What’s the Connection between Evil Days and Redeeming the Time?

Today, our study in Ephesians chapter five brings us to the subject of time: redeeming time. How does one redeem time? That’s what we want to study today. This story may help you along these lines. John Erskine, the well known author, professor, and lecturer, once wrote that he learned the most valuable lesson of his life when he was fourteen. His piano teacher asked him how much he practiced and how long at a stretch. The boy replied that he practiced for an hour or more at a time. “Don’t do that,” warned the teacher. “When you grow up, time won’t come in long stretches. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find them—five or ten minutes before school, after lunch, between chores. Spread the practice throughout the day, and music will become part of your life.” Erskine stated that the observance of this advice enabled him to live a comparatively complete life as a creative writer outside his regular duties as an instructor. He wrote most of Helen of Troy, his most famous work, on streetcars while commuting between his home and the university.¹ In today’s podcast, we are talking about time: What’s the Connection between Evil Days and Redeeming the Time? – Answering that question is our focus on this week’s Light on Life.

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Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This week’s call is:

Strategize ways you can redeem the time you have left on planet earth. Think about, and treat time as the most valuable commodity that it is.

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Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11). Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony.
This week’s question is:

Question: What are some time redeeming methods that you have used to redeem time? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 45 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. He and his wife Sharon of 40 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.

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Podcast Notes

Redeeming Time: A Careful Task

Does it seem that time is moving faster and faster than ever before?
Why is that? — 24 hours is still 24 hours.
Paul wrote the following words to the Ephesian church in the first century.
Now, remember it’s the first century — not the twenty-first century.
Things are a bit slower – people travel by donkeys – they were the Cadillac of the day.
So everything is slower – the mail is slower — there is snail mail – more like sloth mail.
It wasn’t uncommon for a single message to take a month to deliver.
Yet Paul said the following to the church at Ephesus.

Ephesians 5:15–17 (ESV): Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is

The days may be slow, but the days are evil.
The admonition still holds today — the days are fast, but they are still evil.
Whether the days are slow or fast, the Bible remains the same.
The Word of God tells us to look carefully at how we walk.
What does that mean – walk carefully?
Well, we know the term ‘walk’ means how you conduct or carry yourself through life.
The word ‘walk’ is symbolic language, but it’s a vital symbol.
Your life is a walk; it’s not a 100-meter dash.
So, we are to walk – everybody walks – everybody conducts their life – but the Holy Spirit of God is saying that we are to walk a certain way — we are to walk carefully.
Walking carefully means to be constantly taking heed of how accurately you are conducting yourselves with respect to the demands of the Word of God.²
We can break this down further by looking at the Greek definition of ‘carefully.’
The word means pertaining to strict conformity to a standard or norm, with a focus on careful attention.
So, there is a strict standard that we must focus carefully on while walking or conducting our lives.
Carefully also means accurately or precisely.
Our walk should be accurate – exact, not haphazard – not just live any old way.
What does accurate, exact, and strict conformity to a standard do for your thinking?
Home in on the word ‘strict’ for a moment.
Strict is a great adjective to describe the standard by which we should live.
The standard that we are talking about is God’s standard of righteousness.
Since it’s strict, God’s way is right and automatically means that you should agree with Him.
God is right — He is always right.
He is always about everything.
His standard may be strict, but it’s right.

Hebrews 12:12–13 (ESV) — 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Straight paths — that’s what the Spirit of God is saying.
Jesus said it this way.

