“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15
St. Paul wrote these words to the Church in Ephesus. It was a city where idolatry and immorality ran rampant. His words were a warning to the Church to be careful, knowing that Christians were under watch and great speculation. It’s not much different than our time. Many are looking for opportunities to misconstrue the teaching of Christ and to assault our Christian beliefs. We live in a time of idolatry when many have made themselves to be god and the masters of their own destiny. What is good is called evil and what is evil is called good. Non Christians will look for an opportunity to discredit our faith and point out our failures as evidence that our beliefs are false and lived in vain. So we need to be very careful. The devil would love nothing more than to twist the words of God and make our sins the evidence to the world that we are all misguided.
Thanks be to God, we know the truth! Despite our inability to live the high calling of our faith, we have forgiveness and are empowered to live wisely. Our ability to live by the grace of God is the greatest evidence that we can give to the truth of His Word. We are not perfect, just perfectly forgiven. When we live in the Lord’s forgiveness and grace we take the opportunity to confess the goodness of God. This makes us bold and confident to live out our faith and confession and to point not to ourselves, but to the grace by which we have been saved.
Know that you are loved!
Peace and Joy,
Pastor Kilian