Temptation is commonly linked to the trying of one’s faith, but “the hour of temptation” is not the typical temptation experienced by the believer. In fact, the Lord promised to “keep” the church “from the hour of temptation.” So what is this temptation to which the Lord speaks? First of all, it is connected to a specific time as indicated by the use of the word hour. Secondly, this temptation is one that is yet future as demonstrated by the phrase, “shall come.” Lastly, it is a temptation designed to “come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” This temptation is known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week and refers to a temptation for the unsaved Jews and Gentiles during that terrible future time.
Many of those in the world perceive prayer as a crutch or a tool that shows weakness. Yet, the saint of God knows prayer to be one of the most powerful weapons during times of war. As the Lord Jesus prepared to face the mob that would soon arrest Him, He spent His remaining time in earnest prayer (Matthew 26:36-46). It was during this time that He taught the disciples saying, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Prayer does not distract the believer from the battle at hand; rather, it strengthens him and aids him during even the fiercest parts of the battle. Prayer reminds the believer of who he is, who his enemy is, and it reminds him of the power of his God.
In the last days, believers must remain alert. There is no time for sleeping. For it is while believers sleep that the enemy works most effectively. Even the Lord Jesus acknowledged the great need of the day when He said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Just as it was in the days of Gideon (Judges 7:5-7), the Lord wants soldiers who are fully aware of their surroundings. A sober minded believer keeps his eyes open, knowing he has an enemy that is on the prowl and ready to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The sober minded believer also knows that one lapse in judgment can cause immense damage during the spiritual battle. Sobriety keeps every reality in the forefront of the mind.
Sobriety is not some special and unique requirement expected from an elite group of believers, but rather it serves as the expectation of the Lord for all who have called upon His name in salvation. Certainly God expects sobriety from the leaders in the New Testament church (1 Timothy 3:2, 11; Titus 1:8), but He also expects it from the women (1 Timothy 2:9), the aged men (Titus 2:2), the young women (Titus 2:4), and the young men (Titus 2:6). No group is exempt! If this were not enough, the apostle Paul made an open appeal for sobriety to all believers collectively (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; Titus 2:12). Simon Peter seemed a bit more adamant when he demanded sobriety from his audience (1 Peter 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8).
Most people unfortunately limit the meaning of sobriety to the absence of alcohol, but scripturally speaking, the meaning involves a much broader scope. Sobriety is the opposite of being beside oneself (2 Corinthians 5:13) or mad (Acts 26:25) and is akin to being alert (1 Thessalonians 5:6). The word sober is used in conjunction with the words grave (1 Timothy 3:11; Titus 2:2) and temperate (Titus 1:8; Titus 2:2) indicating that it is accomplished when one is in control, down to earth, and finds the proper balance in his thoughts and actions. One who is sober is humble (Romans 12:3), not drunken (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8), and well aware of the circumstances surrounding him at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:6, 8; 1 Peter 5:8).
Since the garden in Eden, God has longed for fellowship with the very people He created (Genesis 3:8). In fact, one of the great reasons God desires for people to learn to communicate with others is so they can, in turn, understand how to better communicate with Him. Communication with God takes place in two major forms. Man communicates with God through prayer. Prayer can take place simply within one’s heart or verbally but can only be accomplished when a man conveys his thoughts or concerns to the Lord. God, on the other hand, communicates with man through the scriptures. Before Eve, communication existed between a man (Adam) and his God. Even in eternity, it appears that the greatest form of communication will exist between God and the redeemed.
God offered man the greatest statement of loyalty when Christ promised never to leave the believer. The Lord did not promise some type of reciprocating loyalty conditioned upon man’s loyalty toward Him. Rather, the Lord promised He will “never leave . . . nor forsake.” Man’s frailty offers God numerous reasons and opportunities to justify leaving and forsaking, but God’s character overrides man’s frailty. If the Lord promises loyalty, He fulfils that promise without requiring reciprocity. According to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise.” Once a man is born again, he becomes a child of God and immediately becomes the beneficiary of promised loyalty given to him by the Son of God.
God comforts believers expecting that they, in turn, will extend that heaven-sent comfort toward others during their times of need. Believers are admonished to “comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, and be patient toward all men” (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Stronger believers are encouraged to bear the infirmities of those who are weak (Romans 15:1). When one believer weeps as a result of the trials and troubles of this life, the body of Christ should weep with that brother or sister (Romans 12:15). Every member of the body of Christ should be available to the strengthening and support of other members of the body, for in doing so, believers fulfil the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
Man is made up of three parts: spirit, soul, and body. Death takes place when the soul (Genesis 35:18) and the spirit (Genesis 25:8) leave the body. This event happens to everyone regardless of the individual’s spiritual state at death. Saved or lost, a person’s spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 3:21; Ecclesiastes 12:7). However, the soul’s destination is based upon whether or not a person has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour during this life. There exists no midpoint between earth and heaven (or hell) to purge one’s sins, including places invented by religions to do so. For a saved person, the Bible declares that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Unfortunately for the lost, this same outcome is not true. Following death, the Bible reveals that the lost man’s soul immediately goes to hell (Luke 16:23).
Many carnal believers quoting 1 Timothy 5:23 have attempted to justify their unscriptural use of alcohol. Yet, a careful look at the scriptures proves that they wrest (or twist) the scripture to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). From the passage, we understand that Timothy was plagued by some chronic health problems. Paul specifically mentioned stomach problems, but there were other infirmities that beset him as well. Drinking water was not curing Timothy’s ailments, so Paul, perhaps with doctor Luke’s guidance and recommendation, suggested “a little wine” for Timothy’s often infirmities. What purpose did the wine serve? It was strictly medicinal and not social or pleasurable. In other words, Paul said that Timothy needed some medicine to facilitate his recovery. Paul was not offering Timothy or us an excuse to drink but a prescription of medicine for recovery from debilitating ailments.
