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Ephesians 5:15 Therefore
be careful
*
how
you
walk,
not as
unwise
men
but as
wise,
(NASB:
Lockman) |
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Greek:
Blepete
oun
akribos
pos
peripateite,
me
os
asophoi
all'
os
sophoi,
Amplified: Look
carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and
accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible,
intelligent people) (Amplified
Bible - Lockman)
KJV: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools,
but as wise,
NLT: So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who
are wise. (NLT
- Tyndale House)
Phillips: Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility,
not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as
those who do. (Phillips:
Touchstone)
Wuest: Be constantly taking heed therefore how accurately
you are conducting yourselves, not as unwise ones but as wise ones (Erdmans)
Young's Literal: See, then, how exactly ye walk, not as unwise,
but as wise |
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THEREFORE
BE CAREFUL
HOW YOU WALK: blepete (2PPAM) oun akribos pos peripateite, (2PPAI): (Eph
5:33;
Matthew 8:4;
27:4,24;
1 Thessalonians 5:15;
Hebrews 12:25;
1 Peter 1:22;
Revelation 19:10)
(Exodus
23:13;
Matthew 10:16;
1 Corinthians 14:20;
Philippians 1:27;
Colossians 1:9;
4:5)
Therefore -
This term of conclusion draws us back to the immediate context, in which
Paul has just given the command to be continually awake. But it
undoubtedly also goes back to the beginning of this practical section
where Paul implored his readers to "walk in a
manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." (see
note
Ephesians 4:1)
adding that they were to "walk no longer just as the Gentiles also
walk" (see note
Ephesians 4:17).
In chapter 5 Paul continued to emphasize the importance of the
believer's walk giving the command to continually "Walk
in love" (see note
Ephesians 5:2)
like Christ and to continually "Walk
as children of Light"
since they are now light in the Lord (see
note
Ephesians 5:8).
And so here in verse 15, Paul picks up the theme of a worthy walk, emphasizing that it
is to be a careful walk, a circumspect walk (redeeming time) and a
controlled
walk (filled with the Spirit).
Be careful how
you walk - carries the idea of looking around carefully so as
not to stumble, which Paul explains equates with walking intelligently
and not in ignorance.
Circumspectly
(KJV)
(199)
(akribos)
means characterized by exactness, thoroughness, precision, accuracy in
addition to the associated idea of looking, examining, and investigating
something with great care and alertness. Akribos
pertains to strict conformity to a norm or standard, involving both
detail and completeness, with focus on careful attention. In context
akribos refers to ethical behavior with a
focus on careful attention especially regarding the dangers and
deceptions that continually assault us from our mortal enemies, the
world, the flesh and the devil.
See to it that you walk circumspectly
(akribos - accurately, diligently, carefully). Walk warily, exactly or
diligently. Our English word circumspect is from the Latin
circum- = around + specere = look and conveys the literal
picture of looking around or figuratively being cautious. One who is
walking circumspectly is one who is surveying all circumstances and
possible consequences before acting or deciding. A great word picture!
The idea of
akribos is that our walk is in strict conformity to a standard, and
as such calls for carefulness against any departure from what is proper
to a believer's walk. How does one accomplish this charge to be careful
how we walk? By not walking unwisely, but wisely, as those who are
continually redeeming for themselves the precious time God gives,
by understanding His good and acceptable and perfect will and by not
being filled with wine but being filled with His Spirit.
Note that the NAS
translates the adverb akribos (199)
somewhat vaguely. Here are other translations that translate akribos
more literally...
Be constantly taking heed therefore
how accurately (akribos) you are conducting yourselves... (Wuest)
See, then, how exactly
(akribos) ye walk
(Young's Literal)
See then that ye walk
circumspectly (akribos)... (KJV)
See to it that you walk carefully,
with circumspection and not carelessly
There are 5 uses
of akribos in the NT...
Matthew 2:8 And he (Herod in
seeking to kill the newborn Jesus) sent them (magi) to Bethlehem, and
said, "Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you
have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and
worship Him." (Comment:
God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod, Mt 2:12)
Luke 1:3 it seemed fitting for
me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the
beginning, to write it
out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus;
Acts 18:25 This man had
been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in
spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things
concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;
Ephesians 5:15 Therefore
be careful (see
discussion above) how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, (YLT:
See, then, how exactly ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise)
1Thessalonians 5:2
(note) For you
yourselves know full well
that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the
night.
