Redeeming the Time

God created time for His purposes. The word 'time' can refer to a measurement of time; a year; a day or an hour. It also refers to the passage of time; the past; the present or the future. But for followers of Jesus Christ, it also represents God's set time for a particular purpose, or, a season or opportunity for His purposes to be fulfilled!

God Created Time for His Purposes

The Lord Jesus Christ indicates, ‘My time is at hand,’ by using these same words. On the night He was betrayed, without them understanding, and yet indicating He was about to go to the cross on mans behalf, Jesus said to His disciples,

Matthew 26:18

Similarly speaking of a set time to come, in the book of Daniel in the Old Testament, ‘a man clothed in linen’ speaks to Daniel regarding ‘the time of the end.’

“Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”

Daniel 12:7 – 9

God is Not a Man That He Should Lie

King Solomon said,

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 See also verses 1 – 8

Mankind has been encumbered with the burden of time. Each one of us is given a set number of hours in a day, and a set number of days to live on this earth. And God has set in place, set seasons and times in which to take advantage of His promises, so that His purposes for our lives and the lives of many others on this earth might be fulfilled.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

Numbers 23:19

Jesus Christ was our example. He knew there was a set season in which to do the work of His Father while on this earth and He made the most of every opportunity. The time will one day come, when the opportunity for doing the Father’s work will be gone. As believers in Christ we need to understand then, that while we are in the world and Christ lives in us, we remain the light of this world. And as a city on a hill cannot be hidden, neither can we. Jesus said regarding Himself, and speaking of us,

“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 9:4 & 5
Matthew 5:14 – 16

The Time Is Short

The Apostle Peter declares,

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 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.

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

2 Peter 3:9 – 13
  • God’s purposes declare God’s heart!
  • There is a lost generation out there just waiting to be reached, with the love and the message of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must come to understand then, that the heart, will, and purposes of God are to reach those who are lost. There is an urgency to reach the lost because the time is so short. The Apostle Paul instructs us to live our lives with this urgency!

“But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”

1 Corinthians 7:29 – 31

Now is the Time to Awake!

The Apostle John, who wrote down all that was prophetically shown him of the revelation of Jesus Christ while in exile on the Isle of Patmos, tells us with care; we must be prepared to give up our very lives if necessary, in order to reach the lost.

“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.'”

Revelation 12:11 & 12
  • The Lord Jesus Christ is that Lamb without spot – See John 1:29 & 36.
  • He has made the only way for us to come to the Father.
  • Behold, the blood of the Lamb is sufficient!

The Apostle Paul therefore warns us, we must know the time we are in. Many believers in Christ and non-believers alike are spiritually asleep and unaware of what is happening in the spiritual realm around them.

  • Now is the time to awake out of all spiritual slumber!

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our Salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 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 armour of light.”

Romans 13:11 & 12
  • Now is the time of Salvation!

The Apostle Paul says, while quoting from Isaiah 49:8, regarding of the advent of Christ,

“‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of Salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of Salvation.”

2 Corinthians 6:2

Now is The Time for Harvesting Souls

Jesus said,

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

John 4: 35
  • It is every believer’s responsibility, who is already a follower of Jesus Christ, to be redeeming the time and reaching the lost!

The Apostle Paul gives us this wise instruction, that we are to understand what the will of the Lord is.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Ephesians 5:15 – 17

The Greek word used here for ‘redeem’ is translated ‘exagorazo,’ meaning ‘to ransom or to buy back.’ The word for ‘time’ used here is translated ‘kairos,’ meaning ‘season or opportunity.’ Therefore, now, is the season or opportunity to buy back the time. Now, is the day of Salvation. Paul tells us we are not to walk as fools but as wise. That we are to walk circumspectly, meaning, ‘exactly; accurately; diligently; perfectly.’ – See Strong’s Concordance.

Redeeming the Lost

There are set seasons or opportunities available to us in which to redeem the lost, but then those opportunities will be gone! If we are diligent and wise and understand what the will of the Lord is, we will not miss those opportunities right in front of us.

