For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
Sleep and drunkenness belong to the night, in contrast with the sober, alert readiness that belongs to the day. They mean spiritual sleep and drunkenness belonging to night and darkness, marking those who are of the night, while those who profess godliness are children of light and of the day and are not of the night nor of darkness. The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, and when they say peace and safety sudden destruction comes upon them and they shall not escape, but those who are not in darkness will not be overtaken as by a thief. Therefore believers must not sleep as do others but must watch and be sober in constant preparation for Christ's coming and judgment, with faith and love showing they believe the end is near. Being of the day means being sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation, for God has not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, that whether waking or sleeping they should live together with him.
Night and Day Contrast
The verse takes what ordinarily happens at night, that people sleep at night and get drunk at night, and uses it to picture the conduct that belongs to night, set over against the wakeful, sober conduct expected of those who belong to the day. Those of the day are to be sober and ready for the Lord's approaching day, remaining spiritually awake rather than indifferent. That means not indulging in careless or immoral behavior but watching and being sober, putting on faith and love and the hope of salvation. It is a call to remain sober, watchful and prayerful amid the spiritual dangers of the last days, with sobriety joined to a prayerful, dependent Christian life rather than participation in worldly pleasures.
Sleep and drunkenness in the verse are spiritual sleep and drunkenness, belonging to the night and to darkness. They mark those who are of the night and of darkness, in contrast to believers who are in the light all the time and are children of light and children of the day. Those who profess godliness are therefore not of the night nor of darkness, and must not sleep as others do but must watch and be sober. As those who are of the day they are to be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
All who believe are children of light and children of the day, not in darkness, while the world lies in darkness with the day of doom approaching. Those who profess godliness are children of the light and of the day and are not of the night nor of darkness. Their faith and love should show that they believe the end is near and that they are ready for Christ's return and judgment.
Lord's Coming and Readiness
The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, stealing unawares upon those unprepared. When they say peace and safety, sudden destruction comes upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief.
Therefore believers must not sleep as do others but must watch and be sober. This staying awake is constant preparation for Christ's second coming and for the approaching day and judgment. It warns against spiritual indifference, and against careless and immoral behavior. Their faith and love show that they believe the end is near.
Being of the day means being sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. God has furnished everyone with full armor, but each person must put it on. God has not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ who died for them, that whether waking or sleeping they should live together with him. They are to comfort and edify one another.
Faithful Watchful Living
True watching is not watching the defects, haltings and errors of those around from the judgment seat, for that is judging and not the proper place. True watching is watching for souls as those who must give an account, watching for the prosperity of souls. It goes kindly to one seen in error, presents truth in contrast with error, speaks a word in season and out of season, and removes difficulties between brethren in the name of the Lord and in the spirit of Christ with the heart cleared of rubbish. Watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord means not only waiting, watching and praying but working most diligently as well. Every action in business transactions with fellow men is to be regulated by the law of God, with no swerving from right and justice under any circumstance and no injury to a neighbor, for the Lord will not serve with any man's sins that would injure his neighbor.
With faces heavenward, breathing out petitions to God, and developing unselfish love for fellow men because of supreme love for Christ who bought them with His own blood, believers rise superior to the most grievous, subtle temptations, with humble dependence upon God as surety and power. To walk as children of the day means to be obedient to the knowledge received from the word and to walk according to the word, with a more earnest hold on heavenly things. It is faith that works by love and purifies the soul, in an ongoing work of purification while pressing toward the mark of the high calling in Christ. That sober call connects with a prayerful, dependent Christian life rather than participation in worldly pleasures. Believers are to remain sober, watchful and prayerful amid the spiritual dangers of the last days.
The education needed to meet that coming day trains all powers consecrated to service, using youthful zeal and ardor to glorify God and to do real, good, well-organized work to be a blessing to others as in the school of the prophets. Carried into practice, this warning brings a great change in the lives of those now inspired by the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. The chapter stands as a warning against remaining under delusive representations and indulging base lust of the mind for a woman besides one's wife. The love claimed in such a connection has nothing of true love in it and must be called by its right name as lust, the fruit of corrupt thoughts, too sacred a word to be used for it, cheapening those who respond to it. For Christ's sake and for the soul's sake such expressions must stop, because to continue in them makes it impossible to retain influence and a position of influence and brings reproach upon the work of God.
The whole chapter should be read and heeded, read in every church before and during seasons of prayer.
