Redeeming the Time

(Ephesians 5:8-17)

Have you ever thought about the phrase “Redeeming the time”? You cannot buy back one second so what does the passage mean? In this sermon we are going to look at the subject of time to see if we can get an understanding of how we can redeem the time.

Redeeming – Ransoming; procuring deliverance from captivity, capture, bondage, sin, distress or liability to suffer, by the payment of an equivalent. [American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828]

How can we redeem the Time?

1)  Make it manifest (verse 13)

• The word manifest means to declare or to make something apparent or clearly understood. In our passage light makes manifest. This is interesting because God is light (1 John 1:5)
• Time as we know it is based on the sun, moon, and the earth’s relationship to them (Genesis 1:14-19).
• God’s view of time is a little different because he is not bound with our solar system (Isaiah 57:15 ; 2 Peter 3:1-13 ; Revelation 1:8)
• There is a famous equation that Einstein used in his theory of relativity concept that actually show light because it travels at the speed of light knows no time. (Illustrate on Board).
• When we get an understanding that there is a place where time does not exist it an actually help us in the subject of Redeeming the time (Philippians 2:20-21 ; Colossians 3:1-4)

2)  Be a good steward of Time (verse 14)

• Stewardship requires faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:1-2)
• We must be faithful in little before we can be faithful in much (Luke 16:10-12)
• An interesting thought would be what if Jesus gave us more time (Note he gives light in the passage) based on how faithful we were with our time.

3)  Walk circumspectly (verse 15)

• Circumspectly means cautiously, paying attention and looking around you for danger.
• If we are walking always looking for things that capture or steal our time then there would be a lot less of it wasted.

Why must we redeem the time? Because the days are evil (verse 16)

Use the illustration of numbering our days (Psalm 90:9-12) to show how many days we have left based on 70 years.