Awake Out of Sleep
It Is Time to Awake Out of Sleep!
A. Walk with God; Stop Sleep-walking with God!
- Sometimes people talk in their sleep.
- Sometimes people hear things in their sleep.
- Sometimes people walk in their sleep.
- Sometimes people sing in their sleep.
- Sometimes people think in their sleep; we call it dreaming.
B. Many Christians are sleep-walking with God, doing many good things. They are going through the motions.
It Is Time to Cast Off and Put On!
A. Cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.
We must cast off before we can put on. “The rags of sin must come off if we put on the robe of Christ. There must be a taking away of the love of sin, there must be a renouncing of the practices and habits of sin, or else a man cannot be a Christian. It will be an idle attempt to try and wear religion as a sort of celestial overall over the top of old sins.” –Charles Haddon Spurgeon
B. The works of darkness:
These are characterized as revelry and drunkenness, licentiousness and lust, strife and envy. These are not appropriate for Christians who have come out of the night into God’s light.
- The idea behind the word “licentiousness” is “the desire for a forbidden bed.” It describes the person who sets no value on sexual purity and fidelity.
- Lust in this passage has the idea of people who are lost to shame. They no longer care what people think and flaunt their sin openly, even proudly.
C. The Armor of Light:
This is related to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. When we put on Christ, we put on all the armor of God and are equipped to both defend and attack.
“Putting on Christ is a strong and vivid metaphor. It means more than put on the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, signifying rather to let Jesus Christ Himself be the armor that you wear.” –Morris
D. Make No Provision for the Flesh:
The flesh will be as active as we allow it to be. We have a work to do in walking properly, as in the day–it isn’t as if Jesus does it for us as we sit back; instead, He does it through us as we willingly and actively partner with Him.
God used this passage to show Augustine, the great theologian of the early church, that he really could live the Christian life as empowered by the Holy Spirit–he just had to do it. And so do we.
Conclusion
Are you just going through the motions of your Christian walk, mindlessly having a quick devotion and prayer time? If so, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
Is your daily life different from the rest of the world? If not, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
Is Jesus living through you, or do you just allow Him to help you when you are in trouble? If so, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”