Ephesians 5:15-17 - Live Faithfully and Wise.
Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT) So be careful how
you live. Dont live like fools, but like
those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every
opportunity in these evil days. 17 Dont act
thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to
do.
COMMENTARY PEARL
There never was a dull day for the
first-century followers of Jesus. In fact, it seems that
wherever Paul went, there was either a conversion or
a riot.
The early church didnt have modern
technology at their disposal. Yet in a relatively short
time, these believers changed their world. They
permeated their culture.
Tertullian, a Christian leader and a
contemporary of these early followers of Christ, said of
the church, We are but of yesterday, and we
have filled every place among you"cities,
islands, fortresses, towns, marketplaces, the very
camp, tribes, companies, palace, senate,
forum"we have left nothing to you but the temples of
your gods.
He was pointing to the fact that the
church had infiltrated everything. There were even
Christians in the palace of Caesar. This is what we
need today. We need Christians to go out and make
a difference. We need Christians involved in
the arts, making great films and creating
graphic design. We need Christians in places of
authority, because the Bible says that when the
righteous rule, the people rejoice (see Proverbs
29:2).
We need Christian doctors, lawyers, and
businesspeople. We need believers to let their light shine
in this culture today.
Religious leaders in Thessalonica had
this to say about Paul and Silas: These who
have turned the world upside down have come here
too (Acts 17:6 NKJV).
G. Campbell Morgan said, Organized
Christianity which fails to make a disturbance is
dead.
Believers in the first century made a
disturbance because they understood that God had called
them to do their part. They took risks. They left
their comfort zones. In the Book of Acts, we see
their fearless preaching, their expectant prayer,
and their willingness to obey God.
Twenty-first-century believers should be
living like these first-century believers,
impacting our culture. We should be making a
difference. We should be turning our world upside down.
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
COMMENTARY
Our time belongs to God. Every moment is
His, and we are under the most solemn obligation
to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has
given will He require a more strict account than
of our time.
The value of time is beyond computation.
Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is
thus that we should regard it. Life is too short
to be trifled away. We have but a few days of
probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no
time to waste, no time to devote to selfish
pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now
that we are to form characters for the future,
immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for
the searching judgment.
The human family have scarcely begun to
live when they begin to die. The man who
appreciates time as his working day will fit himself for
a mansion and for a life that is immortal. It
is well that he was born. We are admonished to
redeem the time. But time squandered can never be
recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The
only way in which we can redeem our time is by
making the most of that which remains, by being
co-workers with God in His great plan of
redemption.
Every moment is freighted with eternal
consequences. We are to stand as minute men, ready for
service at a moments notice. The opportunity that
is now ours to speak to some needy soul the
word of life may never offer again. God may say
to that one, This night thy soul shall be
required of thee, and through our neglect he may
not be ready. (Luke 12:20.) In the great
judgment day, how shall we render our account to God?
FLB158, COL342-343
CLOSING THOUGHT
Redeeming the Time
These days we are bombarded with
opportunities that entice us to invest our time and
energy. Each day the voices of urgency cry out for
every available moment. So many causes promise
that time spent on them will reap great rewards;
how can we recognize Gods voice among so many
competing voices?
A fool makes unwise choices with his
time. With every new opportunity that comes along,
the fool chases off in a different direction,
not questioning whether that is the best choice.
The loudest voice gains his attention. At some
point the fool discovers to his dismay that he has
squandered the investment of his time.
The days in which you live are evil.
Marriages are under tremendous pressure, families are
disintegrating. Multitudes are dying each year without
hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Investing your
life wisely is critical to you and to those
around you. Foolishly spending your time in sinful
or wasteful pursuits can cost you and others
dearly.
Often, it is not evil pursuits that rob
your time. Rather, the temptation is to sacrifice
what is best for what is good. The enemy knows
that blatantly tempting you with evil will be
obvious, so he will lure you with distractions,
leaving you no time to carry out Gods will. He
will tempt you to so fill your schedule with good
things that you have no time for Gods best. You
may inadvertently substitute religious activity
for Gods will, pursuing your own goals for
Gods kingdom instead of waiting for His
assignment. Time is a precious commodity. Be sure to
invest it wisely. [Experiencing God Day by Day by
Henry and Richard Blackaby]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
Ephesians 5:15-17 - Be Careful How You Live.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211123-0943.html
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210226-1001.html
Psalm 90:12 - Time a Precious Gift.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210828-1045.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