Therefore (3767)
(oun) introduces a logical result or inference from what precedes
(so, consequently, thereupon, then)
Be careful
(991)
(blepo)
means to look at, behold, discern
mentally, observe, perceive, consider, contemplate, look to in the
sense of taking care, take heed. It
means perceive with your eyes. Have
your eye on so as to beware of.
Blepo generally denotes simply a voluntary observation or taking
notice of something or someone.
The
present imperative
is commands one to continually
pay especially close attention to
how they walk. “Be constantly taking heed how accurately you are
conducting yourselves.” We need to remember that our heart is more
deceitful than all else and that the enemy of our soul constantly prowls
around and his desire is for our soul.
Jesus used blepo in a similar
sense of contemplating in order to beware...
And Jesus answered and said to them,
"See to it
(blepo =
present imperative)
that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am
the Christ,' and will
mislead many. (Mt 24:4-5) (Comment: He is speaking of the times
especially preceding His return.)
And He was giving orders to them,
saying, "Watch out!
Beware
(blepo =
present imperative)
of the leaven of the
Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." (Mark 8:15)
And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware
(blepo =
present imperative)
of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like
respectful greetings in the market
places... (Mark 12:38)
Paul used blepo with a similar
meaning in Colossians writing...
See to it
(blepo =
present imperative)
that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the
tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world,
rather than according to Christ. (See note
Colossians 2:8)
The apostle John uses blepo to
warn the believers to...
Watch
(blepo =
present imperative)
yourselves, that you might not lose
what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.
(2John 1:8) (Comment: All believers will receive praise at the judgment
or
bema
seat of Christ according to 1Cor 4:5,
but some believers shall suffer loss of their rewards as described in
1Cor 3:11-15)
In Hebrews the writer warns...
Take care
(blepo =
present imperative),
brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving
heart, in falling away from the living God. (see note
Hebrews 3:12)
Wuest adds that you are to...
see to it that your conduct
is accurate with respect to the demands of the Word of God. It is like a
motorist accurately following on
the right side of the center line dividing traffic.
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
Walk (4043)
(peripateo
from peri = about,
around + pateo = walk, tread) (Click
word study on
peripateo)
means literally to walk about here and there or to tread all around.
Peripateo then came to mean, to make one’s way, to make progress, to
make due use of one’s opportunities and finally (as used by Paul in
Ephesians), to live, to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self.
Most of the NT uses refer to the daily conduct of one's life or how one
orders their behavior or passes their life.
To walk
circumspectly is to walk in the light of our exalted position and
privilege as beloved children of God. To walk in an unwise manner means
to descend from the high plane and privilege to the profane practices of
the fallen world. To walk wisely is to redeem each day, "buying up"
every precious moment God gives.
The Amplified
Version conveys the thrust of Paul's command rendering it...
Look carefully then how you walk!
Live purposefully and worthily and accurately... (Ed note: Good advice.
God's formula for real success!)
Wayne Barber writes that...
Ephesians 5:15 tells us we are to be
very careful as we walk. When we put on this new garment and walk out
into a world penetrated by darkness, this garment, Christ in us, has the
power to first of all refuse the deeds of darkness, secondly
reprove the deeds of darkness, and thirdly remove the deeds
of darkness. Light puts out darkness. Folks, when you put on the
garment, when you are living what you have in Jesus Christ, it is a
powerful weapon against the darkness that is residing in this world.
NOT AS UNWISE MEN BUT AS WISE:
me os asophoi all' os sophoi,:
(2 Samuel
24:10;
Job 2:10;
Psalms 73:22;
Proverbs 14:8;
Matthew 25:2;
Luke 24:25;
Galatians 3:1,3;
1 Timothy 6:9;
James 3:13)
Now Paul explains
what he means by walking carefully...first the negative, then the
positive.
