This past Sunday I preached a sermon entitled "Making Good Choices in 2018." It was drawn from Ephesians 5:15-21 and discussed 1) using our time wisely and 2) watching our walk closely. I wanted to share just one point from that passage that I found very powerful.
Verse 17 says, "Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Note the contrast here between folly (literally "without reason") and having an understanding of God's will. Paul presents us with a dichotomy here, just as he does in Verse 15 ("not as unwise but as wise"). One can be a fool or one can do what God says. Those are your two options.
To be wise is not simply to know, but is to apply what we know. Wisdom, accordingly, is not simply knowledge, but includes an experiential element. Wisdom is applying the knowledge that you have to the situations that you encounter. Paul has called on the Ephesians to walk carefully, which implies cautious and deliberate living, and now he tells them the standard by which they are to choose their path--the will of God. To be wise, or to live wisely, one must have the appropriate knowledge. To put it another way, you can have knowledge without wisdom, but you can't have wisdom without knowledge. That knowledge, that truth, which precedes and is the basis for true wisdom, is the will of God.
Where are we to find the will of God? That question has filled the pages of many books, but the answer can be rendered quite simply: we must search the Word of God for the will of God. In Psalm 119:105 David prays, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." We always want to make everything so complicated, but the Christian life is pretty simple. What are we as Christians called to do? How are we to live? We must obey the will of God as set forth in the Word of God. Sure, there are gray areas. There are situations where we will have to make difficult choices. There are things that are less clear in the Scriptures and we have the Christian liberty of living without the fear of losing our salvation because of imperfect obedience, but we must never behave as if God has left us blind. He has given His children His Word and His Spirit to guide them along the path that He has commanded them to follow.
So next time you are faced with a decision, consider your choices carefully. Will you follow the will of man or the will of God? Will you submit to the demands of this world or to the demands of the Creator of the Universe? Will you choose wisdom or folly? God has given us His will in His Word-- everything else is folly.
Verse 17 says, "Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Note the contrast here between folly (literally "without reason") and having an understanding of God's will. Paul presents us with a dichotomy here, just as he does in Verse 15 ("not as unwise but as wise"). One can be a fool or one can do what God says. Those are your two options.
To be wise is not simply to know, but is to apply what we know. Wisdom, accordingly, is not simply knowledge, but includes an experiential element. Wisdom is applying the knowledge that you have to the situations that you encounter. Paul has called on the Ephesians to walk carefully, which implies cautious and deliberate living, and now he tells them the standard by which they are to choose their path--the will of God. To be wise, or to live wisely, one must have the appropriate knowledge. To put it another way, you can have knowledge without wisdom, but you can't have wisdom without knowledge. That knowledge, that truth, which precedes and is the basis for true wisdom, is the will of God.
Where are we to find the will of God? That question has filled the pages of many books, but the answer can be rendered quite simply: we must search the Word of God for the will of God. In Psalm 119:105 David prays, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." We always want to make everything so complicated, but the Christian life is pretty simple. What are we as Christians called to do? How are we to live? We must obey the will of God as set forth in the Word of God. Sure, there are gray areas. There are situations where we will have to make difficult choices. There are things that are less clear in the Scriptures and we have the Christian liberty of living without the fear of losing our salvation because of imperfect obedience, but we must never behave as if God has left us blind. He has given His children His Word and His Spirit to guide them along the path that He has commanded them to follow.
So next time you are faced with a decision, consider your choices carefully. Will you follow the will of man or the will of God? Will you submit to the demands of this world or to the demands of the Creator of the Universe? Will you choose wisdom or folly? God has given us His will in His Word-- everything else is folly.
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