Eph 5:15-21 LIVING WISELY
Eph 5:15-21 ESV
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Paul has been talking about our WALK as Christians since chapter 4.
• 4:1 “… walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”
• 4:17 “… you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.”
• 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…”
• 5:8b “Walk as children of light…”
• 5:15 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…”
This is the 5th WALK in this section.
• It is important to get our DOCTRINES right (Eph 1-3), but equally, if not more important, to live out what we believe rightly.
We are often accused of being hypocritical, more so than people of other faiths, because we TALK LOUD. We speak of what we believe and yet fail to live up to it.
• It would seem better not to have said it in the first place and give no room for people to charge us.
• But we need to speak the TRUTH of what God has said. We cannot change that.
• Rather, we have to walk in a manner worthy of that name Christian. We have to watch our actions and behaviours and live up to what we preach.
We can, by God’s grace and the help of the Holy Spirit. We are born again in Christ and we can live by God’s ways if we live carefully and wisely, led by His Spirit.
• Paul tells Timothy 1 Tim 4:16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1. MAKE CAREFUL AND WISE CHOICES
Paul urges the Ephesians to be imitators of God. They need to watch their conduct.
• 5:15“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise… ” 5:17”Do not be foolish…”
Paul has been using CONTRASTS – walking as believers and not Gentiles, in the light and not darkness, and now… in wisdom and not folly.
• If we cannot live up to what we believe, then we are stumbling blocks. Our conduct does not sync with our beliefs.
• The consequence of that is great - we are hypocritical and Christianity loses its credibility. We pray that by God’s grace, we will always WALK the TALK.
We need to be careful and wise in making choices.
• Wisdom in this context is about making choices that align with God's will and values. As Christians, we behave and act like Christ and our Father in heaven.
• We need to give equal emphasis, if not more, to the CONDUCT of our lives as we do with the DOCTRINES we proclaim.
How I wish that our knowledge would simply translate into our lives and shape our conduct, automatically, but that’s not the case.
• We can be disobedient and carnal, self-centred and proud. If we are still free to choose, then we need to make careful and wise choices in life.
As the words of Paul have shown – to the Ephesians and also to the Corinthians - believers need to be reminded, corrected and encouraged to do what is right.
• Paul has been urging them to 4:1walk WORTHY, 4:17no longer like Gentiles, 5:2walk in love, 5:1be imitators of God, 5:8bwalk as children of light…
• And now, 5:15walk carefully and wisely. It is proactive and intentional.
• We have to think about the choices we make so that we can live godly lives and do that which is 5:9good, right and true.
HOW?
• 5:16 “…making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 5:17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
2. LIVE PURPOSEFULLY in the light of God’s will
Make the best use of every opportunity to do the will of God because we know it.
• The context of "the days are evil" suggests that it’s the wisest thing we can do – to seize the time while we still can to fulfil the will of God.
• And “the will of the Lord” is not something mysterious. Paul has already said God has revealed it in Eph 1-3.
• 5:8b-10 “Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
This is the preoccupation of the Christian life. It is the most worthwhile thing to do.
• We do not flow with the crowd or the world.
• We flow with God and the direction He sets.
3. BE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD
5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”
Paul contrasts the TWO states of being:
(1) getting drunk with wine and (2) filled with the Spirit.
• The former leads to debauchery, a loss of control and destructive behaviour, and in this context, moral compromise.
• The other is being filled with the Spirit which is well-controlled and purposeful, guided by the Spirit.
Paul did not say, don’t be drunk with wine, so abstain from it. Instead, he said, “be filled with the Spirit.” So we know where his thrust is - control.
• It’s about the control of our thoughts and actions by the Spirit of God who dwells in us. We are not to be intoxicated to the point of giving in to other controls.
• We are to be filled with the Spirit and submit to His leading.
The Spirit is always there leading but are we listening?
• Paul said in Eph 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
• 1 Thess 5:19 “Do not quench the Spirit.” Both verses tell us He speaks.
We are never without a Guide. The problem is not on His side but ours.
