Paul has been speaking since chapter 4 about the walk of the new man. The number 7, it is said, represents perfection. It is also said that in advertising it is necessary to repeat something 6 times before we finally get it. This is the seventh time that Paul instructs as regarding our walk as Christians. This may have some significance. Whether he purposely chose to repeat this seven times or not, the reality is that he considers it extremely important how we live out our lives as Christians. Paul uses the word walk to describe the Christian life, because it is best described as a two step process. Step one is putting off. Step two is putting on. If the first step is putting off, then there must be something to put on in order for us to take the second step. This is why it is so futile for someone who is in the world to try and "clean up" his life by putting off the bad. Without Christ in his life there is nothing to put on in place of the bad, and so he is like a cripple on one leg. Fullness in life comes in the principle of putting off the old life and putting on Christ. This is the process of practical righteousness leading to sanctification.

In the previous chapters Paul has laid out some practical steps to follow in this process, and now he draws this section to a close with a powerful summary. "So then, be careful how you live." For Paul, living is walking. He is not as concerned with our destination as he is our demonstration. We know where our journey will take us, but we must be careful about how we travel on the way there.

The way we walk includes two more principles.

I. Zealously Pursue Every Opportunity

Ephes. 5:15-16 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Here Paul speaks about opportunities that lie before us on this journey. There are three types of opportunities that we may encounter on our journey as Christians. Each of these takes careful, thorough observation and must be seized opportunely. The word "careful' may be translated in two ways. The first is as it is translated in the King James. "Walk circumspectly" The idea that we must be looking all around us. Not missing an angle. The second carries the idea of caution. "Walk carefully" As we do this, we will find that there are many opportunities for us to seize along the way. Actually, we can break these opportunities down into three groups.

1. Those that come as a result of the things we put on.
Because the days are evil, there are many opportunities to demonstrate good. Paul has already talked about the fact that we are the Lord's light. How much more opportunity there is to shine in dark places. So the first idea is for us to seize all of the wonderful opportunities that there are in these days to shine for Jesus. Opportunities to be charitable to those who have needs. To follow the mandate of Christ to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, heal the sick, preach the good news to the incarcerated. There are tremendous opportunities in these days.

But there are other opportunities that arise out of the present evil in the world.
2. Those that come as a result of what we put off.
The second idea here is that we must be careful to benefit by the obstacle that we may encounter as we walk. It is not so much in the looking around for the opportunities as looking around for the dangers. Because the days are evil, there are many pitfalls along the way. These pitfalls, rather than being obstacles, now become opportunities to demonstrate the power of good over evil.

Things can happen along the way that can cause us to be distracted. If we are not careful we will fall for the temptations. They can cause us unnecessary expense and heartache. He says here that we can avoid that by being careful.

I use the road from out house to the I35 regularly to proceed to some or other destination. As familiar as I am with that road there should be no danger whatsoever. But you can be sure that if I am not careful about the way I drive on my way there, there could be serious consequences. Some of those consequences come in the form of a white car with red and blue lights.

We must take care on our way to our destination, because there are many pitfalls and obstacles. Paul is going to say that though these pitfalls and obstacles exist, being aware of them, we may overcome them. By being careful to keep off that which we have put off, we have opportunities to boast on Christ's strength in our own weakness.

Now there is a third sense in which we may understand this principal of seizing every opportunity

3. Those that come because of the evil that affects us regardless.
Because the world is evil there are many circumstances which we will not be able to avoid. There are things that will beset us that may be painful. There are storms that will come along the way. They may be storms of perfection and they may be storms of correction. Paul agrees with all of the other biblical writers that no matter how difficult the circumstances. No matter how evil the days, all things work together for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!

These difficulties do not come in order to set you back, they come in order to advance you. Therefore look at them that way. Do not regard them as some strange, unusual circumstance that you alone are called to go through while everyone else has it easy and has a delightful time. The apostle Peter says, "Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial of faith which has come upon you as though some unusual thing happened to you." These things come upon us with a very special purpose in mind. A wonderful opportunity exists in every one of those obstacles. Peter says they come so that our faith may be strengthened. You see, we could never truly demonstrate what it is to be a Christian if it were not for evil days. We could never demonstrate true holiness if not for some degree of unholiness.

Be wise concerning this. Realize that these obstacles are here because the days are evil. Because we live in a fallen world which knows nothing of purity or holiness. We live in corrupt bodies that have no desire to seek purity. Our bodies are self seeking and corrupt. If we let them have their own way, the prophet Jeremiah says, "the heart is exceedingly wicked." So as we recognize this, we take a hold of those apparent obstacles to demonstrate God's power over those obstacles.

Make the obstacle work for you. How can we have a victory if we do not walk into the fray of battle? How will we ever know that God's resources are limitless if we are never in need of them? How can we know His healing and comfort if we do not experience sickness and suffering. All of these things which the enemy meant for ill are turned around for the good when we seize them as opportunities. So we can face every day with confidence that God is in charge. That as we journey towards this destination of perfection in Him we have the right man on our side. We use the wisdom that God gave us to see the opportunity in every obstacle.

