is the time to surrender you life to God. Time to stop playing games with God. There is no more time for the life of the old man. That life is gone. It is time to live the resurrected life now. It is time to reckon yourself dead to sin. It is time to stop being a slave to sin and serve God.

Why is now the time?

Because your salvation in nearer now than when you first believed.

from the time that we first believed until the time of the redemption of our bodies we are in this period of overlap. This period has been called the now but not yet. This is such an important thing to understand because there are so many things in our Christian life that we struggle to reconcile. For example, I’m dead to sin, but the good that I want to do I don’t do and the evil that I don’t want to do, is what I do. Or no disease can touch me but I get sick. Or I have eternal life but I die. Or the righteous do not encounter any harm and yet we see the righteous suffer. So many things that are not yet completely fulfilled. And this is why Paul said.

Romans 8:22–23 NKJV

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

We are in this overlap between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God. A place where yes I have now received eternal life but not yet. Yes I am saved but not yet. I have received the first fruits of the Holy Spirit and yet I am waiting for the adoption, the redemption of my body. Groaning within myself crying “oh Lord Jesus, how long?

But Paul says wake up Christian! because your salvation is nearer today than it was when you first believed. It moves closer every day, every hour every breath.

Paul says the night is far spent, the day it at hand. We are in the dawn of the return of Christ. Ever since Christ ascended into the clouds we have been in the end times waiting and looking for His return.

In the last days Peter said that there would be scoffers who walk according to their own lust saying “where is the promise of His coming?” They walk in their own lust foolishly thinking that Christ is not coming. But Jesus is coming back. Peter says

2 Peter 3:8–9 NKJV

8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

2000 years since Christ ascended, It’s only been a couple of days. He is coming back. I don’t know when but I wait expectingly for it to happen any day. I pray it is soon. But what does Christ’s imminent return mean for us? Lets look what Peter says before we go back to romans

2 Peter 3:14–15 NKJV

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Even if He doesn’t return in your lifetime you will very soon stand before Him. Our life is but a vapour and death is certain for all of us who are not alive at His return.

So Paul says It’s time to wake up. the dawn is upon us now. Don’t be found sleeping when Christ returns.

So what must we do to be prepared.

Cast Off the Works of Darkness and Put On the Armour of light

There is another passage that really echos what Paul is saying here in Romans.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 NKJV

1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

We cast off the works of darkness. And we walk properly as in the day. We don’t walk in the ways of the old man. We may not be fully redeemed and holy but we walk as though we have already been redeemed. As though the night is gone and the day is fully here.

So we put off, that is do not walk in

revelry (letting loose or out of control behaviour) and drunkeness

Not in sexual immorality and sensuality (That is driven by lust preoccupied with sexual desire)

Not in quarrelling and jealousy ( strife and and being argumentative or being envious and resentful)

Put all of these things far from you. Take them off. You know, many people struggle with these vices. Even Christians feel trapped in addiction. Paul simply says put these off like old clothes. If you struggle with these things then I want to tell you that if you are a child of God this is not who you are. These things don’t define you. They are just old rags left over from the old man. You have freedom in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit you can take these things off like and old garment. Don’t believe the lie of Satan that this is who you are. You are a child of the light and I urge you right now by the Power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ put off these works of darkness. You say I’ve tried and I just keep coming back to these old ways. Then try again, and again, and again and never give up. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again because it is something that I believe the Lord showed me and it’s not just a theory for me but i have put it to the test and found it true. If you are a slave to sin then it is because you have not yet made yourself a slave to God. You cannot have deliverance from sin just so you can feel better about yourself. You will never have freedom just so that others will think you’re a good person. And you won’t have freedom from sin before you surrender to God. i.e. Don’t expect that you can get your life cleaned up first and then offer God a clean and spotless life. No surrender all that you are to Him now. Determine to yield your members (your hands and feet and eyes, your heart and mind) to serve God. And when you you will be free from sin’s hold on you.

So as Paul says, Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as you put off the works of darkness like and old tattered garment so you put on Jesus Christ. Put on His righteousness, put on His love and compassion.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NKJV

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

And do not make provision for the flesh to fulfil its lust. What we put in is what we get out. Guard the gates of your mind. If you fill your head with worldly sensual garbage then you are making provision for your flesh. If garbage goes in then garbage will come out. Be careful what you watch on tv, be careful what you listen to, be careful what you look at and how long you keep looking. it may be fuelling lust in your heart.

The time is now, Not tomorrow, or next week or when we go to AL2 but right now. The night is far spent and the day is at hand.