As Different As Night and Day - January 13

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for the helmet the hope of salvation.

Reflect

How should believers be distinct from unbelievers?

When you were growing up, did anyone ever tell you that “nothing good ever happens after midnight?” Well, the apostle Paul would probably agree because in today’s verses, he wrote that people who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. Now, these things are typically true literally. Sure, some people take naps, but the bulk of sleeping is done at night. Sure, some people get intoxicated in broad daylight, but generally speaking, people get drunk at night.

But Paul wasn’t talking about literal sleeping or drunkenness. He was talking about spiritual sleeping and spiritual drunkenness. People who are spiritually asleep are spiritually passive. They are apathetic and unconcerned about spiritual matters. Plus, they are “in the dark” about the things of God. They don't know what they don’t know and they really don’t care that they don’t know.

People who are spiritually “drunk” are actively leading sinful lifestyles. They love the darkness because they think it’s a cover for their sin. Jesus once said: “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

But Christians, we don’t belong to the night, we belong to the day! Remember that we have been transformed and transferred! We don’t live in the domain of darkness, we live in the Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13-14). Because of this, believers should be distinct from unbelievers. It should be easy to tell us apart because we are as different as night and day.

First, we shouldn’t be sleeping or in a drunken stupor, spiritually speaking. We should be sober-minded and alert. We should be wide awake to spiritual realities. We are in the Light, so we should be able to see clearly. We know what is right and what is wrong, so we should be able to live wisely.

Second, as believers, we have spiritual armor so we ought to be using it! Here, Paul said that faith and love serve as our breastplate, protecting our hearts. The hope of our salvation is the helmet that protects our minds. In Christ, we are no longer deceived so we should be able to think just as clearly as we can see and perceive. We can walk confidently in the day because we are protected and equipped by the Lord.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote: “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and sensuality, not in quarreling or jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:11-14).

Fellow believers, in Christ, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16)! We are meant to stand out. We are meant to be different and distinct. We are meant to shine His light. We should care about and have compassion for those who are far from the Lord. We used to be in the same position after all! But thanks be to God, we are so different now—as different as night and day.

Respond

Lord, thank You for Your mercy and grace. Without it, I would still belong to the domain of darkness. But in You, I belong to the day! Help me to live in a way that is consistent with that reality. I want to be distinct from the darkness so that I shine Your light in the midst of a dark world that desperately needs to see You. Open their eyes, Lord. Wake them up. Amen.

Reveal

Prayerfully consider how distinct you are from the unbelieving world. How does your distinctiveness reveal Christ to others?