Living Wisely in Christ Jesus!

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit… And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:15-18,20 NLT

First of all, all of us ought to know the importance of the Holy Spirit, which basically is the Spirit of God. This is because without the Spirit of God, we are not able to live our lives wisely—according to God’s standards (John 14:15-27) The Spirit of God has been poured into us, after Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection (John 16:7-15), to advocate us to live holy lives that God has intended us to live (1 Peter 1:14-16). “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) Therefore, we have to renew our minds by transforming into godliness from worldliness (Romans 12:2). “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8) In addition to this, we ought to be filled with the Holy Spirit. However, most of us get confused with this and moments of inspiration. Moments of inspiration empower us to know what the will of God is, or they happen when we see visions of God from the mountain top of God. Nonetheless, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we desire to live according to the will of God so much, that we receive empowerment from the strength of God (Philippians 4:13).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. (Psalm 111:10)

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?  (James 4:4-5)

Therefore, we have to overcome the world and crucify its desires and passions if we want to belong to Christ and want to live wisely as the Spirit of God leads us (Galatians 5:24-25). The main reason for this is that desires of the Spirit are contrary to worldly ones (Galatians 5:17). Furthermore, we have to give thanks for what the Lord has given us to advance and build His Kingdom up. This is because God is God of creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1). This means that everything that we own is not actually from and for us; it is actually from God (James 1:17) and for His Kingdom (Romans 11:36). In addition, Jesus Christ is the perfect gift for us, whom God has sent to us because we receive eternal life from Him (John 17:3), even though we do not deserve it (Titus 3:3-7). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)