Good Morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 5. ¹⁵ See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, ¹⁶ Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
First of all, the Apostle Paul is speaking to the church and warning them not to be fools. As a complete unbeliever, foolishness prevailed in one’s past, but as a Christian, you are called to walk in wisdom. A fool is defined in numerous places as a person who lacks good sense or judgment, or is a stupid and silly person. They refuse to listen to wisdom, and will turn away their ears from the truth.
2 Timothy 4 ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Foolish people refuse to shun sin. They reject the path of humility and repentance towards God. A prime example of foolishness is found in the parable of the ten virgins.
Matthew 25 ¹ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. ⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Rather than being circumspect and considering the consequences for their actions, the foolish virgins didn’t care. They didn’t even bother to prepare themselves for what was coming, which ultimately resulted in being turned away from God’s Kingdom. The lesson taught here is that the consequences for foolish behavior can result in the loss of one’s own salvation. If you sin willfully after knowing the truth, there is no more forgiveness for sin. This is what Judas did. This is what Lot’s wife did. This is what Esau did. They took the greatest gift that you could ever possess, and they threw it away like something without value and completely meaningless to them.
Hebrews 10 ²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. ²⁸ He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
²⁹ Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
God’s grace is the most incredible thing that you could ever attain, but some people will receive in vain, sinning willfully against the God who laid down His precious life to redeem them. God is not mocked, and you will reap what you sow. Those who choose the path of rebellion do not love God, they hate Him, and will eventually be punished by Him, whether they profess to be Christians or not. Fools are self-willed, who choose to make their own decisions rather than basing them in the scriptures.
“Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.” Proverbs 14:9
Fools reject repentance and submission to the will of God. Rather than converting to the truth of scripture, they choose the path of rebellion instead.
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23
Rebellion is the act or process of resisting authority and control. It can happen in a home when a teenager resists the will of their dad. Rather than lovingly obeying him, they choose to do what they want instead. A wife can do the same thing. A Christian wife is commanded by Christ Jesus to obey and submit to her husband in everything, but at times they have been known to rise up and rebel against their own husbands. This can also result in numerous other sins such departing from a husband or eventually divorcing them. This is the same way that people treat God. They fight and resist His will, but yet they claim Lord Lord, claiming to be his followers. They profess Christianity as their faith, but rise up in a state of rebellion against the teachings of His Word.
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16
When you are circumspect you will be very wary and unwilling to take risks.
It is to be extremely cautious and careful, thinking beforehand of the consequences of your decisions. Sometimes, a hunter cannot even approach an animal because they are so wary and watchful of their surroundings. The creature will place each step carefully, considering each movement that they make with extreme caution. Christians must possess the same attitude. They must make wise choices based on scriptural teachings, so as not to risk the loss of their soul. A wise person will think about something before they do it, whereas a fool doesn’t really care. As they have said, they throw caution to the wind.
Life is filled with consequences for what you do. In the garden of Eden, Eve chose to listen to the devil rather than the command of God which resulted in their expulsion from Paradise. A consequence is a result or effect of a certain action that one takes, whether good or bad. Most people are wise enough not to touch a hot stove, because they will get burned. Wisdom teaches us to think before we act. Spiritual wisdom is making our decisions based on the teachings of Holy scriptures. These decisions will ultimately lead toward good consequences and blessings from God in the future.
Ultimately, at the final judgment, there will be consequences for the way that you chose to live your life. You will receive eternal life or eternal damnation. Jesus died on the cross to deliver us from our sins, but that is for the purpose of us becoming a new creature and repenting of our past. Jesus taught that he that does the will of God abideth forever, so in order to enter eternal life requires that we obey the teachings of our faith. Not everybody who became a Christian at one point of their life is going to do this. Some people will not think about the consequences, choosing to live in sin rather than turning away from wickedness.
To inherit eternal life, you must prepare yourself now for what is coming in the future. You must consider the everlasting consequences for the decisions that you make. You will need to walk in the will of God, abide in the truth, and make sure that you are always…
…..On Your Guard
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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