Day 569: Don't waste your life - Ephesians 5 vs 15 - 21

15-16 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 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, 19-20 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, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:15-21 (English Standard Version)

Even in the days of the apostle Paul there was lots of evil going on. Adultery, fights, stealing, cheating, murders and rapes are not a new thing in the world. Because of that, what does Paul urge those who had become Christians to do? (vs 15-16)

He tells them to take great care over what direction they take in life. He urges them to make wise choices and to make the best use of the time they have left in the world. While most of us have enjoyed long lives, none of us know how much time we have left. What is the best way to making wise choices in life? (vs 17)

It's to find out how God wants us to live day by day. This must never be guesswork or feelings. Some people think as long as something 'feels right' it must be God's will. Paul says we need to understand God's will, and that means taking time to think about all that Jesus taught, and the teaching He then passed on to us by the Holy Spirit through the apostles. In a nutshell, it means reading the Bible and thinking and praying about what we read. What does Paul warn is one of the big dangers to making wise choices, and to living in a way that pleases God? (vs 18)

It's if we allow alcohol to take control of us. He didn't say never touch wine or a beer, he said 'do not get drunk'. We speak of drunk people as being 'under the influence' of alcohol. And Paul says too much alcohol leads to debauchery. This English words means to indulge in wrong sensual pleasures, but a literal translation of the Greek means to 'not save', or to 'waste' something. That's an excellent description of someone under alcohol's influence, and especially of those who get drunk regularly. Their lives are going to waste! Drunkenness often leads to quarrels, arguments, and fights, and sadly, to the break up of friendships and marriages. So what does Paul say is the wiser and better choice in life than to be under the influence of alcohol? (vs 18)

He says that Christians must seek rather to be under the control of the Holy Spirit. He uses the phrase 'be filled with the Spirit'. Some Christians today would say that means to 'speak in tongues' or to get some sort of experience. But what does Paul connect it with? (vs 19-20)

He associates it with choosing the company of Christians, sharing with one another, and focusing our life on praising God with thankful hearts for all He has done. And this is all happens in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's as we focus our lives on Christ and put His will into action that we are filled with God's Spirit. Christians who choose to hang out with people who drink too much, and join in with the rude jokes and flirting that often goes on, won't know the Spirit's filling.

And there’s something else that leads to being filled with God's Spirit in vs 21. What is that?

It's when Christians are so in love with the Lord Jesus Christ that they willingly seek to put the needs and well being of others before their own needs and desires. They know that Jesus laid down His life for them, so they are ready to lay down their lives in serving others. We'll see what this involves in the verses that follow, and how such a lifestyle leads to genuine fulfilment and joy, rather than a life wasted on too much booze. May God help us to walk wisely, and to to make the best use of the time we have in this world.