There's an Urgent Call to Spiritual Alertness by the Living Word of God (Jesus).
You well-know how sleep is one of God's marvelous gifts to us. Sometimes after a long day of work I like to sleep in some. It's designed for rest, physical revitalization, restoration, and healthy rhythm.Scripture speaks not only of physical sleep but also of a more dangerous kind of drowsiness—the slumber of the soul. And far too many believers keep nodding off in the light. I don't want to fall asleep in the light or be left in the night! The Rapture will happen soon and we all need to remain rapture-ready in Christ.
A 2023 Barna study revealed that only 6% of Americans hold a truly biblical worldview in this area. And tragically, among those who claim to be spiritually born-again Christians, only 19% actually read their Bibles regularly. In the West, we have not as of late been a spiritually alert people, but that needs to change. Together we need to see that fixed. We are, as I used to hear Keith Green in Costa Mesa California and in Lindale Texas sing, “asleep in the light.” His simple lyric still challenges me -- it echoes truth we all need to think about:
"Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down?
Don't you care, don't you care are you gonna let them drown?
How can you be so numb not to care if they come?
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done
Bless me Lord, bless me Lord You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts no one even sheds one tear
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds and He cares for your needs
And you just lay back and keep soaking it in
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? 'Cause He brings people to you door
And you turn them away as you smile and say
God bless you, be at peace and all heaven just weeps
'Cause Jesus came to you door you've left Him out in the street
Open up, open up and give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries so how can you delay?
God's calling and you're the one but like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak but you keep holding it in
Can't you see it's such a sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark that the church just can't fight
'Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead, when you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave and you, you can't even get out of bed
Jesus rose from the dead, come on, get out of your bed
How can you be so numb not to care if they come
You close your eyes and pretend the job's done"
Can real Christians get distracted and nod off.. falling asleep spiritually? Absolutely, but please don't! Can they respectfully be awakened? Yes, and you can be a part of this with God's word!
Physical death, for the believer, is often described in Scripture as “sleep.” Not because we cease to exist, but because the body rests temporarily for it's own good.
Between physical death and the resurrection, the soul of the redeemed people worships God unceasingly where He is. Sleep won’t at all be needed there, for there will be no weariness in the presence of the Lord in His glory. As Revelation 7:15 says, “They serve Him day and night in His temple.” Even now for the righteous dead, in that intermediate heaven, the saints cry out to God with full awareness for justice on earth: “How long, O Lord?” (Revelation 6:10).
While here on earth, Jesus spoke of the soul's conscious state after death. Lazarus, Abraham, and the rich man in Luke 16 were fully alert, speaking, and remembering what's so, and what happened. Moses and Elijah were not ghostly-mist or whimsical shadows but they were present and conversing with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:3). Yep, that was Moses inside the Promised Land.
And yet, here we are—alive on earth now, but often sleepwalking towards the refrigerator.. and sadly, through our Christian lives too. The Church has traded the upper room for the comfort room (zone), real revival fire for strange or religious fire with a cozy routine. Statistics show a dramatic spiritual decline in our nation, many young people are now returning to the local churches which is great to see, but revival has always come when God’s people repent, cry out in prayer, and wake up!
Spurgeon said, “If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees.” But how can any of us believers plead with the lost people if we ourselves are enjoying a long siesta or have gotten used to drowsy?
In the life to come, we believers will have new, glorious bodies—free from weariness, pain, or decay.
Wake up, Church. Stir your soul. Fan the flame. Live ready in Christ because some will soon be resurrected with bodies fit for a very hot lake. They won't sleep in Christ, they'll tragically be turned into hell for rejecting Jesus.
I do like a nap now and then (something I just hated as a child), but listen believer, now is not the time for long naps and sleep. Jesus Christ is coming again real soon!
Yes, you've heard about “Soul sleep” before -- it's that belief that after a person dies his or her soul “sleeps” until their physical resurrection and final judgment. Guess what, that doesn't happen and soul-sleep isn't biblical.
