1 THESSALONIANS 5
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5 You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11
1 THESSALONIANS 5 BE SOBER FOR CHRIST
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you were called by the Lord Jesus Christ
You were given his Spirit so you can live in the light
There is no more reason for you to live in darkness
Be sober for Christ since he freed you from sinfulness
You no longer have to follow your desires and longings
You are now a slave of righteousness and not of sinning
In the world, there is much chaos and anxiety
Only in Jesus will we have peace and sobriety.
God had a lot to say about sobriety in the bible. Ephesians 5:18 says that we do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit instead. In Proverbs 20:1 says that wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. Luke 21:34 cautions us with “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.”
From God’s view about being sober, Paul reminds us to walk in the light and no longer in the darkness. Part of that light is walking in sobriety or self-control. When he talks of sobriety, it is not just referring to drunkenness with wine but also dysregulation with anything we do or use. If we love something or someone too much and we don’t have self-regulation, we will be obsessive compulsive about that person or substance or habit. Alcohol addiction is just one form of addiction, but we can also be addicted to other things like to our family, work, food, social media, pornography, sex and love and many more. What Paul is cautioning the church in Thessalonica is that we no longer are people who indulge in out-of-control behaviors and obsessions because we are not serving the world system anymore but we are now slaves of Christ. In other words, we do things that will please God and that will glorify him. Anything that is out of balance has no order or boundaryless.it will create anxiety, addiction, chaos or confusion.
REFLECTION
- Why do you think Paul calls all believers to sobriety and how should we develop such virtue?
