Wake Up! Wake Up!

Romans
{13:11} And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we
believed.
{13:12} The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
{13:13} Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. {13:14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.


Knowing the time.


That now it is high time.


High time to awake out of sleep.


For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.


Salvation is close, always close, just hope away. No one can wait. No one is safe in waiting. If we wait for a certain time it could be too late. Thinking that salvation is nearer than when we believed. Thinking that the time is now, high time to wake up from our slumbers that keep us from salvation, is a bit frightening and a bit worrisome.


We're like children who are playing grown ups and getting all mixed up in our grownup things, we have momma's fun make up to wear, daddy's suit coat and we're prancing around playing our game not wanting our real momma or daddy to come home to spoil our fun. We watch the clock and we get a call that tells us that they'll be home soon but we still don't know exactly when. Are we wise? If we are wise we'd quickly put up those things we were playing with and prepare for their homecoming. If we're not wise we'll keep playing and take the risk of facing the wrath of our parents when they find us having toyed with their belongings.


We are told to prepare. We are told to accept. We are told today is the day of salvation and yet the devil fools us into believing that we have time to accept later because now is the time to play, have fun, not think of anything beyond our carnal existence and making it as pleasurable as we can.


Hope and faith grasp hold of the eternal, of the unseen, while the principalities and powers in high places keep us focused on now, and our immediate future, at most a few years, maybe several of them with the intention of keeping us earth bound, devil bound.


Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.


If you're hearing the call to wake up out of sleep you need to obey it. You need to push aside the foul dreams that cloud your sleep and try to trap you there in your slumbering. Salvation is now. You may not have tomorrow. Salvation is now. Developing our spiritual life now is necessary if we are to live eternally. Spiritual things with spiritual things.


Romans
{13:12} The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
{13:13} Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. {13:14} But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.


The night is far spent. The day is at hand.


Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness.


Let us put on the armour of light.


We are covered in the works of darkness aren't we? We cling to them. We use them as security, they're the familiar things we've lived with for so long. We can cast them off, we don't have to keep them upon us. In fact we need to cast them off and we need to put on the armour of light. Christ's armour, Christ's ways.


Let us walk honestly as in the day.


Not in rioting and drunkeness, not in chambering and wantoness, not in strife and enyving.


All that -- the rioting, drunkeness, chambering, wantoness, strife and envying are works of darkness.


We need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for our flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.


We need stop making provisions for our flesh. Stop making excuses to keep the dark ways in our lives.


We need to walk in Christ now and forever.


By the mercy and grace of our Lord, and of our Savior we can live, only by the mercy and grace of our Lord.


Let us determine to grow closer to Christ.


Now is the day of Salvation!


The hour is at hand, it is high time to wake out of our sleep.


Wake up! Wake up!


In Christ's love.


Amen.