Consider these words from Paul’s pen, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17).
The first consideration in this passage it to determine what is wisdom! Remember the following words, “…the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). This is not to say that you can’t gain wisdom from men, you can. However, it is easy to be duped into thinking that someone or something is wise when that’s not the case! Any time anyone tells you that wisdom dictates what is a violation of God’s will, they are wrong. They are as the false teachers of Peter’s day, “But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption” (2 Peter 2:12).
When someone seeks understanding from God, he will become wise. The Psalmist wrote, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever” (Psalms 111:10). Of course, such wisdom is not wisdom if it does not lead to appropriate actions. A circumspect walk is necessary. It is how you conduct yourself in wise rather than foolish ways.
What does the word circumspectly mean? It is the Greek word akribos, defined by Strong, exactly, diligently, perfectly. The ESV translates this phrase, “Look carefully then now you walk, not as unwise but as wise.”
A circumspect walk is one that is in accord with Christ’s will. We should never assume what Christ wants, or assume that He won’t mind if we depart from His pattern. A true disciple is diligent to learn and to apply exactly what his teacher requires.
Finally, the phrase, “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (16). To redeem is to rescue from loss. It is foolish to be wasteful of our time and opportunities to worship God, evangelize the lost and edify the brethren. As the remainder of the text (through verse 21) indicates, our lives should be characterized by sobriety, sincere worship, prayer and giving of thanks, and consideration for our brethren as we demonstrate our respect for God.
To do anything else is foolish and wasteful. It is also dangerous. We are living in evil times. Everywhere about us is sin. If we don’t follow God’s instructions exactly, starting today, we pave the way to our perdition!
