It is High Time to Awake
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.”
In the Greek, “awake” means to collect all our faculties, to rouse up from obscurity, sickness or death.
It is when you start using all your spiritual faculties, to do God’s Will.
It is as the Prodigal, when he “came to himself”.
Luke 15:17 “And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my Father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”
The Prodigal was the younger son of two boys. He had lived in the Father’s House, and became restless for “something more”.
So he came and asked his Father for his portion, and his Father gave both boys their inheritance: the older, as was the custom, received two-thirds of the estate; the younger received one-third.
What is this “inheritance”?
I believe it is our wills. As God’s children (Yes, these are Christians—sons of the Father), we will use our wills to will after God, and bring forth fruit; Or we will “waste” our wills on things of this world.
Luke 15:13 “And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.”
The “far country” seemed to be a great place, but the heart of this boy knew that it was just “wasting” time and effort, with nothing to show for it.
Luke 15:14 “And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.”
See God’s hand in this?
How could he spend all his will? By wasting his efforts chasing shadows: and refusing reality.
Look at Solomon:
Ecclesiastes 2:10, 6:12 “And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labor: and this was my portion of all my labor.
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?”
Solomon and this Prodigal spent all their effort of will “tasting” of things which they knew to be nothing, in comparison to God’s Will.
But they continued, till they were “spent” or like dead inside.
What to do? the Prodigal, deadened to spiritual feelings, went and begged a job from a pig farmer. (Swine were unclean to the Hebrews, but as I said, this poor boy is deadened to things as they should be….until…)
Luke 15:17. “And when he came unto himself, he said, How many hired servants of my Father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”
Now here, thankfully, he “Awakes!”. For that is what “he came unto himself” means: he remembers, “Hey, I am a Christian. I have a Father that is good to servants, and gives them the Bread of Life.”
Then, because he is awake, he begins to use his will, for God’s Will: notice the “will” here:
Luke 15:18-19 “I will arise and go unto my Father, and will say unto Him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee,
And am no more worthy to be called Thy son: make me as one of Thy hired servants.”
We know the rest. He does what he wills, and returns: confessing all to his Father.
But instead of the lowest place in the Father’s House, the boy is given the Father’s kiss of forgiveness, the best robe, a ring of authority for his finger, and a fatted calf.
Paul in Romans is calling for these Christians to “awake out of sleep”……to realize that time is moving forward……are they?
Romans 13:11-12 “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.
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 armor of light.”
Are we still living “riotously”in the far country?
Have we felt the “famine” of the Word of God to our souls? (Amos 8:11)
Are you ready to “awake”?
Well, wherever you are…..
….Gather your faculties, all the things you possess in Christ, to one grand end: to do the Will of God in these days.
To “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ (Be conformed to His character).
Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
Come to yourself…who you are, as Christians, in this world. Remember the Bread of Life, and put on the armor of light. His light is real protection, for in His light we see everything clearly.
The Prodigal forgot the goodness of his Father, for a while, but was awakened, and returned to Him.
We, too, often forget the mercy, and grace of God. But we can remember Him, awaken, and come to His light.
We can use our wills to do His Will.
As Paul says, “It is high time to awake out of sleep”.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 