Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. 1Corinthians 15:34
It is time to wake up. It is time to arise out of our slumber as the disciples in the garden. “What, could ye not watch with me one hour?” You are not ignorant of the things which are coming. It is indeed the hour of His promise. He has said “I am with you unto the ends of the earth”. He has said “I will come again”. And in that moment in the garden, Jesus said to His followers as He awoke them “Rise, let us be going; look, he that betrays me is at hand”. He was betrayed by one who knew Him.
It is time to wake up. That which is past, all the glorious deliverances of Almighty God are but reminders, types and foreshadowing of what is to come. That which is coming is far greater than anything which has been done to the point in time. If Jesus had thrust us into the events ahead without giving us the trials and blessings which are now past, we would be as the Apostle John when He was caught up into the visions of Heaven. We would fall down on our face in amazement and wonder without responding to the call to service.
It is time to wake up and get up. He did not say it is a time to cower in fear although fearful times are ahead. He said, “Let us be going”. An army marches into battle until the confrontation is engaged and then it no longer marches but it fights.
His followers had marched with Him for three years. They had fought demons, marveled at miracles, failed to understand His teachings and had their eyes opened as the blind man. They had marched well unto this point. Now the battle was engaged. Now the “greater things than these” was before them.
That He would lead them is certain. That they would follow is not. Some would be drawn away in shameful conduct and denial of the very one who would never deny them. Some would follow at a distance. Some would partially follow in the mediocrity of lukewarm hearts. Some would engage in the sin of disobedience and walk in shame. Even so, there would be many who would awake to righteousness and follow Him even unto death.
There is no middle ground. To sleep is to languish in the despond of sin. To an army, a single warrior out of step cuts into the fabric of discipline and the camaraderie their unified presence intends to portray. That one, who is not in step, not only sticks out like a sore thumb but brings shame and disgrace to the entire unit. For one to be found sleeping on the guard post is deserving of the harshest penalty. He that sleeps does not fight. He does not see the kingdom of His sovereign advanced. He does not increase in strength or ability or wisdom. Now is not the time to sleep.
To be devoid of the knowledge of God is a shame. To lack understanding or concern of Him or His purposes is to be so selfishly minded that you allow your own welfare to come before the benefit of those who will suffer the greatest loss because of it. You who prepare meals for your family, do you hope they will enjoy it so they may have a pleasant memory while burning in hell? You who have labored so diligently to earn the treasures of this life, do you expect your friends and loved ones to recall the parties, fine clothing and pleasant houses as they are tumbling in torment and darkness throughout eternity?
If you had a cure for your cancer would you withhold it from others who were miserably dying and still believe you could possibly be in a right relationship with God? If you had the ability to feed a thousand starving children and chose to lock that food away without concern what would be your reward? We are given this great treasure (the knowledge of salvation and God’s holiness) in earthen vessels. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? What we choose to do with it impacts the lives of countless souls. It is sin to have the knowledge and not use it for good. It is high time to wake up unto righteousness and use the gifts you have been given. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. There is no turning aside from the battle before us. Even Jesus, the Son of God, said, “But for this cause came I unto this hour”.
There is a purpose and plan in all that is. Although He knows the outcome of our choices before we make them, He does not make our choices for us. If we are to accomplish more in our last days than we have in all our previous days, we must choose the most costly path so that we may decrease and He may increase. It is all about Him. The joys are His not ours. The glories are His not ours. The triumph and praise and blessings and eternal worship are His, not ours.
I too thank God that you have received this challenge from God’s Holy Bible, not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works also in you that believe. Freely you have received, freely give. You may yet have one more year, one more day or but one more hour. It is time to awake. Some have not the knowledge of God. Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that it is credited to us as shame that we have not shared the knowledge of the truth with them. Whom will you influence for good for the cause of Christ Jesus in the time you have remaining?
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1Corinthians 15:58