(Not) Unwise
(781)
(asophos from a = without + sophos = wise) means
foolish, not walking as God expects and enables believers to walk. To
walk circumspectly is to live in the light of our position as
God’s children. To walk as fools means to descend from this high
plane to the conduct of worldly men.
The NKJV has a
good rendering...
See then that you walk
circumspectly, not as fools but as wise
To walk
circumspectly and thus wisely is to live in the light of our position as God’s
children. To walk as fools means to descend from this high plane
to the conduct of worldly men.
To walk any way
except in the path of holiness, the ancient paths, turning neither to
the left or the right, is to walk as a fool!
Wise
(4680)
(sophos) is the practical application of acquired knowledge. The
walk of wisdom calls us to redeem the time, "buying up" every
(spiritual) opportunity presented to us by God. Wisdom is revealed in
godly living.
><> ><> ><>
Check Your Work
Ephesians 5:15
February 27, 2001
I'm getting pretty good at math. That's because every day my son
Steve and I have a little math session. He does his 30 junior high math
problems, and I help him check them over. Sometimes we even get them all
right.
As I go over Steve's math, I notice that he understands how to do his
problems. In fact, in some areas he's better at it than I am. But
occasionally, despite knowing how to do the problem, he gets the wrong
answer. He either gets a little sloppy in using the right formula or he
just doesn't check his answers carefully.
Aren't we all a little like that in our Christian life? We know what we
should do. We have a good understanding of how to live the Christian
life, but we get careless or lazy. We know better, but we fail.
For instance, we know we aren't supposed to gossip. But before we know
it, we're roasting a fellow Christian. Or this: We know God wants us to
keep our mind and heart pure, but we let down our guard and watch a TV
program or movie we know is not edifying.
It's true, isn't it? We all get a little sloppy in how we live for God.
Let's be more careful and pay closer attention to our Christian walk
(Ephesians 5:15). Let's make sure we're doing quality work for our
heavenly Father. —JDB (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Lord, help me to
apply Your Word
And move it from my head
To actions that won't shame your Name
But honor You instead. —Sper
Give your all for Jesus, He gave His all for you. |
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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME:
exagorazomenoi (PMPMPN) ton kairon:
(Romans 13:11;
Galatians 6:10;
Colossians 4:5)
Redeeming
the time (KJV)
Solomon gives an excellent
parallel thought from the Old Testament...
Whatever your hand finds to do,
verily, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or
planning or knowledge or
wisdom in Sheol where you are going. (Ecclesiastes
9:10)
Making the most (1805)
(exagorazo
from ek = out or from --
If something is in something else, then ek describes separating
it in respect to place, time, source or origin + agorázo = buy,
acquire possessions or services in exchange for money with the result
that whatever has been bought is the buyer's by right of possession <>
from agora = market place where things were exposed for sale, a
forum, a place in which the people assemble and where public trials were
held) means literally to buy out of (ek = out of) the market
place. It means to
completely redeem.
Click
for word study on
exagorazo.
Believers are to take advantage of every spiritual opportunity
because we know that the night is coming when no one can work. There is
an open window in time for the gospel. We must seize the moment!
Pastor Ray Pritchard writes
that exagorazo...
is a word from the market place.
You go down to your supermarket and look for bargains because
you know they will not last long; they are passing, changing. Therefore,
make the most of them and buy them up. This is exactly the word he
employs here. Buy up the opportunities which are created constantly by
the evil days. (Ephesians 5:15-20:
Watch How You Walk)
Warren Wiersbe laments...
How foolish to stumble
along through life and never seek to know the will of the Lord! Instead
of walking “accurately” (which is equivalent to “circumspectly”), they
miss the mark, miss the road, and end up suffering on some detour. God
wants us to be wise and understand His will for our lives. As we obey
His will, we “buy up the opportunities” (redeem the time, v. 16) and do
not waste time, energy, money, and talent in that which is apart from
His will. Lost opportunities may never be regained; they are gone
forever. (Wiersbe,
W. W. Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Wheaton, Ill.:
Victor Books)
In Ephesians 5:15
and the parallel passage in Colossians
4:5
Paul uses the
middle voice which conveys a
"reflexive" sense to
exagorazo
- the idea then is of buying up for
oneself, of buying up every opportunity (kairos), turning each
opportunity to the best advantage for oneself.