Prayerfully spend some time in the Epistles. Yes, go to Ephesians. I love how Paul continues on with his description of the Christian’s walk there. He tells us this:
"For this reason He says, 'Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.' 15 Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], 16 making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil." Ephesians 5:14-16 amp
What's that letter about, and what does he tell us to do?
- Walk close to the Lord in Love (See Eph. 5:1–6)
Christian, live as “followers” (v. 1). this means as “imitators, mimics” not of evil, but as God’s children, we should imitate our Heavenly Father. God is love, and we should hate sin and walk in love. The example of Christ’s love should inspire us to live balanced and exemplary. See John 15:9 and 12 and 1 John 3:16–18. Here Paul pictures Christ as the sweet-savor offering, bringing joy to the heart of God as He gives Himself for sinners. We are to be living sacrifices for His glory.
Of course, the right kind of love implies that we really hate certain worldly things.
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Rom. 12:9 nkjv
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There are some sins that are more destructive than other sins, but we should hate all sins. There are preferences with certain lifestyles that should never even be named among saints. Do you hate sin as much as the Holy Spirit, Jesus and the Father hate sin? If not, then choose to grow up.
In v. 4, Paul is not objecting to humor, but to unsuitable and unclean course jesting. I love good humor and more of us need to have some of that. Certainly, no Christian should use his or her lips to spread questionable stories with their jokes. We should never have to say, “Take this with a grain of salt” because our speech should always be seasoned with potent salt.
"Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you]." Col. 4:6 amp
False teachers may say that you can be a Christian and live in habitual, deliberate sin, but that's why are called false -- they can't seem to go without falsehoods. They love to mix it in with a bit of truth too.. just enough so that you will swallow their lies and even pay them for it. Paul calls their teachings “empty [vain] words.”
Compare vv. 5–6 with Gal. 5:21 and 1 Cor. 6:9–10. We were “children of disobedience” (2:1–3); but now we are children of God, and we ought to walk in love. That's what Jesus did and does.
- Walk Every Single day in the Light, Children of the Day (5:7–14)
Q: “What communion has light with darkness?” asks Paul in 2 Cor. 6:14 nkjv. None! We are children of light and ought to walk in the light. Darkness produces sin and lies; the fruit of the light (a better translation of v. 9) is goodness, righteousness, and truth. The light cannot compromise with the darkness; it can only expose it. See John 3:19–21 and 1 John 1:5–10.
- Walk Carefully with Discernment (5:15–17)
Walk with your head on a swivel spiritually, eyes and ears open to properly evaluate.. discerning and aware circumspectly. That word “circumspectly” (v. 15) carries the idea of looking around carefully so as not to stumble or fall on your face. It means walking intelligently and not in ignorance of the truth. Real facts are your friends!
I want to pursue Jesus -- live spiritually aggressive in a good sort of way. How foolish it would be for anyone to stumble along through life and never seek to know the will of the Lord for them personally!
Instead of walking “accurately” (which is equivalent to “circumspectly”), too many keep missing the mark. They miss the WAY. They go off the good road or path, and end up suffering gobs on on some lame worldly detour.
God wants all believer to live wise, to consistently be wise and fully understand what His will for our lives really is. Go back, ask Him again. Go to His Word and a decent church. As we obey His will, we “buy up the opportunities” (redeeming the limited time He's given to us to use, v. 16) and do not waste any time, or energy, or money, or emotions, or talents He's given you. I mean in anything that is apart from Him and His will. Lost opportunities may never be regained; they are gone forever. I hate that!!!
- Walk in Harmony with Your Spouse, Family, Other Christians and Their Churches (5:18–6:9)
Read through chapter 6. It deals with harmony between husbands and wives, parents and children, and workers and masters.
It starts in the home. Be revived. Be awakened --fully awake right there.
The secret of harmony in the home, in school, on the streets, and on the job is the fullness of the Spirit. Be refilled and controlled by the Spirit -- refills are free. Ask the Lord.
The unity of the church and the harmony of the home both depend on the Holy Spirit (See 4:3; 5:18).
