Introduction
How often we think about time and how we have wasted it. How it has just slipped through our hands like water.
Time is significant because it is so rare. It is completely irretrievable. You can never repeat it or relive it. There is no such thing as a literal instant replay. That appears only on film. It travels alongside us every day, yet it has eternity wrapped up in it. Although this is true, time often seems relative, doesn’t it? For example, two weeks on a vacation is not at all like two weeks on a diet. Also, some people can stay longer in an hour than others can in a week! Ben Franklin said of time, “… that is the stuff life is made of.” Time forms life’s building blocks. The philosopher William James once said, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”
The significance of time is why it is so important on how we spend it. Let me play the devil’s advocate and give ways of how to waste time. Ways that many of us do waste our time.
Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes (Time)
Five proven ideas come immediately to mind: First, worry a lot. Start worrying early in the morning and intensify your anxiety as the day passes. Second, make hard-and-fast predictions. For example, one month before his July 1975 disappearance, Jimmy Hoffa announced: “I don’t need bodyguards.” Third, fix your attention on getting rich. You’ll get a lot of innovative ideas from the secular bookshelves, plus you’ll fit right in with most of the hype pouring out of entrepreneurial seminars and high-pressure sales meetings. Fourth, compare yourself with others. Now, here’s another real time-waster. If it’s physical fitness you’re into, comparing yourself with [The Rock or Meagan Martin], or comparing yourself with Trevor Brazille, Billy Etbaur, or Hailey Kinzel ought to keep you busy. Fifth, lengthen your list of enemies. If there’s one thing above all others that will keep your wheels spinning, it’s perfecting your skill at the Blame Game. Put these five surefire suggestions in motion and you will set new records in wasting valuable time.
Time past is gone. Tomorrow is not promised. Today is what you have. Right now is what you have use it—invest it in the right things.
Let us read the text, Ephesians 5:15-17
In this text we first see that we should…
Walk in Wisdom (v. 15)
When we use God’s time wisely we walk in wisdom.
When we walk in wisdom we are imitating God as His children (v.1). All children at one point seek to imitate their dad.
When we do we walk in love. We imitate because we love the one we are imitating. When imitating God we imitate Christ and sacrificially give ourselves away (v.2).
Walking in wisdom avoids sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness. When in wisdom we will not even allow those thoughts in (v.3).
We will avoid all filthy and foolish talk and all nasty jokes (v.4).
Why? Because those who do that have no inheritance in the kingdom (v.5). Unbelievers do not have a claim on the kingdom. They are the ones who act this way. We are saved, cleansed by the blood of Christ, why would we want to act in a way of those who have no inheritance in the kingdom? We do not if we are seizing the opportunity and walking in wisdom.
That type of living and actions are impure and vile to God. It is also idolatry (v.5). It is because we are saying that we know what is better for us than God does. We are saying we are God because we know better. That is idolatry. Covetousness is definitely idolatry. It is because when you covet you desire the object and no matter what you will have one. It becomes your God and rules you to the destruction of all around you.
When we are seizing the opportunities God places before us and walking in wisdom we do not allow for anyone to deceive us. We do not permit them to speak lies to us or into us.
By doing such we avoid God’s wrath that is for the sons of disobedience. This wrath is “God’s strong indignation directed at wrong doing.” When walking in wisdom and striving to use our time to God’s glory we can avoid this.
We avoid being involved with people who act and speak in these ways. We take the gospel to them but we do not join them in their activities.
This is what Paul meant in 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” When he said we were not to be unequally yoked to unbelievers, we do not join with them because they are not in the flock and not partakers of the kingdom. We defile ourselves when we join up with them.
We know what it was like to be there. We were once darkness and just like them. We were lovers of self and of wickedness. Yet, we have been made free and brought into the light. Why would we want to go back to that? Why live that way again? It is crazy to think like that.
We are light now and as light we need to shine it so, “that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
When walking and acting in wisdom we are seeking to discern what is pleasing to God, not falling into the ways of the world.
When seeking to walk in wisdom we are seeking to please God by using something that is a part of Him and that is:
“Better than gold; even fine gold, and the yield is better than choice silver” (Prov. 8:19).
We see that wisdom was before the beginning of the earth (Prov. 8:23). This means wisdom is a part of God and is made available to us.
With wisdom we are blessed (Prov. 8:32).
And when we find wisdom we find life (Prov. 8:35).
Wisdom is of God and it will guide us and allow us to know what God desires.
Some of that is having no part in unfruitful works, but exposing them. Bringing forth the shameful things that those of the world do in the dark, in their secret places.
We know that God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:14).
Light removes darkness. It exposes whatever is in the dark. Many people do things in secret because it is shameful to do them in the light. When we walk in wisdom discerning what is pleasing to God, we bring to light all that is wicked and corrupt.
Doing such we may be alone, at least we think we are alone, we are never alone if believers. We have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. But we have so much more than this.
When we are faithful and serving God we have His power all around us. A perfect example of this is in 2 Kings 6:15-17
When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15–17 ESV
Elisha knew what was there but the servant did not. He had to see it and just imagine how he felt after seeing that.
We may not be Elisha but when we are faithful and standing for God, we have His power with us too.
Knowing this means that we must make the best of our time and make…
Holy Use of Time
As verses 13 and 14 say, “Anything exposed to the light becomes visible and anything that becomes visible is light…” Oh how much is evil out there. It is crazy to think of this. But sadly it is more evil than good, and time is short.
As we practice holy use of our time we will see that life is short and the days are evil.
Shortness of life is known all too well. We see this regularly. All of us here have lost people we love.
