ROMANS 13: WAKE UP FROM SLUMBER: THE DAY IS NEAR

 

¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. -Roman 13:11

The Day is Near

The promise of the return of Jesus Christ is written in the word of God. And just as the prophecies of His birth, sacrificial death and resurrection have come to pass, it is sure that this next major event of His return is to come fulfilling God’s salvation.

We are now in the last days, and the coming of Christ is drawing near. Things told in the scriptures has happened and is happening now that the nearness of God’s promise of Christ’s return is felt and anticipated by us believers.

-Acts 2:17  “In the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh”

-2 Peter 3:3  “scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.”

-Hebrews 1:2 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”

⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.  -Matthew 24:44

Wake up from Slumber and Prepare

Slumber means to sleep or be in a state of inactivity. Being inactive does not help us to prepare for Jesus’ return. How would we want to meet Christ our Savior and Lord? Is being the same as in our old ways and in untransformed life be pleasing to Him?

Since the day of His return is getting near, let us be awake and be prepared to meet Him.

How?

a) Make ourselves clean
[Romans 13:12a] The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness.

-after waking up from the darkness where we once held captive and now in the light of Christ, we put aside our deeds of darkness and all things that are unclean and displeasing to God so that we may meet Him clean and pleasing to Him.

b) Be clothe with Christ
[Romans 13:14] Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,

[Romans 13:12b] and put on the armor of light
-we remove our old clothing having dirtied with our old sinful ways and wear our new clothing in Christ washed clean signifying our new identity in Him as someone rescued from darkness and now in His kingdom of light. Be identified in Christ when He returns.

c) Live in newness (saved and transformed life) while we wait for His return
[Romans 13:13] Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

[Romans 13:14] and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

-Looking forward for the day of Christ return then we live today as someone who has been given salvation, a changed and transformed life by Jesus Christ not gratifying the desires of our flesh rather the desire of His Spirit in us thereby continuously being clean and set apart for God until His return.

 

As we anticipate the soon return of Jesus, let us not be inactive/asleep but rather awake, at work, preparing and living right with God until He comes.

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PAS MELODY - JCRC CAMBODIA