In our last study we ended with verse 10, which states: "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the Law."

As believers in Christ we have all been called to love others as Christ loved us. And of course He loved us to the end, giving His very life for us that we might have eternal life by faith in Him. But to love others isn't something we do simply because it's a good idea. The love of Christ shed abroad in our hearts is to accomplish God's will in our lives and in the lives of others.

And we need to understand that there is a sense of urgency of reaching out to others with Christ's love because the time is short. This is what Paul has in mind in our text this morning.

Rom 13:11 "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed."

"And do this.... {Do what ? Love others because Christ first loved you.} ..... understanding the present time." The present time? Are we talking about their time or ours? The Holy Spirit has both in mind. Their present time in Rome carried with it the reality that people were dying in their sins. Today people are dying in their sins.

There's a sense of urgency which God is giving us about the present time. You see there's the trap of thinking we have all the time in the world. And with that attitude it's easy to become lethargic or even lazy about the work Christ has for us in being a part of extending His Kingdom through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is why Paul also says in verse 11... "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber." When Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church he had a similar message. 1Th 5:6 "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."

The Ephesians too, were given a similar warning.... Eph 5:13 "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

The days are evil. We must understand the present time and open our eyes to the reality of spiritual forces in this world which are trying to blind the eyes of people to the truth of God's word.

Our Lord is telling us that as we are willing to be used by Him, He will use us as instruments to shed light where there is darkness, as the Holy Spirit sheds light on the dark soul and heart of a person, as He takes the living word which brings life through Christ.

But Paul wants us to understand something about the times and why there is such an urgency. Why should we be so concerned about today as well as tomorrow as it relates to the eternal destiny of people and as it relates to our work in the Lord?

Paul gives the answer in verse 11.... "because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed." Paul is saying that it's time to wake up to spiritual realities because Christ is at the door.

The time is short and there's work to be done. And please don't misunderstand me here. The work spoken of is work which Christ has called all of us to. It's not the Pastor doling out work orders, or giving assignments, but rather understanding that Christ Himself has called us to represent Him and walk with Him as He leads, and to obey Him in service.

Paul alludes to the fact that we will all stand face to face with our Savior shortly and we must be able to stand as one who is a faithful servant.

Some interpret this passage to mean that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed, to the extent that our death from this world will put us in the presence of the Lord. Of course that's true. 2Co 5:8 "We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."

Again, Paul brings this sentiment out when writing to the Philippians in Phi 1:22 "If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body."

When you and I pass from this life we are immediately with our Lord if we have placed our faith in Him alone for salvation. Remember the promise Jesus gave to the thief on the cross when He told him, "today you will be with Me in paradise."

But there's more to this statement in Romans 13:11 that we should look at. #1) For our salvation to be nearer than when we first believed means that we do not possess our salvation in total. It's near but not totally here.

What do I mean? All throughout the scriptures we are told that we receive salvation by faith in the Messiah. And yet we are also told that it has been placed to our account. The hope, the promise is secure, but the reality of our salvation has not been realized fully until we are face to face with our God.

This is why we must live by faith. You realize that there will not be the same need for faith in heaven. The writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

You and I do not presently see heaven, nor the face of God. We trust that what He accomplished on our behalf in Christ is true. We believe and place our faith in His finished work on the cross for our sin.

You'll remember in 1Co 13:12 "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

Paul understood that though he was sealed for the day of redemption, and that his salvation was secure in Christ, he did not possess the full aspect of what salvation is all about, which is residing in the very presence of our Creator.

We do not presently reside in heaven even though we are clearly told in Phi 3:20 "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

And it's this passage and other similar passages which give us a clear indication of what Paul meant in our text when he said that our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. What I find interesting is that the early church was waiting expectantly for the imminent return of Jesus Christ. They actually thought He would return in their lifetime.

And there was good reason for that. Teaching His disciples our Lord Jesus said in Joh 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

Christ's promise to come back for us is not an empty one. Paul would later encourage a Pastor by the name of Titus in Tit 2:11 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,"

That blessed hope of Christ's glorious appearing was something which the disciples of the first century longed for as well as Paul and the apostles. Each day the Christians would look up and expect Jesus to come and rescue them out of this present evil age.

Paul even wrote to the Thessalonian church to encourage them because some of them evidently felt that those who died in Christ will not experience this blessed hope of seeing Christ return for His people.

1Th 4:13 "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."

The early Christians expected to see Jesus come back for them. And yet here we are almost 2,000 years later and Jesus still hasn't returned. That burning flame which looked up for the Savior to come for us has all but gone out in the church today.

Yeah, some still talk about it and look for it, but unfortunately, most of the church has, over the years, decided to carry on as business as usual. And instead of realizing that our longing should be our heavenly citizenship which could come at any moment as Christ returns for us, the church has dug in and finds a comfortable home here on earth.

Priorities are mixed up and the things of this world have not grown strangely dim with much of the church in our age. I don't mean to suggest that we shouldn't be involved in the world, but our work should always have at it's heart a heavenly reward as we do the work for Christ eagerly awaiting His promised return.

If you haven't figured it out already what I'm referring to is the Rapture of the Body of Christ. In fact in the passage I just quoted in 1Th 4:17 "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever."

