DRUNK, OR SOBER, WHICH?
By H. A. St. John
“AND be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Eph. 5:18. A person may be drunken with pleasures, cares, blood, strong drink, or the spirit of the world, the spirit that ever worketh in all the children of disobedience. Each and all lead to the same condition and results. There will be stammering, staggering, stumbling, and falling—a constant downward tendency to eternal ruin. “Let us watch and be sober.” “Let us, who are of the day, be sober.” “Teach the young women to be sober.” “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober.” “Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.” “Think soberly, according . . . to faith.” “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that . . . we should live soberly,” etc. “Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded.” “Women adorn themselves with . . . sobriety.” “Continue in faith and charity and holiness, with sobriety.” These are some of the teachings of the Word of God on sobriety. Only such as heed these injunctions and admonitions are truly sober. All these are in the narrow way that leadeth upward unto eternal life. All others are traveling the broad road that leadeth downward to eternal death. All, of both classes, are spirit-led, and many are spirit-filled. The one class are led and filled with the spirit of Satan, and are all in different stages of intoxication and ruination, leading on to the final end, eternal condemnation and degradation of body, soul, and spirit. The other class are led and filled with the Spirit of God, and are all in different stages of consecration and re-formation, leading on to final and eternal justification and glorification, of body, soul, and spirit, in heaven. Let each one of us earnestly inquire, On what side of the line am I? In which road am I traveling? Am I sowing to the flesh, to reap corruption in the bitter by-and-by? or am I sowing to the Spirit, to reap incorruption in the sweet by-and-by? Am I double-minded? foolish minded? fickle minded? carnally minded? or worldly minded? If so, I will now present my body as a living sacrifice, and be no longer conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of the mind, that I may become single minded, wise minded, steadfastly minded, spiritually minded, and heavenly minded. Thus having in me the same mind that was in Christ, I will be able, like Him, to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” When our eyes are opened to see things in the light of heaven, we will behold a world filled with different kinds and degrees of dangerous and ruinous intoxication. O, let us, who are of the day, whose eyes have been opened to discover the real truth and state of the world, let us see to it that we give to the world a perfect example of that sobriety that brings true, internal peace and joy here; and leads to the fulness of internal, external, and eternal peace and joy hereafter.