  • Redeeming the time is God’s will for every believer!
  • When we walk circumspectly, we will not miss today’s opportunities to redeem the lost.
  • When we walk circumspectly we will know a sense of purpose and a surety in our spiritual walk.

God Has Set Times and Seasons

Just as God has set times and seasons in which to redeem the lost on the earth, He also has set times and seasons in every believer’s life, during which He desires to bring restoration. The more restoration the Lord brings to each of our lives, the more free we become, and the more equipped we are to help reach the lost and bring restoration to others.

God has set the times and seasons by His own authority. But we cannot begin to understand these times and seasons unless God reveals them. Jesus said to His disciples,

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

Acts 1:7

Yet God does not want us to be ignorant of His will, but to understand what the will of the Lord is. Again, speaking of this, the Apostle Paul says,

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Ephesians 5:15 – 17

God promised His people through the prophet Isaiah, that when they returned to Him, they would hear His voice behind them and that He would guide them in the way they should go. The Holy Spirit does the same for us today.

“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Isaiah 30:21
  • When we walk in close relationship with Christ and learn to recognize the voice of His Spirit, we will not miss those seasons in which God wants to bring restoration to our lives.

Our Times are in God’s Hand

King David said that he could trust the Lord, because his times were in God’s hand.

“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.”

Psalm 31:14 & 15

Because the Lord God is eternal, His Name is outside of all time. He always was, always is; and always will be to come. Moses, the prophet and leader of the Israelites, prayed,

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

Psalm 90:2

The word ‘everlasting’ Moses uses here, is translated ʻôwlâm or, ‘ôlâm in the Hebrew, meaning, ‘concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always:—alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world (+ without end).’ – See Strong’s Concordance.

Jesus Christ, in the same way, said of Himself,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8

Although God Himself always was and is eternal -‘ôlâm – there is no time that is not God’s time. He is God of the present, God of the past, and God of the future. Yesterday was God’s time, today is God’s time, and tomorrow will be God’s time also. God holds all of time in His hands. He holds all of the past, all of the present and all of the future.

  • God is eternal.
  • There is no time that is not God’s time!
  • God holds all of time in His hands.
  • And His eternal purposes will never be removed. Amen.

God Works All Things Together for Good

God gives us hearts that are His and the assurance that He will work all things together for our good when we belong to Him. That includes, not only those things that we are experiencing in our present day, but also what has taken place in the past and what is yet to come in the future.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

When God says all things work together for our good – but we know that yesterday did not turn out so well, or we are struggling with today or uncertain about tomorrow – God is waiting for us to recognize that He has a promise for us to take hold of! When we take hold of the promise that God will work all things together for our good, we can start declaring it in faith over all of our yesterdays, all of our tomorrows, and all of our today.

Speak Over Your Life That Which is Good

God wants to speak into past disappointments and past mistakes to redeem them for His glory. He wants to give us wisdom for today and guidance for tomorrow. But God wants each of us to walk in ways that are wise.

  • God will redeem the past; give us victory in the present; and prepare us wisely for the future.

To do this We must understand what the will of the Lord is. Repeating this same Scripture again, the Apostle Paul says,

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Ephesians 5:15 – 17

Wisdom and Knowledge Bring Stability

When we know the will of the Lord, we are not leaning on our own wisdom, but on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from Him. Leaning on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from the Holy Spirit is what brings stability to our times.

“Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times.”

Isaiah 33:6

It is not what we know about the present, the past or the future that makes the difference, but what God knows that makes the difference.

The Holy Spirit can give us His understanding and knowledge of the times when we ask Him. As He speaks to us about things past, present and future, He will also give us the wisdom to know how to respond to what He has shown us.

  • It is not what we know, it is what God knows!
  • God speaks into our yesterdays, to bring peace to our today and security and strength for our tomorrow!

