If someone’s legs are disabled, you can’t just show him videos of how to walk and then expect him to get up and walk. You have to correct what is broken.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us how we should walk in light of who we are in Christ. But even more importantly, he shows us where we get the power to walk.
This is why Paul starts his walking instructions in chapter 5 with the word “therefore”: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1 ESV). It connects what Paul is about to say with what he has just finished saying. He’s just spent several chapters explaining what God has done for us in Christ, what he has saved us from, and who he has predestined us to be.
In light of what we’ve experienced in the gospel, Paul gives us three ways to walk:
1. Walk in love.
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2).
Christians have two inward compulsions to love. The first is simply to love others like we have been loved. How can we say we’ve experienced the extravagant love of God if we show no sign of that extravagant love in our everyday relationships?
The second compulsion, Paul says, is as an act of love toward God—what he calls a “fragrant offering.” A woman I knew who struggled for years in her marriage said, “For so long I couldn’t bring myself to forgive him. He didn’t seem to realize how much he had hurt me, and he hadn’t changed nearly as much as he should.
“Then I realized that he may never be worthy of my forgiveness. But Jesus is, so I’ll do it first for him.”
Our acts of love toward others are ultimately for Jesus, even if they seem like they are being wasted on the person you are pouring them out on. We love anyway.
2. Walk in light.
“Walk as children of light … and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Ephesians 5:8-11).
God has brought light into our hearts, so we should shine that light into every area of our lives.
Sometimes after my wife goes to bed I try to read, and it annoys her when I leave the bedside light on because it makes it hard for her to sleep. So being the awesome husband that I am, I bought one of those little lamps you strap around your head. I look like a spelunker (read: dork), but it keeps me from filling the room with ambient light. Here’s the thing: The light will only illuminate what I am directly looking at (including, unfortunately, my wife I turn to talk to her, blinding her in the process). So, you have to keep your focus intently on the words you are reading.
Paul is saying, “Point the light of the gospel into the various spheres of your life. Don’t just go with the flow. Think about your marriage, your work, your finances, your leisure. Don’t assume your heart will steer you correctly.” We need to think through our lives with a gospel lens.
3. Walk in wisdom.
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
A lot of life’s big decisions are not spelled out directly in Scripture, like what job we should take or how we should spend our money or what we should do with our time.
Walking in wisdom means making decisions in those areas in ways that fit well with an understanding of what God is doing in the world. This isn’t easy, but the alternative is utterly disastrous.
We can’t coast into closeness with God. The days are evil, and to grow with God takes intentionality. Paul says a lot of things are “lawful” for us as Christians, but they’re just not helpful because they don’t advance God’s purposes in our lives. Watching TV all the time may not be morally wrong, but it’s not helpful for growing spiritually.
In light of what we know about the world, how should we be spending our time? Does your schedule reflect the urgency and focus of the gospel? Or does it magnify the ephemeral idol that we call the American Dream?
The church is on a rescue mission. If we know the ship we are on is going down, what should our attitude be? Is it not to make sure people know about the rescue boats?
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should leave your career to go into full-time ministry. But as we learn to walk in wisdom, we need to look for ways to leverage our jobs that are considered wise in light of the gospel, whether that’s leading a Bible study at work or transferring overseas so that we can partner with a church planting team to engage an unreached people group with the gospel.
Wisdom’s question is this: One thousand years from now, will you be glad you lived your life this way?
For more, be sure to listen to the entire message here.