Conduct (present
imperative) yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders,
making the most (exagorazo
=
present tense
= continually) of the opportunity. (See note
Colossians 4:5) (Comment:
Wuest translates it
"buying up for
yourselves the strategic,
opportune time." The idea is to be habitually, continually ''buying
up'' all that is anywhere to be bought and not allowing the moment to
pass by unheeded or unused but to make it one’s own.)
Thayer adds that exagorazo
as used in (Eph
5:16) and (Col
4:5) means to
"Buy up, buy up or out of for
one's self and so to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for
doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase
money by which we make the time our own."
The venerable
Pastor Harry Ironside wisely reminds us that
"Time is given us to
use
in view of eternity."
MacArthur writes that
exagorazo
"has the basic meaning of buying,
especially of buying back or buying out. It was used of buying a slave
in order to set him free; thus the idea of redemption is implied in this
verse. We are to redeem, buy up, all the time that we have and devote it
to the Lord. The Greek is in the middle voice, indicating that we are to
buy the time up for ourselves—for our own use but in the Lord’s
service." (MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Hodge adds that Ephesians 5:15 can
be translated
"availing yourselves of the
occasion,” i.e. improving every opportunity for good." (Hodge, C.
Commentary on Ephesians)
The UBS Handbook Series
adds that
"The readers are being told to
seize and use every opportunity to carry on their Christian witness,
because these are evil days, In some languages it is necessary to
specify what is involved in every opportunity. Accordingly, it may be
necessary to translate make good use of every opportunity you have as
“every time you can do something good you should” or “you should use
every chance to do good”. ( Bratcher,
R. G., & Nida, E. A. A Handbook on Paul's letter to the Ephesians. UBS
handbook series. New York: United Bible Societies)
The idea then is turning each
season (kairos) to the best advantage since none can be recalled if
missed.
“Every time you can do something
good you should”.
As someone else
has said
"Beware of wasting the present.
Instead of killing time, redeem your spare moments today. Wasting the
gift of time insults the Giver of time."
Redeem the time!
God only knows
How soon our little life may close,
With all its pleasures and its woes,
Redeem the time!
— Anonymous
The idea is not to
make best use of time as such (although that is certainly advisable),
which is what we should do in the sense of not wasting it, but of taking
advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.
Expositor's Greek Testament sums up the
essence of Paul's charge in this section writing that...
"The sense comes to be this --
the character of wisdom by which their walk was to be distinguished was
to show itself in the prompt and discerning zeal with which they made
every opportunity their own, and suffered no fitting season for the
fulfilment of Christian duty to pass unused." (Nicoll, W Robertson, Editor:
Expositors Greek Testament: 5 Volumes. Out of print. Search Google)
An ancient Greek statue depicted a man with wings on
his feet, a large lock of hair on the front of his head, and no hair at
all on the back. Beneath was the inscription:
“Who made thee? Lysippus made
me.
What is thy name? My name is
Opportunity.
Why hast thou wings on thy feet?
That I may fly away swiftly.
Why hast thou a great forelock?
That men may seize me when I come.
Why art thou bald in back? That
when I am gone by, none can lay hold of me.”
Buying Time -- Consider this: “If we had to
buy time, would there be any difference in how we would spend it? Would
the days of our lives be used more wisely?” That’s what time management
consultant Antonio Herrera asked the participants in a seminar he
conducted on the subject. Then Dr. Herrera became more specific. He
asked, “What if you had to pay in advance $100 an hour for the time
allotted to you? Would you waste it?” The answer should be obvious. Of
course, we can’t put a price tag on the minutes and hours we possess.
They are given to us freely. But that doesn’t excuse us from using them
conscientiously, carefully, and wisely. The giver of time is God
Himself, and that places a far greater value upon it than any monetary
figure could suggest. We must therefore use our time intelligently,
taking advantage of opportunities it provides for us to serve the Lord
and to do His will.
TIME: Three most difficult things to do are:
keep a secret, forget injury, and make good use of your leisure time
(it's really not yours anyway but His...He's just "loaning" it to you.)
God set a goal, yet
gave the choice
To mortals how time may be spent,
Admonishing that worth, not length,
Values time's accomplishment.
