Grace Teaches Us to Rule Self

Titus 2:12 (New King James Version)
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

Living soberly......It is not what you may think. The Biblical concept of sobriety takes on a whole new meaning. It deals with self-control more than drinking alcohol. I am not saying drinking alcohol is okay, I am just pointing out that sobriety means more than that. Let me show you what I mean. Let's just say for example that a very wealthy man walked down to the nastiest, scummiest part of town and brought back to his mansion the lowest of the low, the absolute reprobates of society. He brought them in to his fine home, gave them a bath, gave them new clothes, fed them and then adopted them. He whispered to them words of encouragement and hope. He allowed them to be a part of his family. One would believe that the former reprobates would be so overwhelmed with joy that they would never even think of going back to the former life. Sadly, too often we do. See, we are the ones that have been cleaned, fed, adopted, yet we find ourselves too often back in the mud. With this new life and new environment, how shall we live? One word: SOBERLY. The idea is the worthless reprobate (us) will not only give up the old worthless pursuits, he will exercise wisdom and restraint in the new choices he makes.
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The New Testament Jews had a word picture that associated with sobriety: "gird up the loins of your mind." Think about the prodigals father running toward his son. He was a man of stature. Gym shorts were not allowed. I can see him hocking up his robes so he could move faster toward his son. Sobriety is gathering our wits, getting the "stuff" out of the way and moving forward much more rapidly. (Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Heb 12:1 KJV).
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There are three situations calling for sober-mindedness:

1. In anticipation of Christ's revelation (1 Pet 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;)
2. In preparation of Satan's temptations (1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour)
3. In evaluation of our place in fellowship (Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.)

We are called, therefore, to be serious and disciplined in mind and spirit, to wait on the Lord, to fight off temptation and to serve the church.

Can you imagine what our life would be like if we would become strategic about "girding up the loins of our mind"?

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How fast can you run?