It is power from God into you, and then from within you, not pressure from without, that holds the church and the home together for His glory.
Notice some of the evidence of a Spirit-filled life: REAL LOVE, real joy (v. 19), real humility and gratitude (v. 20), and real obedience that's biblical (see v. 21).
Now compare with these verses:
"Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always]. 16 Let the [spoken] word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Col. 3:15–17 amp
What do you see? Reread it. You will see that when Christians are filled up to overflowing with the Word of God they will have the same characteristics. In other words, to be filled with the Spirit of God means to look like Jesus because you'll be controlled from within by the Spirit and by the Word. The marks of a Spirit-filled Christian are not unusual or strange emotional experiences, or even miracles with praying in tongues, but rather godly Christian character. Do you live holy with pure common sense?
The principle of holy, godly headship is what helps bring harmony into the home. “As unto Christ” is the motive we are to have as we glorify Him. Wives are to submit to their husbands not unto sinning, but as unto Christ; and husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church; and children are to obey direct and delegated authority as unto the Lord. Family members who are right with the Lord will be right with each other inside the home and outside the home.
The church is pictured as the bride of Christ. Let's be awake in Him.
It is interesting to compare the church to the first bride in the Bible, Eve (Gen. 2:18–25). She was taken from Adam’s side, and Christ’s side was pierced for us on the cross. She was formed when Adam was asleep, and Christ experienced the sleep of death to create the church. Eve shared Adam’s nature, and the church partakes of Christ’s nature (vv. 30–31). Eve was the object of her mate’s love and care, and Christ loves the church and cares for it. Adam was willing to become a sinner because of his love for his wife (1 Tim. 2:11–15), and Christ willingly was made sin because of His love for the church. Eve was formed and brought to Adam before sin entered the human family; the church was in the mind and heart of God before the foundation of the world. Note Rom. 7:4 and 2 Cor. 11:2 for the application of this truth of marriage to the individual believer and the local church.
What is Christ’s present ministry to the church? Awake, He is sanctifying and cleansing the church through the Word of God, and He does this by the work of the Spirit in His chosen servants (See 4:11–16).
The water in v. 26 is not baptism. For one thing, Paul is talking about a continuous process of cleansing, and no Christian is baptized continuously. Water for washing is a symbol of the Word of God cleansing your mind and motives (See John 15:3 and 13:1–12). When Christ takes His church to glory, it will an awake Church. We in the Church will be perfect, spotless, and without any blemish. See John 17:22–24.
The Word is not only water that cleanses the church, but it is also food that nourishes the church to walk strengthened (v. 29). It is the spiritual food for the new nature of the believer within.
See 6:1–9, Paul applies the same truth to children as to servants. Children are to obey their parents for several reasons:
1.) it is right;
2.) it is commanded;
3.) it brings blessings.
The revived father who honors the Lord will have little trouble staying awake with win others to Christ.. or repeatedly over and over again winning the love and respect of his children.. or the sincere love of his own wife. She will keep seeing the Love of Jesus in Him.
Paul warns fathers in verse 4 to refrain from provoking their own children with undue demands. Be firm but gentle too. Know God's will and direction for your home and then old the course even when they say you aren't being soft enough. Men aren't supposed to be soft pansies -- "act like men."
The Golden Rule of do unto others as you would have them do unto you.. applies to your homelife, and children must be treated like people and not like things own by you. Fathers are to discipline children (nurture biblically) and counsel them (admonition, encourage biblically) in the Lord.
Servants must remember that they serve Christ first of all. Primarily, keep God first! To be double-minded and try to serve two masters will only lead to double-trouble (See Matt. 6:24). Serve the Lord with singleness of heart, not spiritual compromise. This means the heart is focused and fixed on pleasing Jesus Christ in all things, and not on dead religious stuff, or on worldly gain. Not with “eyeservice”.. that means working hard and smart when the master is watching you, not with lazy loafing when he is out the door and gone; but if we serve Christ on the job, we are aware that He is always watching us and we seek to always please Him! Nuff said today -- come to Jesus here and now.
