Ephesians 5.15-21 (7)
Pray Psalm 84.5-7.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
Sing Psalm 84.5-7.
(Holy Manna: Brethren, We Have Met to Worship)
Blessed are they whose strength is founded in Your strength, O LORD above.
All whose hearts in You are grounded journey in Your strength and love.
Though they weep with tears of sadness, grace shall all their way sustain.
In Your Presence, filled with gladness, they shall conquer all their pain.
Read Ephesians 5.15-21; meditate on verses 15.
What does the word “circumspectly” call to mind?
Preparation
1. How many “-ing” words can you find in this passage? What does each mean?
2. How many imperative verbs—such as “See:”, in v. 15—can you find?
Meditation
Scripture frequently uses the idea of a journey or a walk as a way of thinking about the life of faith. We’re going somewhere. The journey can be pleasant, and increasingly so. But we shall encounter obstacles, diversions, distractions, and disappointments along the way. We must prepare for these and not allow them to jar us off course in our journey toward the Lord.
“See”; “do not be unwise”; “understand”; “do not be drunk”; “be filled with the Spirit”: These are the Lord’s instructions for our journey. They are accompanied by certain duties and obligations: “redeeming the time”; “speaking to one another”; “giving thanks always”; “submitting to one another”. Every one of us can carry out these instructions and duties. We don’t have to leap tall buildings in a single bound, just take every next step with these instructions and duties in mind. Every time we do so, the Spirit of God will meet us with holy spiritual power to enable us to take that next step and know the joy of the Lord is so doing.And let the fear and love of God define your mindset and heartset as you go. The Christian life is not rocket science. And, while it includes much of mystery, yet our everyday activities are clear, and we can fulfill them if we will keep the eyes of our heart on the Lord, fear God, and step out into the power of the Holy Spirit. Then walk on.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise…” (Eph. 5.15).
“Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy,
for I AM the LORD your God.
And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them:
I AM the LORD Who sanctifies you” (Lev. 20.7, 8).
“You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev. 19.2).
We are saved by grace.
We are saved to keep the Law.
We are saved to do good works.
Here and now, to rejoice there and then.
And in this walk of faith, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, Who enables us to walk obediently.
“I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart” (Ps. 119.32).
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4.7).
“LORD, I hope for Your salvation, and I do Your commandments” (Ps. 119.166).
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification…” (1 Thess. 4.3).
“…that you put off…the old man which grows corrupt…
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and
that you put on the new man which was created according to God,
in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4.22-24).
“And let the fear and love of God define your mindset and heartset as you go.”
We need only to “keep the eyes of our heart on the Lord,
fear God, and step out into the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Reflection
1. How would you explain to a new believer how to be filled with the Spirit?
2. If your friend asks, “Why?”, what would you say?
3. How should the fear of God and love of God operate in your walk with the Lord? What role does each have?
Time is a talent given us by God, and it is misspent and lost when not employed according to his design. If we have lost our time heretofore, we must double our diligence for the future. Of that time which thousands on a dying bed would gladly redeem at the price of the whole world, how little do men think, and to what trifles they daily sacrifice it! Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Ephesians 5.15
Pray Psalm 84.1-4, 8-12.
Where will your journey take you in the week ahead? Lay it out before the Lord in prayer, asking Him for grace sufficient for all your times of need and thanksgiving in all things.
Sing Psalm 84.1-4, 8-12.
(Holy Manna: Brethren, We Have Met to Worship)
LORD of hosts, how sweet Your dwelling; how my soul longs for Your courts!
Let my soul with joy keep telling of Your grace forevermore.
Like a bird upon the altar, let my life to You belong.
Blessed are they who never falter as they praise Your grace with song!
LORD of hosts, my prayer receiving, hear me, help me by Your grace!
In Your courts I stand believing; turn to me Your glorious face!
LORD, our sun, our shield, our glory, no good thing will You deny
to those who proclaim Your story, and who on Your grace rely.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we conclude our study of the place of God’s Law in His Kingdom. Our Read Moore podcast continues working through The Gospel of the Kingdom, working to understand the true Gospel of the Lord. The Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
