January 13th, 2026
by Matthew Spoon
by Matthew Spoon
What Time Is It? A Call to Spiritual Awakening
Time has a way of slipping through our fingers like sand. One moment we're celebrating Christmas, and suddenly we're staring down another new year. We look back and wonder where the months went, how our children grew so fast, how former students now have children of their own. James 4:14 captures this reality perfectly: life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
As we stand on the threshold of a new year, there's a question that demands our attention: What time is it?
This isn't about checking our smartphones or glancing at our watches. It's about understanding the spiritual season we're living in and responding appropriately. The answer comes to us clearly through Romans 13:11-14, which reveals three urgent calls for every believer.
It's Time to Wake Up
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake up out of sleep, for now our salvation is near than when we first believed."
These words weren't written to unbelievers, but to Christians—people who had already placed their faith in Christ. The salvation being referenced here isn't the moment of conversion, but the complete, final salvation that awaits us when Christ returns or when we step into eternity.
There are actually three dimensions to our salvation. If you're a Christian, you can truthfully say, "I have been saved"—that's the past dimension, the moment you believed. You can also say, "I am being saved"—that's the present dimension, the ongoing process of sanctification where the Holy Spirit is transforming you daily into the image of Christ. And you can declare, "I will be saved"—that's the future dimension, when Jesus will give you a perfect, sinless body to live with Him for all eternity.
The urgency in Romans 13 focuses on that final salvation. Every day that passes brings us closer to that moment. If Paul was telling Christians 2,000 years ago that they were living in the last days, how much more should we recognize that reality today?
The children of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 were commended as "men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." They didn't live in a spiritual fog. They looked around, assessed their situation, and knew how to respond. In contrast, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 16:3 because they could predict the weather but couldn't recognize that their Messiah was standing right in front of them.
We cannot afford to be spiritually asleep. We cannot keep hitting the snooze button on our relationship with God, telling ourselves we'll read our Bible "someday," that we'll start praying more "eventually," that we'll get serious about our faith "later."
The church in America is a sleeping giant, and the enemy is content to let it sleep. But what would happen if every Christian woke up and started living the life Jesus called them to live? The impact would be revolutionary.
It's Time to Clean Up
Waking up is just the first step. Once you're awake, it's time to get cleaned up.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light."
The passage goes on to specify what needs to be removed from our lives: revelry and drunkenness, lewdness and lust, strife and envy. These aren't just external behaviors—they represent a life lived according to fleshly appetites and desires.
The most miserable people in the world are those who chase after nothing but what pleases them in the moment. They follow their appetites down a destructive path, always wanting more, never satisfied, living for the next temporary thrill. As Christians, we're called to something higher. We're spiritual beings, children of God, and we need more than what this world offers.
Here's a sobering thought from 1 John 3:15: if you hate your brother or sister, it is murder. That's how seriously God takes the condition of our hearts.
As we enter a new year, we need to search our hearts honestly. Are we harboring bitterness toward someone? Is there unforgiveness weighing us down? Perhaps it's toward a spouse, a child, a friend, or a fellow believer. Whatever the case, it's time to let it go. Reach out, seek reconciliation, extend forgiveness. Don't carry that burden into another year.
One of the most important instructions in this passage is found at the end of verse 14: "Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts." This is where many of us stumble. We tell ourselves we don't want to sin, but we make plans for it anyway.
It's like the mother who told her son not to go swimming, only to find him at the pool later. When she asked why he disobeyed, he claimed it "just happened." But she noticed he had brought his swimming trunks. He had made provision for the very thing he said he wouldn't do.
How often do we do the same thing spiritually? We know what we shouldn't do, but we don't remove the temptation. We don't set up accountability. We don't take practical steps to guard ourselves. Instead, we bring the swimming trunks and then act surprised when we end up in the pool.
If there's a sin or struggle in your life, take action. Find an accountability partner. Remove whatever enables that sin. Stop making plans for the flesh and start making plans for righteousness.
It's Time to Dress Up
After waking up and cleaning up, it's time to dress up—to "put on the armor of light" and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ."
