I want to talk to you today, not just as someone reading the Bible but as someone who cares deeply about your soul. I want you to hear this not just with your ears but with your heart. Because I believe this is urgent—it’s time to wake up.
Now, I know how easy it is to fall into a routine. I’ve seen it over and over again — people show up to church on Sunday morning, they sit through the service, and before the final “Amen” fades, they’re out the door and back to life as usual. That’s not devotion — that’s habit. And habit without heart is hollow. Many churches today exist in that state — no fire, no urgency, no growth. That’s not new, though. The early church wrestled with the same thing.
Remember the church in Ephesus from Revelation 2? Jesus Himself said they had lost their first love. And then the church in Laodicea—lukewarm—not hot, not cold, just coasting. Let me ask you something: Have you lost your first love?
Paul saw this spiritual laziness in the church in Rome, and he didn’t sit back quietly. He told them point blank: Wake up. That’s what I’m telling you today. It’s time to wake up.
Look at Romans 13:11 — Paul says “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.” Why? Because your salvation is nearer now than when you first believed. Every day that passes brings you one step closer to either your death or the return of Christ. That’s a sobering thought. James says life is a vapor — here for a little while, then gone.
You and I don’t have time to play games with eternity. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. That’s what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6. Don’t wait. Don’t delay. If you know what’s right, do it — because not doing it, according to James, is a sin.
Our time here is short. The “night” — this moral darkness we live in — is almost over. The “day” — the day of judgment — is about to dawn. Are you ready for it? Because ready or not, it’s coming.
That’s why Paul says, “Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” He doesn’t just say, “Try to be better.” No — cast it off. Get rid of it. That sin you’ve been hanging on to, those fleshly desires you’ve been entertaining — it’s time to lay them down. He mentions drunkenness, lewdness, lust, strife, envy — and there are more. Galatians 5 has the full list. Paul says if you practice those things, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But listen — it’s not just about stopping sin. It’s about putting something on. Paul says to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. That begins in baptism. When you’re buried with Him, you’re raised to walk a new life. A life that looks like Christ. That acts like Christ. That loves like Christ. Baptism isn’t the end — it’s the beginning. You’ve got to grow. You’ve got to put on the new man — filled with mercy, humility, patience, and love.
And once you’ve put on Christ, Paul says, make no provision for the flesh. Don’t give your old self any room to come back. Don’t entertain the desires that drag you down. Romans 8 tells us — if you live by the flesh, you’ll die. But if you live by the Spirit, you’ll live.
So I’m asking you: Are you serious about this? Are you avoiding temptation, or are you getting too close? Are you growing in Christ, or are you sleeping?
If Jesus came back today, would you be ready? Where would you spend eternity?
This is your choice. I can’t make it for you. But I can plead with you — Wake up. Put off the old life. Put on the armor of light. Put on Jesus. Your eternity depends on it.