The word caught up in the Greek is harpazo and it means to seize. It's like a snatching away. The reason many people in the church use the word rapture is because it comes from the Latin translation of the Bible.

And the Latin word is rapturos and it means an ecstatic catching away. Rapturos: rapture. This blessed hope of Christ coming back for us should ever be on our hearts and minds and it should motivate us to love our Lord's appearing.

This is what Paul meant in 2Ti 4:8 "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

You see the Rapture, or the catching away of Christ's church is not some peripheral teaching. It was the motivating force in the lives of the early church as it gave them hope that Christ would never leave them or forsake them. They longed for the heavenly reward which awaited them when Christ came back.

When they celebrated the Lord's supper; and in those days it was done often, it was a reminder that Jesus was coming back for them. Remember what Paul told the Corinthians in 1Co 11:23 "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death UNTIL HE COMES."

Even in remembering what Christ did to accomplish our salvation on the cross, we are to dwell on the fact that He is coming again. But, here's where we seem to get into an apparent problem. We look at the bible and few Christians would doubt that Christ is coming again. However, the time frame and the circumstances surrounding His coming do seem to present some differences.

I would like to give you some things to think about. And maybe at a later time, possibly on our Thursday studies in the future I will teach on this issue in much more detail. Let me give you the major problem which exists and then give you some answers from God's word which will shed some light on this apparent contradiction.

In the 24th chapter of Matthew Jesus told the disciples that the temple would be destroyed. And the disciples responded by saying Mat 24:3 .... "Tell us," when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Their question had to do with the end of the world and the consummation of God's work as He issued in His everlasting Kingdom.

And you probably remember His answer. Mat 24:4 "Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.
5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many.
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth pains."

And then Jesus goes on to give many more examples of what is to take place in the world and He says in Mat 24:27 "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' [Isaiah 13:10; 34:4] This event will be cataclysmic worldwide. The whole world will see this event as the Son of Man appears in the sky. If we were to go over to the Book of Revelation we see another picture of this event.

Chapter 6 of Revelation makes mention of the 6 seals of God's judgment and we read in Rev 6:12 "I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,
13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.
16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

There is nothing secret or hidden about this day. All of the signs will be there and all the inhabitants of the earth will experience the signs Jesus spoke of.

But is this the hope of glory that you and I look for; the catching away or the Rapture as Jesus comes back for us? Is this what Jesus meant in Joh 14:3 "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am?"

Where would Jesus have been when coming for His people? He was with His Father in heaven. But would this event be the same event as the one described in Matthew 24 and Revelation 6, not to mention Revelation 19 when we see the actual second coming of Christ to earth.

Here's the dilemma. Several times the Lord's coming for His people is referred to as a thief coming for the spoil. A thief does not announce himself. A thief quietly enters the house and takes what he wants and no one knows about it until the next morning.

1Th 5:1 "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

Quietly, without notice the thief comes for His prize. But shortly after comes the destruction. When Jesus was speaking of the judgment on the world which was to be preceded with signs and wonders in the heavens where the whole would see the these destructive signs, He interjects a very interesting comment.

Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;
39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

This snatching away which Paul refers to as the hope of glory will be a silent, secret taking away. Life will be going on as usual. Those horrible signs in the heavens and on the earth will not precede this snatching away.

Right up to the day when Noah entered the ark, the people mocked him and were just carrying on the daily business not thinking that anything was unusual. But right on the heels of this snatching away comes destruction.

It's as though Jesus will not let His church go through so terrible a tribulation which in scripture is known as the Great Tribulation. We don't know when Jesus will come back for us, but we do know that shortly after He does is when He puts into motion the destructive signs for His final coming.

It's interesting as you study the scriptures this snatching away of the church is something which is designed to be silent and secretive. And yet the second coming of the Son of Man to earth is designed for all to see as Jesus rescues Israel from the battle of Armageddon.

Peace, peace will be the cry of the times when Jesus comes for His bride to snatch her away. It shouldn't surprise us that the two most hated enemies in the world; the Arabs and the Jews are presently in the process of bringing about such a peace. But it will never be a true peace.

The signs of the times of wars and rumors of wars have been with us for many years. But Jesus never said that these signs will be the signs which will issue in His second coming, only that they would be the beginning of birth pangs.

The world has been groaning for a long time. And even the church has grown impatient thinking that maybe Jesus forgot us. Never forget that with the Lord a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.

His patience is such that none would perish. What we consider as such a long time our Lord is simply using so that we might be a part of furthering of His Kingdom before He snatches us away and begins the countdown to His physical return to earth to put an end to the violence and to establish His millennial kingdom.

Of course that's not the end as the book of revelation tells us, for at the end of Christ's 1,000 year reign Satan will be released for a short time, but it turns out that that is a formality of placing him forever in the fire prepared for him and everyone who rejects Christ.

Jesus could come back at any moment. How will He find us? Being faithful to His work and loving Him above all as we obey Him from thankful hearts, or will He find us goofing off doing our own thing?

He has given us eternal life for a purpose and that purpose is to glorify Him. Everyday counts as we look to Him for grace and strength that He may use us in this present age so that others may know what it is to live with Him forever. And everyday is one day closer to His return.

As Paul says in Rom 13:11 "And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."