Many too early. Many after a long life. Still, 100 years is brief in comparison to eternity.
If we are walking in darkness and acting wickedly, and not walking in wisdom, we are wasting the very precious amount of time God has given us.
Moses said, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty, yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone and we fly away” (Ps. 90:10).
Short, so short. A holy use of time is necessary. Using the time we have is important because It is God’s Time Anyway.
This is why Paul said “Awake O Sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you.”
We wake up and go because, “you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom. 13:11-14).
We live to make Christ known. We go and shine a light. We do not go about as if sleep walking. Like a Zombie. No, we move with precision and reason.
We do not waste a minute of this brief life. We enjoy it and rest as needed because God created it and it is His good creation for us to enjoy and He gave us a day of rest, but we do not seek to always be at rest.
We will receive our complete and total rest one day when our life and work here is over as we see in…
Hebrews 4:1–11 (ESV)
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
We will enter our true rest then. But until then, let us live and fight daily for the Lord because the days are evil.
Evil is here. It is real and present always.
The world is in the grasp of evil.
1 John 5:19 says, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Paul says earlier in Ephesians 2:2 that the prince of the power of the air is seeking to destroy all.
Paul also said in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that Satan masquerades as an angel of light seeking to deceive all he can.
Peter says 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
It is clear from those few Scriptures that evil is real and very present.
Look at America alone. 60 million babies slaughtered on the altar of the God of self and sexual freedom. Sexual immorality is rampant and everywhere from porn to same-sex unions.
People are so deceived and deep in evil that they think there are more than two genders. The world is evil and only getting worse all the time.
This is why we make holy use of our time. We shine the light of Christ to the world. We strive to reach those that are lost. We arise and go let Christ shine on us so we can be a moon for the Son and reflect that light to this lost world.
When we do this we are able to…
Understand God’s Ways and Will
Twice in these 3 verses Paul has told us to be wise.
Be wise in 15 and do not be foolish here. We can be wise for two reasons:
- God has made us in His image (Gen. 1:26)
- God has given us who have believed His Spirit.
Back in verse 1 Paul presupposes we can imitate God as beloved Children.
We can because we have His image and were saved by His Son. We are His children and we can imitate Him.
We have become joint heirs with Christ as Paul has said in Gal. 4:3-7 “In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
As believers and heirs we have been given wisdom. All the wisdom needed at the point of salvation. Right then at that moment. All, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places were made ours (Eph. 1:3).
It is because of this why we can understand the will of God. It is to be holy/sanctified, redeem the time given us, and have wisdom through the Spirit of God. His will is also for us to live together, believer with believer, in harmony, not getting drunk but being filled with the Spirit, giving thanks always for all things, praising one another in songs and hymns, and being submitted to one another out of reverence to Christ.
We know this and become wise when we let the Spirit fill us and we do not grieve Him (Eph. 4:30).
We need to let the Spirit fill us instead of the world. Instead of the intoxication’s of the wicked and evil ways of the world.
When we are full of the Spirit and walking in wisdom we will walk in God’s will and His ways. We will speak well of others. We will praise one another and join together to praise the Lord. We will not attack each other and cause division.
We will be genuinely joyous around other believers. We have joy within us that joy in our heart–the inner life that God knows.
This joy will not be contained nor will it be withheld from others. It will flood out and be seen by all. We cannot keep it in, but must let it out and let it shine.
We do this by being thankful to God because of Jesus. It is done in all things, even trials and struggles.
When in the will of God and when walking in Wisdom making the best of our time we see that sufferings are to be rejoiced in because they produce endurance, character, hope, and this brings no shame (Rom. 5:3-5).
Not only this but we are to, not just we can, but we are to, have joy in various trials because they test our faith, bring steadfastness, which works to perfect and complete us (James 1:2-3).
Also, the trials makes our faith to be more precious than gold and found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:6-7).
When we live our lives like that, the whole world sees. They see a people who are living out what it means to be Christian.
They see faith that is real, Genuine, true, and not just blind or a crutch for the difficulties of the world.
They see real faith that rests on the promises of truth because this faith is based on truth because truth is the man who made us these promises and that is Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
When we live like this we are not out to hurt others among us. We are in submission to them as they are to us. We strive to love and help one another along in this difficult life.
We do not lash out and attack if insulted. No, we show love and grace to them because we have been shown love and grace.
We, as believers, are one in Christ. We are one body. We care for and aid the body in submission because when we do so we are honoring Christ. We are showing His love for the world to see.
We correct someone when they are wrong but never in an antagonizing way or in a destructive way. Always in love and genuine concern.
When we do this we honor God by walking in His will and Using His Time Wisely.
Conclusion
I think Freddie Fender sings well what this section is telling us. In Wasted days and Wasted nights he sang:
Wasted days and wasted nights I have left for you behind For you don’t belong to me Your heart belongs To someone else Why should I keep loving you When I know that you’re not true And why should I call your name When you’re the blame For making me blue?
When we hang up on the world and its ways, a way we left behind and its heart no longer belongs to us, we are wasting life. We are forsaking the short time we have here. Living for the old way of life is like the longing he had for the one who hurt him.
The world before Christ only hurt us and took us down. Why should we long for it when we have something so much better in Jesus Christ?
We should not. We should long for the glory of God and for making Him known. This is what we should long for. What we should strive for.
Let us go out with the passion and desire to live for Jesus and Use Time Wisely. Walk in the wisdom of God with a deep understanding of His ways. We will have a more joy filled life and one that the lost cannot shake away until they know the secret of our joy and happiness.
