Mosaic Mansfield

5:15 “We must be, or paying careful attention to, careful, then, how we live or walk, not as unwise, but as wise” -
● Careful - paying close attention, more accurate, perfectly, exacting, strictly, distinctly, diligent, (having studied, probingly investigated) down to the finest detail
○ Living carefully, circumspectly (fully orbed) not deviating in no respect from the law of duty (to that which you know)
● Walk - ethically, full circle - let your life come full circle
○ (taking careful) consideration of where and on what i tread, making a path on, by which to walk
○ And this according to the standard with/by which one governs their life - values, ethics, morals

● Unwise - unskilled, ill prepared, foolish - those who had or have the means but do not use them - as to reject God’s leading (taking for granted having been given “everything needed to live…”
○ Un-learned, cultivated, skilled, (or ill) prepared
● Wise - skilled, learned, (having) cultivated and used everything at one’s disposal, one who is diligent in investigating and planning
○ Proverbs 6:6 “go to the ant you sluggard consider its ways and be wise”
○ James 1:5 “if any of you lack wisdom let him ask God who gives generously”
○ James 3:13 “who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom”
○ James 3:17 “...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all prue, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”
● Matthew 10:16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves, therefore be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves”
● 1Peter 1:13 “therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set you hope on the grace to be brought to you when JEsus is revealed at His coming”
● Galatians 6:10 “therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”
● Colossians 4:5-6 “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (1Pet 3 “be prepared to give a reason for your hope when you’re asked…”)
● 1Thessalonians 4:12 “...mind your own business… work with your hands… so that your daily life mayu win the respect of outsiders…”

Why it is so essential to know what you believe and live according to those values

5:16 “...making the most of every opportunity, or of the time, because the days are evil…”
● ...making the most of - redeem, buy back (same word for Jesus’ payment made for sinners (recover from a power of another)
○ Pay now in recognition of future gain (pos), loss (neg) - to invest
○ Ransom, rescue from loss
○ Time, and that which we do with it, becomes currency - as if, we had know time, it is now limited (a rarity) therefore use, or invest it wisely
○ Make a wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good… so that zeal and well-doing are as it were the purchase-money by which we make the time our own
● ...every opportunity, or, time - season, opportunity, occasion
○ That which is coming to a head - to take full advantage of, strike when the iron is hot
○ Suitable time, favorable moment, the right moment
5:16 “...because the days are evil…”
● Days - general time, this time, today, each day
● Evil - toilsome, bad; pain-ridden, pain, laborious trouble, emphasizing the inevitable agonies (misery) that always go with evil
○ Annoyances, peril
○ A time full of peril to christian faith and steadfastness - it wars against you, tempts you to live unwisely - to not invest your time on the right things….

Luke 10:25-37 living carefully, walking circumspectly, being prepared, having honed skills, redeeming the time, making the most of every opportunity - as the days are evil

Remember that this moment builds on the last and is the foundation for the next - be faithful to be wise with each moment, knowing it affects the next

Wisdom flees, though we would do best to navigate around, there are times we must enter the fray
2Tim 2:22 - Flee the evil desires of youth - flee: plan a strategic course around that which can harm and destroy
● Wisdom then combines these attributes of investigating, knowing, walking and coming full circle in regard to living that which one believes (to be true)

Why wisdom, and why does wisdom “flee”?

Wisdom recognizes one’s ability to be mastered (to whatever it allows itself to be mastered - God or, in the case of the warning, sin) John 8:34; Romans 6:16; 2Cor 2:11; Eph 4:27; 6:11-13; 2Tim 2:26; James 4:7; 1Peter 5:8-9; 2Peter 2:19; rev 12:10) and therefore, manages life and time according to that knowledge - being careful to not be “wise in one’s own eyes” (Proverbs 26:12), or being counted among those called “wise and learned” (Luke 10:21), but in fact
● Teachable
● Willing to teach
In this case...
● Recognizing that one can be and is susceptible to being intoxicated
○ The enemy would love to let us think of this as only about alcohol or drugs, as this would be tragic
○ Showing that we are already full of something...





Will not be mastered by anything (1Corinthians 6:12; 10:23-24, 31)

Intoxicated… we can be mastered, controlled, filled to the brim with anything….

The key word in this text is not “wine”, but drunk
● Though wine or alcohol be meant literally, it is an ready and common example of being out of control
● The idea here is to “not be controlled by anything but what you (wisely have investigated and) see and know as right or wise
● And that, by the Holy Spirit - in substance and essence
○ To be filled with, saturated, under the influence or control of
○ This is “walking in, with, and by the Spirit” Gal 5



Because wisdom knows...