Matthew 7:13–14 (ESV): — 13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Jesus spoke of the way of life being narrow.
So, if you have a ‘broad’ opinion that’s different from God’s narrow one, your opinion of life is wrong.
You know, most people think that God thinks as they do.
But God’s thinking is way higher than ours.
God’s way to life is narrow.
We’re talking narrow versus broad here.
People in the world want everything broad, not narrow.
For example, have you ever heard someone say that you need to ‘read broadly’ so that you can be well-informed on things?
I disagree.
You should read according to your purpose in life.
That narrows things down.
Again, Jesus said the way to life is narrow.
What does narrow mean?
It means that the path is restrictive.
Note also that Jesus said that the way is hard.
The word ‘hard’ in Greek means difficult because of the lack of space.
Some people react when you tell them that Jesus is the only way to God.
They say that thinking is too strict — they think it’s too hard.
No, they say there must be many roads leading to God.
Let’s open it up.
They are wanting a broader way.
That broad, wide way simply doesn’t exist in reality.
It’s a pipe dream that the devil has people smoking.
No, the way to life is strict; Jesus is the way, period.
There are no all roads to God.
That highway doesn’t exist.
Once you get on the narrow road and begin to walk on it, you will find the way of the walk is the same — it’s strict.
So, we need to ‘be careful how we walk.’
Now, from previous podcasts, chapters four and five, the Lord told us how to walk.
In those same passages, He also told us how not to walk.
We have many podcasts on these two chapters, and you are welcome to listen to them at www.emeryhorvath.com.

Redeeming the Time

We are to walk carefully — strict conformity and now, add to that this piece about redeeming the time.
Now that’s what we want to understand in this podcast — what is that all about —OK, redeeming the time?
Precisely how do we do that?
First, let’s define terms, and with that thought, here is the Definition of the Day.
‘Make the best use of’ the time – the words ‘make the best use of’ in the ESV are all one word.
It is the Greek word for redeem.
The word means buying back, buying up, and rescuing from loss.
So think about that — it’s possible to redeem the time.
It’s potentially feasible to rescue lost time.
The time that you wasted in your life apart from God.
It’s a sobering thing to realize that during your time apart from Jesus, you may have contributed to the darkness of this age.
And with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

You may have lost time by merely wasting it or by using it on things that weren’t important. But the great story of redemption is that your story isn’t over. With God’s help, time can be redeemed — that is, bought back by personal carefulness and by stewarding what time remains.³

I like that.
Paul rescued time.

Galatians 1:23–24 (ESV): They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

That’s the connection between evil days and redeeming time.

The Concept of Redeeming Something

Redeeming something always carries a price tag.
You always have to pay a cost to redeem something.
And, with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.

When A. J. Gordon was pastor of a church in Boston, he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, “Son, where did you get those birds?”
  The boy replied, “I trapped them out in the field.”
  “What are you going to do with them?”
  “I’m going to play with them, and then I guess I’ll just feed them to an old cat we have at home.”
  Gordon offered to buy them, and the lad exclaimed, “Mister, you don’t want them, they’re just little old wild birds and can’t sing very well.”
  Gordon replied, “I’ll give you $2 for the cage and the birds.”
  “Okay, it’s a deal, but you’re making a bad bargain.”
  The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue.
  The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ’s coming to seek and to save the lost—paying for them with His own precious blood. “That boy told me the birds were not songsters,” said Gordon, “but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, ‘Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!”

You and I have been held captive to sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon and set us at liberty. When a person has this life-changing experience, he will want to sing, “Redeemed, Redeemed, Redeemed!”⁴

Man was redeemed, but there was a cost for that.
It didn’t just cost two dollars.
Jesus paid the price.
He paid the purchase price that you might wear the label redeemed.
The price was His own life.
The cost was His shed blood.
You didn’t pay the cost — I didn’t pay the cost.
Now, what do you do with that? — what do you do with your redeemed state?
You’re like the bird in the illustration, the cage door has been opened, and you have been set free.
What are you going to do now?
How will you spend your redeemed time?
The answer to this is a reflection of who you are.
How you spend your time and how you spend your money directly reflect who you are.
Do you remember the story of the man with the talents that Jesus told?
One man had ten talents, another man had five talents, and the last man had one talent.
If I could say it this way, just the strike you’re thinking, what if your one talent was your redemption state?
What are you doing with your redemption?
Saying it another way — you are born again; what are you doing with your new creation self?
The Spirit of God came into your spirit when you said yes to Jesus; what are you doing with the spirit of God in you?
All of these are good questions and show the value of time.
Again, your time and how you spend it shows who you are.
So, the Spirit of God, by the Apostle Paul, informs us that time must be redeemed.
And to redeem it means you must pay something for it.
I never thought of redeeming time as it costing me something.
For many years, I thought that the phrase ‘redeem the time’ meant I should use time wisely.
And you should.
We should know the value of time.
Napoleon, the great French General, said, I defeated the Austrians because they never learned the value of five minutes.
The psalmist said it this way.

