Walk in Wisdom – Ephesians 5:15-21
- July 18, 2021
- Pastor
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Ephesians 5:15-21
Let me invite you, once again, to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Ephesians 5:15-21. We’ve considered Paul’s admonitions to “walk in love” (v. 2) and to “walk in light” (v. 8), and today we’re going to consider “walking in wisdom.” Former pastor and Christian author, Andy Cook, tells the story of learning how to differentiate between intelligence and wisdom in an undergraduate survey of the New Testament class. Listen to what he writes.
The class was a favorite because there was no homework, no reading, and no tests before the final exam. And on the final, for 25 years, the same professor had always presented the same question: “Describe the Missionary Journeys of Paul.”
There was a young man by the name of “Meathead,” a star on the school’s football team, who took the course. And a tutor helped him prepare, all semester long, for the final exam. When the day came for the final exam, Meathead was ready. He knew everything there was to know about Paul’s various missionary trips. He knew about Philippi and Thessalonica. He knew about Rome and Tyre. He knew about Timothy and Barnabas and Luke. He was ready.
But when the final exam was passed out, students all over the auditorium were stunned to see a new question. For the first time in a quarter-century, the professor decided to ask a different question. Instead of the question about Paul’s missionary journeys, there was this question: “Critique the Sermon on the Mount that was preached by Jesus.”
The shock was felt across the room. A young man got up, took his exam booklet and threw it down on the professor’s desk. It was empty. He didn’t know how to answer the question. And one by one, all of the students left; none of them able to answer the question, except for Meathead.
Meathead opened his exam booklet and began to write. He wrote and he wrote and he wrote. The professor’s assistant came back an hour later, and Meathead was still writing. Two hours later, and Meathead was still going strong. For a full three hours, Meathead filled up his exam booklet.
That afternoon, the professor had two stacks of exams. On his right, a tall stack of empty booklets, all with the grade of F. On his left, one, lone exam booklet with a big, bold A+ right on top. It was Meathead’s.
“What in the world did you write about?” asked a classmate.
“Read it,” said Meathead.
And on the first page was the opening sentence. “Who am I to criticize Jesus and His ‘Sermon on the Mount?’ Instead, let me tell you about the missionary journeys of Paul.” (That, my friends, is the difference between intelligence and wisdom.)
When we think about biblical wisdom we often turn to those books of the Bible that are referred to as “Wisdom Literature” – books like Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. But Paul had a few things to say about wisdom too. Follow along with me as I read our text this morning.
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
“Father, as we turn to the Bible, we pray for the assistance of the Holy Spirit to illumine to us the printed page, to quicken my understanding as I speak, to enable us as we listen and bow under the truth of Your Word, that the voice of Jesus Christ may be heard today, and it’s in His name that we pray, amen.”
As we’ve noted, Paul began his letter to the Church in Ephesus by writing three chapters (ch. 1-3) of encouragement and reminding them of who they are in Christ. The entire first half of the letter is focused on our identity as the spiritual children of God – by grace, through faith in the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. And then, beginning with chapter 4, Paul transitions to our behavior as a result of our new identity in Christ. “I . . . urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1).
Over and over again, beginning in Ephesians 4 and continuing through to the end of the letter, we hear Paul say things like: “you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do…” (4:17), and “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, by putting on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:22-24, paraphrased).
In other words, Paul continues to highlight the fact that – for the Christian – there has been a transformation. We used to be outside of Christ, but thanks be to God through Jesus, we’re now in Christ. And the reality of that transformation should have an impact on the way we live our lives. So, the Christian life is not solely based on doctrine (and doctrine alone), as if correct doctrine is all that one needs in order to guarantee salvation – nor is it solely based on modified behaviors without a proper understanding of the One who’s called us out of darkness and into light. It’s both. It’s confessing our sin and casting ourselves on the mercy of God’s grace, and thus being born again into new life. And then, it’s living our day-to-day lives out of the reality of that new life by the indwelling power and direction of the Holy Spirit.
