What is the meaning of Ephesians 5:17? Therefore “Therefore” points back to the call in the previous verses to “Be very careful, then, how you walk—not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Paul’s logic is simple: • Because time is short and evil presses in, every decision matters (Psalm 90:12). • Wise living flows from knowing Christ, not the culture (Colossians 2:8). • “Therefore” signals that what follows is the only reasonable response for a redeemed people (Romans 12:1). Do not be foolish The command is direct: “do not be foolish.” Scripture treats foolishness as moral, not merely intellectual. • A fool “says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Rejecting God’s rule leads to darkened understanding (Ephesians 4:17-18). • Foolishness despises discipline and prefers impulse over instruction (Proverbs 1:7; 12:15). • Paul has already warned believers to put off “filthiness and foolish talk” (Ephesians 5:4). The same attitude must be banished from how we live and choose. Understand God does not leave His children in the dark. He calls us to active, diligent comprehension: “understand.” • Renew your mind by Scripture so you can “test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). • Pray for wisdom, trusting that God “gives generously to all without finding fault” (James 1:5). • Walk in step with the Spirit, who “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13; Galatians 5:16). • Seek counsel from mature believers; “in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14). What the Lord’s will is God’s will is not a riddle; He reveals it plainly in His Word. • Moral clarity: “For this is the will of God: your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). • Thankful living: “Give thanks in every circumstance; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). • Doing good and silencing ignorance: “It is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15). • Daily obedience in the ordinary—justice, mercy, humility (Micah 6:8)—is the sphere where specific guidance unfolds (Psalm 37:4-5). summary Ephesians 5:17 urges believers to connect wise living with clear understanding of God’s revealed desires. Because the days are evil, there is no room for careless choices. Instead of drifting in folly, we pursue Scripture-shaped wisdom, Spirit-led discernment, and wholehearted obedience to the Lord’s plainly stated will. |
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