Ephesians 5.16b-The Reason Why the Believer Must Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Convict Non-Believer with Their Godly Conduct
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday June 11, 2026
Ephesians Series: Ephesians 5:16b-The Reason Why the Believer Must Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Convict the Non-Believer with Their Godly Conduct
Lesson # 353
Ephesians 5:15 Therefore, each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to make it your habit of paying careful attention to the manner in which each and every one of you make it your habit of conducting your lives. Each and every one of you as a corporate unit must continue to not make it your habit of conducting your lives in an unwise manner. On the contrary, each and every one of you must continue to make it your habit of conducting your lives in a wise manner 16 by continuing to make it your habit of taking full advantage of your opportunity for your own benefit because these days are characterized by evil. (Lecturer’s translation)
Ephesians 5:16 is composed of the following:
(1) participle of means: exagorazomenoi ton kairon (ἐξαγοραζόμενοι τὸν καιρόν), “by continuing to make it your habit of taking full advantage of your opportunity for your own benefit” (Lecturer’s translation)
(2) hoti (ὅτι) causal clause: hoti hai hēmerai ponērai eisin (ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί εἰσιν), “because these days are characterized by evil” (Lecturer’s translation)
The causal clause in Ephesians 5:16 is introduced by the conjunction hoti (ὅτι), which is employed with the indicative conjugation of the verb eimi (εἰμί).
It presents “the reason why” the recipients of this epistle were to continue making it their habit of conducting their lives in a wise manner by making it their habit of taking full advantage of their opportunity for their own benefit to expose the unfruitful activities of unregenerate humanity.
In this causal clause is the noun hemera (ἡμέρα), which refers to a defined extended period of time, which is marked by evil because Satan is the ruler of the world.
This period began with the fall of Adam and will end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ and in particular the period of human history, which is called in Scripture, “the last days,” which began with the First Advent of Jesus Christ and will end with His Second Advent (cf. Acts 2:16-39; 2 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 1:2; 1 John 2:18).
“The last days” refers to the entire period of time from the death and resurrection and session of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father and which periods ends with His Second Advent which ends Daniel’s seventieth week.
This is indicated by Peter in Acts 2:16-39 and by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:2.
They are called “the last days” because during this period of time God is completing His purposes for His people.
Both the apostle Paul and the apostle John asserted that they were living in the last days (cf. 2 Tim. 3:1–2; Heb. 1:2; 1 John. 2:18).
The adjective ponēros (πονηρός) pertains to words, actions or thoughts, which are contrary to the holy character and nature of God and His will as revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God.
It pertains to thoughts, words and actions, which are independent of God’s will and opposed to His will, and holy character and nature.
In context, the word is used to describe the period of time in which Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), is the ruler of this world (1 John 5:19) and deceives the entire world (Rev. 12:9).
The verb eimi (εἰμί) pertains to possessing certain characteristics, whether inherent or transitory.
Therefore, in context, this verb expresses the idea of the period of time in which Satan is the ruler of this world is “characterized by” evil.
The present tense of this verb verb eimi (εἰμί) is a gnomic present which expresses the idea that the period of time in which Satan is the ruler of this world is “as an eternal spiritual truth” characterized by evil.
The present is also a customary or stative present, which expresses the idea that the period of time in which Satan is the ruler of this world “exists in the state of” being characterized by evil.
This expression hai hēmerai ponērai (αἱ ἡμέραι πονηραί), “these days are characterized by evil” (Lecturer’s translation) in Ephesians 5:16 is synonymous with the expression tē hēmera tē ponēra (τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ πονηρᾷ), “this evil period” in Ephesians 6:13 as well as with the expression tou aiōnos tou enestōtos ponērou (τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ), “this present evil age” in Galatians 1:4.
Therefore, this period of history, which began with the fall of Adam and will end with the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, is characterized by evil because Satan who is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) and thus has the whole world under his power (1 John 5:19) and deceives the entire world (Rev. 12:9).
