Paul exhorts believers to be careful how they live out their Christian life because there are dangers, traps, drop offs, and pitfalls on every side. How are we to be careful? By making the most of our time and understanding the will of our Lord.
Teaching Notes:
Be Careful How You Walk!
Ephesians 5:15-17
Intro: The word “careful” means looking all around. It is the soldier walking through a mine field, looking all around to detect the explosives. Or it is the little child who looks all around before crossing the street to get his ball. We live in a dangerous place. Verse 16 tells us that “the days are evil.” Boy, what an understatement. We see evil everywhere! If we are not careful, we will fall into that evil we live around. We need to be looking all around, so that we avoid the traps, pitfalls, quicksands, and snares the enemy has placed everywhere.
“Therefore”: This word takes us back to 5:7-14, where we are taught that we must shun the darkness and shine the light. We were formerly darkness. Now we are light in the Lord. Thus we are not to participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather to walk as children of light, manifesting the fruit of the light. We must not be like the man sleeping in the graveyard (the Christian whose life looks like those in the world). Therefore, we must be careful. But, how do we walk carefully before the Lord? In these verses, Paul gives us 2 exhortations as to how we can walk carefully.
1. Make The Most Of Your Time:
Wise: notice how walking as wise men is related to making the most of our time. Here is true wisdom – make the most of your time! Notice how Vs.15 and Vs.17 are parallel. “Not as unwise men” is parallel to “So then do not be foolish.” In other words the unwise man is a fool, and he is not careful about how he walks, nor about whether he makes the most of his time. He is still darkness. The wise man makes the most of his time. The fool doesn’t. Which are we?
Make the most of your time: This verse literally reads, “buying up the time.” The word “time” in Greek is kairos. This word does not refer to any time, but an opportune time; a seasonable time. Paul instructs us here to buy up our opportunities, seize them, take advantage of them, and don’t let them slip away. If he counsels us to buy them, they must have great value. It would be like me finding a pre-war Gibson mastertone for $100 at a garage sale. That is just too good to pass by. I’d buy it in an instant, because I know it is worth more than $100,000! Why is time so precious?
1) Because what we do in time will determine where and how we spend eternity! 2) Because it is so short. If gold and diamonds could be picked up like pebbles, they would be worthless.
3) Because it is Uncertain. We never know if today is going to be the last day of our lives.
4) Because It is a Trust. One day we must give an account to God for how we spent the time He gave us.
5) Because once gone it is Irrecoverable. We speak of saving time and making up time, but these are just illusions. There is an ancient Greek statue of a man with wings on his feet, a large lock of hair on the front of his head, and no hair on the back of his head. The inscription reads, “What is thy name? My name is Opportunity. Why hast thou wings on thy feet? That I may fly away swiftly. Why hast thou a great forelock? That men may seize me when I come. Why art thou bald in back? That when I am gone by, none can lay hold of me.” Only 1 life, will soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last! The world is in darkness and is perishing. How can we go on living for the temporal and fleeting things of the world?
How much of your time are you making the most of? How much of your time are you squandering? What do you need to change in your life in order to obey this Scripture? Will you make that change?
2. Understand The Will Of Your Lord:
Understand What The Will Of The Lord Is: Paul already told us in 5:10 that the way we walk as children of Light is by trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Here we are told to understand what the will of the Lord is. This really is the ultimate issue for the child of God. The ultimate question that guides every decision in his life is, “What is the will of God here?” How can we know the will of God?
- 1) Search the Scriptures: The Scriptures tell us what the will of God is in a number of specific cases. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 tells us our sanctification is the will of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us it is God’s will for us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks. 1 Peter 2:15 tells us it is God’s will for us to obey governing authorities. Ephesians 6:6 tells us it is God’s will for us to do our work as unto the Lord, and not as unto men.
- 2) But What About Cases In Which The Scriptures Are Silent? For example, who we are to marry, what church we are to commit to, where we are to live, what college we are to attend, what occupation we are to pursue. The Bible doesn’t give us specific answers to these questions. Whenever these decisions become moral issues, we must make our decision based upon what we know God would want. For example, in making the decision of who to marry, we know it is not God’s will to marry a non-believer, and it is not God’s will for you to remarry if your spouse did not commit adultery or abandon you. Or if you lived in Nevada and could be either a nurse or a prostitute, the decision would be clear. However, your choices in a spouse might be between 2 godly persons. Your choices in an occupation could be between 2 equally valid jobs. How do you make a decision in those cases? Heb.5:14 – the more spiritually mature we become, the more discernment we will have concerning good and evil. If it is a non-moral decision, I believe God gives us great freedom to make our own choices. But certain principles can guide us:
- Which choice would most glorify God? (1 Cor. 10:31)
- Which choice would give me the most opportunity to share the gospel?
- Which choice would give me the greatest opportunity to serve the Lord?
- Is this choice profitable? (1Cor.6:12)
- Would this choice cause me to be mastered by something? (1Cor.6:12)
- Will making this choice weigh me down in my pursuit of Christ? (Heb.12:1)
Application: Are you careful how you walk? Are you making the most of your time? Are you basing your decisions upon the will of the Lord? If so, you are wise. If not, you are foolish. Oh Lord help us to be wise!
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