In Paul’s letter to Rome, he uses an interesting phrase. He said, “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand” (Rom. 13:11-12). Contextually, he may have not been talking about their salvation when they became Christians, nor salvation when Jesus returns. This was a salvation that was at hand when he penned these words. It was one they knew was at hand because the hour had come and that day was at hand. This article is not to fully discuss this concept, but to encourage us to look to see what we can know about things at hand in our lives. These are things that are “….nearer to us now than when we first believed.”
The end of this world is closer than it ever has been. There will be the day when this earth will come under the judgment of the fire from heaven. In the first century, there were those who questioned if this would ever happen and Peter reminded them of how long God waited while Noah preached and prepared the ark. He told them then, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Pet. 3:10). He will come as a unannounced thief, but He will come! Every day we live brings us one day nearer the day when this earth will be destroyed.
The end of our life on this earth is closer than it has ever been. The fact that as we age our bodies begin to wear down should be a constant reminder that death awaits us. Jesus told about that rich farmer whose life’s philosophy was to eat, drink and to enjoy his daily life to the fullest because he thought his future was guaranteed for many years. God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul will be required of you” (Luke 12:20). We should never be so foolish that we forget that our death is nearer today.
The end of the time we have to repent, to get our lives straightened out, is closer than it has ever been. Jesus described a false prophetess in the church at Thyatira who had many followers. He said, “I gave her time to repent” (Rev. 2:21). God could have brought the flood, but He waited. He could have brought judgment on this false prophetess, but He waited. He is waiting for you to repent, but the time will certainly come when He stops waiting for you. The day of your opportunity to repent is closer now that it has ever been, but the day is coming when it will be too late to change.
We do not know what this day or tomorrow will bring to us, but we must never forget that each day we are one day closer to heaven or hell. Which day is closer for you?
-Dan Jenkins
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