Thus, the church age believer must conduct their lives in a wise manner by taking full advantage of every opportunity to expose secret sinful activities of unregenerate humanity by living their lives in a godly manner in order to show them their need to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior in order to avoid experiencing the wrath of God in the eternal lake of fire.
As was the case in Ephesians 5:15, here in Ephesians 5:16, Paul is addressing the church age believer’s conduct in relation to the member of unregenerate humanity.
Paul taught in Ephesians 2:1-3 that all of unregenerate humanity are enslaved to their indwelling Adamic sin nature as well as to Satan and his cosmic world system.
Christ suffered the wrath of God for all of them in order that they might not suffer God’s wrath forever in the eternal lake of fire.
In Ephesians 2:12, Paul describes the unregenerate state of the recipients of this letter prior to justification and in Ephesians 4:17-19 describes the unregenerate of the recipients of this epistle prior to being declared justified by the Father through faith in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
In Romans 1:18-32, Paul demonstrates that the Gentiles are unrighteous and totally depraved by virtue of their sinful conduct and failure to worship God in light of God’s self-revelation in creation as well as their failure to obey the moral law inherent within them.
In Romans 2:1-29, the apostle Paul demonstrates that the Jews are unrighteous and totally depraved as well as manifested in their failure to obey perfectly the written Law of God and committing the same sins that the Gentiles committed.
In Romans 3:9-20, Paul summarizes his statements in Romans 1:18-2:29 and teaches the total depravity and universal unrighteousness of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.
Interestingly, the contents of Colossians 4:5 echoes the contents of Ephesians 5:15 because both are commanding church age believers to continue to make it their habit of conducting their lives by means of wisdom in relation to the non-Christian.
Colossians 4:5 Each of you continue making it your habit of conducting your lives by means of wisdom while interacting with those who are outsiders so that each of you are causing yourselves to make the most of your opportunity. (Lecturer’s translation)
In Colossians 4:5, the apostle Paul addresses the actions of the Colossian Christian community in relation to the unregenerate outside their community while in Colossians 4:6, he addresses how the Colossians must speak to the unsaved.
Colossians 4:6 The content of each of your conversations must continue to possess the characteristic of always being gracious while at the same time being seasoned with salt. Consequently, each of you will know for certain the manner in which each of you must cause yourselves to respond to each person. (Lecturer’s translation)
The believer’s responsibility is to clearly present the gospel message to the unbeliever and the rest depends upon the convincing ministry of God the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11).
They are also to conduct themselves with respect to the unsaved in an excellent and praiseworthy manner, bringing no reproach to the name of Christ.
1 Peter 2:12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (NASB95)
So therefore, Ephesians 5:15-16 emphasizes the need of the church age believer to conduct their lives in a wise manner by taking full advantage of every opportunity to expose the secret sinful activities of the non-believer in order to demonstrate to them their need to trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Thus, they must not waste their brief time here on earth.
Therefore, the church age believer must imitate Moses who interceded in prayer for his fellow Israelites that God would cause His people to consider their mortality so that they can live wisely in the judgment of God.
In the same way, the church age believer should ask this from their heavenly Father for themselves and their fellow church age believers.
Psalm 90 A prayer of Moses, the man of God. 1 O Lord, you have been our protector through all generations! 2 Even before the mountains came into existence, or you brought the world into being, you were the eternal God. 3 You make mankind return to the dust, and say, “Return, O people!” 4 Yes, in your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday that quickly passes, or like one of the divisions of the nighttime. 5 You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.” In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up; 6 in the morning it glistens and sprouts up; at evening time it withers and dries up. 7 Yes, we are consumed by your anger; we are terrified by your wrath. 8 You are aware of our sins; you even know about our hidden sins. 9 Yes, throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away. 11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? Your raging fury causes people to fear you. 12 So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely. 13 Turn back toward us, O Lord! How long must this suffering last? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your loyal love! Then we will shout for joy and be happy all our days! 15 Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us, in proportion to the years we have experienced trouble! 16 May your servants see your work! May their sons see your majesty! 17 May our sovereign God extend his favor to us! Make our endeavors successful! Yes, make them successful! (NET)
