It’s Time to Wake Up

Romans 13:11

“Knowing the time” — This Gospel day, in which the grace of God shines forth, like the sun in its meridian glory, is the day of salvation. Life and immortality are brought to light; righteousness and salvation are revealed in this day by the preaching of the gospel. This is no time for slumber and sleep, but for labor. Let us each be engaged in our Master’s business, laboring to make Christ known to all men, that the dawn of grace and the day of spiritual light might break in upon their souls and dispel the darkness of sin, ignorance and unbelief. The Sun of Righteousness is risen upon us with healing in his wings. We are “the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). “Let us walk as in the day.”

“That now it is high time for us to awake out of sleep.” — Sleep is for the night, not the day. Paul is not here dealing with the dead sleep of the lost in trespasses and sin, but the drowsy, lethargic frame of spirit in which living souls are often found. The wise virgins of our Lord’s parable slept, as well as the foolish. In such sleep, resting in the outward form of religion, we are consumed with a lukewarmness toward Christ and his cause, and willing to remain in such stupor, until the Lord Jesus calls us by his Word and Spirit to awake (Song of Solomon 5:2).

John Gill rightly observed that this stupor arises from the “body of sin and death and an over anxious care for the things of the world, from a weariness in spiritual exercises and an abstinence from spiritual company and ordinances.” It arises from our own carnal nature and the neglect of Christ and his worship. In such sleep the Lord Jesus hides his face from us, and leanness of soul is brought upon us. But, blessed be his name, our Savior will not leave us in our chosen indifference! He comes to us, when we will not come to him, makes fresh discoveries of his love to us, and causes us to cry after him.

“For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” — Soon, our great God and Savior will complete his good work of grace in us, and bring us to the consummate enjoyment of it in heavenly glory! When we close our eyes in death, the salvation of our souls will be finished. Then, when the Lord Jesus comes again in his glory to be glorified in all his saints, the whole work will be finished in the resurrection of our bodies. Then, we shall awake in his likeness. — “Blessed hope!”

Then we will be free from every evil and in full possession of all that is good and glorious, righteous and holy. This salvation is brought nearer to our sight and view, as we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are nearer the enjoyment of this full, complete salvation than when we first believed. — Glory is just around the corner! This is no time to sleep. It is time to wake up. Heaven is at hand! We are at the door of our Father's house, ready to enter into the joy of our Lord, and into his everlasting kingdom and glory. Shall we sleep with eternity so near?

Don Fortner

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