In chapters 4-6 of Ephesians, the Spirit inspired Paul to explain the practical help God provides for us to empower us live out our faith, in order to "walk worthy of the calling," or of the grace we have received in Christ (Ephesians 4:1). He emphasized the role of called and gifted leaders - particularly the pastor-teacher of the church (Ephesians 4:11). He emphasized the way the entire body of Christ builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16). And today we are looking at the work of the Spirit himself in empowering us to live the Christian life. "Walk in wisdom" is the command we read in our text this morning. There we read "look carefully then how you walk" (Ephesians 5:15). The old King James Version translated this as "walk circumspectly." The phrase in the original Greek emphasizes the highest level of accuracy and means "get it right!" However, God does not then immediately give us a list of these "right things" to do; rather he speaks of the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts. Wisdom begins with attitudes, and in order to walk in wisdom we need the filling of the Spirit in our lives. Only through the Spirit are our hearts changed to become what God desires them to be. But wisdom does not end in our thoughts only; rather it includes how we relate to one another and how we relate to the world in general. I pray that God may encourage you today with his Spirit's work in your life. – Pastor David Packer
