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. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:15-21 (NIV)
Believers are to pay close attention to how we walk – how we live our lives – in every situation – wherever God has placed us. We have the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling within us enabling us to carry out this great task, equipping us to do things too hard for us to do. Do we emit the fragrance of Jesus or the stench of death? To be sure, where we are presently IS our mission field, be it home, work, church, etc. It is our Lord’s desire for us to bring Him into every encounter or circumstance or situation we walk through. We are to be the “aroma of Christ”, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV): “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” Who indeed? Again, this is possible only by the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling every believer in sweet Jesus.
Those in Christ are called to walk in His power both for His glory and for our good. And the reason we are to walk carefully is that the days are evil. Our lights are to shine brightly, seeking to walk as Jesus walked, pointing others to Him. So how are we doing in this? Jesus intends for us to be new creations – “the old has gone and the new has come,” Scripture tells us. We have been crucified with Christ, Paul writes in Galatians 2:20 (NIV): “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
God desires for us to bring His light to this dark world and He has empowered believers with the Holy Spirit equipping them to do things too hard for them to do. Time is of essence as it is fleeting and short lived necessitating our wise conduct. Scripture also tells us in 1 John 2:6 (NIV): “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” The reason for walking carefully and intentionally through the world on our trek to our heavenly home is that God desires for many to come to Him and our lives are to be a testimony of His faithfulness in seeking to help others turn from darkness to light. Besides all that, licentious living is wasteful and not redeemable and who wants to waste this one life we have been given?
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 (NIV)
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)