Watch and Be Sober
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:6
The concepts of watching and being sober appear often in Scripture, but context is everything. Not every instance refers to the same event or people. When rightly dividing the word of truth, we must ask: What are we watching for? And why must we be sober?
Many confuse the Church, the Body of Christ, with Israel, especially when reading prophetic warnings about watching for the coming day of the Lord. This confusion leads some to think we must live in constant fear of missing the return of Christ or falling short at His coming. But this mindset is rooted in prophecy concerning Israel, not the mystery revealed to Paul for the Body of Christ.
Watching Under Israel’s Program: A Warning of Judgment
Under the prophetic program for Israel, watching was often tied to judgment and worthiness. Israel was told to watch and be ready, because if they weren’t, they could lose entrance into the kingdom.
Consider these examples:
The faithful vs. the evil servant – The evil servant is cut off and judged (Mat 24:42-51).
The wise vs. foolish virgins – Only those who had oil and were ready entered the marriage; the rest were shut out (Mat 25:1-13).
The talents – The unfaithful servant is cast into outer darkness (Mat 25:13-30).
The sheep and goats – This judgment is based on works and faith to enter the earthly kingdom (Mat 25:31-46).
Luke 12 – Servants watching are blessed to enter the kingdom and the wedding feast (Luk 12:33-41).
These warnings show a system based on faith plus works. Endurance, readiness, and worthiness were required. There was no certainty for Israel: only those who watched and endured would enter. This is not the gospel of grace. This is not you!
Watching as Members of the Body of Christ
The moment you believed the gospel of your salvation (1Co 15:1-4), your judgment for sin was finished. Christ bore your judgment, killed your old man, and you were given His righteousness (Rom 6:4-11; Rom 4:23-25). You are complete in Him (Col 2:10), and your forgiveness is not on loan; it’s based solely on the fully sufficient blood atonement of Jesus Christ that we presently possess by faith in the gospel (Rom 5:8-11).
Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5 that the times and seasons (connected to Israel’s prophetic calendar) do not concern the Body of Christ. Why? Because we are not appointed to wrath and will be caught up to meet the Lord before the day of the Lord begins (1Th 4:13-18; 5:1-9).
Let’s examine 1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 more closely.
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
Because we are “children of the day” and not of darkness (v.5), we should not be asleep. This isn’t about literal sleep, it’s about being spiritually alert, mindful, and serious about our walk with the Lord. The world is in darkness, ignorant of God, spiritually and physically intoxicated, and unprepared for what lies ahead. But we are of the day.
Our watchfulness is not out of fear of being judged, but because of our identity. We are the children of the day. Therefore, we should think and act like it: by putting on the armor of faith, love, and hope. These are not efforts to earn salvation, but the proper response to it.
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
We are not destined for wrath: not now, not during the tribulation, not in eternity. That wrath was poured out at the cross.
We are appointed to salvation. And while we already possess salvation from the penalty of sin by faith in the gospel, we await the final redemption of our bodies (Rom 8:23; Rom 13:11). It’s a guaranteed outcome of our position in Christ. Whether we are alive or have physically died at His mystery coming for the Body, we will all live together with Him. What a comfort! No fear. No doubt. No wrath.
The truth of our secure salvation and future with Christ is not a burden; it is a comfort. Unlike Israel’s warnings of outer darkness, ours is a message of grace, peace, and encouragement. We watch, not out of fear, but because we’ve been saved and have a ministry of reconciliation, edification, and comfort to fulfill (2Co 5:14-21).
Let us live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; not to earn salvation, but because we have already received it in Christ Jesus. This is our calling, our hope, and our comfort.
