Christ will for His Church (Eph. 5:15-17)

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. 

This entire exhortation has everything to do with how we live. That's what Paul means by how you walk. He says to look carefully how we walk as wise. That's the exhortation to take away today: look carefully how you live your life, live in wisdom. This living in wisdom is Jesus Christ will for His Church.

First, we see why we should look carefully how we walk: because the days are evil: Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, – because–  the days are evil.

The days are not the literal 24 hours but the time period between Christ ascension and Christ return.  

The apostle has already described this evil age as one full of empty words (Hence, “look carefully then). the secular philosophies and false religions of the world that tempt our flesh to Participate in their rebellious disobedience “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them” (Eph. 5:6-7)

This is a fallen  creation with broken image bearers rebellious against their Creator's Sovereign reign; its a worldly system ruled by sin storing up God's wrath for the final day of judgment 

And its a worldly system, as the Lord warns us, that seeks to deceive even the elect: 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;

Since we are living in this evil age look carefully then how we walk not as unwise but as wise.

The Greek word carefully means thoroughly and accurately and the word look emphasizes this carefulness and thoroughness approach to how we live our lives. Ill. walking through a battlefield vs. barrier island

so when we consider how to live our lives as we think about what we're to do and why we're to do it we’re to be careful and thorough about our decision making and decision implementing. 

But its not enough just to look carefully how we live. We must look careful in this evil day to walk as wise, the Lord tells us.

This type of thorough and biblically accurate way of living our lives is only accomplished through the discipline of biblical wisdom. This is what Paul is directing us to when He admonishes the church to  look carefully then how you walk not as unwise but as wise 

So looking carefully is only accomplished when we're wise and this wisdom is biblical wisdom: applying biblical wisdom in every facet and decision in action of our Lives. 

TS: This is the exhortation, His command to us, as His Church, so what is this biblical wisdom that we are to apply in every circumstance?

The apostle has been describing it to us in the past few chapters and he is going to jump immediately back into that biblical wisdom in 5:18. 

Generally, biblical wisdom, as we see in Ephesians, is hearing the word of God understanding it and accurately applying  the Word of God to our lives.

How do we, fundamentally, practice the discipline of biblical wisdom? This is what biblical wisdom looks like, hearing, considering, obeying. Yet, Scripture teaches us that there is something fundamentally necessary to being wise that such obedience is built upon.

In Psalm 111:10 the psalmist writes The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom all those who practice it have a good understanding. Fear of the Lord

Christ is our Good Shepherd the Father is our heavenly father we are his children but the gentleness and loving care for us does not take away from the fact that he is the creator of the universe a holy God this is what the Bible sounds like and talks about our blessed Lord

God the Father is our Father, God the Son is our Savior, the God the Holy Spirit our helper, but God never stops being God.

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Heb. 12:28-29) Praise and good works are our worship, btw (Heb.13; Eph. 5:1-2).

There is a healthy trembling of God's people living out their existence in the presence of God and Paul reminds us of this he says  ‘Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:12-13).

God's people stood in fear of him before the mountain and all of its and lightning and smoke and very reality of being in the presence of a holy God who created all things. 

It's before this same God who we live out our lives and it is this same God who is a consuming fire who is working in us  

And so the Lord says “this is the one to whom I will look he was humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at my word” (Is. 66:2).

Isaiah knew what this cleansing fear of the LORD was like: “And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Is. 6:4-5).

John seeing the glorified Christ, upon being overwhelmed by His presence in a vision or otherwise John writes, “[w]hen I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead” (Rev. 1:17).

There's a healthy fear and trembling of God's people before him upon hearing him speak in response to his word

When we read our Bibles you hear it proclaimed this is the very word of the creator of the universe who is a consuming fire whose face no one has looked upon and lived. He speaks to us, here!  In this word! 

We live in an age where our minds, our imaginations, we settle for less than we are made for. We seek emotional stimulation, talks instead of sermons, anecdotes of people instead of the pure word. 

We  live in an age where we demand holy lives but we look to the wrong food for such growth. This evil age has deceived many to settle for the stable trough when we were made for the very presence and voice of God almighty.

What has transformed God’s people has never been religion, rhetorical flare, or interesting stories, what transforms God’s people is the very presence of God and a gripping awareness of Him that bends, breaks and humbles sinners at His feet.

That sends His people to fall as though they were dead in His very presence, to tremble before His Word and respond accordingly

How does fearing the Lord connect with look carefully how you walk? 

If our hearts are bent low before Him, if our heart disposition is in a constant state of surrender our of reverence and awe of Him than the decisions we make the lives we live we be determined by Him.

I got to make sure it applies to my life did I appropriate it to my life properly

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Eph. 5:17)

 isn't this amazing,  he just told us his will for our lives: to walk in biblical wisdom. we don't have to try to decipher circumstances. He tells us what he desires of us in his written word. we want to know God's will? Oh that we would only open our Bibles!

An example “let no corrupting talk come out of our mouth” it says right there (4:29) but how does that apply to your daily walk how does that translate into knowing God's will for your life this evening? 

You take that command and then trust in the power of the Holy Spirit in light of the awesomeness in the terrifying Holiness of God who is your father in Creator and sustainer and you formulate your words never losing sight of the that reality of who God is and living before His very presence

And as a result, your speech is not dictated or motivated out of fear of man or the world or the devil but out of fear of the Creator God out of reverence and awe of him 

and so out of this healthy trembling, a heart and mind bent low before God you formulate your words, responses to someone. [healthy trembling; carefully consider His word; act in obedience]

A healthy biblical view of God and all of his splendor naturally produces within us the proper way of thinking and feeling and therefore responding to his word in our lives 

Summary: So Putting this together, the world's a dangerous place for Christians  so live in biblical wisdom which begins and is sustained consistently by healthy sanctifying fear of the Lord. And this is the Lord's will for your life.

At its very core this exhortation is a call to Faith. Do we have a healthy,sanctifying trembling before the Lord God,  or have we allowed the world cast it's facade of its false god over our heads that we no longer tremble before the Holy God whose voice is described as thunder and lightning. His presence  no one has looked upon and lived?

The agenda of our day, the thoughts of our mind, are they falling flat on their faces as if dead before the presence of a holy Christ who dwells within us?

Oh that when we open his word. When we gather to hear it proclaimed, may we fix our hearts up on the God who spoke it and by his grace may we be forever changed by the awareness of His holy presence. 

And in reverence and awe of Him, may we consume His Word, and obey 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.