Walking Wisely: Redeeming Time and Submitting to Christ

Be filled with the spirit. Now, you're with us during Ephesians one, we spent quite a bit of time dealing with what it means to be filled with the spirit. There's weird teachings out there that you can somehow be a Christian and not have the holy spirit of God fully. That you have the junior holy spirit. Senior pastor has the senior holy spirit and everybody else has the junior holy spirit. That's a lie from the pit of hell. Bible teaches us that the moment you are born again by the spirit of God, you receive the spirit of God and you didn't get a level three version of the spirit of God and somebody else has a level 10, you're not lacking in the spirit of God. When the scripture teaches about being filled by the spirit, what it's talking about is submitting to the spirit. [00:56:55] (45 seconds)  #SubmitToTheSpirit

Circumstances change, but the gospel never does. And so to be a mature wise people, we have to be a people who remember who Christ is and what he's done for us. A people of gratitude. A people who recognize that we deserve judgment from God, but that Christ bore our sin. A people who recognize that we were separated and severed from God, but through Christ, we've been adopted into his family. A people who recognize that we don't deserve an eternity spent with God, but because of Jesus, our eternity is secure. [01:06:11] (47 seconds)  #GratitudeForGrace

And, I wonder if sometimes we think we're far more important than we really are. And so, we allow ourselves to be distracted by things that we would view as good, but not best. Paul says, make the best use of your time. So, the wise Christian consistently asks, is this how God wants me to spend my time? Is this how God wants me to redeem my time? Scripture tells us that the foolish man wastes his time. The wise man seeks to redeem it for the glory of God. [00:55:47] (44 seconds)  #RedeemYourTime

Paul says, don't be controlled by anything or anyone other than Jesus. And Christians, when you look at your life and you look at what's controlling you and you compare it to Jesus, you know Jesus wins every time. If you're doing the pros and cons list, and you're being honest with yourself, and you know Jesus, you know I would much rather have Jesus lead my life than the fear of man, than alcohol, than substance abuse, then whatever it may be that is controlling me. I choose Christ. [00:58:27] (36 seconds)  #ChristOverEverything

Paul tells the church in Ephesus to pause, to look carefully. But the language here in the Greek is not just a one time reflection. It's an ongoing reality. That knowing that the will of God for us is Christ likeness. Therefore, we regularly look at our lives. We examine it to make sure that we are loving Jesus. Loving the things of Jesus. That our hearts are being transformed day by day into Christ likeness. That we're putting to death the things of the world, and the values of the world. The principles of the world. The desires of our flesh in order to live according to Christ's ways. [00:42:58] (53 seconds)  #DailySoulCheck

Could we walk wisely in these evil days? We make the best use of our time. That phrase, make the best use, literally means to buy up or redeem from a marketplace that which is valuable before it's gone. It means much of like what Jesus taught in the pearl of great price in his parable about the the pearl, the kingdom of God. When he found it, what did he do? He sold everything he had in order to purchase the pearl of great price. A wise Christian understands that we're to purchase up, we're to redeem the time that God has given us. [00:46:36] (53 seconds)  #ValueWhatMatters

My wife encouraged me toward a healthy practice several months ago, that's been very helpful in my life. That when I come home, I take my phone, I put it on do not disturb, I put it in the bedroom, I shut the door, I go hang out with the family. I love you all, but I'm not the police. Don't call me if someone's breaking into your house. I'm not the type of doctor that can save you if you have a heart attack. So I don't need to be on call twenty four seven. [00:55:04] (30 seconds)  #DigitalSabbath

It's easy to give thanks for the things that turn out the way we like. Isn't it? It's very difficult to give thanks in seasons that aren't so easy. A wise Christian remembers the truth of the gospel in every circumstance and season. So they can be a thankful Christian. Not a Christian that forgets what God has done, but a Christian that remembers who God is and what he's done in their lives. So that in every changing season, we can be a people of gratitude. [01:05:05] (39 seconds)  #ThankfulInAllSeasons