— Mortenson
Solomon wisely exhorted his readers...
Whatever
your hand finds to do, verily, do it with all your might; for there is
no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are
going. (Eccl 9:10)
Shakespeare wrote,
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
(Julius Caesar, 4.3.217)
Time
(2540)
(kairos)
(Click
word study on
kairos)
means a point of time or period of time, time, period, frequently with
the implication of being especially fit for something and without
emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as
especially appropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right
time). Kairos speaks of a limited period of time, with the added
notion of suitableness ("the suitable time", "the right moment", "the
convenient time"). Kairos refers to a distinct, fixed time
period, rather than occasional moments.
In a sense kairos alludes to the brevity of
life, which begs one to pause and ponder his or her life like flowering
grass, here today, gone tomorrow and in light of this truth to take a
sincere, possibly sobering inventory of our daily activities of thought,
word and deed!
Kairos
is not so much a
succession of minutes (Greek
chronos
5550), but a
period of opportunity.
Chronos refers to chronological time, to clock time or calendar
time, to a general space or succession of time. Kairos, on the
other hand, refers to a specific and often predetermined period or
moment of time and so views time in terms of events, eras, or seasons.
In other words, kairos defines the best time to do something, the
moment when circumstances are most suitable, the psychologically "ripe"
moment.
In rhetoric kairos is "a passing instant when
an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is
to be achieved." (E. C. White, Kaironomia p. 13)
Kairos is a season, an opportune time, an opportunity
("window of opportunity"). It is a fixed and definite time. It is a
period possessed of certain characteristics. For example, a "season" is
a time characterized by a particular circumstance or feature. Thus the
time for bringing forth fruit [karpophoros] is the season (kairos) in
which the tree bears fruit, in contrast to late autumn, when there is no
more fruit.
Kairos does not emphasize a point of time but rather
a time space filled with all kinds of possibilities. And so Kairos
characteristically means an "opportunity" (and is so translated
in some versions -- in
in the NIV and NASB) which represents the best time to do something, the
moment when circumstances are most suitable.
From the Moody Bible Institute's "Today in the Word"
we read that the idea of kairos...
is not
clock time but what one writer calls “kingdom opportunities,” those
openings for ministry that often
come at inconvenient times; a friend who wants to talk, a child
with a problem, the chance to lend a hand to someone in need. Paul
is encouraging us to keep our lives uncluttered so that we can respond
when the need arises—because kingdom opportunities can get squeezed out
of an overly tight schedule. (September, 1989)
Paul uses
kairos in a manner similar to his use her in Ephesians in the
following examples...
So then, while we have
opportunity (kairos) let us do good to all men, and especially to
those who are of the household
of the faith. (Galatians 6:10)
Conduct
(present
imperative)
yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of (exagorazo)
the opportunity (kairos). (See note
Colossians 4: 5)
In Romans
Paul uses kairos exhorting the saints that there is an urgency in
regard to the instructions he has just given writing...
And this do, knowing the time
(kairos) that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for
now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. (See note
Romans 13:11)
MacArthur writes that kairos...
denotes a
measured, allocated, fixed season or epoch. The idea of a fixed period
is also seen in the use of the definite article in the Greek text, which
refers to the time, a concept often found in Scripture (cf. Ex. 9:5;
see note
1 Peter 1:17). God
has set boundaries to our lives, and our opportunity for service exists
only within those boundaries. It is significant that the Bible speaks of
such times being shortened, but never of their being lengthened. A
person may die or lose an opportunity before the end of God’s time, but
he has no reason to expect his life or his opportunity to continue after
the end of his predetermined time. Having sovereignly bounded our lives
with eternity, God knows both the beginning and end of our time on
earth. As believers we can achieve our potential in His service only as
we maximize the time He has given us.
(MacArthur,
J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Webster's defines "opportunity" as a favorable
juncture of circumstances or a good chance for advancement or progress.
Study the following verses and see if you can
discern the "window of opportunity" aspect in each verse to help give
you a "feel" for the meaning of Kairos
(Mt
13:30,
21:34,
Mk11:13,13:33,
Lu 4:13,19:44,
Lu 21:24,
Ac 1:7,
17:26,
2Co 6:2,
Gal 6:9,
Eph 2:12,
2Th 2:6,
Rev 1:3).
