God's Masterpiece of Wise Living

Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Walk in Wisdom (Ephesians 5:15–17))

In the same spirit of verses 7–14, believers must wake up and live wisely.

Paul exhorts us to walk carefully, to make the most of our time, and to understand the Lord’s will.The verses that follow explain what it means to pay attention to how you walk.

Those who walk carefully do not walk foolishly, like an unwise person.

In the Colossians parallel Paul says, “Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time” (Col 4:5), with speech that is “gracious, seasoned with salt” (Col 4:6). The believer is to “walk” in front of outsiders in hopes that they may see the life-changing power of the gospel.

English Standard Version (Chapter 5)

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Look Carefully: This is not a cursory look but a deep look describing how we are to look at our walk.

(this reminds me of James 2:23-24 where James is describing the man who looks intently/carefully into a mirror at his own reflection, however, when he walks away he forgets what he looks like. )

When do we look at our walk with the wrong eyes or motives? (Unwise) When do we only see what we want to see?

What are the Marks of Wise people?

1. Wise people make the best use of their time.

“Not as unwise people but as wise”

How do we know if we are wise?

First we must define the subject and object of God’s wisdom.

Subject

1 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Paul here is asking the question of the subject of God’s wisdom which he has made foolish the wisdom of the world. We are the subject that God has chosen to give His wisdom to.

Object

Romans 1:22 ESV

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

Paul is speaking of those who claim to be wise in worlds eyes but chose to worship an object rather than the creator. God is the only object of true wisdom.

James 3:13–18 (ESV)

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Note: So the one who is wise do not seek anything for themselves but desire to be pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

*Wise people know that time is a precious Commodity.

Redeeming our time is one of the most important things we can invest in today. Time is one of the things in creation that we can never get back, it is continually fleeting. Once time has passed it is forever gone never to be repeated again.

I think it’s interesting how many movies are based on people being sent back in time to rewrite a wrong that was done or correct something in the past shows like quantum leap that just got resurrected.

Have you ever made a mistake that you wish you could undo? Correcting past mistakes is one of the reasons we find the concept of time travel so fascinating. As often portrayed in science fiction, with a time machine, nothing is permanent anymore – you can always go back and change it. But is time travel really possible in our universe, or is it just science fiction?

Our modern understanding of time and causality comes from general relativity. Theoretical physicist Albert Einstein's theory combines space and time into a single entity – "spacetime" – and provides a remarkably intricate explanation of how they both work, at a level unmatched by any other established theory.

This theory has existed for more than 100 years, and has been experimentally verified to extremely high precision, so physicists are fairly certain it provides an accurate description of the causal structure of our Universe.

For decades, physicists have been trying to use general relativity to figure out if time travel is possible. It turns out that you can write down equations that describe time travel and are fully compatible and consistent with relativity. But physics is not mathematics, and equations are meaningless if they do not correspond to anything in reality.

This seems to be in reference to walking wisely or choosing to use our time unwisely for things that do not benefit the Kingdom of God. Time is inseparably linked to God’s acts and humanities response in the story of creation and it’s eventual consummation.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 ESV

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

God’s Relationship to Time

We know that God is the author of time, because of his creating separation of day’s and seasons in the Genesis account. How does God relate to our time? In what ways does time affect our relationship to Him.

One of the most puzzling doctrines for us as temporal creatures is the timeless eternal nature of God. God see’s time in a unique manner. While the creature understands time sequentially - present slipping into past just as future slips into present - the eternal God views past, present, and future in a single, divine instant. He sees the past and future with equal vividness. As the psalmist writes in Psalm 90:4: 1,000 years in His sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. Paul explains in 2 Peter 3:8 that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.

Some have questioned whether it is possible to have a genuine relationship with time-bound creatures and a timeless God. But this is not at all the case.

God acts in time because He is the author of time. God has all of your life in front of Himself every time you kneel in prayer He is there. He can relate to you in a more real manner than you could ever relate to yourself - He can relate in complete fullness.

We are living in the Last days, so, how you live matters!

Opportune Time: Time that is suitable or advantageous for a particular purpose and reason.

Note: This is a call for us to identify the things that waste our time away and prioritize the things that align with Gods’ will for our lives.

(we must constantly re-evaluate our priorities) why, because this is one of the areas that Satan loves to use to get us off track with the mission of God.