There's a spiritual battle raging around us, and we need to be properly equipped. Paul elaborates on this armor in Ephesians 6: the shield of faith, the gospel shoes, the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God). These aren't just nice metaphors—they're essential equipment for spiritual warfare.
But perhaps the most significant instruction is to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that word: Lord. Who is the Lord of your life? If someone observed you from the outside, what would they conclude rules your life?
Is Jesus truly your Lord, or is it your desires, your ambitions, your comfort, your reputation? Every day, we need to wake up and declare that Jesus is Lord, and then live every moment accordingly.
Putting on Jesus Christ means making plans to become more like Him. It means choosing to read Scripture instead of mindlessly scrolling social media. It means coming to church, studying the Word, looking to Him, and living for Him. It means walking in the Spirit of God, being filled by His presence, trusting Him in all things.
Living in Light of Eternity
When we understand that we're living in the last days, that Christ could return at any moment, it changes everything. This doctrine of the "imminency of Christ"—the belief that He could return at any moment—isn't meant to make us anxious. It's meant to make us purposeful.
There are many wonderful things we'll do in heaven, but there's one crucial thing we won't be able to do anymore: share the gospel with a lost world. Right now, today, we have the opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ. We can live lives that reflect His character and love. But one day, that opportunity will end.
A New Year's Resolution Worth Keeping
As you step into this new year, what will your resolution be? Most resolutions are abandoned within weeks, but what if you committed to something that would transform your entire life?
What if your resolution was simply this: to wake up spiritually?
To stop living in a spiritual stupor. To stop going through life without thinking about Jesus, your relationship with Him, or spiritual things. To wake up and say, "This year, I'm going to have a closer relationship with Christ. I'm going to make a greater impact for His kingdom. I'm going to become more like Him."
At the end of next year, do you want to be closer to Jesus or further away? Do you want to have made an impact for His kingdom or wasted another year? The choice is yours, but it starts with recognizing what time it is.
It's game time. It's time to wake up, clean up, and dress up in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's time to stop making provision for the flesh and start making plans for eternity. It's time to live like people who know their Savior is returning soon.
The night is far spent. The day is at hand. What time is it? It's time to wake up.
Time has a way of slipping through our fingers like sand. One moment we're celebrating Christmas, and suddenly we're staring down another new year. We look back and wonder where the months went, how our children grew so fast, how former students now have children of their own. James 4:14 captures this reality perfectly: life is like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
As we stand on the threshold of a new year, there's a question that demands our attention: What time is it?
This isn't about checking our smartphones or glancing at our watches. It's about understanding the spiritual season we're living in and responding appropriately. The answer comes to us clearly through Romans 13:11-14, which reveals three urgent calls for every believer.
It's Time to Wake Up
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake up out of sleep, for now our salvation is near than when we first believed."
These words weren't written to unbelievers, but to Christians—people who had already placed their faith in Christ. The salvation being referenced here isn't the moment of conversion, but the complete, final salvation that awaits us when Christ returns or when we step into eternity.
There are actually three dimensions to our salvation. If you're a Christian, you can truthfully say, "I have been saved"—that's the past dimension, the moment you believed. You can also say, "I am being saved"—that's the present dimension, the ongoing process of sanctification where the Holy Spirit is transforming you daily into the image of Christ. And you can declare, "I will be saved"—that's the future dimension, when Jesus will give you a perfect, sinless body to live with Him for all eternity.
The urgency in Romans 13 focuses on that final salvation. Every day that passes brings us closer to that moment. If Paul was telling Christians 2,000 years ago that they were living in the last days, how much more should we recognize that reality today?
The children of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 were commended as "men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." They didn't live in a spiritual fog. They looked around, assessed their situation, and knew how to respond. In contrast, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew 16:3 because they could predict the weather but couldn't recognize that their Messiah was standing right in front of them.
We cannot afford to be spiritually asleep. We cannot keep hitting the snooze button on our relationship with God, telling ourselves we'll read our Bible "someday," that we'll start praying more "eventually," that we'll get serious about our faith "later."
The church in America is a sleeping giant, and the enemy is content to let it sleep. But what would happen if every Christian woke up and started living the life Jesus called them to live? The impact would be revolutionary.
