Arise, oh Sleeper

Arise, oh Sleeper

Arise, oh sleeperDo you resist self-examination? Are you afraid of what you will find? And are you not ready to take the trouble or pay the price to fix it? So you continue to ignore the signs because you are somewhat functioning.

I don’t need to tell you that the trouble is increasing and the price you need to pay is getting bigger and bigger. Especially if this is happening in your spiritual life. You are supposed to be alive but in reality you are dead. But the dead are not in the Book of Life. Are your ready to pay such a high price?

I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead. Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight. So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come. Yet you still have a few [persons’] names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy and deserving. Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the [Holy] Spirit says to the assemblies (churches). (Rev. 3:1b-6, AMP, emphasis added)

We need to rouse ourselves and keep awake. We need to strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying. We need to call to mind the lessons we received and heard, obey them and put them in practice. We need to listen to and heed that the Holy Spirit says. We need to choose light over darkness.

Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.  For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret. But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. (Eph. 5:11-16, AMP)

We truly need to choose Jesus. Because he is the only way we can overcome darkness. Because he can awake us from the dead. Because he can give us life upon life, light upon light, and grace upon grace that we need to stay awake.

We are asked to do a lot. But we are also supplied the means to do it. We have been given Jesus who died on the cross for the wrong things we have done and for the good things we have left undone.

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. But that’s not the end of the story. We are also empowered for staying awake by grace through faith in Jesus.

We are called to live purposefully and as wise, sensible, intelligent people. We are called to be alive and bold in Christ. Anything less in under the privileges of God’s children. Arise, oh sleeper! Wake up from the dead and Christ will shine on you!

Gracious God,
Forgive us for snoozing.
Forgive us for forgetting what is really means to be alive in you.
Arise us from the dead by your amazing grace!
Let Christ shine on us!
Empower us for victorious living.
Equip us for sharing the good news with people around us.
Make us shine brightly for you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you resist self-examination? What does keep you awake?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you stick to Jesus on your faith journey!

Image courtesy of Jeremiah Bauer. Linking up today with Sharing His Beauty, Hear it on Sunday, use it on Monday, Playdates with God, and counting blessings with Ann Voskamp: #1038  If we stick to Jesus, our names are in the Book of Life. #1039 We are not alone in this. #1040 God’s grace does not only save but also empowers us for victorious living.

8 thoughts on “Arise, oh Sleeper

  1. I heard a great lesson yesterday (including a time to practice) on the importance of having encounters with God. Those will definitely keep us awake! Thanks for the encouragement.

  2. Hi Mari-anna! I am here from Playdates. (I think I have been on your blog before?)

    Self examination is a tough one, but we all need it. It keeps us on the right path, keeps us purposeful, as you said. I can’t say that I resist it, but it’s not super-easy either.

    Nice to see you again 🙂
    Ceil

  3. Just yesterday I asked God to reveal my heart to me. He showed me I still lack trust, that I still fear things that I shouldn’t.

    I need to have confidence that when I ask, I will receive!
    Nothings too hard for God.

    I’m so glad God gets personal with us. He will reveal our hearts if we ask Him. And it isn’t always painful, sometimes it’s encouraging. He knows I have fears and He wants to settle them! He’s an awesome God.

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