BECAUSE - DAYS ARE EVIL - this is the qualifier of why we should make the best use of our time.

REDEEMING THE TIME

Americans Spend Far More Time on Their Smartphones Than They Think

If you wonder why you never have any time to do anything, you might want to look at the culprit that is causing the time suck: Your smartphone. A new study asked 2,000 Millennial and Baby Boomer smartphone users to go into their phone settings and record exactly how much screen time they've spent on their top apps. The survey found that both generations share similarities when it comes to how much time they spend on their smartphones.

The average American spends 5.4 hours a day on their phone. Millennials spend slightly more time on their phones (5.7 hours) compared to baby boomers (5 hours) on average. However, 13% of millennial and 5% of boomers say that they spend over 12 hours every day on their phones.

Overall, social media takes up the bulk of smartphone screen time. Americans spend an average of just over an hour (64.5) minutes a day on Facebook and 48 minutes on Instagram.

One-out-of-three thought their screen time would be less than it actually is, and underestimate how much time they spend on their phone. Yet, two out of three users do not plan on cutting back on phone usage. Many are in denial. Over four-out-of-five (82%) people think their personal usage is below that national average.

How you spend your time is a directly reflects on what is most worshiped in your Life.

Many of us are continually everyday bowing at the alter of the golden calf of this world and missing the greatest adventure of a lifetime that God has given us to live.

2. Wise people discern the will of God.

Don’t be Foolish

To become devoid of good judgement or sense.

When are we the most foolish? When do we lack any good sense?

Foolishness apparently is not understanding what the will of God is for our lives.

Discernment is defined as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; an act of perceiving something; a power to see what is not evident to the average mind.”

Discernment:

We have professional wine tasters, that apparently have a refined discerning pallet to tell us what wines are the best. We even have professional coffee tasters they tell us, which I am trying to figure out how to get that gig, they apparently have a refined enough palet to tell us what coffee’s we should buy.

You have professional football scouts, talent scouts and various other’s who are the expert in their fields and apparently have a discernment to find the diamond in the rough that the rest of the world misses.

God has given an even greater act of discernment to His children through the Holy Spirit. Like spiderman has his spidy tingle you have the Holy Spirit tingle to understand and know the will of God.

Subject

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

God is the ultimate subject of His will.

Object

Matthew 7:21 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Whoever does the will of God is the object of His will.

Purpose

Ephesians 1:4–6 ESV

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

The purpose of God’s will was to save you from sin and death.

He also made known to us the mystery of His will according to His purpose as Paul writes in Ephesians 1:8-10

Ephesians 1:8–10 ESV

8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

So, the full purpose of God’s will was set on us in Jesus Christ as His cosmic plan in the fullness of time to reconcile us to himself, both things in heaven and earth.

Believers need to understand what God has called every believer to pursue and what He has called every believer to avoid. Understanding the Lords will means to pattern our lives after Jesus.

Romans 8:29 ESV

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We also read in Romans 12:2 that when we stop trying to conform our lives to this world but are being transformed in our minds we will know what the will of the Lord looks like.

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Learning the Will of the Lord

Every Christian at one point in their life or another, possibly as long ago as this morning have asked what the will of God is for their life.

The drive to discover the will of the Lord is certainly understandable and does not come from ourselves. After all the Holy Spirit creates that desire and longing within us to please our creator.

Ephesians 5:10 ESV

10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Most of us want to apply God’s will in the area of who should we marry? Where does God want me to live? What is my vocation? While these questions are not wrong, we can only answer them by the principles for pursuing holiness revealed in Scripture.

Relying on the Holy Spirit who speaks through Scripture, we read God’s word and seek advice from wise Christians to help us make decisions that are pleasing to God.

So, according to Ephesians 5:17 those who walk in the light should not be foolish but instead know the will of the Lord.

He has already defined God’s will as the union of all things in heaven and all things on earth (1:9-10). The divine goal and will of God is to bring the whole of creation together in submission to the King of kings - the Lord Jesus Christ. This goal begins to be filled when the corporate body, the Church animated by love and intent submit to His Lordship over their lives.

Understanding the will of the Lord, then, means that we emphasize the church’s need to be united in truth and love.