There is no good English equivalent to kairos, and when it
it plural with chronos it is translated “seasons,” or times at which
certain foreordained events take place.
Wayne Barber gives us some practical advice on
how we can "redeem the time" writing...
What do
you mean, "redeem the time"? Purchase it. To purchase it, I have to have
the collateral. Not only do you have to have the collateral, you have to
have the right kind of collateral if you are going purchase anything. So
what is the collateral to purchase time? It is my choices. We
have to understand this. Life is filled with one choice after another
choice after another choice. It is not putting the garment on in the
morning and thinking it is going to stay on you all day. You have to
continue all day long to make those choices. What are those choices
motivated by? They are motivated by what the Word of God has taught us.
They are motivated by our respect for God. Now to be the right choice it
has to be a choice that honors Christ and His Word. That is the way I
purchase time. I have only got one time around, and I have to learn to
make proper choices. How many choices did you make yesterday? We have to
learn that time is short. We only have one season. We only go around one
time. Make those choices. Why? Because every time you choose, you are
going to do something. That is called a deed and one day we will answer
for those deeds at the Bema Seat
of Christ. Are they wood, hay and stubble? What is wood, hay and
stubble? They are stupid, fleshly, religious choices. Sometimes they are
not even religious. What are precious stones? They are choices that were
made based on God’s Word and my willingness to do what He tells me to
do. We are making those choices, moment by moment by moment....(In
summary) From the time I got saved to the time I die I have an
opportunity. I am to make the most of that opportunity. How do I do
that? By redeeming the time. How do you purchase time? By the choices
that we make. We have to suffer the consequences of wrong choices. Paul
says, "You only have from the time you are born again until the time you
die. Now make the most of that time. Redeem the time. Make wise
choices." (Ephesians
5:15-17 Walking as Light in a World of Darkness)
The idea is not to make best use of time as such,
which is what we should do in the sense of not wasting it, but of taking
advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. One who lives
life carelessly and without forethought would be walking foolishly. One
who doesn’t use his time wisely obviously would be unwise. Finally, one
who isn’t following God’s will would be most foolish.
Adoniram Judson wrote
"A life once spent is irrevocable. It
will remain to be contemplated through eternity...the same may be said
of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks
which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever...each day will not only
be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting
destiny....How shall we then wish to see each day marked with
usefulness...! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future
is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day
into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at
night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly
marked."
This is "Coram
Deo" living before the face of God, "Carpe Diem" seizing the
day, because "Tempus Fugit", time flies and so our daily prayer
should be
"So teach us to number
our
days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom." (Psalm
90:12)
The great sixteenth-century reformer Philip
Melanchthon kept a record of every wasted moment and took his list to
God in confession at the end of each day. It is small wonder that God
used him in such great ways.
><> ><> ><>
We missed him. Our chance to change things came and
passed and we did not know it was there. A dark-skinned little boy sat
through Sunday School classes for three years at a great Baptist Church
(First Church, San Antonio) but someone missed him. His name was Sirhan
Sirhan, and at age 24 he shot and killed Senator Robert Kennedy. In a
welter of words and the shudder of grief throughout our nation, the
persistent thought keeps recurring—someone missed him. (Dr. Jimmy Allen,
former pastor of First Baptist Church, San Antonio, Texas in Pulpit Helps,
May, 1991, from
10000 Sermon Illustrations. Dallas:
Biblical Studies Press)
BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL: hoti
ai hemerai ponerai eisin. (3PPAI): (Eph
6:13,15;
Ps 37:19;
Eccl 11:2;
12:1;
Amos 5:13;
John 12:35;
Acts 11:28,29;
1 Corinthians 7:26,29-31)
What should be
a powerful motivator to believers to buy up the time? As Paul
explains, the day are evil. referring to moral evil (especially
to the moral evil he has described earlier in Ephesians 5). The fact
that the times in which they lived were morally so corrupt was a strong
reason for making every opportunity for good their own.
Are you buying up the opportunities
for spiritual good which the Lord is graciously giving you?
Days | | |