The Christian’s Lifestyle: Our Wisdom

…Ephesians 5:17

“Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. “ (Ephesians 5:17)

Ephesians 5:8

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

This title, people (or children) of light, is used only three other times in the New Testament: once by the Lord Jesus to contrast worldly wisdom with the ineffectual use of godly wisdom in the least things

Luke 16:8

"The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.

once again to direct us to believe in the light

John 12:36…Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light."After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

and finally by Paul to encourage us to watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:5-6).

1 Thessalonians 5:5-6

For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don't belong to darkness and night.So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

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

Romans 15:14

I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters,that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.

Goodness,peace and joy

Romans 14:17-18

For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too.

Goodness, righteousness and truth

Ephesians 5:9

For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

The fruit we should bare

Galatians 5:22-23

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

In fact, the transformation of our character by our conscious choice to give our bodies to God

Romans 12:1-2…And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them(your bodies) be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.(Or This is your spiritual worship; or This is your reasonable service.) Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, who is good and pleasing and perfect.

Ephesians 5:10

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

An equation is clearly drawn between godly behaviour and godly wisdom.

It therefore follows that children of light “should have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness”

Ephesians 5:11

Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

Taking the responsibility to reprove them

Ephesians 5:12

It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

The light things make manifest (present, display) that which is reproved, enabling us to walk circumspectly, accurately, carefully, not as fools but as those who are wise

Ephesians 5:15

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise.

That wisdom is not the foolish wisdom of this world

1 Corinthians 1:20

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.

But the wisdom of God…1 Corinthians 2:7…No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God(Greek But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery.)-his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began.

That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God understanding what His will is for us .

1 Corinthians 2:12

And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.