Ephesians 4:17-6:20

Wise people who love the Lord and submit to His will, on the other hand, promote Christian unity and submit to the principles of sanctified living found in Ephesians and in all of Scripture.

In his new book, Follow Me, David Platt gets right to the core of our search for God’s will. We’re drawn to the methods — whether casting a fleece or listening to “that still small voice” or looking for that door to fling wide open. But Platt wonders, is it really that hard?

What if God the Father has not sent his children on a cosmic Easter egg hunt to discover his will while he sits back in heaven saying, “You’re getting colder . . . warmer . . . colder . . .”? And what if searching for God’s will like this actually misses the entire point of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? (127–128)

*Christian Discipleship aims to transform our will

This is what happens when Christians are made new in Christ. “As followers of Jesus, our lives are consumed in his life, and our ways are totally surrendered to His will.

To be “in Christ” means that we no longer live for ourselves “but for him who for our sake died and was raised.”

“This is what happens when we become a disciple. Declared and demonstrated in our initial act of baptism we have lost our lives in Christ, and we gladly surrendered our ways to his will.”

2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV

15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

God’s concern is not to get you from point A to point B along the quickest route, or the easiest route, or the smoothest route possible. Instead his ultimate concern is that you and I would know him deeply as we trust him more completely.

Remember in the garden, Jesus declared, “not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus knew all of the suffering He would have to endure to buy our freedom, but, he chose to trust the unfailing will of God alone.

Lack of following the will of God: Drunkenness and Debauchery.

Following the will of God: Being filled with the Holy Spirit.

3. Wise people are Spirit-Filled people

vs. 19 Scripture never demands a total abstinence from alcohol (except for those who had taken special vows). That must be a question left to the individuals conscience, but the Bible often speaks against drunkenness.

It was a danger in the New Testament days, even among those who might be chosen as leaders, 1 Timothy 3:3, 8 and Titus 1:7 and 2:3 show. The problem was drunk with wine that leads to debauchery.

The Message of Ephesians (4. The Fullness of the Holy Spirit (Verses 18–21) (John Scot)

Writing as both a physician and a pastor, he helpfully compares and contrasts the two states of drunkenness and the Spirit’s fullness. He says: ‘Wine—alcohol—… pharmacologically speaking is not a stimulant—it is a depressant. Take up any book on pharmacology and look up ‘alcohol’, and you will find, always, that it is classified among the depressants. It is not a stimulant’. Further, ‘it depresses first and foremost the highest centres of all in the brain … They control everything that gives a man self-control, wisdom, understanding, discrimination, judgment, balance, the power to assess everything; in other words everything that makes a man behave at his very best and highest

What the Holy Spirit does, however, is the exact opposite. ‘If it were possible to put the Holy Spirit into a textbook of Pharmacology, I would put him under the stimulants, for that is where he belongs. He really does stimulate … He stimulates our every faculty … the mind and the intellect … the heart … and the will

Debauchery: Extensive indulgence in sensual pleasure. Behavior considered immoral.

Note: This is not so much just about excessive alcohol use as it is about doing anything that would impede or diminish the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in your life. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God. Here is the litmus test of whether you should be doing that thing or not, can you still say that you are bringing glory to God, or does it in some way diminish the glory of God and effectiveness of the spirit in your life.

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

Fellowship with the Body

You now have a joy that comes from God that is unmistakable. The result of the spirits work in our lives is a renewed fellowship with the body of Christ. We were at one time strangers to this body, but now we are family. “WE are family, I’ve God all my brothers, sisters, and me.

“Addressing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs”

Then [King David] appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the LORD, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.…

In the Christian congregation, however, all without distinction are a new, holy priesthood whose privilege it is to offer “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Pet 2:5) in song (v. 19) and thanksgiving (v. 20) to God as his prized, priestly possession (e.g., 1 Pet 2:9; above on 1:14).

There is no more professional choir to act on behalf of God’s people in worship; all believers are to devote themselves to this priestly service in the Spirit “that you may be filled to all the fullness of God” (3:19).

It is important to note here the priesthood of all believers who all have equal access to God’s presence “in one Spirit” (2:18) in light of the following arrangement of the Christian household, where submission is enjoined in some relationships (5:22–6:9).