Psalm 90:12 (ESV) — 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

What does that mean, ‘teach us to number our days?’
It’s a realization that we all need to come to.
The awareness we need to have is, number one, that life is short.
Number two, you have already used up so many of your days on planet earth.
That means you do not have those days anymore, and you need to deduct them and understand how many days you have left.
Number your days.
But not only should we numbered days, but we should also place a value on them.
Remember that time flies; [have you heard that expression?] but you are the navigator.
You are the one doing the spending.
Listen to Paul as he addresses the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 7:29 (ESV) — 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none,

You see, Paul numbered his days.
In his estimation, the time was very short, so because of the brevity of the hour, he determined that they were specific actions that would be wise to engage in.
Paul was cognizant of his time and determined to use it to its maximum effect.
I ran across this quote, and I think it’s a good one to put into your arsenal, and with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.

If you have a time and place for everything and do everything in its time and place, you will not only accomplish more but have more leisure than those who are always hurrying as if vainly attempting to overtake what has been lost.⁵

So, we must take full advantage of the hours in a day.
Paul is saying buy-up time opportunities.
How can you gain time – what do you have to give to gain it?
That’s the cost associated.
It may be just laying aside a useless activity and picking up this other activity that will benefit other people in the long run.

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (ESV) — 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

So, then love is the motivation for redeeming time.
We redeem the time; we number our days; we apply ourselves to the will of God for love’s sake: Love for people and love for God.
So, time can be redeemed by realizing the brevity of one’s life.
That puts a sense of urgency in all that we do.
So where are we?
We are redeeming the time because the days are evil.
We recognize that before we came to Jesus, we contributed to the evil of the age.
But now, we are buyers in the time market.
We are buying up opportunities to spread the light.

How Else Can We Redeem Time

How else can we redeem time?

Colossians 4:5 (ESV) — 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

The reference here is to live life before unbelievers.
We all have an opportunity here.
FF Bruce said this, and I like it – he said, “It remains true that the reputation of the gospel is bound up with the behavior of those who claim to have experienced its saving power.”⁶
I like that thought – the reputation of the gospel.
How does the time you spend add to or subtract from the reputation of the gospel?
Throughout the previous couple of chapters in Ephesians, we have seen how Paul admonishes the church to live a life of piety.
We have seen the encouragement to imitate God.
Who are you imitating God for? — is it not as a witness to the unbeliever?
So, aren’t their opportunities here in this area of time?
The word consistent comes to mind here.
Are we consistent in our example before people?
I ran across several great quotes in studying this passage about redeeming the time.
Here is one from one of the early church fathers, Jerome.
Listen to this.

Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, has risen. Rise up from the sleep of the age. Walk cautiously and prudently. Cast off folly. Take hold of wisdom. In this way you will be able to avoid changing yourself constantly as you walk through the vicissitudes of the times. Rather you will find a unity within yourself even amid the diversity of the times.

A unity within yourself even amid the diversity of the times.
What’s Jerome talking about? – he’s talking about consistent living.
You know how it is in the world; there is always some new thing going on, some new problem that everyone suddenly feels we have to solve.
There is always some new fad — it’s not just clothing and music — it’s also attitudes about life, people, and even God Himself.
That’s what happens when people are left to their own devices, and they think outside of the Bible.
All kinds of junk rise.
How are we supposed to respond amid all the surging waves of discontent?
We are to respond with a consistent life — a consistent witness of Jesus.
We are to pray and keep on praying – live holy and keep on living pure.