Now Paul gives us some added advice by way of a second caution.

II. Temper Zeal With Understanding.

Ephes. 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

In the same way that we said how we get to the destination is more important than the knowledge of the destination, we here have a similar principal. Now almost always when one uses the phrase, "the will of the Lord," most people, including most Christians, understand it in terms of guidance. They think you are referring to what you ought to do next, where you ought to live, what job you ought to have, whom you ought to marry, or how you can decide a problem that is before you. But guidance is not the major problem or the major factor in understanding the will of the Lord. God is not half so much interested in what you do as what you are. Therefore, the will of the Lord does not concern itself primarily about what you do. That is a rather simple matter. Once you get the real issue straightened out, what you do is relatively unimportant and can be handled very easily. What you are---that is the big thing, what you are in every situation. This is what the apostle is talking about. This is the crux of the issue. This is what will determine how we face up to those opportunities in whatever form they come. We must be careful that we are in tune with God's purpose or else all of our good works will be nothing more than soulish endeavors. They will have been born out of our human soul. Our human desire, or compulsion rather than out of the Spirit of God Himself. Oh, this is so important. We see this principal modeled in the life of Jesus over and over again. In John 5 when he walked into that hospital in Bethesda there was tremendous opportunity to reverse all of the evil of sickness in that place, yet He healed only one man. That was His Fathers will. In Jn 7 His brothers made a lot of sense when they told Him that the place to really show off His divine powers and prove that He was God's Divine Son was Judea during the Feast of the Tabernacles. But look at the way Jesus answered them. John 7:6 "Therefore Jesus told them, "The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right." Jesus was committed to understanding His Father's will and exercising that will regardless of human logic. And that is what we are expected to do as we walk carefully along on this journey of faith. You see, that is what truly pleases God. The exercise of faith. Not just blind faith, but faith in who He is. Faith in what He is able to accomplish.

As you are think of your life with all it's opportunities, be wise. Understand what it is God wants out of that situation. Remember in verse 10, Paul said, "find out what pleases the Lord."? That is the same thing as understanding what is the will of the Lord. Learn what is pleasing to the Lord. And we all ought to know what pleases the Lord. Only one thing: Faith! Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Faith is believing God, believing what he says about life, believing what he says about people, about yourself, about the need of people, discerning all that goes on around on the basis of what the Scripture has revealed. Trusting His Word on everything. No matter how risky it may be. No matter how foolish it may seem. Paul says do not be foolish. He wasn't using that word in the sense of human reason. In fact to judge God's Word and will for our lives on the basis of human reason would be foolishness. Paul is saying that we must come to know and trust God in the same way that Mary the mother of Jesus did. When the message from the angel of the Lord defied all reason. Went against every thing that would seem right. Mary knew it was God and her response sets a beautiful example for each of us. "Be it unto me according to thy Word." "Father, whatever you have for me in life I trust your judgment. I trust your wisdom above my own. I trust your will and direction for my life, so that in everything I do I live my life by the guiding principals of your Word. I truly become a human being, rather than a human doing. Instead of frantically trying to please God by finding some biblical mandate of Scripture verse to order the details of my life, I place my hand in God's and I say "Take me Jesus!" Wherever you lead I'll go. My life is so connected to your will and purpose that I feel every nudge of your Spirit and react accordingly." This is faith.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles.

This is faith. This is pleasing to God. This is being wise in understanding what the Lords will is in regard to every opportunity that we are tempted to seize or reject each and every day of our lives.

So the principal here is, don't proceed headstrong. Be careful how you seize those opportunities. It is so easy to get so excited about every opportunity that shows itself that we feel it is our divine mission to take on every single thing. this is not necessarily true. I experience this often with e-mail we receive through our church web site. I have to discern. I have to use wisdom in understanding what is the Lord's will for me to respond to. Otherwise I will be consumed all day every day with answering mail.

You see if you are going to glorify your Father in heaven by the light that shines out of your walking, you will understand that that which really counts is being a gracious, love-filled person in the midst of demanding circumstances, manifesting the grace of God toward others, the love of Christ, the compassion and sweetness and self control of the Spirit-filled life. These are the important values. This is what Paul means here.

If you try to live your life as a Christian by going along with the general opinions of the rest of the world, you are not living by faith. Even though you may have the best of intentions on your part. You are not pleasing to God. Your life is missing the mark, totally. The life that pleases him is the life that believes what he says, and acts on it. Look beyond the immediate to the eternal things; look beyond the visible to the invisible and walk in the light of that which is real. That is what Paul means. Be careful how you walk. Seize every opportunity. With zeal, yet with divine understanding. As a Christian you have immense advantages over every other person who is not a Christian, because you know the truth, the truth as it is in Jesus, the basic, fundamental reality of life. Walk in that way.