• He is present but are we ignoring Him? Are we open to Him? Are we listening?
SUMMARY: LIVE WISELY Paul says.
• (1) Make careful and wise choices. (2) Live purposefully to fulfil God’s will and (3) Submit to the leading of His Spirit in our lives.
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Paul expresses the OUTCOME of this being “filled with the Spirit” in the next 2 verses:
3.1 The Spirit-Filled Person EDIFIES OTHERS
5:19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs… That’s WORSHIP.
3.2 The Spirit-Filled Person WORSHIP GOD
5:19 … singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. That’s WORSHIP.
• We praise God outwardly and also inwardly in our hearts.
The Spirit leads us to worship and in so doing, we bless others with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
• He transformed our self-centred lives into God-centred and others-centred. We edify one another as we worship God together.
• This is the same picture we have in 1 Cor 14 when Paul describes the church coming together for worship. The Body of Christ is edified in worship.
It’s interesting to note that worship is not about us, although we are blessed.
• It is about God and then “addressing one another” in the Body of Christ. In worship, we exalt Christ and encourage one another with songs.
• So the question, “Do you like the worship today?” is not the right question to ask.
• The important question is, “Is God honoured and glorified? Are the people edified and built up?” These are the right questions to ask.
3.3 The Spirit-Filled Person GIVE THANKS ALWAYS
5:20 Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… That’s WORSHIP.
• We recognize God's hand in all circumstances, whether good or bad.
• We acknowledge His sovereignty and goodness, even in difficult circumstances.
3.4 The Spirit-Filled Person SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER
5:21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
• Meaning there is mutual respect and love. We honour one another because we recognize the worth and value of everyone who belongs to Christ.
Paul helps us understand what this “submitting to one another” looks like in the next long section.
• He paints it in the context of MARRIAGE, between wives and husbands, in the FAMILY children and parents, and the WORKPLACE between slaves and masters.
• We honour one another in all aspects of life. Our new life in Christ shows in all areas of our lives.
The most referenced section is the text on marriage between wives and husbands.
• But Paul intends to highlight that our “submitting to one another” is in all our relationships, whether in marriage, home, workplace or church.
• We honour one another because we honour Christ.
• It is through this mutual respect and submission that we build unity and demonstrate to a lost world the love of Christ.
This is the mind of Christ that Paul says in Phil 2:3-4
• “2:3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [We] 2:4…look not only to [our] own interests but also to the interests of others.”
• We see others as more important than ourselves. We care for their needs and serve them in humility, just as Christ served us.
Let me close with this interesting story I read:
There is an online video game that has become a phenomenon. It places 100 players on a virtual island to compete until one player remains. It is a game of elimination and the last player that remains wins.
Whenever a player eliminates you from the contest, you can continue to watch through that player’s vantage point. You become his ally and you rally behind him, wanting him to win.
One commentator made this remark about the game: “When you step into another play’s shoes and inhabit their point of view, the emotional register shifts from self-preservation to communal solidarity. You begin to feel invested in the stranger who, not too long ago, did you in.”
Transformation happens when we open ourselves to see another’s experience, looking beyond our own vision and encountering another’s pain, fear, or hopes.
• When we follow Jesus’ example and “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” and instead “in humility value others above ourselves” we begin to see people the way He sees them.
Our concerns broaden. We ask different questions.
• Rather than being preoccupied with only our own needs, we become invested in others’ well-being.
• Rather than looking to our interests, we become committed to the interests of others.
SUMMARY: LIVE WISELY Paul says.
• (1) Make careful and wise choices.
• (2) Live purposefully to fulfil God’s will
• (3) Submit to the leading of His Spirit in our lives.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithful presence in our lives and for the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us.
Fill us each day so that we may live our lives in a manner worthy of Your calling and give You honour and praise. We give thanks knowing that Your will for us is good.
Help us worship You wholeheartedly and be others-centred. Fill our hearts with compassion for others. May our lives reflect the beauty and grace of Jesus Christ, wherever we are. In Your Name, we pray. AMEN.
