The Skill of Godly Living

Illustration:

My growing interest in fine woodworking and learning that it is a developed skill.

Godliness is like that. It is a gift that God bestows on us, but it is in such a way that it does not come without work. Holy Sweat!

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Background

Paul is summarizing his exhortations to the Ephesian community as a whole. He has been speaking to the group as a whole, and is about to speak to individual groups (Fathers, husbands, servants, etc…) He’s wrapping up everything he has already said.

He describes the Christian as someone who pursues wise living. He means holiness. Godly living is always wise, and loose immoral living is always unwise.

Wise Vs. Unwise

Unwise living (unskillful):

-Is haphazard or living thoughtless manner.

Proverbs 15:21 ESV

21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.

-Living in frivolity and folly

Proverbs 10:23 ESV

23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

-Ultimately without Understanding

Illustration:

Rich inheritors who inherit great wealth but didn’t have the experience of earning that wealth who ultimately loose their wealth. They were unwise!

Wise Living (skillful): the practical ability to have a right conduct of life.

-Live with an intentional focus. A pursuit of holiness.

-live with a sense of urgency

-live in a pursuit of greater insight

Christians who do not pursue holiness are living in an unwise way. When a Christian falls into sin, he’s living in an unwise way, or when he neglects God’s tools for his growth, he’s being unwise.

God has saved you, given you insight, wisdom. You are not becoming a rich man, you are rich, and you need to know how to handle it rightly! So seek to be skillful!

How To Cultivate Godly Living

1. Pay Careful attention to the way you live!

careful: give strict focus and attention to detail.

Illustration:

A marksman who takes special care and aim.

This is why Christians often fail in godliness, they are unwise and not paying careful attention to themselves.

1 Timothy 4:16 ESV

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.

Matthew 26:41 ESV

41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The Skill of Godliness takes sanctified holy sweat.

2. Live with a sense of Urgency

“best use of time” =urgency

Illustration: The person on their death bed counts every minute and makes use of each second. Not presumptuous of tomorrow.

Psalm 39:4–5 ESV

4 “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah

My time is a fixed season God has numbered my days.

literally: redeem, as in buy back slaves.

We should rescue our time, redeem it for God’s kingdom. It is foolish/ unwise to waste time, because our king is coming!

Foolish Use of Time

-Doing too many things

Not enough time to pray.

Not enough time to disciple family

Not enough time to read.

(Churches have too many programs)

-Doing too little

Wasting time in frivolity, or meaningless pursuits. Procrastinating

So redeem the time because the days are evil. They are filled up with all manner of things against our Lord, so redeem the time to be of benefit to him.

Aligning Your Priorities With God’s

If we are going to be skillfull, we will need insight. Insight for righteous living comes from God.

-We should cry out for it. Seek hard after it.

-The Will of the Lord is his desires and wishes revealed in His word!

Psalm 119:36 ESV

36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!

Psalm 119:18 ESV

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 86:11 ESV

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.