Redeeming the Time
INTRODUCTION – I preached this message in 2013. Ephesians 5:16 is one of the first verses I memorized, mostly because it is so short: “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” It certainly doesn’t waste any time! A major regret when I look back on my youth is that I sometimes squandered time. I probably didn’t fritter away as much time as many people (I was quite active), but others are not the standard. Twice in the New Testament we are instructed to redeem the time. Let us consider these verses in context and develop some applications.
The NIV paraphrases the first part of Ephesians 5:16 as “making the most of every opportunity.” While these words are helpful, they miss a key point. “Redeeming” is the act of buying something for oneself. The verb tense in the Greek of the New Testament means that we are to keep on buying. Purchasing something includes a price, which implies strenuous work and self-denial. (As an aside, we often use “sacrifice” incorrectly as a synonym for “self-denial.” Biblically, sacrifice should be reserved for serious matters, such as Jesus dying on the Cross for our sins. Giving up ice cream for Lent is not sacrifice; it is self-denial – and a mild form at that.) “Time” is not chronological time but an opportune season. For example, when we say, “It’s planting time,” we are not speaking of one day at 10:00 A.M. Similarly, it is seasonable for a child to play with blocks – but not for an adult (unless he is playing alongside the child). In the immediate context (especially verses 17 and 21), we see that we are dealing with a relationship with the Lord Jesus and with His people. Thus, we are looking to work hard at buying up seasonable opportunities to serve the Lord and His people.
Colossians 4:5 uses the same key expression (“redeeming the time”) as Ephesians 5:16 but in a different context. “Them that are without” refers to non-Christians. One way that is crucial to obeying this command is found in verse 6: part of wise walking is wise talking. Seasonable opportunities abound. As a pastor, I frequently officiate at funerals and weddings, and I speak openly about Jesus. However, I do not stand up in the middle of a dance recital or a children’s concert and start preaching. It is not wrong to talk about Jesus, of course, but these are not seasonable opportunities. In fact, if any of us chatter away while others are trying to watch and hear their children, we will probably be dismissed as jerks (a jerk being well-defined as someone who thinks that his time is more valuable than someone else’s). Never, never should we be like the world, demanding to be moved to the front of the line, insisting that people pay attention to us. May it not be possible to say of even one of us, “He’s a Christian, and he’s a jerk.” I remember that President Reagan always wore a suit in the Oval Office because he knew that people were always watching him as the President. How much more should this principle apply to Christian!
As we ponder these two brief verses, let us make some simple applications of God’s truth. How do we utilize our time? Work is a good thing; it was part of God’s finished creation that He categorized as “very good” in Genesis 1:31, and it provides goods and services that are useful to others. Sleep is important – and God-given (Psalm 127:2). We must spend time eating, exercising (to whatever degree is individually possible), and engaged in personal grooming (it is easier being a man than a woman), for our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). We all have hobbies and projects and leisure activities; Philippians 4:8 is God’s instruction to us about matters that are not specifically commanded or prohibited. Time with our Lord and with His people should be cherished, for, as we read in Ephesians 5:16, “the days are evil.”
What about people? When I was working on this sermon in 2013, I was also teaching school. My Friday morning classes were canceled because of an outing, and I thought that I would redeem the time by finishing my final draft. I was quite excited, because I rarely finished a sermon before Saturday evening. I did not get to write a single word. A former student, then living in Alaska, stopped by for a long and enjoyable conversation. Then some students, concerned that a classmate might not be able to afford tuition for the next year, came in for advice, and we began to plan a fundraiser. As soon as they left, one of my athletes popped in to lament about her track times – even though the season had not even begun. (I love obsessive runners; obviously, she became a state champion.) My planned morning’s work remained untouched. I taught my afternoon classes, cleaned my room, and prepared to go home. However, a pastor that I knew knocked on my door and sought some counsel on a non-school issue. I got home late, having lost time… but did I lose time? Chronologically, yes, I lost time that I would never get back, time that I had planned to use on a good activity (even if it turned out not to be a particularly good sermon). Did I lose seasons of opportunity? No, there was no loss of time at all.
The best use of time, the best possible use of time, is found in II Corinthians 6:1-2. This moment right now is “the accepted time”; “now is the day of salvation.” This seasonable opportunity to receive the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is given to each one of us. The offer is eternity in heaven with Jesus. May each one of us redeem the time, trust in Jesus as Savior, and enter into His everlasting life.