“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty 

words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  (Ephesians 5:1-17)

 

In the context of relationships, Paul includes a very important reminder about time.  Paul is teaching the Ephesian Christians how they are to live since they have been united with Christ (unity with Christ being the theme of the letter).  He explains that they are to imitate God and walk in love, and the way we are to do this is to be light where there is darkness, because now “you are light in the Lord.”  Because Jesus is true and perfect and always God-glorifying, we are to be the same.  We are not to take part in “the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

So if we are to be light in Christ among the darkness, we must heed Paul’s command: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise…”  What is Paul’s example of wisdom here?  ”…making the best use of the time.”  

Redeeming the Time

While the ESV translates this phrase as “making the best use of the time,” a more clear translation is “redeeming the time.”  This Greek word has the idea of “redeeming” or “buying back.”  If you have a coupon for a free Frappuccino, the chocolate kind with little chocolate sprinkles and chocolaty chocolate syrup….oh, sorry, rabbit trail.  If you have that coupon, and as you order you only ask to use the coupon for 1 cent (because that is what it is worth when not being redeemed – read the fine print), then you are not redeeming the coupon.  You are wasting it.  

If you are to redeem it, then seeing the value that it has, you use it for its full potential – a chocolaty cup of goodness.

If you are going to “redeem the time,” then you need to use it for its full potential.  But not full potential in the way the world means it – every day is for you, so you should take this day and make yourself happy.  That kind use of time is like using the coupon for 1 cent – it is wasting the potential the day has! 

You’ve been given time to glorify God!  Not time like minutes on a clock, but time as in season of time (this distinction is made in the Greek between kairos and kronos).  We live in the “time” (or period of time) between Christ’s first and second coming.  And this season of time is a God-given-gift over which we are stewards.  You are to walk wisely, making the best use of “the” time.

The Days are Evil

The reason that you are to walk wisely by redeeming the time is because we are at war.  Not war in a far away country with other people, but war in our lives wherever we are with evil.  Evil does not want God to be glorified, and doesn’t want us to bring light to the darkness, because evil knows that darkness cannot overcome the light.  

We are tempted from every side to waste our days – to sleep half the day away, be entertained the rest of the day, and go back to sleep late at night.  Or even if we seem busy most of the time, we are tempted to use our time to serve ourselves, never bringing glory to God by being light in darkness.  

Vocation and Time

But you may be saying, “I don’t have time for this!  I’m a student!  I have chores!  When can I fit this in?!”  These are good questions, but we must recognize that Paul was not calling the Ephesian church to drop their jobs and schooling and relationships to fulfill this command.  He called them to “Look carefully then how you walk…do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”  As they walked through their days (walking=living), they are to look for opportunities, and even make opportunities where none are to be found, so that they might redeem the time, chasing away untruth and evil.  We are to use our vocations for this task, not abandon them for it.

The Will of the Lord

You may ask yourself from time to time: “What is God’s will for my life?”  Paul gives you your answer right here in vs. 17.  What is God’s will for your life?  You are walk wisely by redeeming the time.  Plain and simple.  

Now of course this can work itself out through your going to whichever college or choosing to marry whatever person or even choosing a varying range of jobs for the future.  But whatever direction you choose to go in these vocations, recognize that in each of them the will of the Lord is for you to redeem the time you have while doing them.  What do you want to do in life?  Are you gifted to do it?  Is it a godly pursuit?  (side note: “godly pursuit” doesn’t mean becoming a pastor or missionary; it means being worthy of bringing honor to God – for Paul, even tent making made the cut; and don’t forget Jesus was a carpenter).  Then what ever you choose to do, do it as light in the Lord exposing the darkness!

Conclusion

So, how can you use your time better?  How can you turn your life into a candle that drives away darkness?  You must at least start with being a light in the Lord!  Know the Lord Jesus!  It is only our union with Him that causes evil to be put away, both in us and in our relationships with others.  ”Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness…”  A second way to use your time better is to seek out darkness in your own life and allow the Lord to drive it out.  Finally, a third way is to help our friends, families, and acquaintances to see darkness in their lives, and to lovingly be light to them, exposing the darkness.

