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1 Thessalonians 5:1-8

As the saying goes, when one sees a “therefore,” we ought to be wondering what it is there for! In this case, Paul had just taught us something about our new nature in Christ and was about to tell us how that ought to cause some behavior or action to occur. Paul was really adept that that sort of teaching for sure.

Here is what we learned just before in verse 5, “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” Paul in this letter was teaching some great stuff about the believers in Thessalonica being ready for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He reminded them that we don’t know when that is; we likewise do not know when that is. Paul even teaches us in the first verse hear that we just don’t need to be worried about the “when” of Jesus’ return; “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.”

Paul’s point here is not to tell us when the return of Jesus is. Paul’s point here is certainly not to warn us about the dangers of drinking or drunkenness. Paul’s point here is that each of us needs to be ready for this even day in and day out as we walk our Christian lives. Our new nature should cause us to be sober, vigilant and ready all of the time. Paul even issues a challenge of sorts in verse 5, more or less asking if we really want be be like all the drunks stumbling around in the dark who don’t know any better!

Friends, it ought to be different for us, because we have been given the light. We should be sober, alert and ready daily; however, we often are not. We may not be literally drunk on alcohol, but there are many things we can become inebriated with that will cloud or judgement and cause us to be not alert, not vigilant and not ready. What bottle to we need to pour down the sink?