"SMELLING THE VICTORY" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 1/6/26

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)

What does the Apostle mean when he, speaking to believers, says “…now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”? Was not our salvation a reality the moment we believed. Is it not true that…

                        “The moment a sinner believes,

                        And trusts in his crucified God;

                        His pardon at once he receives,

                        And full redemption through His blood.”?

Do we not even now “Give thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”? (Col. 1:12, 13) Salvation thus defined by the Apostles is ours the moment we believe.

The term “salvation” here, however, speaks of its grand culmination, as when the Apostle Peter wrote that when Christ returns, we shall receive “the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.” (I Peter 1:9) This is the glorious perfection given at the end of that “golden chain” recorded by Paul in Romans 8:29, 30: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” This last glorious link of the chain is the “end” of which Peter spoke, even our glorification; and it is the “salvation” full and complete to which our text makes reference, and which, with every day that passes, draws nearer than when we first believed.

With every year that passes, and as we embark on the next one, it is a time for reflection. It is good for us to review the past year and mark God’s blessings and His faithfulness. It is good to carefully evaluate our performance, our successes, and our failures. Based on this honest review, it is good to make resolutions for the year ahead. Our love and service to Christ is ever subject to growth and improvement.

Clearly our text is a call to action. Because our salvation is nearer than when we believed, let this be a stimulus. The Apostle says essentially, “Get up, get dressed, arm yourselves, etc. “for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” In the next verse he puts it this way: “…the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, (our night clothes) and let us put on the armour of light.” (our work clothes, if you will). The word rendered “armour” may refer to a soldier’s gear, which is fitting, but it may also mean any kind of work apparel. So, the Apostle is using the ever-nearing event of our Lord’s return as a call to action. We ought to strive to live each day as if we knew it would be the day of Christ’s coming.

We can also hear in these words a cry of victory. “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” These two ideas are not mutually exclusive, but rather, far from it. We often see this demonstrated in the sports arena. The “smell of victory” if you will, seems to energize competitors. The end of football season is presently upon us, and teams, both collegian and professional, are battling for conference championships, divisions titles, playoff spots, etc. all are in pursuit of the chief prize - National Championship, Superbowl Championship. We’ve all seen it - the teams battle it out for sixty minutes, four quarters. In the closing minutes when it appears that one of the teams is about to win, and its players begin to “smell victory,” it doesn’t matter that they appear completely exhausted, somehow, they are still able to reach back and get a little more as they complete the task. Likewise, the great runners, as the finish line comes into view, though his legs are burning, he seems to somehow find a little more in the tank.

This is not a perfect analogy, because sometimes in sports the unthinkable can happen, and an apparent victory can suddenly turn to loss, perhaps due to a turnover or a missed field goal, or, in the case of the runner, a stumble. But with us, our victory is sure. Christ has already secured it; we simply have the honor and privilege of being on the winning team. Knowing this, let us not sleep, but rather take action. Let us be energized for the cause of Christ, knowing that glorious victory is drawing nearer every day.