Worship with the Body

“Singing and making melody to the Lord with your Heart”

Notice that the qualifying phrase here is not “in our heart,” but it is “with your heart” or heartfelt. We see this related to our justification in Romans 10:10

Romans 10:10 ESV

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

We also see this word referenced in our show of generosity through tithes and offerings which should be a heartfelt and not compulsion or mere outward duty. 2 Corinthians 9:7

2 Corinthians 9:7 ESV

7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In English this phrase we would translate such singing to the Lord should be “from the heart” Luke 10:27

Luke 10:27 ESV

27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

And not with the lips alone. Sometimes we assume that true worship must be a loud show before the Lord, however, true worship is from the heart not an outward show for others to see. Isaiah 29:13

Isaiah 29:13 ESV

13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

Gratitude with the Body

“Giving thanks Always and for Everything.”

The Jewish people made offerings in the temple for the Roman emperor and people (Josephus, J.W. 2.10.4) and additional thanksgiving sacrifices on select occasions for the emperor (e.g., Philo, Embassy [45] 356).

Here Paul continues his theme developed in vv. 18–19 that the NT church is the inaugurated new-creation temple and its members all occupy priestly roles and now take over this offering of thanks to God “on behalf of all”:

Note: Notice Paul broaden’s the perspective of thanksgiving for “all the saints” not just for one another but, for the greater global mission of the Church.

Of course God’s children learn not to argue with Him int heir suffering but to trust him, and to give thanks to him for his living providence by which he can turn even evil to good purposes. But, that is praising God for being God; it is not praying him for evil. To do this would be to react insensitively to people’s pain. (James 1:2-4)

So, everything for which we are to give thanks to God must be qualified by its context, namely in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Our thanksgiving is to be for everything which is consistent with the loving Fatherhood of God and the self-revelation he has given us in Jesus Christ.

Submission with the Body

“Submitting to one another out Reverence for Christ.”

The Holy Spirit leads us to mutual submissiveness out of reverence for Christ. Those who are truly submitted to Jesus Christ do not find it difficult to submit to each other as well.

Absolute Submission

Absolute mutual submission is popular in society today particularly where egalitarian or democratic social and political philosophy rules.

Paul’s general idea of proper submission, however, is explained and illustrated through the particular examples of family relations he develops in 5:22-6:9. Submission is not absolute for any party, but an individual submits in some ways to some people and in other ways to others.

The only absolute rule for Christian behavior which is to guide everyone at all times is love. As a general guideline, believers are to submit to one another by considering others and their concerns and needs more highly than myself (Phil. 2:3-4) in mutual love and service (Gal. 5:13), and they are to submit to governing authorities in the church and in the world (Romans 13:1,5, Titus 3:1; Hebrews 13:17).

“Out of (Fear) Reverence for Christ”

The motive that guides believers is not to draw attention to themselves through a false humility but out of “the fear of Christ.”

(Fear, Reverence, or Respect) this is a strong word in scripture used in reference to the terror of Judgement/

The Holy Awe due to a divine person.

1 John 4:18 ESV

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Revelation 4:8 ESV

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

DO NOT DOWNPLAY THE FEAR OF THE LORD AS A GUIDING MOTIVATOR IN YOUR LIFE.

Proverbs 9:10 ESV

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

CONCLUSION

The Apostle Paul has exhorted the church to sing, praise, and rejoice in the Lord. As we have seen all members of the body of Christ have this immense privilege and joy in the church’s worship as the new-creation priesthood. But his is a new creation inaugurated. In a great hope of the future consummation of this kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth, there will be not more need for an exhortation to sing like this. Oh, yes, there will be one thundering great angelic summons to sing at the start and no one will need to be motivated or prompted to do so:

Revelation 19:6–8 ESV

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

After the last invitation is given we will never need any more prompting to sin and give heartfelt glory to our great God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For the joy of his presence will fill his temple and erupt form us in song forever.

Think of that the next time you experience just a little foretaste of that great day in worship alongside your brothers and sisters in the Lord on the Lord’s day. Think about that when you lack the motivation, desire, or will to show up and worship with the saints on Sunday morning.

Time is marching towards it’s inevitable conclusion?

How are you using your time for the Glory of God.

How are you discerning the will of the Lord by Submitting your life to Him?

How are you being filled with the Holy-Spirit in how you live out the graces God has given you in the fear of the Lord?