Ephesians 5:15 says, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”

The word “walk’ refers to the way we live.  The Lord wants us to “walk in truth.” (3 John 4).  He wants us to “walk worthy of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).  He wants us to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” (Ephesians 4:1).  Here in Ephesians 5:15, the Lord wants us to walk “circumspectly.”  The Lord wants us to “be careful” of how we walk, or how we live.  He wants us to live wisely, not foolishly.  Colossians 4:5 tells us to, “Walk in wisdom…” 

Believers on the Lord Jesus Christ ought not to live as the people of this world live.  We should not indulge in foolish pleasures and desires, but we should live as those who truly have a heavenly perspective and who have been made truly wise.  It is the Word of God properly ministered that causes us to realize our need of salvation.  The Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee WISE UNTO SALVATION through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”  (2 Timothy 3:15).  Once we are saved, we should live our lives according to Godly wisdom which comes from diligently studying our Bibles in dependence on the Lord to teach us. 

One way that we can live carefully for the Lord is found in Ephesians 5:11-12, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.”  This does not mean that we should not communicate with those who are not saved, but we are not to indulge in their sinful behavior with them.  Rather, we should ‘reprove’ or ‘rebuke’ them for their lifestyles and seek to lead them into a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that they too might become ‘wise unto salvation.’

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16).  We know that once a moment has passed, we cannot get it back again.  This verse urges us to use our time wisely and not be wasteful of our opportunities to please the Lord.  This manifests true wisdom.  We are taught in 1 Peter 4:1-2, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That HE NO LONGER SHOULD LIVE THE REST OF HIS TIME IN THE FLESH to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”  Indeed, our time truly belongs to the Lord.

Certainly, “the days are evil.”  We also realize that “the time is short.” (1 Corinthians 7:29).  As believers on the Lord and as His servants, we need to make the most of our opportunities to live for Him as long as we have time.  “See then that ye walk circumspectly.”  (396.6)