In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul gave the Corinthian church two examples of how we as Christians are to give, and these examples are just as relevant for us today as it was for them two millennia ago. The two examples are the giving of the Macedonian Christians, and the giving of Jesus.

The Giving of the Macedonians

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us…For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 12)

Here are a few observations about the giving of the Macedonian churches from Tim Lane and Paul David Tripp:

1. Their giving encouraged unity (background in Romans 15) – The Greeks and Jews were divided. Many years of division had birthed a hatred of both cultures for the other. But the Holy Spirit’s work among the Macedonian Christians was doing a work beyond what they would have done if left in their sins – their giving monetarily for the Jerusalem Christians’ cause birthed unity. According to Romans 15:25-27, the Macedonians had become “sharers in the spiritual blessing” with the Jerusalem Christians. They were now one in Christ.

2. Their giving was a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 8:1) – In 2 Corinthians 8:1, we see that this giving of the Macedonians was not from their own strength, but it was the “grace of God given” that spurred their giving. When we give freely to others, we must give credit where credit is due – it is the work of God in us. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

3. Their giving was surprising (2 Cor. 8:2) – it was surprising because they were poor! You don’t expect a homeless man to hand YOU money on the street! But these poor Macedonians gave out of their “extreme poverty” which overflowed in a “wealth of generosity.”

4. Their giving was sacrificial (2 Cor. 8:3) – They not only gave what they thought they could live with giving, but beyond what they could afford, trusting that God would supply their needs, as He was supplying the needs of the Christians in Jerusalem through them.

5. Their giving was spontaneous (2 Cor. 8:4-5a) – They didn’t wait for Paul to ask them for a contribution for the saints – they begged him that they might give. Paul didn’t expect this, but was pleased.

6. Their giving was an act of submission (2 Cor. 8:5b) – Giving to others never comes without first giving ourselves to the Lord, recognizing and trusting that it is He who provides for our needs at all times – when we’re rich and when we’re poor.

7. Their giving was a spiritual barometer (2 Cor. 8:12) – “If the readiness is there…” How would they be ready to give before being asked and prodded? It is because the Holy Spirit had been shaping their hearts to be those who trust and give, not those who doubt and hoard.

The Giving of Jesus

But Paul then gives us a second example of how we are to give, and it is the root of all other giving, including that of the Macedonian Christians. Christ Jesus, Himself, is the best example of giving that we could have.

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9)

How was Jesus rich? Let us count the ways! He created all things, therefore all things belong to Him. He had all power and glory as the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity. He was perfect, having no sin debt. In all ways Christ was rich!

But He gave away His riches that He might become poor like us – being born as what He created, being pricked with splinters living the life of a carpenter, giving up the glories of the presence of His Father, being in the presence of sinful people, even to the point of giving up His life – He became poor.

And He did this “for your sake,” that you “by His poverty might become rich.” What an amazing person Jesus was! What an amazing God! And it is this kind of giving that the Holy Spirit enabled the Macedonians to give, and it enables us to do the same.

Learning to enjoy the world because it is God’s creation and tells us about Him, and then learning to use the creation in ways that honor Him can give joy and fruitfulness to our lives in a way that the “world” cannot.  But if we stop at this point, there is a gaping problem with our lives and the lives of those around us: sin.  Learning to find joy and engaging the culture is all pointless if the people enjoying and participating in the world are not following after the One who created the world!  So our third task in participating with the world is this:

Task 3: Evangelize the World

We live right now between Christ’s death/resurrection and the consummation of all things, when He will return to judge the living and the dead.  If we have had our hearts renewed by the Holy Spirit through the good news of Jesus the Christ, then we are given the responsibility to “engage” the world around us through living before them and speaking the gospel to them in a way that makes sense.  This task is called the Redemptive Mandate, and is found many places, but is particularly clear in Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”  

God created the world, gave man the role of filling and subduing it, and now He calls us to take the gospel to it.  This is where the Creation Mandate and Redemptive Mandate meet, and is where we find ourselves living if we are Christians.

