Every person has done sinful things for which he was ashamed even prior to salvation (Romans 6:21). Some of those things are so wicked that the apostle Paul would not even mention what they were (Ephesians 5:12). The life of a Christian was never intended by God to be that way. According to verse 5 above, the Christian life is to be a life void of shame. This type of fulfilled life is only possible when hope is present for “hope maketh not ashamed.” Yet, every Christian must come to understand that hope is the outcome of a sometimes lengthy spiritual process. Here is the biblical sequence. If one properly endures tribulation, he learns to have patience. Patience, in turn, brings experience, and experience brings hope. All these things work together in the life of the believer to keep him from living a life of shame. There is truly no shame in a life lived with hope!
The saint of God is to have one chief love—the word of God. One of the primary reasons the scriptures were written was that believers “might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The world wonders why anyone would desire to read about the lives of those who lived thousands of years ago. This so-called archaic book has no appeal to them. Yet, the testimonies found in scripture concerning God’s provisions continue to provide hope for anyone today willing to look into that book. Multiple times in Psalm 119 the psalmist declared his hope in the word of God (Psalm 119:49, 74, 81, 114, 147). The truth is, man’s hope for the coming of Christ, his hope in a heavenly home, and his hope in eternal life is all founded solely upon the words recorded in the pages of the Bible.
Most people do not understand or recognize that the law and grace are polar opposites. The law emphasizes man’s responsibility to God, while grace emphasizes God’s efforts toward man. The law’s purpose shows man his sin and points him to God for help (Romans 3:20). Additionally, the law condemns man and sheds light upon the fact that he has no hope. Interestingly, the first five books of the Bible (commonly called the books of the Law) make no reference to the word hope. Some might ask why? Because the law simply reveals that man has no hope apart from God. As such, the Lord Jesus brought in a “better hope . . . by the which we draw nigh unto God.” Any man who places his hope and trust in what he can do or must do for God has lost sight of what God must do for him.
In a very basic sense, the word hope means desire, yet the true meaning is not nearly as weak as the world presents. The word hope in scripture is associated with the word expectation (Proverbs 10:28; Proverbs 11:7). Hope is not simply some type of wishful thinking; it is something that someone trusts in dearly (Jeremiah 17:7). This type of hope is not something visible to the naked eye of man (Romans 8:24), but it is believed and held firm by faith (Hebrews 11:1). All men live their lives based upon hope; however, not all hope is the same. One man’s hope might be that there is no life after death. Another might place his hope solely upon the payment for sin provided by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sobriety helps the believer “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” In other words, it keeps him grounded rather than haughty. Pride is one of the greatest destructive forces in the world. Pride led to the fall of Satan and will likewise destroy the believer’s walk with the Lord along with his testimony before others. Sobriety is a companion to gravity (1 Timothy 3:11; Titus 2:2) and causes a believer to perceive himself as he really is. The Devil fell when he began to think more highly of himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). In his heart, he thought to exalt his throne and be like the most High. If the believer is not sober, he too can begin to think thoughts of pride. Just as it was with Satan, this pride will be his downfall.
A man’s thoughts serve as the foundation for his actions. If a man fails to be sober minded, he will likely fail to behave soberly. The Bible likens a sober mind to one that has girded loins. When a man would gird his loins, he would tie off his garments in such a way to assist him during work or when he was running. A man’s mind is best prepared to work properly when it is girded up with sobriety. This sobriety keeps a man humble by keeping him from thinking “of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Romans 12:3). Pride hinders a man’s ability to work for the Lord, but sobriety girds up the mind with humility. It is very important for this sobriety to begin taking root in one’s youth (Titus 2:6).
As time winds down, the need for sobriety increases. Temptations are seemingly escalating from every angle and source. Even if sin did not have the ability to lure away a believer, busyness and hobbies tug at his heart to steal away one’s time and strength. The Devil labours to keep the believer from working while it is day (John 9:4) knowing that a sober believer gets much more accomplished for the Lord. While men are spiritually asleep (Matthew 13:25), the enemy has free reign to disrupt and destroy the lives of others. The apostle Paul saw this dilemma and warned “that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Romans 13:11).
The Lord, in His omniscience, has provided man with everything he needs through salvation and the grace that brings salvation. One might ask, “How does salvation teach sobriety?” A proper understanding of grace and salvation reminds man that he is completely inadequate in and of himself. Apart from the Lord’s intervention, man would be on a slippery slope towards the pits of hell. In his very best state, man’s righteous acts are no better than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). When a man meditates upon his salvation and the grace of God that gave him salvation, he avoids the snare of pride. He knows full well who he is and what God had to do to make him fit for heaven. He knows he owes the Lord a great debt and determines to be alert in his daily walk.
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).
