Post by Shepherd on Mar 18, 2009 11:25:43 GMT -6
-VI
WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY
EPHESIANS 5:15-17.. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS.
If a person really believed in Christ Jesus, would he than walk blandly ahead into any situation, trusting Jesus Christ to protect Him?
The Apostle Paul is advising Christians at Ephesus how they should live. He is showing them how to live that they might walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. It is true that many new Christians suffer disillusionment because they feel their expectation are not fulfilled. It would be so easy for a young Christian to assume that he can trust God to lead him no matter what he does and to save him no matter, what he gets into.
No doubt God does take care of Christians many times even when they are foolish. Yet, the Christian has a function to perform. He must relate himself to the will of God. The Christian has something to do so that Christ may bring His will to pass. See test............
This is very practical advice. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY means that the Christian should look around, study, observe all sides. He would get a clear picture of the situation. NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE. Every time the Bible used the word FOOL, which seems rather harsh we should keep in mind what the Bible says; THE FOOL HATH SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS NO GOD... PSALM 53:1.
Any time anyone leaves God out in his thinking, he is doing something that is foolish indeed. Not only is such thinking impractical, but it shows the person is acting like a fool to feel that there is no God.
BUT AS WISE. Among other things the Bible says.. THE FEAR OF HE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. PSALM 111:10. The wise person will remember God. The fool will act as if there were no God. When Paul would say, SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, he is urging men to be careful how they walk. They should not walk as fools who think there is no God, but as wise persons who fear God.
These words can be understood to say, “Look carefully then how you walk. Look around, be careful where you step because all is not safe. Live purposefully and Worthily and carefully, not as the unwise and witless but as wise, sensible, intelligent people.”
Paul is urging the Christian to be careful. They should be careful what, where, how and with whom they do what they do in living. They should remember God. they should keep Him in mind, so that they might walk in the fear of the Lord.
The phrase REDEEMING THE TIME has been will translated; “buying up the opportunities.” As the Christian lives he has a chance to go this way or that–to walk with God or apart from Him. Paul would say, “Buy up every opportunity.
Take advantage of every opportunity to draw nigh to God. you will not always have it.”
Is there a prayer meeting in your d congregation? If you are a Christian you should attend. At that prayer meeting you might learn something more about God and you could certainly have a fellowship of experience with God.
If special services are being held at your church go. Redeem the time. Is there an opportunity to talk to someone about Christ Jesus? You might not get that chance every day. That particular man might not come by your office every day.
REDEEMING THE TIME BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL, means to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. Do you have books that tell about God? Read them. Have you seen a new book on how God has used some missionary? Buy it and read it. As far as your family is concerned, you could pray for them each day–now is the time.
You might say to me, “You don’t know what my family is like. They don’t have any interest in the things of the Lord at all.” I will ask you, are they still alive? Then remember God is in heaven. Take every chance personally to draw nearer to God.
You will be wise to remember God, to keep God in mind. UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS. Do not act and think as if there were no God. Do not fall into the trap of feeling, “It’s my money, and my time.” You could have the money and the time, but it would not be the right things to do to use it as you please. Your need to understand what the will of the Lord is.
Look in humble obedience on what God has in mind for you. If you will follow it, HE will bless you. God is no respecter of person. The marvelous thing is that even if you do not amount to much (in the eyes of the world) but you do what He wants you to do and walk in His ways, He will bless you.
A person need not expect that the will of God will be something fancy, fantastic, or strange. It can be very ordinary, and yet very real. “What is the will of the Lord for my home, my family.” God wants the Christian to be considerate of others. He wants him to pray for the members of his family. He can come into the presence of God and ask Him to bless his home, his family. Would that mean that they would never die? Would that mean that they would never be sick? It does mean that in sickness, God will hold them by the hand, and if they should die, He will take them to Himself.
God will be with His people and the Christian can know that the will of God will be good. God’s will is that they should accept Christ, yield to Christ. They should deny their flesh. FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, EVEN YOUR SANCTIFICATION, THAT YE SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM FORNICATION.
I THESS. 4:3.
They should yield themselves to God and let Him have His way with them. It is the will of God also that men should thank Him for everything that happens, and praise Him at all times.
Christians should walk in His way and trust Him. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS...EPHESIANS 5:-17.
EPHESIANS 5:15-17.. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS.