The Strength of Salvation

The prophet Isaiah also declares, that wisdom and knowledge are the strength of Salvation, and the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

“Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of salvation; the fear of the Lord is His treasure.”

Isaiah 33:6

No matter what has happened in the past, God, through His wisdom and knowledge, saw in advance our need for a Redeemer. God sent His own Son, Jesus, to die on our behalf, in order to bring Salvation to every part of our lives.

“For our transgressions are multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us; for our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them.”

Isaiah 59:12

“Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him and His own righteousness, it sustained him.”

Isaiah 59:15 & 16

The completed work of our Salvation was accomplished when Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, but we only receive that Salvation when we accept Jesus Christ into our lives as Lord and Saviour. As we submit ourselves to God, we then work out that Salvation in every aspect of our lives. The fear of the Lord, or our honouring reverence for the Lord, then becomes a treasure that the Lord gives to us, to enable us to work out our own Salvation.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.“

Philippians 2:12 & 13

What Was Once Darkness Has Now Turned to Light

God promises that He will do exceedingly; abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine, According to His power that works within us.

“Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:20 & 21
  • When we take our past, our present and our future to God, His redeeming power will restore every part of our lives!
  • Previously dark places become filled with His light.

When we allow God to work in our lives, He may lead us to forgive past hurts or to put past wrongs right with many others. Generational curses are then broken and relationships are then restored. Physical healings also take place as we continue to honour God and to look to Him. As God brings redemption to every part of our lives, it is like being given treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places.

“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.”

Isaiah 45:3

Prayer: “My Heavenly Father, I come to You today to give You every part of my life. My past, my present and my future. Lord, Your word says, that You have made ‘everything beautiful in its time’ – Ecclesiastes 3:11. I thank You, Lord, that You know all things, even those things that are hidden from my sight. Thank You for the tenderness of the voice of Your Holy Spirit to me. I ask Your Holy Spirit to speak into my spirit those things that You want me to know. Help me to respond in all right ways to those things that You show me, so that You can redeem all of my past, all of my future and all of my present, for Your glory and purposes. In Jesus’ mighty name.

I also come to you today to ask you to fill my heart with an urgency for reaching the lost. Where I have been spiritually asleep, awaken me! Give me eyes to see the opportunities You have placed in front of me. Do not let me be neglectful of fulfilling Your commission that commands us:

‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.’ – Matthew 28:19 & 20.

Today I command every fear and distraction to stand aside in the Name of Jesus. I thank You, Father, that Your purposes declare Your heart and I testify before You today, that I will no longer follow my own purposes, but I will follow Yours. In Jesus’ mighty Name I pray, Amen.”

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If you would like to have a relationship with God through accepting His Son Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, please pray the prayer below.

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I am sorry for the sins I have committed and I ask You to forgive me. I now turn away from all the things that I know to be wrong and I receive Your Holy Spirit and Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for this free gift of Salvation and eternal life. Help me to come to know and experience Your love for me more and more, and to now share the love You have given me with others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

We would love to hear from you: If you have prayed this prayer for the first time, or have recommitted your life to Christ today I would love to hear from you to encourage you in your new walk with Christ. You can send me an email by clicking 'Get in Touch' on the yellow bar at the bottom of the Home or Articles pages.

What next: Once we have started our relationship with Christ – it is important that we continue to grow in our understanding of Him, and experience His love for us on a regular basis. God does this for us as we read the Bible, which I encourage you to do on a regular basis, asking the Holy Spirit to help you understand it and make it “come alive” to you in a very personal way. May I encourage you to do this every day, and to actively pursue those things that God reveals to you. We also need to be spending time with other like-minded Christians on a regular basis, who are also growing in their relationship with God. We gain encouragement from being with other growing believers. Ask God to lead you to a Bible-believing church (or Bible-believing Christian group) that will encourage your relationship with Christ and help to meet your needs. Ask Him, and trust that He will guide you to the place of fellowship that is right for you.

May God both work in you and through you, those things that He desires, as you continue to submit your life to Him each day.