In this lesson of seven verses, the Apostle Paul urges his fellow believers to “be careful” in how they live. This is done by practicing the Christian principles he is enumerating in the final three chapters of Ephesians.
Paul knew what we now know. Nonbelievers form their opinions about Jesus Christ, the church and Christianity from their observations of believers more than they ever do from the Bible. They do not read the Bible, attend church, listen to sermons or watch Christian television. What they know of Jesus and the Scriptures, they see and hear in us. Paul is proclaiming the truth Jesus gave his disciples when he said, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
In 5:15-16, Paul urges us to make wise use of our time. Since it is the believers’ responsibility to live as children of light, their lives must please God by conducting themselves before a lost world in a way that draws those observing us to Jesus. He says they are to live “not as unwise but as wise” (v. 15). They are to take their knowledge of Christ and apply it to their everyday lives and be very aware of how their actions are perceived by unbelievers.
This instruction is not only for individual believers, but for the church as a whole. When a church is not redeeming its time to show and share Jesus, the cause of Christ is hindered and a lost world observes a perverted gospel. Individually and collectively, Christians use their time carefully, not allowing circumstances to take away the opportunity to make a difference for Christ.
In 5:17, Paul warns his readers “do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” This is more than an intellectual knowledge found in God’s word accepted and applied once. This understanding of the Lord’s will is a continual process.
When Scripture is read, the Holy Spirit uses its application to give the reader knowledge, understanding and direction in the individual’s walk with Jesus. In this process, the believer continues on to grow in his spiritual walk of discipleship with Jesus by redeeming his time through holy living.
In 5:18, Paul contrasts getting drunk with wine, which produces a temporary high along with “debauchery,” to being filled with the Spirit which produces a lasting joy. Most likely, his readers already understood that drunkenness, which had been part of their lives before their conversion experience, should not be part of their new Christian lives.
His purpose was to give two options in whom or what was going to control their lives. Either it would be their appetite for the pleasures of their former life or the Holy Spirit. Being filled with their former pleasures would make them lose control and do stupid things. Being filled with the Holy Spirit gave them self-control (Galatians 5:23) and helped them worship God and serve others.
The words translated “be filled” are in the present tense, indicating constant replenishment with the Spirit. Believers are not “once-and-for-all” filled but are continually being filled with the Holy Spirit as they continue to walk with God.
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When believers are continually filled with the Holy Spirit, there will be evidence of the infilling in their worship and witnessing lives. Paul shares how the Spirit-filled life will be manifested in the lives of believers as they worship and witness. They are singing, giving thanks and submitting to one another.
In verse 19, he directs them to encourage each other through the use of the singing of “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” Believers are to be filled with the Holy Spirit when they sing songs grounded in God’s word and of sound doctrine. This corporate worship will encourage each other and will be a witness to their world. They are to sing and make music that comes from the heart and offer it to the Lord.
Paul then encourages his readers to live their lives with a heart of gratitude to God for everything. The word rendered “giving thanks” comes from the same root word as “grace.” If we have experienced the grace of God, then we ought to be grateful for what God brings to us.
In 5:21, Paul gives us the next evidence of a Spirit-filled life, when he writes, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Submitting, as Paul uses this phrase, does not mean one becomes totally passive. He is speaking of mutual submission within the church body.
In the church, believers should be willing to learn from, give to, serve or be corrected by others within the body. This type of submission will allow spiritual growth, individually and corporately, as believers follow Jesus. The reason this is done is out of reverence for Christ. It is the example of his life believers are called to follow.
Remember, most folks don’t read the Bible or go to church. They receive their biblical instruction in their observation of how the disciples of Jesus and his body of believers act and behave before them. Paul shares with us that we are to be careful in our actions and attitudes as we proclaim the love of God to a lost and dying world.
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