Redeeming Time

Reading: Ephesians 5:15-16

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

When you fly, you have the option of flying first class or coach. There may be other classes such as business class, but for now we'll consider first class and coach. When you fly first class, you get a little bit better treatment. You get to sit closer to the front of the plane so you can get off first, and the flight attendants constantly ask you if you'd like a blanket or a hot towel, and all kinds of things to make you more comfortable. The food in first class is also a little better, and the seats are bigger and more comfortable. Some people say they don't like airplane food, but I've always found it to be delicious. I'm kind of fond of food of all kinds.

When you fly coach class, the treatment is different. You get a seat and you may or may not get a meal depending on how long the flight is. It's a no frills way to fly; it's cheaper and the service is not as good.

If you had a choice, would you rather be first class or coach class?

I have several books that detail the sinking of the RMS Titanic back in 1912. I noticed that there were three classes of passengers on that ship: first class, second class, and third class. The first class passengers were wealthy. They had the staterooms and all the luxuries. The third class passengers weren't much more than cargo. They were all on the same ship, but some of them had it good and some of them had a blanket in the cargo hold.

Would you rather be first class or third class?

With these things in mind, the big context of these verses is found in verse 1 where Paul is calling on Christians (of all people) to be followers of God. It's kind of sad that we have to be told all the time to be followers of God, but human nature wants us to do our own thing, so we do have to be reminded. Look around, and understand this. How often do have to remind each other to come to church? We have to remind the kids not to run in the church building. We have policemen on the roads to remind us to obey the speed limit. Every time you see a highway patrol you look down at your speedometer whether you want to or not because you've just been reminded that you are a lawbreaker by nature.

Verse 15 and 16 gives us something to do as we're being followers of God. We are to walk circumspectly - and that means to walk with your head up, being aware and careful in your Christianity. When God saved you, He did not intend that you sit down and enjoy life and wait to go to heaven. He intends for you to serve Him in your life and in His church. He always has something for you to do, and one of those is to be a Christian who walks circumspectly, carefully.

A careful person walks and observes his surroundings. A fool rushes headlong into disaster. A fool walks without any order and he falls into the first pothole that comes along. And of course we must understand that to walk in the Bible is a metaphor (a symbolic way) to refer to how you live your life. You are to live your life as a Christian, being aware of your surroundings (the things that go on around you in the world) so that you don't fall and fail in your Christian life.

Note that you are to live this way while redeeming the time. To redeem the time means to buy up all the time you can buy. You want to buy up all the time that you can get in the service of the Lord - while living that life you're living as a wise Christian. The way you do that is terribly simple but it takes a lifetime. You walk circumspectly: you be aware and on guard so that you don't fail and you just do the things you know God would have you to do in your life. That's the complicated part: that comes through such things as prayer and service and consistency. It wouldn't be a bad idea to memorize (and practice) from Genesis-Revelation to help in this.

Notice the reason Paul states for redeeming the time: He says, redeeming the time, for the days are evil. We live in evil days, when people are evil and the time of the end is drawing near. You don't have that much time to redeem time, so buy it up while you can. Get busy in your Christianity: don't be a fool, be wise, and serve God. And even if Jesus doesn't come back for another 300 years, the days are still evil for you and me, because we don't have 300 years to wait. You need to buy that time up right now in doing what God wants from your life. I don't know if you've noticed, but none of us are getting any younger (except me).

What happens if you don't do these things? If you think it doesn't matter because you're saved and you'll still be in heaven, you're right and wrong. You'll be in heaven, but it does matter. The difference might be comparable to first class air flight versus coach; first class passenger or third class passenger on an old steamship.

You'll get to heaven, but you may be in third class with regards to your rewards because you didn't redeem the time.

You'll see others there who bought up all the time they could get in the service of God, and they'll be first class in their rewards.

I don't know that I've ever done anything to be rewarded for, and I suspect that everybody else feels the same way.

It's past time to start redeeming our time.

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