Sleep and drunkenness belong to the night, in contrast with the sober, alert readiness that belongs to the day. They mean spiritual sleep and drunkenness belonging to night and darkness, marking those who are of the night, while those who profess godliness are children of light and of the day and are not of the night nor of darkness. The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, and when they say peace and safety sudden destruction comes upon them and they shall not escape, but those who are not in darkness will not be overtaken as by a thief. Therefore believers must not sleep as do others but must watch and be sober in constant preparation for Christ's coming and judgment, with faith and love showing they believe the end is near. Being of the day means being sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation, for God has not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, that whether waking or sleeping they should live together with him.
Night and Day Contrast
The verse takes what ordinarily happens at night, that people sleep at night and get drunk at night, and uses it to picture the conduct that belongs to night, set over against the wakeful, sober conduct expected of those who belong to the day. Those of the day are to be sober and ready for the Lord's approaching day, remaining spiritually awake rather than indifferent. That means not indulging in careless or immoral behavior but watching and being sober, putting on faith and love and the hope of salvation. It is a call to remain sober, watchful and prayerful amid the spiritual dangers of the last days, with sobriety joined to a prayerful, dependent Christian life rather than participation in worldly pleasures.
Sleep and drunkenness in the verse are spiritual sleep and drunkenness, belonging to the night and to darkness. They mark those who are of the night and of darkness, in contrast to believers who are in the light all the time and are children of light and children of the day. Those who profess godliness are therefore not of the night nor of darkness, and must not sleep as others do but must watch and be sober. As those who are of the day they are to be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
All who believe are children of light and children of the day, not in darkness, while the world lies in darkness with the day of doom approaching. Those who profess godliness are children of the light and of the day and are not of the night nor of darkness. Their faith and love should show that they believe the end is near and that they are ready for Christ's return and judgment.
Lord's Coming and Readiness
The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, stealing unawares upon those unprepared. When they say peace and safety, sudden destruction comes upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake them as a thief.
Therefore believers must not sleep as do others but must watch and be sober. This staying awake is constant preparation for Christ's second coming and for the approaching day and judgment. It warns against spiritual indifference, and against careless and immoral behavior. Their faith and love show that they believe the end is near.
Being of the day means being sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. God has furnished everyone with full armor, but each person must put it on. God has not appointed them to wrath but to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ who died for them, that whether waking or sleeping they should live together with him. They are to comfort and edify one another.
Faithful Watchful Living
True watching is not watching the defects, haltings and errors of those around from the judgment seat, for that is judging and not the proper place. True watching is watching for souls as those who must give an account, watching for the prosperity of souls. It goes kindly to one seen in error, presents truth in contrast with error, speaks a word in season and out of season, and removes difficulties between brethren in the name of the Lord and in the spirit of Christ with the heart cleared of rubbish. Watching and waiting for the coming of the Lord means not only waiting, watching and praying but working most diligently as well. Every action in business transactions with fellow men is to be regulated by the law of God, with no swerving from right and justice under any circumstance and no injury to a neighbor, for the Lord will not serve with any man's sins that would injure his neighbor.
With faces heavenward, breathing out petitions to God, and developing unselfish love for fellow men because of supreme love for Christ who bought them with His own blood, believers rise superior to the most grievous, subtle temptations, with humble dependence upon God as surety and power. To walk as children of the day means to be obedient to the knowledge received from the word and to walk according to the word, with a more earnest hold on heavenly things. It is faith that works by love and purifies the soul, in an ongoing work of purification while pressing toward the mark of the high calling in Christ. That sober call connects with a prayerful, dependent Christian life rather than participation in worldly pleasures. Believers are to remain sober, watchful and prayerful amid the spiritual dangers of the last days.
The education needed to meet that coming day trains all powers consecrated to service, using youthful zeal and ardor to glorify God and to do real, good, well-organized work to be a blessing to others as in the school of the prophets. Carried into practice, this warning brings a great change in the lives of those now inspired by the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. The chapter stands as a warning against remaining under delusive representations and indulging base lust of the mind for a woman besides one's wife. The love claimed in such a connection has nothing of true love in it and must be called by its right name as lust, the fruit of corrupt thoughts, too sacred a word to be used for it, cheapening those who respond to it. For Christ's sake and for the soul's sake such expressions must stop, because to continue in them makes it impossible to retain influence and a position of influence and brings reproach upon the work of God.
The whole chapter should be read and heeded, read in every church before and during seasons of prayer.