Ephesians 5:15-21

Introduction

Story of me and Zachary at Bob Eden park and the drug users next to our car. The lesson was to walk circumspectly.

Walk Circumspectly (wise) — Our English word for Circumspectly has come to mean looking all around, giving attention to all circumstances and consequences as passing a dangerous place.

However, the Greek word translated such here expresses the idea of strict conformity to a standard, guarding against anything that would be improper or unbecoming of a Christian. “Watch carefully, then, how you walk.”

We are called to a life in which we carefully pay attention to how we live. We are meant to be diligent in our walk so that we might live a life of holiness; a life of obedience to the Lord.

Our life is never aimless or casual. The Christian life is one of purpose and direction.

We are to talk as wise men and women, not as fools. In order to do this three things must happen...

Redeem the Time

The word translated “redeem” means to “buy out” or “purchase completely.” “Time” is a word which really means opportunity. So we are called to “buy out the opportunity.” Paul is saying that we should make the most of every opportunity in life.

We are to do life with intensity and a sense of urgency. What is your level of intensity? Do you feel your life has a sense of urgency to it? If you knew your days were short how would it change both of these?

The motivation for our urgency is a simple one — the days are evil.

We live in an evil age Galatians 1:3-4 and the time is short.

Galatians 1:3–4 CSB

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

Days are evil — Paul was not here talking as much about the moral condition of the age as the impending persecution. They were being persecuted and the persecution would only get worse.

We have been rescued from this evil age but for the time being we live in it. And we live here for a purpose.

We are likely living in the best time we will ever have to boldly live and share our faith. We have no idea what is coming our way. We have no way of knowing the persecution which may come.

All we have is today. We have this moment. We must grab hold of and buy up every opportunity to live and share our faith in Jesus. There should be an urgency to this moment. There should be an intensity.

Too often we as believers have taken time for granted. We have not lived circumspectly — intensely and with great urgency. Paul is clear here…such a life is the life of a fool!

Living like we have an unlimited supply of tomorrows is absurd, ridiculous and foolish. It is the mind living in complete denial.

This is not how we are meant to live. We are meant to be wise, making the most of every opportunity with the realization that our days here are numbered and the window of opportunity short. This is a life lived wisely.

Understand the Will of the Lord

The primary consideration for the Christian must never be what is most profitable financially, what is most pleasurable or enjoyable, or what will bring the greatest personal advantage or honor. His first concern is to discern what God wills him to be and to do. — Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (p. 110). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

That is a tough pill for many people to swallow. It is easy to call Jesus Lord of our life. It is quite a different thing to actually live as though Jesus is Lord of our life.

What is God’s will for your life right now? Much of God’s will is readily made known to us. We know how we are to live morally. We know we are to be His witness to the lost. We know He is to be our greatest priority and highest love.

But what about the rest? Have you prayed and sought the will of God for how to spend your time, money and talents?

What job should you have? Where should you live? What house should you live in or what car should you drive?

In what church should you worship and serve? How should you serve there? How can you best use your gifts for God’s kingdom? What school should your kids attend?

There are a myriad of things for which we should regularly pray in order to know God’s will. Every decision should be made with an eye on what God wants and a pray for discernment to realize just what His will might be. This is a wise life...

Be Filled With the Spirit

Do not be drunk with wine but be filled with the Spirit — This is an interesting way to make a point! But take into account why people drink! They drink in order to find a sense of well-being, joy, happiness, make merriment.

Paul says you don’t really find those things in drink but rather in the Spirit. You can find real peace, joy, merriment and happiness in the infilling of the Spirit of God.

It is foolishness to believe you can find in liquor what is only meant to be found in the Holy Spirit.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to possess as much of the Spirit as one can contain. It is to be permeated by the presence and power of God; to be brought under His gracious control.

Baptism of the Spirit happens at conversion, is experienced by all believers and never repeated. 1 Corinthians 12:13

1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

Filling of the Holy Spirit — Is something we are to continually pursue. Intimacy with God and to be overwhelmed by the presence of His Spirit is real living…it is wisdom living.

A life filled with the Holy Spirit is marked by joy, gratitude and mutual submission

Submission — “Submitting yourselves one to another” (vs. 21) denotes that attitude of reciprocal deference that becomes and marks out those who are filled with the Spirit. It is opposed to rudeness, haughtiness, selfish preference for one’s own opinions, and stubborn insistence on one’s own rights. Paul expressed much the same thought in Romans 12:10, “in honour preferring one another.” It is an attitude that rests on the example of Him who “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:6, 7). — Vaughan, C. (2002). Ephesians (pp. 112–113). Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press.

We will see more specifically how this submission plays out in various relationships of our life in the upcoming verses. But…mutual submission is only truly possible on any consistent, genuine basis, for those filled with the Holy Spirit.