Resources/Articles
Sober-Eyed
Christians are admonished from the New Testament to live sober lives. The term “sober” is not sober in the sense of “not intoxicated,” but describes a mindset that is focused upon pleasing God and not self. A sober person is easily identifiable by his behavior:
Pastors and their wives:
1 Timothy 3.2,11 - “Therefore an overseer (i.e., a pastor of a congregation) must be the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach…Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things”.
Pastors/Deacons:
Titus 1.8 - “…but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled (i.e., sober), upright, holy, and disciplined.”
Titus 2.2,4-6 - “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness…and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled (i.e., sober), pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled (i.e., sober).
Christians:
1 Thessalonians 5.6 - “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober…since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”
1 Peter 1.13 - “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, seen your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 4.7 - “The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.
1 Peter 5.8 - “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
