Ephesians 5:15-16 15Therefore, watch carefully how you walk not as unwise but as wise, 16by making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
Paul begins to wind down his exhortation on the topic of living as holy and righteous people who are being remade into the image of God. Verse 15 is a key summary that captures the heart of the issue. Paul calls the Ephesians and all readers of this letter to watch carefully. Pay attention. Look at how you are living. Do not be caught lulled to sleep by the darkness. The light of Christ has come, so we can now see more clearly where we must walk. If we follow the way of darkness, we might stumble and fall. Foolish people will ignore the light to their own peril. Wise people will see the much better outcome for those who walk in the light of Christ. Again, walk (peripateite) represents how one lives his or her life.
How can we pay attention and walk in wisdom? Verse 16 begins with an instrumental participle (exagorazomenoi), meaning by making the most of or making the best use of what time we have. There is a sense of urgency in this statement. There is an implied positive outlook since we live with an expectation of Christ’s imminent return. This gives us hope and should cause us to be ready and found doing what we have been called to do. There is also a more explicit reason given because the days are evil. Do not be lazy and just let life roll along because evil will attempt to overtake us. Evil, darkness, and disobedience are all around us. These verses challenge readers to examine their lives and see what is motivating and influencing their behavior. Not paying attention and living without discipline will open us up to many troubles. Many challenges people face could be avoided if they would just look to the light of Christ.
For older posts, click here.