WHAT TIME IS IT?

October 11 

Knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. Romans 13:11

This verse talks about our “salvation” being “nearer to us than when we believed.”  Actually, you were saved when you believed. So, this “nearer salvation” refers to something else.  It refers to being saved from the problems, trials and sufferings of this life.  This salvation will occur when one of two things happen.  When we pass on from this world and open our eyes in the presence of Jesus, we, the now saved, will then be finally saved.  When the rapture happens, we, the now saved, will be suddenly changed and transported into the presence of Jesus finally saved forever more. I believed over 50 years ago.  I am now 50 years closer to my final salvation than I was.  This was written about 2000 years ago.  We are now 2000 years closer to the time of the rapture than we were.  It certainly is high time that we awake out of sleep and know that it is about time for the Lord to come for us.  And, many of us are sleeping. Not literally, but many live as if the things of God make little or no difference.  The challenge of this passage is to live and look like a Christian should because it is high time for the Lord to come.  

 Obviously, Paul is saying that it is going to matter when we see the Lord if we lived like a Christian should or if we lived like the world.  It is certainly time to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Christ, because it may be time today to be with Christ. 

Tom Johnson