Walking Wisely in Evil Days
On March 15, 2015, pastor Darin preached from Eph 5:15-23, Walking Wisely in Evil Days. Some of the most painful things in our lives come in the context of marriage. This passage is healing for you whether you are married, and if you are single, it can prepare you for the future. Today is the first part of the two-part sermon. Today will focus on verses 15 – 21.
In v.15 we are told to walk wisely (see also Eph 2:10; 4:17; 5:8). We live in a world characterized by evil, so we must be careful how we live. And in v. 17 Paul says we must understand what God’s will is for our life. God’s will is spelled out in two different ways in Scripture: 1) His secret will (all that He has ordained to take place before time began); 2) His revealed will (the things He has made known in His word about who He is and how He wants us to live). It is this sense of His revealed will that we see in v. 18 when Paul tells us that we are to be filled with the Spirit––to experience an ever increasing measure of the presence of God to the point that it changes us (Eph 3:18). This is what enables us to live walk wisely. Main idea of the sermon: We must filled with the Spirit to walk wisely in these evil days. The impact of the Spirit’s filling is seen in four different ways:
1. Our thoughts
a. Psalm 1:1-2 “blessed” – means to be full, satisfied richly. When we experience this our thoughts are drawn to Scripture (meditate day and night), and we think on His word.
b. John 14:26 - the Spirit brings God’s Word back to our remembrance.
c. Dig deeper: we want to have our minds renewed (Rom 12:1-3), and the primary way this happens is by having it saturated with God’s Word. Read and study His word every day. This will help us to think God’s thoughts after Him.
2. Our speaking (v. 19)
a. What we think comes out in what we say. Our words must be infiltrated by and saturated with God’s words. When we are filled with the Spirit we speak the language of Scripture to others.
b. Dig deeper: We must guard our tongues. Reflect on Prov 18:21; James 3:5-13.Confess to those you have sinned against with your words.
3. Our desires (v. 17 - “making melody to the Lord with your heart”)
a. When we are filled with the Spirit, God moves powerfully in our hearts in a mysterious way such that our desires are changed so that they are “in tune” with the Lords desires.
b. Dig deeper: God’s Word and Spirit work together to change our desires at the deepest level.See Phil 2:12-13.
4. We live differently
a. Verse 20: We give thanks – complaining is contagious, but a truly thankful person seems otherworldly, especially when going through difficult circumstances. Dig deeper: this is a picture of Christ: even as He approaches the cross, He is thankful (Matt 26:27; Heb 12:2-3)
b. Verse 21: submit – the idea is to defer to others. When God’s Spirit is at work in us, we find an increasing ability to defer to others. Dig deeper: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane submits to the will of the Father in going to the cross where He would lay down His life for our salvation.
1) There is freedom in this because we do this out of reverence for Christ. This refers to the fear of the Lord as we walk in wisdom through faith in Christ.
2) It brings us joy in following Jesus example, who humbled Himself and died the death of the cross. Dig deeper: reflect on and pray through Philippians 2:3-8.
Conclusion: Let us pray that the Lord would give us eyes to see Christ, who emptied Himself and died the death we deserve to die and rose from the grave so that we might be filled with His Spirit, and by His grace through faith, would walk wisely in these evil days.