On Second Thought
“The hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed … Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.” — Romans 13:11, 13
Spiritual drifting seldom announces itself. We usually do not wake up and decide to become careless about our relationship with God. Instead, we postpone a needed prayer, excuse a troubling attitude, or allow an unhealthy habit to settle into our routine. Eventually, what once disturbed our conscience begins to feel ordinary. Paul’s words in Romans 13 interrupt that gradual settling: it is time to wake from sleep. He is addressing believers, reminding them that faith requires attentiveness. We can belong to Christ and still become inattentive to His direction. The call to wake up is therefore an invitation to recognize the moment we are living in and respond faithfully to the Lord who is drawing us toward the completion of His saving work.
When Paul says that salvation is nearer than when we first believed, he points toward its future fulfillment. Christians already receive forgiveness and new life through Christ, yet we still await resurrection and the fullness of life in His presence. Every passing day brings that promised future nearer. Paul places our present conduct within that larger horizon. The Greek word kairos, translated “time” in Romans 13:11, draws attention to the significance of the moment. We are living in a season that calls for a response. A person preparing to meet someone deeply loved begins arranging life around that approaching encounter. Likewise, the expectation of Christ’s return should shape how we use our time, how we treat others, and what we permit to govern our desires.
Paul’s examples deserve careful attention. He names behaviors we readily recognize as destructive, but he also includes quarreling and jealousy. That brings the passage close to home. A person may avoid drunkenness and sexual immorality while nurturing resentment, competing for attention, or repeatedly provoking arguments. Spiritual purity reaches into the heart as well as outward conduct. We should ask what is happening within us when another person succeeds, receives praise, or disagrees with our judgment. Jealousy can turn someone else’s blessing into our grievance. Quarreling can make winning an argument more important than loving a neighbor. Paul calls us to walk openly before God, allowing His light to expose the attitudes we might prefer to excuse.
Scripture also warns that sin gains strength when we underestimate it. Before Cain killed his brother, God told him, “Sin lieth at the door” (Genesis 4:7, KJV). The Hebrew word rovets, “crouching,” creates the picture of something waiting nearby, ready to seize an opportunity. Cain’s anger required attention before it became violence. Peter similarly urges believers to remain sober and watchful because the devil seeks someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). These warnings teach us to take temptation seriously while depending upon God. When resentment is growing, address it. When a repeated compromise is becoming easier, bring it into the light. Early confession can interrupt a pattern before it becomes deeply established.
Faithful companionship helps us remain attentive. There is a difference between ordinary solitude, which can nourish prayer, and secrecy that shields disobedience from correction. We need people who can hear an honest confession, offer biblical counsel, and help us follow through on repentance. A trusted Christian friend cannot make our decisions for us, but can help us notice what we have stopped seeing. Hebrews 3:13 connects daily encouragement with protection against the deceitfulness of sin. Sometimes the most necessary spiritual step is a simple conversation: “I am struggling here, and I need help remaining faithful.”
On Second Thought
We may assume that waking up spiritually means becoming more anxious, watching ourselves constantly, and fearing every possible failure. Yet Paul moves toward a different center: “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14, KJV). Vigilance grows from belonging to Him. We become attentive so that we can follow our Savior more freely. A clear conscience, honest relationships, and habits shaped by Scripture make room for joy. The person who confesses a hidden struggle may experience relief precisely where exposure once seemed most frightening. Bringing something into Christ’s light can begin the healing that concealment has delayed.
There is another unexpected movement here: preparing for eternity makes us more responsible in the present. Hebrews 11 describes Moses looking toward God’s reward, and that future hope influenced the choices he made within his own generation. Looking ahead helped him recognize the limits of immediate pleasure and privilege. We can practice that same discernment today. Before the next decision, ask, “Will this help me walk faithfully with Christ?” Then take one concrete step toward the light—seek counsel, repair a relationship, change an unhealthy routine, or confess what you have been defending. The future God promises gives today its direction.
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