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. (12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put in the armor of light. (13) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. (14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

The great letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. In our verses today Paul writes that the faithful live in the present in light of certain physical death. They are already justified – saved by free grace in Christ – not conformed to this fallen world. Our hearts and minds have changed and we should be distinct from those with a temporary view only. Unbelievers are in darkness in their understanding and such men love the dark. They do not know God as He reveals Himself. God has called the faithful out of darkness into His light which is contrary to the lure of the world. The world is in darkness about material wealth but more importantly about death and eternity. If Paul is speaking to unbelievers the question is; is salvation nearer,. or damnation, than when man first hear the gospel and rejected it

Ignorance of God is what Paul calls night and all who are ignorant act as people do in the night. Unbelievers are blind and insensible. Light is the revelation of divine truth in Christ. We are to awake to the fact that the kingdom is going to come and it will be permanent. Paul is speaking – to the faithful – of the ultimate salvation when we are saved not only from the penalty of sin and the power of sin in our daily lives, but saved even from the presence of sin into the presence of the Lord God. We need to get ready. He is basically telling us we need to put on the Lord; to be as He was with no provision for the flesh. We are not to indulge the desires of our corrupt natures.

I’m going to close with a paraphrase of chapter 5 in the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous- changing the word alcohol to sin: “Remember that we deal with sin, cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help,it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power – that one is God. May you find Him now. Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked for His protection and care with complete abandonment.” We are to awake- to be equipped and prepared to undertake services Christ requires from us. Renounce the things that are concealed in the night and put on the armor of the day.