This task of evangelism is not simply the job of the religious elite.  If the Holy Spirit has worked in your heart and pointed you toward the Savior, then you are to share that gospel in which you found the truth with others.  You are to testify of what Christ is doing and has been doing in the world and in yourself.  Purswell reminds us, “we don’t need to be brilliant, dynamic, or persuasive – we simply need to testify faithfully of what Jesus Christ has done to save sinners like us.”  It is each of our responsibility to share the good news, in our churches, in our homes, in our schools – in all realms of life.  It is only in this gospel-work that the Creation Mandate can be fulfilled.  

So, are you spreading the good news of Christ?  Are you taking the opportunities in which God has placed you to tell others of what Jesus has done for those who will trust in Him?

In our study on Worldliness, with the help of C. J. Mahaney, Jeff Purswell, Dave Harvey, Craig Cabaniss, and Bob Kauflin, we have identified specific ways that the world tries to pry our eyes off of King Jesus, and put them instead on lesser things – things of this world. We’ve noted over and again that these things (media, music, stuff, clothes) are not bad when we use them to bring glory to the Lord. But how do we do that?

Jeff Purswell helps us think through this lifestyle of worshiping-Christ-by-rightly-using-the-stuff-He-has-given-us by leading us through three “God-given tasks that give substance to our interaction with the world in which we live.” We will look at the first one now, and the other two in following posts.

Task 1: Enjoy the World

Purswell makes the point that “worldliness is not a matter of matter, but of the heart.”  There is nothing intrinsically wrong with having loads of money and listening to music.  God created all things, and all things exist to bring Him glory.  

If you were raised in the theological system I was, then you may think of this creation as the not-quite-right place that is going to pass away.  And you’d be right.  But I often thought that it was then “heaven” that I would reside for eternity; some ethereal place with fluffy gold/clouds to walk on and singing with harps for backup 24 hours a day (if you can have a “day” without a sun – remember, it passed away).  But after studying the Scriptures in college, I began to call that way of thinking into question.  Revelation 20-22 clearly paints a different picture of the future state of things.  

There we see that there is still a creation!  A new creation!  A new heavens and new earth!  The heavenly city comes down out of the heavens to join with earth!  It is indeed Heaven on Earth!

Purswell points out that we may have once sung, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through,” but in a very real sense, this is our home, only without sin!  Just as our present bodies will be recreated imperishable, the whole creation, which now groans under the sin to which we subject it, will be made new.

Continued Created Enjoyment

So, how does this change how I interact with the world?  If this is true, that “matter” is not bad, but was created good, and will be renewed into perfection, then what I do now with the “world” has lasting effects on what I will experience then!  I can experience and appreciate the world more deeply and better because I know why it was created, but also what it will be in God’s eternal kingdom!  And this enjoyment is rooted in what Purswell defines as two solid realities:

Creation is God’s Witness

Even now, creation is telling us about God’s glory.  Deep calls unto deep, reverberating His worth and magnificence all around us.  The more we experience creation, then the more we experience our Creator.  ”For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

Creation is God’s Gift

And gifts are to be enjoyed.  To those who have been given earthly wealth by God, Paul says: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).  Why enjoy it?  ”For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:4-5).

Conclusion

These two realities about creation cause us 1) to know more about God (see Psalm 19); 2) to imitate God (“When an artist brings beauty out of oil paint or clay, she bears witness to the Craftsman who imagined the universe.  The golfer who launches a drive 350 yards down the center of the fairway reflects the prowess of Providence.  The singer whose aria makes the hair on your neck stand on end conveys hints of transcendent Beauty.”); and 3) to to delight in God (see Psalm 104).

We’ve been given this creation as an instrument with which to praise God; and a key way we praise God with the creation is by enjoying it!

A good word from Dr. Piper…

HT: Z