Nearer to Salvation

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. 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” (Romans 13:11-12).

Have you ever known someone that simply hated mornings? When you go in to wake them up, they pull the blankets over their head and tell you to “go away.” They’ll hit the snooze button on their alarm clock a half-dozen times before finally rolling out of bed, and even then, you better leave them alone because they are g-r-u-m-p-y, GRUMPY! There are some people that, if left alone, would sleep in till lunchtime every day.

According to Romans 13:11-12, there are people like this on a spiritual level. They may be called “Christians,” but instead of getting to work, they continue to hit the snooze button. After all, it’s nice and warm under the covers—it’s hard to get up, push through the drowsiness and commit to such a labor-intensive day.

Paul urged these slumbering saints to “awake” for “the day is at hand.” The sun was poking over the eastern horizon, and they needed to get up and get ready so that they could put in a full day’s work in the vineyard of the Lord!

But what’s the motivation for getting up and going to work, or in this case, to BATTLE? Why should we get out of bed? Why should I step out into the light when the darkness is so comfortable and the covers so warm?

Here’s the motivation: “our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” For the worker, Mondays are hard because you’ve got the whole work-week ahead of you. Thursdays and Fridays, on the other hand, are much, much easier because it’s almost payday and the weekend is fast-approaching.

Here in 2012, we are a year closer to inheriting the salvation that God has promised to the Faithful! Our salvation is nearer, and it grows ever nearer as time passes by. So awake out of sleep and put on the armor of light. Labor in God’s vineyard with passion and diligence, knowing that payday is coming!

Are you ready?