A Comment on 1 Thessalonians 5:8

1 Thessalonians 5:8 "But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation."

It says here first of all that we belong to the day. What day? To understand that, look back on the previous verses, especially verses 2 and 5:

1Thessalonians 5:1-7 - "Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night." 

So, gathering our knowledge from this, we understand that we belong to the day of the Lord, as its children. This is not any particular day, though all days belong to the Lord. This is talking about a specific day - the day of the second coming. We belong to that day - why? Because we as Christians look forward to that day. It is the day we move toward; the finish line of the race; the great and terrible day of Christ's return. 

We belong to that day, because we belong to Christ. We are the Lord's. 

Romans 14:8 - "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's."

That day belongs to Him, and we to Him. Knowing we belong to the day that is under the power and authority of the Lord is an assurance. We know He is in sovereign control of not only the beginning of our life, but also the end of it. 

With that assurance, let us be sober...

Here's the definition of "sober" from the Free Dictionary. Pay attention especially to the latter half, I think especially number four. 

so·ber  (sbr)

adj. so·ber·er, so·ber·est

1. Habitually abstemious in the use of alcoholic liquors or drugs; temperate.

2. Not intoxicated or affected by the use of drugs.

3. Plain or subdued: sober attire.

4. Devoid of frivolity, excess, exaggeration, or speculative imagination; straightforward: gave a sober assessment of the situation.

5. Marked by seriousness, gravity, or solemnity of conduct or character. See Synonyms at serious.

6. Marked by circumspection and self-restraint.

God doesn't want us to be showy; He wants us to show Him. He doesn't want us to exaggerate; the Truth needs no exaggeration. (It is the truth. Tell it plainly.) 

We don't live to glorify ourselves, or even to glorify Christianity. Any attempt by Christians to glorify Christianity is a case of missing the mark. Christians glorify Christ. The glory goes to God and God alone. 

Being sober doesn't mean never smiling. If that were the case, I'd be out of luck. I smile even when I'm not smiling. (Figure that one out.) 

What being sober really means, I think especially in light of 1 Thessalonians 5:8, is being ready. Being awake, as Jesus commanded us. Having our armor ready. 

I read something today about Roman soldiers. It seems that if they were found drunk they were to be "transferred to another branch of the service". (From some guy named Ruffus.) 

I wonder if God does that for His people. If we are slacking, if we are "drunk" in the sense of being spiritually lax, discarding faith, hope and love in favour of easy living and pleasuresome lies, does God transfer us? The Bible talks about being "given over" (see Judges 2:11-14; Acts 7:39-42). It's definitely a wake-up call. 

A drunk soldier is practically useless. How can they keep watch, let alone fight an enemy?

Are we spiritually drunk?  If so, how can we be ready? Will we not be caught off guard? 

Breastplate of faith and love...

Faith and love come from the heart; the center of your being. It stems from within, from the "true self". We can only have true faith if our spirit is renewed in Christ Jesus. 

I was thinking; can we really love without the grace of God showing us what true love is? Humans certainly are created in the image of God, and have a remnant of what used to be - we have the capacity to love selflessly. But I don't think it happens often. Far too often, on the other hand, we have selfish love, impure love, even hateful love, as paradoxical as that sounds. 

Love comes from the heart, and a heart renewed means a love renewed. I can now love people through Jesus Christ, where before I couldn't care less about them. 

Helmet the hope of salvation...

"Hope is a mindset" - hope is a choice. You can choose to be depressed, or you can choose to say "YET I will hope in the Lord..." 

Hope isn't much different from faith, but the two are different and I think they come from different aspects of our self. Faith is a sense, while hope is a choice. That's the simplest way for me to explain it. 

Faith is given to us as a gift from God, while we hope in the God of hope through the knowledge we have of His character and promises. Does that make sense? 

~

Keep your armor clean. If you neglect a part, you will be vulnerable. If you keep the breastplate polished but neglect the helmet, your head will be an easy mark for any flaming dart. If you seek to build faith and love without the hope of salvation, I wonder how far you'd  get. 

Similarly, if you kept your helmet tip-top but left marks and rust spots in your breastplate, where do you think the enemy will attack? He'll go for where you're weak. You can't really have the helmet without the breastplate. You need both. 

Just as you need the hope of salvation AND faith and love. 

All together they protect you so you can march forward with confidence in your master and King...who is also your blacksmith.