What Else Does Redeeming the Time Mean?

The Greek word ‘time’ is the word karios.
And in various Bible translations, the word is translated as time, the present time, or opportunity.
Sometimes the word is translated as every opportunity, present opportunity, every chance, or good occasion.
Lou Nida has it as a favorable opportunity or occasion in light of propitious circumstances.
BDAG has it as the right, proper, or favorable time.
Now, we should all understand bargain shopping.
We all understand how to stretch the dollar or the pound or whatever your currency is in the country you live in.
You want to make your money work for you.
Just like shopping for the best deals for your household, you should look for the best-time deals and buy up those opportunities.
Maybe this involves some sacrifice and self-denial on your part.
Maybe it involves some forethought and meditation.
Maybe it involves getting off your hips and seizing the moment.
All of these thoughts make up this component of redeeming the time.
Time should be on your brain.
Now, I am not telling you to do something that I don’t do today, but what do you do with your breaks and lunches at work?
Those are some time opportunities that you could take advantage of.
What about driving time to and from work?
Could that be a time when you listen to the Bible, listen to a Bible podcast, or worship God with good Christian music?
There are time opportunities out there but are we seizing the day?
Thomas Edison said this: Everything comes to those who hustle while they wait.
Did you hear that?
What is Edison saying? — he is putting his finger right on all the downtime between significant events in your life.
What are you doing while you are waiting at the grocery store, at the traffic light, waiting for your spouse to get dressed?
How much time is spent waiting?
Are there any opportunities available for sale here?
We can be frivolous or fruitful with our time; the choice is ours.
We are the navigators.
Are we being good stewards of time?
So, just like you must work at your work, your place of employment, so you must work on your time away from the job.

Proverbs 18:9 (KJV) — 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Redeem the time because the days are evil.
We will close with this thought.

Take time to work—it is the price of success. Take time to think—it is the source of power. Take time to play—it is the secret of youth. Take time to read—it is the foundation of knowledge. Take time to worship—it is the highway of reverence. Take time to help and enjoy friends—it is the source of happiness. Take time to love—it is the one sacrament of life. Take time to dream—it hitches the soul to the stars. Take time to laugh—it is the music of the soul. Take time to pray—it helps bring Christ near.

Now Father, in the precious Name of Jesus, help us to be good stewards of our time. Help us to treat this valuable commodity like it is. Help us to number our days and apply our hearts to wisdom because time is short. And we know that you are coming soon.

#S2-045: What Is the Greatest Tool in Satan’s Toolbox? [Podcast]

__________
References:

The Speaker’s Quote Book…. ↩
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 126. ↩
Renner, Rick. Sparkling Gems from the Greek Vol. 2 (p. 1482). Harrison House Publishers. Kindle Edition. ↩
Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002). ↩
Tyron Edwards ↩
F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1984), 174. ↩

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What’s the Connection between Evil Days and Redeeming the Time?

Podcast: Light on Life Season Nine Episode Fifty-One

by Emery Horvath

Listen to the Audio

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Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

Redeeming Time: A Careful Task

Redeeming the Time

The Concept of Redeeming Something

How Else Can We Redeem Time

What Else Does Redeeming the Time Mean?

Listen to the Audio

Click to Listen | Right Click to Download | Subscribe in iTunes

Read the Notes

Accept the Challenge

Join the Conversation

Episode Resources:

We are currently teaching in the book of Ephesians. You can click on the links below to listen to some of these podcasts.

About Emery

Subscribe to the Podcast

Share the Love

Podcast Notes

Redeeming Time: A Careful Task

Redeeming the Time

The Concept of Redeeming Something

How Else Can We Redeem Time

What Else Does Redeeming the Time Mean?

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