And this morning we come to the third way that Paul says we can participate in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and that’s by walking in wisdom. The first thing he says is…
The Wise Walk Is Diligent
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, Most of your Bibles use the word “careful” or “carefully.” If you’re reading the NKJV or the KJV, then the word is “circumspectly.” In the Greek it’s the word akribós. It means “careful, exact, precise or strict.” Every Christmas we read about Herod’s instruction to the Wise Men to “Go and search diligently for the Child…” (Matthew 2:8). That’s this word. Paul says that we need to examine our lives thoroughly. In essence, he says, “Open your eyes and look around.”
“Look” is the verb – that’s the thing we’re doing. And “carefully or diligently” is the adverb – that’s the modifier, that’s how it is we’re to look. And according to verse 15, we can do that in 1 of 2 ways: either foolishly or wisely. And Paul’s instruction is that we choose the wise way over the foolish way. The Psalmist writes, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Proverbs 15:21 says, “Foolishness is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.” That’s the idea that Paul wants us to see. Be careful instead of being careless. Be thoughtful instead of being thoughtless. Be attentive instead of being arrogant.
There’s another image from the Bible that comes to mind. It’s found in Psalm 1, and it begins this way, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” Or perhaps you’re thinking about the parable that Jesus told in the Sermon on the Mount concerning the foolish builder and the wise builder. One built on the sand and the other on the rock. And just as obvious as it is to any onlooker that the house built on the sand won’t survive, Paul is telling us to survey our own daily lives and make sure that we don’t look equally foolish. The wise walk is diligent. Second…
The Wise Walk Is Disciplined
Notice what Paul says in verse 16, “…making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” The older I get, the more important verse 16 becomes to me. And this isn’t the only time that Paul talks about making good use of time. Listen to this from Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.” What does this mean? Well, there are two Greek words that are translated as “time.” The first is the word chronos, from which we get our English words “chronological” or “chronograph.” It’s the measurement of minutes, hours, and days. The other word is kairos, which is the word Paul uses here. Kairos refers to a set period of time. Those that are involved in our Kairos Prison Ministry often hear people refer to it as “God’s special time.”
Paul doesn’t say “make the best use of time;” he says “make the best use of the time” – a specific period of time. The time that Paul is referring to here is our individual lifetimes. Psalm 90:10 says, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” I don’t want to risk losing any of those years due to foolish choices and foolish living. It’s the reason that we long to influence our children and grandchildren, because we see just how quickly our lives are over.
Time and time again, the Bible speaks about the relative brevity of our lives: as fleeting as the life of grass/flowers (Psalm 103), like a vapor (James 4), or like a shadow (1 Chronicles 29). Job says, “Our lives are as brief and quick as a weaver’s shuttle” (Job 7:6). The purpose of these passages is so that we’ll understand what a privilege we have to be alive, but also that we might really get on with spending our energy and investments and talents in things that have eternal and weighty significance. Why? Because the days are evil. If we aren’t careful and wise with the individual chronos that make up our kairos, then we’re very likely to end up engaging in evil things.
It’s often been said, and rightly so, that you never hear someone who’s getting closer to their own death say, “I wish I had spent just a few more hours at the office.” That’s the fool realizing the error of his/her ways and wishing they’d spent more time with their family and friends – investing in other people, serving other people, encouraging other people. The wise walk is disciplined. Third…
The Wise Walk Is Directed
It’s not random. It’s not by chance. It’s not blind. It’s a directed walk. We know which way to walk by “understand[ing] what the will of the Lord is” (v. 17) Of course, the natural follow-up question is: “How do I know what the will of the Lord is?” That’s why we have the Bible.
God isn’t sitting in heaven saying to His angels, “I have a will for each of my children down on earth, but I’m going to hide it from them. I’m going to make them guess what it is.” That’s not the God we know. Now, granted, we’re not going to get a special delivery letter or e-mail or text message or sign in the sky telling us exactly, play-by-play, word-for-word what God’s will is, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely hidden. The will of God is found in the Word of God. From there, through prayer and counsel and other means, God fills in the details.