If a person really believed in Christ Jesus, would he than walk blandly ahead into any situation, trusting Jesus Christ to protect Him?
The Apostle Paul is advising Christians at Ephesus how they should live. He is showing them how to live that they might walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. It is true that many new Christians suffer disillusionment because they feel their expectation are not fulfilled. It would be so easy for a young Christian to assume that he can trust God to lead him no matter what he does and to save him no matter, what he gets into.
No doubt God does take care of Christians many times even when they are foolish. Yet, the Christian has a function to perform. He must relate himself to the will of God. The Christian has something to do so that Christ may bring His will to pass. See test............
This is very practical advice. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY means that the Christian should look around, study, observe all sides. He would get a clear picture of the situation. NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE. Every time the Bible used the word FOOL, which seems rather harsh we should keep in mind what the Bible says; THE FOOL HATH SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS NO GOD... PSALM 53:1.
Any time anyone leaves God out in his thinking, he is doing something that is foolish indeed. Not only is such thinking impractical, but it shows the person is acting like a fool to feel that there is no God.
BUT AS WISE. Among other things the Bible says.. THE FEAR OF HE LORD IS THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM. PSALM 111:10. The wise person will remember God. The fool will act as if there were no God. When Paul would say, SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, he is urging men to be careful how they walk. They should not walk as fools who think there is no God, but as wise persons who fear God.
These words can be understood to say, “Look carefully then how you walk. Look around, be careful where you step because all is not safe. Live purposefully and Worthily and carefully, not as the unwise and witless but as wise, sensible, intelligent people.”
Paul is urging the Christian to be careful. They should be careful what, where, how and with whom they do what they do in living. They should remember God. they should keep Him in mind, so that they might walk in the fear of the Lord.
The phrase REDEEMING THE TIME has been will translated; “buying up the opportunities.” As the Christian lives he has a chance to go this way or that–to walk with God or apart from Him. Paul would say, “Buy up every opportunity.
Take advantage of every opportunity to draw nigh to God. you will not always have it.”
Is there a prayer meeting in your d congregation? If you are a Christian you should attend. At that prayer meeting you might learn something more about God and you could certainly have a fellowship of experience with God.
If special services are being held at your church go. Redeem the time. Is there an opportunity to talk to someone about Christ Jesus? You might not get that chance every day. That particular man might not come by your office every day.
REDEEMING THE TIME BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL, means to take advantage of every opportunity that you have. Do you have books that tell about God? Read them. Have you seen a new book on how God has used some missionary? Buy it and read it. As far as your family is concerned, you could pray for them each day–now is the time.
You might say to me, “You don’t know what my family is like. They don’t have any interest in the things of the Lord at all.” I will ask you, are they still alive? Then remember God is in heaven. Take every chance personally to draw nearer to God.
You will be wise to remember God, to keep God in mind. UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS. Do not act and think as if there were no God. Do not fall into the trap of feeling, “It’s my money, and my time.” You could have the money and the time, but it would not be the right things to do to use it as you please. Your need to understand what the will of the Lord is.
Look in humble obedience on what God has in mind for you. If you will follow it, HE will bless you. God is no respecter of person. The marvelous thing is that even if you do not amount to much (in the eyes of the world) but you do what He wants you to do and walk in His ways, He will bless you.
A person need not expect that the will of God will be something fancy, fantastic, or strange. It can be very ordinary, and yet very real. “What is the will of the Lord for my home, my family.” God wants the Christian to be considerate of others. He wants him to pray for the members of his family. He can come into the presence of God and ask Him to bless his home, his family. Would that mean that they would never die? Would that mean that they would never be sick? It does mean that in sickness, God will hold them by the hand, and if they should die, He will take them to Himself.
God will be with His people and the Christian can know that the will of God will be good. God’s will is that they should accept Christ, yield to Christ. They should deny their flesh. FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD, EVEN YOUR SANCTIFICATION, THAT YE SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM FORNICATION.
I THESS. 4:3.
They should yield themselves to God and let Him have His way with them. It is the will of God also that men should thank Him for everything that happens, and praise Him at all times.
Christians should walk in His way and trust Him. SEE THEN THAT YE WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, NOT AS FOOLS, BUT AS WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, BECAUSE THE DAYS ARE EVIL. WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS...EPHESIANS 5:-17.
