Eph5v15to20: LIVE WISELYIntroduction. (Read the reference) Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise. v15. Many people are careless how they live - in their motor cars, in their diet, in their addictions, in dangerous environments and in their relationships. We need to be careful and that means being wise. Paul gives us four ways to be wise: (1) By knowing God's will. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. v17. It is important for any employee to read, digest and act in conformity with his or her job description. You will be in trouble if you don't. The Bible gives us very clear and detailed guidance on: (a) Relationships. The Christian's key relationship is with Jesus. When his supporters asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered: "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Jn6v28and29. The only way to please God, our Maker, is to submit to, trust, obey and serve the Son. This should be our first priority. Of this Jesus left us in no doubt; he said, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." Lk14v26. Jesus must come first. The New Testament also deals with our relationship with our neighbour and our fellow Christians. In the following verses of Ephesians Paul will give guidance on the relationship between husband and wife, parents and children and employer and employee. The apostle's first letter to the Corinthians also contains much valuable advice on marriage. See exposition on 1Cor7v1to16. (b) Attitudes Once again there is exhaustive advice in the gospels about our attitudes. If we just take the Sermon on the Mount then we are taught to:
(c) Conduct There is much detailed information in the New Testament to inform our conduct. But there is one golden rule: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Mt7v12. If we follow this rule we shall exercise self-control, be kind, help others to succeed, forgive, tell the truth and be faithful. (D) Decisions. I would give the following guidance about making decisions. Before any important decision that will affect the life of the church to which you belong:
This verse teaches us three things: (a) Don't waste time. The expression, 'the days are evil,' may indicate that there are influences at work that would rob of us of the time we should be devoting to God. We may have so much to do that we cannot find time for Christian service. We may even be so busy on serving Jesus in our own way that, like Martha, we neglect the better part. In retirement we may so fill our time with what we like doing - travel, hobbies - even TV and thrillers - that there is no time left for regular Christian work, prayer and meditation. Some of us would do well to simplify our lives! I had a card this Christmas from a charming Japanese lady. Pauline said that she had moved to a smaller flat, dispensed with many possessions and found it a great relief to live a simpler life. (b) Use every opportunity. Paul certainly practiced what he preached. He seized the moment: searching out a group of women at prayer in Philippi, singing with Silas in prison, chatting about Jesus among the tentmakers as he worked with leather, witnessing boldly at his trials, impressing the centurion who escorted him to Rome and making sure the soldiers to whom he was chained under house arrest heard the gospel. Not everyone has Paul's opportunities but many individuals in the New Testament did what they could. Ananias welcomed Paul into the Christian faith, Lydia provided hospitality for Paul and Silas, the brethren at Puteoli entertained Paul and his companions for a week after they landed in Italy and a delegation of believers met Paul on the Appian way at the Three Taverns to provide him much encouragement. Witnessing, welcoming, entertaining and encouraging are all fine ways to serve Jesus. One morning I was sitting with my friend Tommy in Waterstones in Cambridge enjoying a cup of coffee. For some reason we were discussing the role of women in marriage. I was defending Paul's views in the face of some opposition from Tommy. Suddenly a beautiful and extremely charming black woman broke in. She said to Tommy - pointing at me, "I agree with HIM." She then said, "I've been sitting here waiting for someone to talk too about Jesus." The woman proceeded to give her testimony. I have to say she did so with such grace not even Tommy could take offence. Indeed, he said to me afterwards, "Wasn't she a lovely woman." It was a luminous experience! Here was a new convert looking for opportunities to witness. I am neither as bold nor as winsome as that black woman but I have tried to use the opportunities God has given me to tell others about Jesus - in school assemblies, at funerals and in Sunday school. Yesterday I went with Carolyn to visit Ivy in a care home for dementia sufferers in Cambridge. It is a disturbing environment! Fortunately Ivy is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Our visit was brightened by one of the staff - a most attractive and delightfully merry-hearted Indian girl. She told us that Ivy reads her Bible both in the morning when she gets up and in the evening before going to bed. So in this small way Ivy is still able to witness. (c) Make the most of your opportunities. We haven't got unlimited time. Time is short. See 1Cor7v29 and John9v4. We need to remember that Christians will be judged on how well they use the opportunities given to them by God. See Mt25v14to30. The quality of our work will also be judged. See exposition on Christian builders. I had a letter this Christmas from a well known Suffolk evangelist now in his 76th year. He wrote: I continue to keep busy with opportunities to speak at conventions, churches, prisons and public houses to men's groups. I am also involved in advising church leaders, arbitrating in church disputes, training young preachers as well as supporting people who have lost loved ones, something I could not have done before losing my dear wife. Some day I will have to slow down but I continue to love to do as much a I can, as well as I can, for as long as I can - all for God's glory and praise. One day I will be put out to grass I'm sure. That is exactly the attitude Paul does his best to encourage. (3) Be happy in Christ. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, .... . v19. The little phrase, be filled with the Spirit, poses problems for me. Francis Foulkes writes in his commentary: Christians are to keep their lives open to be filled constantly and repeatedly by the divine Spirit. So N.E.B., 'Let the Holy Spirit fill you.' I do not find such advice very helpful! Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to all his disciples to be their helper. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever - the Spirit of truth. See also exposition on John16v5to16. I have experienced the Spirit's help in Christian service on many occasions without being filled with the Spirit. The expression, 'to be filled with the Spirit,' suggests an overwhelming experience of the Holy Spirit such as is described in the New Testament several times. For example: At Pentecost (See Acts2v1to13), among the household of Cornelius (See Acts10v45and46) and in Ephesus (See Acts19v6and7). Such experiences have occurred since, notwithstanding what commentators like Warren Wiersbe write to the contrary. I deal with this issue at some length in my exposition on the Ephesus Twelve. However, these overwhelming experiences of Pentecostal blessing that can produce symptoms akin to drunkenness are in the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said when talking to Nicodemus about the Spirit, "The wind blows wherever it pleases." Jn3v8. The Holy Spirit cannot be controlled, coerced or drummed up! For this reason I prefer the R.V. rendering of the phrase: be filled in spirit. This is very similar to an expression we all use today, 'Get in the spirit.' I believe this fits the context. To get in the party spirit people will have a few drinks in order to shed their inhibitions. Then they will join in the dancing, singing, conversation or games becoming infected with the jollity, bonhomie and gaiety of the crowd. I don't think this is such a bad thing although it is wrong to drink to excess and engage in drunken revelry. (Debauchery!) It is necessary to get into the right spirit to enjoy yourself but it is not obligatory to consume alcohol to do so. I am no dancer and so when I attended the barn dance Pat and Roger organised to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary the temptation was to sit on the side lines and watch. But, pretty much against type, I got myself in the right frame of mind and joined in. My dancing was atrocious but I enjoyed myself - probably at the expense of ladies I kept bumping into and slapping in unseemly places - accidently! It seems to me, Paul is describing in this passage one of the best ways of getting into the spirit of worship, namely, to: Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. Singing prepares us for worship. The great Billy Graham crusades depended upon congregational singing, choral items and solos to prepare folk for the gospel message. Singing is also a way of celebrating the truths the preacher proclaims. Often a service will close, at which the preacher has uplifted his hearers, with wonderful, heartfelt singing. Singing cheers the heart when we are down. Years ago my father would hear our neighbour, John Clarkson, whistling hymn tunes, and say, "John is happy this morning." I later found out he only whistled after his wife had given him a rough time. He whistled to cheer himself up. I recall visiting a care home and listening to an old man in his room singing over and over again, "What a friend we have in Jesus." But perhaps the most poignant example is given by Edmund Goss in his autobiographical book, 'Father and Son.' When his mother lay dying she sang repeatedly the second verse of A.Toplady's hymn, 'A sovereign Protector I have':
Thee, Thee for my God I avow; My glad Ebeneezer set up And own Thou hast helped me till now. I muse on the years that are past Wherein my defence Thou hast proved; Nor wilt thou relinquish at last A sinner so signally loved. If we get in the spirit for worship and thanksgiving by singing the old psalms, modern hymns or listening to singing items then it is highly likely the Holy Spirit will join with our spirits to produce assurance, happiness and even joy. Some months ago I was conducting the funeral of one of our members. For reasons I will not go into I was feeling rather low. Then my old friend Peter Chaffey got up to sing. He used to be a wonderful solo singer but now that he is 82 his voice is not what it was. But on this occasion - at the funeral of his Christian brother - the Holy Spirit did something for his voice. He sang again as if he was back in his youth. And Peter's song ministered to my need and put me in the spirit to deliver the message. Then the Holy Spirit came and lifted me further so that I was able to speak to the glory of Jesus. (4) Be thankful to God. Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. v20. This is linked to the preceding comments about singing and getting into the right spirit for worship. Thanksgiving should be part of our worship. There are three things to note: (a) Always give thanks. We should give God thanks regularly and often. This is excellent advice for any relationship. A husband shouldn't take his wife's cooking for granted. Some Christian men do. I know because I quite often entertain visiting speakers. Some obviously enjoy the meal I prepare for them but don't bother to say so. A wife shouldn't take for granted all the little jobs around the house her husband does. Congratulate him on a job well done! Scarcely a Sunday goes past without Mr Denis Frewer shaking my hand and saying, "Thanks for everything" - and I am only the church secretary. I wonder how often members of a church thank the treasurer and secretary for the unpaid work they do? EVERY time we pray we should thank God for all his goodness to us. (b) Be thankful for everything. This doesn't mean we thank God for Parkinson's disease, cancer or Alzheimer's disease. I never thanked God for the Parkinson's disease that ravaged my father. I hated the disease with all my heart. But I did thank God that my father was able to bear it and I also thanked him for some of the good things that came out of it - like the love and support of the church family. We should thank God for his innumerable blessings. My old friend Mr Henry Underwood who suffered badly from osteoporosis would invariably say when his wife was detailing his problems, "I've a lot to be thankful for." So he had - not least a loving wife! When I thank God I look back to: my Christian upbringing, my good education, God's hand upon me at university, protection during my long teaching career, the happy years playing hockey and cricket, blessings received serving at Pioneer Camp. I thank my Father in heaven for present mercies: health and strength, food and clothing, a warm and comfortable home, a good pension, the joys of nature - the birds and wild flowers that provide such pleasure, Christian fellowship, God's grace and Christ's saving work, the Holy Spirit, the time to study and to write. I thank Jesus for future blessings: the inheritance laid up for me, the resurrection to eternal life, the effect a sight of him will have - freed from sin, and every inclination to sin, to be like him forever. (c) Be thankful for Jesus. It will help us to be thankful for Jesus if we remember some of his names:
But, there is a name above every name (Phil2v9) - it is the sweetest name on earth:
The name I love to hear No saint on earth its worth can tell, No heart conceive how dear.
It tells me of a Saviour's love,
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