It's Time to Clean Up
Waking up is just the first step. Once you're awake, it's time to get cleaned up.
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light."
The passage goes on to specify what needs to be removed from our lives: revelry and drunkenness, lewdness and lust, strife and envy. These aren't just external behaviors—they represent a life lived according to fleshly appetites and desires.
The most miserable people in the world are those who chase after nothing but what pleases them in the moment. They follow their appetites down a destructive path, always wanting more, never satisfied, living for the next temporary thrill. As Christians, we're called to something higher. We're spiritual beings, children of God, and we need more than what this world offers.
Here's a sobering thought from 1 John 3:15: if you hate your brother or sister, it is murder. That's how seriously God takes the condition of our hearts.
As we enter a new year, we need to search our hearts honestly. Are we harboring bitterness toward someone? Is there unforgiveness weighing us down? Perhaps it's toward a spouse, a child, a friend, or a fellow believer. Whatever the case, it's time to let it go. Reach out, seek reconciliation, extend forgiveness. Don't carry that burden into another year.
One of the most important instructions in this passage is found at the end of verse 14: "Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts." This is where many of us stumble. We tell ourselves we don't want to sin, but we make plans for it anyway.
It's like the mother who told her son not to go swimming, only to find him at the pool later. When she asked why he disobeyed, he claimed it "just happened." But she noticed he had brought his swimming trunks. He had made provision for the very thing he said he wouldn't do.
How often do we do the same thing spiritually? We know what we shouldn't do, but we don't remove the temptation. We don't set up accountability. We don't take practical steps to guard ourselves. Instead, we bring the swimming trunks and then act surprised when we end up in the pool.
If there's a sin or struggle in your life, take action. Find an accountability partner. Remove whatever enables that sin. Stop making plans for the flesh and start making plans for righteousness.
It's Time to Dress Up
After waking up and cleaning up, it's time to dress up—to "put on the armor of light" and "put on the Lord Jesus Christ."
There's a spiritual battle raging around us, and we need to be properly equipped. Paul elaborates on this armor in Ephesians 6: the shield of faith, the gospel shoes, the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God). These aren't just nice metaphors—they're essential equipment for spiritual warfare.
But perhaps the most significant instruction is to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Notice that word: Lord. Who is the Lord of your life? If someone observed you from the outside, what would they conclude rules your life?
Is Jesus truly your Lord, or is it your desires, your ambitions, your comfort, your reputation? Every day, we need to wake up and declare that Jesus is Lord, and then live every moment accordingly.
Putting on Jesus Christ means making plans to become more like Him. It means choosing to read Scripture instead of mindlessly scrolling social media. It means coming to church, studying the Word, looking to Him, and living for Him. It means walking in the Spirit of God, being filled by His presence, trusting Him in all things.
Living in Light of Eternity
When we understand that we're living in the last days, that Christ could return at any moment, it changes everything. This doctrine of the "imminency of Christ"—the belief that He could return at any moment—isn't meant to make us anxious. It's meant to make us purposeful.
There are many wonderful things we'll do in heaven, but there's one crucial thing we won't be able to do anymore: share the gospel with a lost world. Right now, today, we have the opportunity to tell others about Jesus Christ. We can live lives that reflect His character and love. But one day, that opportunity will end.
A New Year's Resolution Worth Keeping
As you step into this new year, what will your resolution be? Most resolutions are abandoned within weeks, but what if you committed to something that would transform your entire life?
What if your resolution was simply this: to wake up spiritually?
To stop living in a spiritual stupor. To stop going through life without thinking about Jesus, your relationship with Him, or spiritual things. To wake up and say, "This year, I'm going to have a closer relationship with Christ. I'm going to make a greater impact for His kingdom. I'm going to become more like Him."
At the end of next year, do you want to be closer to Jesus or further away? Do you want to have made an impact for His kingdom or wasted another year? The choice is yours, but it starts with recognizing what time it is.
It's game time. It's time to wake up, clean up, and dress up in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's time to stop making provision for the flesh and start making plans for eternity. It's time to live like people who know their Savior is returning soon.
The night is far spent. The day is at hand. What time is it? It's time to wake up.
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