Ro 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.

As Christians we realize that our time here on the earth is jut a vapor, a drop of water. A flower that blooms then fades and dies. Like a rainbow it is here for a while then it is gone.

Ps 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Ps 39:5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

As Christians we know that we are pilgrims on this earth, and we know our time is short on this earth, then we need to wake up! It is very easy for us to get focused upon this earth and get tied up with the world and forget that we have a short time to live and to meet our Lord. We can get into to the flow of the unbelievers as we are living among them in a wicked world surrounded by them and we can easily get caught up with their style of living. But the apostle Paul is reminding us here, wake up! Jesus said;

Lu 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Why we need to be awake and watch out? “for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

This scripture has been misinterpreted by many. If you take only this portion of the scripture it sounds like first we believed, and now our salvation is near. Many Christians get confused and get into bad theology. We need to remember that the moment a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit that person is saved. Salvation can be used for deliverance from our enemies. Also Salvation can be used with respect to the complete deliverance of the Christians from this wicked world to heaven. Now we if we continue in context we see, we are need to be spiritually awake and watch out as our time is short there is only one step between us and heaven.

Mt 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Take note there are two peoples here, foolish and the wise. Both were expecting for the Lord to return. The foolish were living a careless, a lose type of life, these were the procrasitinators, they are very excited and busy when it comes to worldly things but very lazy and spiritually asleep when it comes to what the word of God says. The difference is the foolish took oil for a moment only and not to last long. Many live as Christians but their walk is a temporary, a short walk, on the other hand the true Christians walk is a stead fast walk. He will continue in hardships, trials and against the odds he will endure to be truthful to the Lord and will carry the cross to the end, will run the race to the finish. They will fall but by the grace of God they will get up, they will get wounded by the enemy but by the grace of God they will fight the good fight to the end. Foolish ones are the ones who come to church on Sundays, and that is the only day they open their Bible after that they go shopping and to their worldly business.

12 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 armour of light.

The night here is our days upon this earth and the day is at hand, is not the day of judgment but the day of death. Our life here on earth is like a one night compared to eternity. When the believer dies he pass from this dark world to the light of God. Apostle gives a warning to the believers that our time is short and let us not walk in sin. The darkness here refer to the sinful ways of the wicked.

Darkness is Satan’s kingdom and the light is God’s kingdom.

Ac 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

The unbelievers love their sin and will continue to live in darkness of sinful pleasure.

Pr 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Ec 2:14 “ but the fool walketh in darkness..”

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

But the true Christians differ from the unbelievers, the difference is like light and darkness.

1Th 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

1Th 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The true Christian will walk in the light, in the word of God having daily fellowship with the Lord and will hate sin. Will hate the sin of TV, the pleasure of TV and the worldly pleasure but is excited in God’s word and will follow his ways.

1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The unbelievers who walked in darkness will also be in darkness in eternity.

Mt 22:13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

The word walk here is conduct or behave, and the word honestly here in Greek is, euschmonwv euschemonos yoo-skhay-mon'-ose, meaning decently. Our behavior should be approved by God. That means our speech, our dress, our attitude, our moods. How do we behave outside the church? When we are driving on the road, when someone cuts you, what is your reaction? Is it a Christian reaction or an ungodly reaction? What about at work? We are to be a light to the world. Rioting is wild parties, excessive party goer, wild person, always disturbing the neighbors. Indulge in pleasure. The word drunkenness here in Greek is methe meth'-ay, means intoxication. Chambering is unlawful lust. Lusting after men and women. What is lust? A sexual desire, lust after sexual appetite. An unlawful desire of sexual pleasure and provoking for sensuality. If you love watching those Hollywood movies, you are definitely feeding yourself your flesh what the flesh desires. Strife is to have rivalry and jealousy.

14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

There are many who are calling themselves Christians, they live under the light of the gospel and they know the dangers of hell and they really wants to go to heaven, yet they live a very careless lifestyle. There are some who are dull, sluggish and slothful in the spirit. When you speak about Christ they look bored, but when someone change the topic they become alive in the flesh.

They are not making an effort to grow in Christ. It is not just on the Lord’s Day we need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but daily. Just like we need to cover our naked bodies with clothes, we need to realize that we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

Re 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Oh! How we need to realize we need to be dressed in Christ, daily. To put on Christ, says Calvin, “Means our being surrounded and protected in every part by the virture of His Spirit, and thus rendered fit fo rthe performance of every duty of holiness. For the image of God, which is the only ornament of the soul, is thus renewed in us.”

We are soldiers of Christ, and we are in a battlefield. Then daily we need to wear the soldiers uniforms, if we wear our own clothing we will lose the battle as no soldier will go to the battlefield with civilian dresses.

Do not make provisions for the flesh to fulfill it lusts. Your flesh is against your spirit, it is your enemy. Do not go the grey areas of sin. Remember Herod, he loved to hear John the Baptist preach. But when it came for him to make a critical decision between John the Baptist and Herodias, spirit vs the flesh, he sided for Herodias. Remember the rich young ruler, he wanted to do the things of God, but when it came to make a decision of selling all his wealth and then to follow God, he could not do it, as he wanted to yield to the flesh, he was looking for this life and did not care of the next life, was more concerned of his flesh, now rather than the spirit. I remember a shepherd was telling this story about his sheep. Usually the sheep are all flocked together and they are helpless without the guidance of the shepherd. But there was this one sheep, always wants to go to the boundary line, always spending time there. Although the shepherd spent time on this sheep bringing back to the main area of the flock later on this sheep goes again to the boundary line, then the shepherd found there were other few sheep also now following this sheep. Then for the sake of the other sheep, the shepherd had to kill this sheep.

If part of our flesh is going to be a problem for our spiritual growth, then we need to crucify the flesh. Let nothing stand in competition with the spirit, but make everything fall before it. If the flesh must be crossed, then cross it, spare it not, crucify it, and do not be afraid of being too cruel to it.

Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Ps 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.