Ephesians 5:15-17: See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Paul charges his audience to be careful how they live. Comparing “living” to “walking”, he admonishes us to not move carelessly through the day taking things as they come. Instead, move cautiously, looking at each opportunity, invitation and encounter. Just how are we to do this? What is time all about? Is it really that important? How do I prioritize? For the Biblical answer, we turn to:
- Historical Context: Written between 60-63 A.D., Ephesians 1:1 identifies the author of the book of Ephesians as the apostle Paul. Paul intended that all who long for Christ-like maturity would receive this writing. Enclosed within the book of Ephesians is the discipline needed to develop into true children of God. Furthermore, a study in Ephesians will help to fortify and to establish the believer so he can fulfill the purpose and calling God has given. The aim of this epistle is to confirm and to equip a maturing church. It presents a balanced view of the body of Christ and its importance in God’s economy. Paul’s writing breaks down into three main segments. (1) Chapters one through three introduce principles with respect to God’s accomplishment. (2) Chapters four and five put forth principles regarding our present existence. (3) Chapter six presents principles concerning our daily struggle.
- Grammatical Usage: “Circumspectly” in the Greek is “akribos” and literally means, “accurately…expressing accuracy which is the result of care.” “Redeem” is “exagorazo” in the Middle Voice (this voice means that the SUBJECT initiates the action and participates in the results of the action. The middle voice indicates the subject performs an action upon himself or herself (reflexive action) for their own benefit. E.g., “The boy groomed himself”). Therefore “redeem” literally means “YOU buy up the opportunity to your own benefit”; when combined with “time” or “kairos” in the Greek which signifies “a season, a moment,” together they convey the command to make the most of every opportunity, turning each to the best advantage…the best outcome since the season (or opportunity) can not be recalled. “Unwise” or “aphrones” refers to being senseless or foolish while “understanding” or “syniete” means “to comprehend intellectually” (understand that God has provided the opportunity as part of His plan).
- Literal Application: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not without understanding but with understanding (in relation to the importance of your time), 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not lack purpose, but understand what the Lord’s will is in every opportunity.”
- Contextual Interpretation: This incisive expression–“redeeming the time”–occurs also in Colossians 4:5: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” The Greek word for “redeem” means to “buy back,” to “ransom,” or even to “rescue.” That is, time is a very valuable asset, in danger of being lost forever unless it is rescued, or redeemed. As a matter of fact, time is just about the most valuable asset we have. If we squander our money or lose our health, there is always the possibility of earning more money or being restored to health, but wasted time is gone forever. In our text, those who are wise redeem the time, whereas those who are fools waste or misuse it. The word in the original for “circumspectly” is translated “diligently” in Matthew 2:7. The text thus indicates that those who redeem the time are walking diligently; the parallel passage in Colossians 4:5 says they are walking in wisdom. The time God gives us, therefore, should be used both carefully (as defined by 5:1) and diligently keeping in mind that the world is a hostile place for those who seek to do what is right, who seek to follow God.
The marvelous passage in the 139th Psalm which describes the growth of the human embryo concludes with a remarkable declaration: “In thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). The words “my members” are not in the original, and “in continuance” is actually the Hebrew word for “days.” Thus, the verse is really telling us that all of our days were written in God’s book even before we were conceived. Each day of our lives is vitally important in the plan of God. “So,” as Moses prayed to the Lord, “teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Scriptural Comparison: To make the most of our time, we need to understand:
- God created time. Genesis 1:5 indicates that time began at creation, with evening and morning being the first day.We still live within this framework;
- God
rules over time. When the Lord Jesus
stated, “Before Abraham was born, I am” (Jn. 8:58) he was telling the scribes
and Pharisees that He was eternal – a claim they did not take lightly for in
saying so, He was proclaiming His deity;
- God caused time to stand still during a crucial OT battle (Josh. 10:13-14)
- God used a span of time to let His servant Noah know how long he had before the rains started (Gen. 7:4);
- God uses time in the lives of His children for preparation, instruction, rest and duty;
- God’s timing is always perfect. Jesus was not premature. He was not late. He came at the exact moment in time that His father had planned (Gal. 4:4);
- Likewise, God has brought us to birth at an appointed time. He knows the exact time we will die. He has will for time on earth. It is a sin to waste this time.
- God has also appointed a time for judgment (Acts 17:31);
- God has given us the responsibility of time management. The way we use our time reveals our values and priorities. Good time management (1 Cor. 3:14) as well as poor time management (1 Cor. 3:15) will be judged. No where in Scripture is it stated or implied to “just do what comes naturally” in a purposeless sense. In fact, the opposite is true. Not only does Paul instruct us to make the most of our time, Peter tells us to employ our spiritual gifts (1 Pt. 4;10) – implication being that we are to use our time to serve others by getting eyes off of ourselves.
- Caution #1: Balance is essential. Ecclesiastes 3 indicates that we are to be balanced with our time. There are those who are workaholics and others slothful – neither extreme is biblical. The Ten Commandments emphasizes balance in time (Ex. 20:9-10);
- Caution #2: Rest is important. The One who told us how long to work also told us to rest. When we abuse His plan, we pay for it physically and emotionally. Rest is a wonderful investment of time, as is work.
- Caution #3: Don’t overlook the timesaving power of prayer. Prayer is like a compass. It gives direction. God already knows every second of your day. He already knows every interruption. He already knows every crisis. Through prayer, He gives us direction through our own personal minefields. None of it is hidden from Him. In Mark 1:35-37, before sunrise, Christ spent time in prayer. Peter and his friends “searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’” In Mt. 14:23, Jesus spent the evening in prayer. In Luke 5:15-16, Jesus spent time in the wilderness in prayer. He only had three short years to teach, preach, heal and lead – yet a priority of time was dedicated to prayer.
- Conclusion: From God’s standpoint, time equals opportunity. To waste time is to miss opportunities. Walking wisely involves using our time carefully – not thoughtlessly or selfishly spending it, but investing it. As we surrender the use of our time to the lordship of Christ, He will lead us to use it in the most productive way imaginable. Since we are to walk wisely and make the most of our time, we need to know what we are aiming at. Are we filling up time or investing it? Do we have anything to show for out time other than a paycheck? Three challenges:
- Account for every hour within a seven day period to provide insight as to how your time is managed and spent;
- Figure up how many days you’ve lived (practical application of Ps. 90:12). Subtract that number from 25, 500 days (an average 70-year span). What do you plan to do with the days you have remaining?
- With this information, how does your life’s schedule accommodate your spiritual gift? Accommodate those commands to believers in the New Testament (see supplement)? What needs to change in your life in order to redeem your time thereby advancing the Kingdom?