The first step is always delighting yourself in the Lord; in response “He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Our delight in the Lord is an invitation for Him to reveal His will to us, whatever that may be. Can I step on your toes for just a second? Well, I’m going to whether you want me to or not. I think a lot of people (including me) are trying to find our God’s will so that they can decide if they want to do it or not – that’s not how it works. If you’re wanting to know the will of God, then let me just offer a few directly from the Bible. There are others, for sure, but these are about as clear as they come.
“For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Peter 2:15).
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)
And those verses don’t even take into consideration the command of Jesus in Matthew 28 and Mark 16, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Surely, that’s part of God’s will for you and me. The wise walk is directed. Fourth, and finally…
The Wise Walk Is Dynamic
You and I cannot live our Christian lives, we cannot “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we’ve been called” (Ephesians 4:1), without the strengthening and the empowering and the controlling of the Holy Spirit. Simply put: we can’t do this in our own strength. We can’t walk in love and walk in light and walk in wisdom without the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That’s why Paul says, “…but be filled with the Spirit” (v. 18).
I did not grow up in a faith tradition that adhered to a catechism as its method of Christian education and theological development. In fact, for those of you that grew up like me, even uttering the word catechism makes you feel uncomfortable because it conjures up images of a rigid religious experience. Others of you are noticing that your palms are sweaty and your throat is dry because you remember the anxiety you had memorizing and reciting all of those various questions and answers. Well, regardless of which camp you find yourself in, this is one of those areas where a catechism is a bit helpful. About ¾’s of the way into the Westminster Larger Catechism, in dealing with the nature of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer the following answer is provided: while the Holy Spirit is given to all Christians, His working is not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure.
We know that all believers receive the Holy Spirit, because without the Holy Spirit it’s impossible to believe (Romans 8:1ff). And even here in Ephesians 1:13-14 we read, “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…” So, all genuine believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. No question about that. The issue is the fullness of the Spirit of God, the moving of the Spirit of God, or the stirring of the Spirit of God (if you will) in the life of the believer. It’s not a matter of being indwelt by the Spirit, but the degree to which we allow the Spirit access and control and movement in our lives.
Listen, the same group of people that initially received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:4, are the same people that received Him again in Acts 4:31. In both cases the Bible says “they were filled with the Holy Spirit.” Did the Holy Spirit leave them somewhere between Acts 2 and Acts 4? No. The measure and the extent to which they experienced the moving of the Spirit in their lives varied, even within a few weeks.
Indeed, when you think about the appointment of what would become the first deacons (in Acts 6) this is what we read:
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:2-4)
Now, let me ask you a question. Why would the apostles instruct the other disciples to look for a characteristic that everyone possessed? You see, what made these men so striking was that they stood out from the others – not because the others didn’t have the Holy Spirit, and not because these fellows were inherently and morally better than the others, but because these men lived in the fullness of the Spirit.
Let me offer this comment from a theologian from the mid-1800’s well before there was a Charismatic Movement and well before the creation of the Pentecostal Church and the Church of God. George Smeaton wrote this in his book Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, “No more mischievous and misleading theory could be propounded not any more dishonoring to the Holy Spirit, than the principle that because the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost the Church has no need and no warrant to pray for infusions of the Spirit of God. On the contrary, the more the Church asks the Spirit and waits for His communications the more She receives.”
Folks, I know that what I just described for you is something that most of us haven’t experienced. But the question is this. Are we going to be content merely to read church history and the powerful movement of God’s Spirit upon Her, or are we going to pray to the end that God might make church history through the movement of His Spirit in this place? Are we only supposed to read of the infusion of the Spirit of God in dusty books that take us back to a previous century? No, says Paul, “…do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 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, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
The wise walk is diligent – examining itself regularly.
The wise walk is disciplined – seizing every possible opportunity.
The wise walk is directed – doing the will of God.
The wise walk is dynamic – being filled with the Spirit.
“Spirit of God, descend upon our hearts; wean them from earth, thro’ all their pulses move; stoop to our weakness, mighty as Thou art, and make us love Thee as we ought to love. Breathe on us, Breath of God, fill us with life anew, that we may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do. For Jesus’ sake, amen.”