BE SOBER IN THESE LAST DAYS

1 THESS. 5:7-10

Morning Meditation 6/8/16

“For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

Paul uses an illustration that would be immediately understood by those who read his epistle. It is still true, unless someone works the “grave yard shift..” Those who sleep do it an night. Those who get drunk do it at night.. I wonder what he would say had he lived today. They get drunk all hours of the day! However, night is still the time when most do it, so Paul’s illustration is still valid. When Paul says, “But let us, who are of the day, be sober. . .” he is exhorting believers who belong to the day who are living in the night of sins day.

The words “But let us” (nepho) translate a present active subjunctive verb. The word means “to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit.” The present tense means to continue to be sober, be calm and collected in spirit while you live in the midst of people who are acting as those described here. He is telling the Christians how to behave in an acceptable manner during the night of sins final hours. Paul believes he was living in the last days and so do I. The active voice means that those to whom Paul is speaking must make a choice to respond. God instructs us in his word and we must choose to obey and serve him. It is not always an easy choice. Some or our friends and loved ones are among those who are of the night and are drunken as described here. This puts us in a different world from them. We do not drop by and drink a beer with them. When they do it in our presence, we are noticibally uncomfortable. Our discomfort in being around things like this makes them uncomfortable. If a discussion arises, our mildest form of objection to this life style prompts them to register their verbal disagreement and declare their rights to do anything they want to without our saying a thing about it. They fact is we didn’t say anything. We just were not comfortable and our discomfort discomforted them. You see they don’t only want to drink their booze and use their dope, they do not want anyone suggesting they are wrong even when we do it “silently!” The verb is also subjunctive. The subjunctive mood is the mood of possibility. So when Paul says, “But let us” he is making a request and leaving the response to those who hear. This is important. Christ is choosing his bride by proposing and allowing us to make a choice. Becoming a Christian is a choice. Serving the Lord after we are saved is a choice. What choice are we going to make?”

The words “who are of the day” describe the Christian. He belongs to the day of Paul’s illustration. If you are a believer, you are not of the night you are of the day. If you who are of the day were to ease over into the night, you would be out of place. You don’t belong there! The words “who are” are a present participle and means “being.” Berry in his literal translation translates is: “But we of the day being.” It has to do with their being. Every saved person has been taken out of the “night” and put into the “light.” We are of the day.

Since I have already defined “be sober” this is just a restatement. We as believers have no choice about living in the night of sin’s bondage. Not only is it the night of sins bondage it is the night preceding the dawn of our Lord’s return to set up his kingdom on this earth. I believe most of us who are living today will live to see the Lord come in the air to take us to himself. This is a truth that will give us the calm that Paul is seeking of these believers as they live in the midst of a hostile environment.

The words “putting on the breastplate of faith and love” instruct us in our behavior during the time described here. The words “putting on” (enduo) translate an aorist middle participle from a word that means “to sink into (clothing), put on, clothe oneself.” The aorist tense means it has already happened, i.e., “having put on.” The middle voices means they made a choice and did this themselves. The middle voice is where the subject acts in behalf of himself and is benefitted by that action. A believer must act to protect himself by taking the breast plate and putting it on. We must be protected in this hostile environment. It is faith and love that is the breast plate that protects.

Police in our day used bullet proof vests. These vests protect the heart and vital parts of the section of the body they cover. If you get shot in the foot you can survive. If you get shot in the heart you are with us no longer! So the breast plate of faith and love protect the parts of a person that a breast plate covers. Do you get the idea that God is saying that Satan and his organized forces are shooting to kill?

Then he adds “and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” I was hoping that he would have something for the head! It is not enough to have the breast covered. I must have my head protected. Someone out there may be a good enough shot to hit my head. And it is just as vital as my heart. Well, God also provides a helmet. The word “helmet” (perikephalaia) is the combination of two words which means “around the head,” i.e., something around the head to protect. The material out of which this helmet is made is described as “the hope of salvation.” The word “hope” (elpis) expectation of good, hope; in the Christian sense, a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.” Hope is the joyful anticipation of a reality. The reality is what God has promised to do for us at the rapture and resurrection. This truth embraced as the most real thing that we believe will protect our head as we function on the front lines in the battle between darkness and light. Our heads are often the targets. We can only survive if we have on the helmet of the hope of salvation. We know when they shoot at us we are on the winning side. As we believe that truth we will hear the ping of the bullet as it ricochets off the helmet and we praise the Lord it didn’t get through to our brain. If your mind gets messed up with Satan’s lies, you are dead in the water.

Verse 9 says, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” This refers to the day of wrath during the Great Tribulation period. I believe in the pre-tribulation, rapture of the saints. This verse promises that we will not be present during the seven year period of tribulation. Our obtaining salvation is “by our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is grace. Some believe the rapture will only take the faithful. Then I ask “how faithful.” That is sheer nonsense. We are sanctified in his sanctification, righteous in his righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30) and if we are saved, we will go up with the shout.

May God bless you.

In Christ

Bro. White