FEBRUARY 3, 2016

                                                           

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV) ¹⁵Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

We are supposed to have a new life in Christ, a new nature and heart. That does not mean that we are not susceptible to slipping back into the old nature or justifying compromise. Paul outlined, in this chapter, what the works of the flesh look like and warned them that living like that excluded them from any inheritance in the kingdom of God (vs 5). It guarantees wrath (vs 6).

Then he reminded them to live in the light, expressing the attributes of God. If we love darkness, we need to examine whether or not we have truly repented and been born again. We are to find out what pleases the Lord and live in those ways. It may be something different for each of us, but whatever it is, it will be in the light. That is wise living. It is living with the focus on eternity. Investing in the temporal is unwise living.

We have a limited time and number of opportunities. We should make as much of them as we can by the grace of God. The battle for souls is raging, and time is running out. Use the opportunities God gives you without fearing man. That is to understand what God's will is. The foolish miss the opportunities God gives them. The wise step into each one. They know that pleasing the Lord is eternally rewarding.

Drunkenness only dulls you to opportunities. Dulling the senses and weakening your inhibitions, it pulls you away from your potential and purpose. It is a substitute for the Spirit, a counterfeit. It allows the flesh to have an upper hand. Eventually, it will destroy you. Being filled with the Spirit is the opposite of drunkenness. It sharpens you to opportunity. It strengthens your boundaries. It helps you step into your potential and purpose. When the inevitable trials come, being filled with the Spirit will help you walk through them in victory.

Remember: This is an imperative command of Scripture: Be filled with the Spirit!