The Christian's Lifestyle: Our Wisdom

Eph. 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

The "wherefore" in the verse above is preceded by the command "walk as children of light" as found in Eph. 5:8 (For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:). This title, "children of light," is used only three other times in the New Testament;

1. Once by the Lord Jesus Christ to contrast worldly wisdom with the ineffectual use of godly wisdom in the least things - Luke 16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
2. Once again by the Lord Jesus Christ to direct us to believe in the light - John 12:35-36 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
3. And finally by Paul to encourage us to watch and be sober - 1 Thes. 5:5-6 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

A light-like life, which is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, is expressed in the character of;

1. Goodness - Rom. 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
2. Righteousness - Rom. 14:17-18 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
3. And Truth - Eph. 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

In fact, the transformation of our character by our conscious choice as shown in Rom. 12:1 (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.) enables us to live out the following verse in Rom. 12:2 (And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.). An equation is clearly drawn between godly behaviour and godly wisdom.

Therefore, it follows that children of light "should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," taking the responsibility to reprove them and recognizing the "shame even to speak of those things."

Eph. 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.

The light of God's Word displays that which is reproved, enabling us to "walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise." (Eph. 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.) That wisdom is not the foolish wisdom of this world (I Cor. 1:20), but the wisdom of God (I Cor. 2:7) "that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God," understanding what the will of the Lord is.

1 Cor. 1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1 Cor. 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 1 Cor. 2:12-13 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.