Untitled Sermon (61)

Ephesians 5:15 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

Walk the concept of behavior.

Ephesians 2:2 ESV

in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 4:1 ESV

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

Ephesians 4:17 ESV

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Key Verse:

Ephesians 5:15–16 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:15 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

Ephesians

The Grace New Testament Commentary E. Believers Are to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (5:1–21)

The idea is to live carefully, not as fools but as wise. True wisdom is knowing and applying the truths and principles form the Word of God. The Lord gives this wisdom (Prov 2:6–7).

Proverbs 2:6–7 ESV

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

Proverbs 2:6

formally, buy the time make good use of opportunity

Because the days are evil - Our use of time is not neutral, it can be evil if it is not invested for good!

I need wisdom to make the right investment of my time.

Ephesians 5:

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

formally, buy the time make good use of opportunity

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

formally, buy the time make good use of opportunity

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Ephesians 5:17 ESV

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Therefore! do not be foolish (ignorant)

The Grace New Testament Commentary E. Believers Are to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (5:1–21)

God’s will here means His decrees. The commands in God’s Word amount to living wisely and making the most of one’s time. God’s Word tells His will, but believers must pursue this wisdom diligently

The Message of Ephesians 3. The Nature of Wisdom (Verses 15–17)

Jesus himself prayed, ‘Not my will but yours be done,’ and taught us to pray, ‘May your will be done on earth as in heaven.’ Nothing is more important in life than to discover and do the will of God. Moreover, in seeking to discover it, it is essential to distinguish between his ‘general’ and his ‘particular’ will.

The Message of Ephesians 3. The Nature of Wisdom (Verses 15–17)

His ‘general’ will is found in Scripture; the will of God for the people of God has been revealed in the Word of God. But we shall not find his ‘particular’ will in Scripture. To be sure, we shall find general principles in Scripture to guide us, but detailed decisions have to be made after careful thought and prayer and the seeking of advice from mature and experienced believers.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:18

Debauchery: Recklessness and wildness

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

E

Be filled with the Spirit.

The Grace New Testament Commentary E. Believers Are to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (5:1–21)

Paul might be saying that believers should allow themselves to be controlled by the Spirit by yielding to the influence of the Word of God on their minds. As wine influences the mind, so too does God’s Spirit when one is abiding in Christ

Ephesians 5:19–20 ESV

addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 5:19 ESV

addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The Grace New Testament Commentary E. Believers Are to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (5:1–21)

The result of being filled with the Spirit, unlike drunkenness, is positive things. These positives are corporate and occur in local church meetings. These include speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. As believers worship God together, they sing to God with each other. Music sung to the Lord must be biblically accurate and must be given with a heart of gratitude (Col 3:16).

Spiritual songs - creativity from the spirit....

Ephesians 5:21 ESV

submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Ephesians

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

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’.5 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 …

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

Grammatically speaking, this paragraph consists of two imperatives (the commands not to get drunk but to be Spirit-filled), followed by four present participles (speaking, singing, thanking and submitting). Theologically speaking, it first presents us with our Christian duty (to avoid drunkenness but seek the Spirit’s fullness) and then describes four consequences of this spiritual condition, in terms of our relationships.