Also this, knowing the time, that the hour has come for you to awake out of sleep, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
Truth to Learn
It’s time for all Christians to wake up and get busy for God.
Behind the Words
The word “knowing” is from the Greek word eidō, which refers to perception and is translated as either “to know” or “to see (to understand a truth).”
The word “time” is from kairos. There really is no English equivalent to this word which refers to “a period of opportunity” or “a season.”
“Hour” is from the Greek word hōra, which refers to “an hour” as a specific period or point in time.
The word “awake” is from egeirō, meaning “to rise up from sleep.” And the word translated “sleep” is a form of hupnos or hypnos, which literally refers to “sleep” but is used here figuratively referring to “spiritual stupor or dullness.”
“Nearer” is from the Greek word enguteron, which is the comparative of engus, meaning “near in position or time.”
Meaning Explained
Paul started off this chapter talking about the necessity of our submission to those who are in authority over us. This, he says, includes the payment of taxes to the taxing authorities and giving honor, paying the proper respect, to all authorities. He then segued into his next point of paying the debt of love to our fellow humans. One of the reasons for us loving our neighbors is the fact that it is what the second table of the Law is all about. It is how God expects us to behave toward others.
Another reason for us to treat those in authority over us with respect and for us to show true love to those around us is the fact that it is high time for us to be doing these things. As Christians, we have the obligation to be a witness to the unsaved by being Christ-like. We need to show forth the qualities that make us different from the rest of the world. When we were unsaved, we were walking around in the same hypnotized stupor as the rest of the world. Now that we have been illuminated by the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, it is time for us to wake up from this sleepiness.
We have the Holy Spirit living in us, who will teach us all things with a spiritual discernment that the unsaved are incapable of. It’s as if we have been injected with a powerful form of spiritual caffeine, and it is now time for us to wake-up and get to work out of gratitude for what He has done.
At the end of this verse Paul refers to our salvation being nearer than when we first believed. Most Christians think of salvation as occurring at the point in time when we first believed God’s message and accepted the blood of Christ as payment for our sins. In God’s record book we are already saved, but the consummation of that salvation will not occur until the return of Christ, when he raptures His church.
Application
The return of Christ could literally be any day now. Time is running out and we need to be busy for Him who bought us. In other words, what Paul is saying is:
Wake up, Christian!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved