Ephesians 5:15-20  Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul warned the Ephesians was that the days are evil. That is certainly still true today. People kill one another simply because they have a different skin color or a different religion. Con artists prey on the elderly and steal their savings. Profanity and nudity on television and in movies has become the accepted norm. Same sex unions have been “legalized” and are portrayed as perfectly normal and legitimate. We are told that it is an act of mercy to kill a person suffering from a terminal disease, or that it is compassionate to let mothers kill their unborn children. Those who act with honesty and integrity are often ridiculed for their actions. What you should remember is that these things are coming from the UNWISE. In an effort to find fulfillment, the unwise corrupt every part of God’s creation that they lay their hands on. Those who are guided by the wisdom that comes from above will see these evils for what they are, avoid them and expose them.

Paul also warns, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. The unwise act foolishly, which leads to all kinds of evil. That is because those who are unwise do not understand what is most important. They try to find fulfillment in things, in their own understanding, in earthly pleasures, in the opinion of their peers. They are looking for wisdom and understanding in the wrong places. Those who live wisely understand what the Lord’s will is. They look to Him for guidance and direction. They take the message of His Word at face value. They understand that His Will is that we live as His people, following His laws, not to merit salvation but in response to the salvation Jesus earned in our place.

Another way Paul contrasts the wise and unwise is: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. The unwise, seeking some kind of high, some kind of escape, try getting drunk. Paul mentions wine here, but it may just as easily be drugs, power, or sex. The unwise are looking for a remedy to the cares of this world. What they find is only temporary and artificial. And it is a poor substitute for the joy and glory that God provides in Jesus Christ. The unwise find no lasting joy, no lasting satisfaction. And yet they will keep trying the same things over and over again.

Those who are filled with the Spirit, on the other hand, are enriched in every way. They have a joy that lasts for all eternity. They have received from God deep insight into their lives and inner satisfaction, because they know that God has redeemed them from sin, rescued them from the grave, given them forgiveness for all sins and a new life. All this was accomplished in the gift of Jesus Christ. He entered this world for the purpose of winning the victory over every kind of evil, including death. He did that by living a life of perfection and offering that to God for you. He died in your place, paying for sin, and rose in triumph over death for you. He shares all of that with you freely. When you believe that Jesus is your Savior, that faith obtains the wisdom and the promises of God, making them your own. The wisdom you have received from God tells you that there is no obstacle so great that it cannot be overcome. There is no problem so great that it cannot be solved. The one who laid down His life for you will graciously give you all the help you need to live wisely, even though you are surrounded by evil.

With this confidence, we are told what part of our response should be: Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The lives of the wise are to be lives of joy. Their speech is to be filled with God’s Word, overflowing from a grateful heart. God wants your lives to be joyful, He wants you to have a song in your heart. Your joy and confidence should be evident as you speak to each other with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.  That adds a whole new dimension to our singing in worship, doesn’t it? We sing not just so God will hear, but so that our brothers and sisters in Christ will hear. And the joy you share in your speaking and singing is that you have been forgiven, you have been washed and made clean by the blood of the Lamb. You have the certainty of eternal life with God. Give thanks to God! That is wise living.