October 12

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation. — 1 Thess 5:8 BSB

Sobriety in religion is a precious gift and grace. There is no room for lightness in our most holy faith. The matters that concern our peace are serious and weighty, and if they rest on our hearts with any degree of seriousness and power, they will subdue the levity that is the very breath of the carnal mind.

But sobriety doesn’t just imply the absence of frivolous speech and behavior; it also means the absence of wild, visionary imaginations about the things of God. It indicates that “spirit of a sound mind” which, as the Apostle says, is the gift of God. True godliness does have its mysteries, its revelations and manifestations, its spiritual and supernatural experiences. But all of these come through the Word of Truth, which is simple, solid, and weighty. It is far removed from anything wild or speculative, imaginative or unstable. Therefore, every act of faith, hope, or love that flows from the Word of Truth, under the power of the Spirit, will be as simple, solid, and weighty as the Word itself. If anyone doubts this, let them read the final discourses of our blessed Lord with His disciples. How simple, how weighty, how full of grace are His words! The faith that receives and believes these words, the hope that is anchored in the promises spoken by the Lord, and the love that embraces the glorious Person of the Savior—all of these are likewise simple, solid, and weighty. There is no room in such faith, hope, or love for wild visions, speculative ideas, or misinterpretations of Scripture, any more than there is in the words of the Lord Himself.