Christian teachings emphasize living wisely by rejecting sin and embracing holiness through the light of Christ. Believers are encouraged to avoid lusts, covetousness, and drunkenness. Instead, they should walk as children of light with knowledge and holiness. They should make the most of their time and opportunities.
- Reject sinful desires: Filthy lusts and covetousness are to be detested. They pollute and separate individuals from God’s kingdom. Repentance brings transformation and obedience. Sharing in others’ sins leads to shared consequences, so believers must reprove sin and live shamefully of wicked acts.
- Value time and live wisely: Time is a divine gift to be used diligently, not wasted on trivialities or sin. Drunkenness is a provoking sin that leads to further evils. Believers should seek to be filled with the Spirit through prayer. This is better than harmful indulgences. Gratitude should be constant, even in trials.
- Offer oneself as a living sacrifice. Christians are called to present their whole selves to God. They should renew their minds and die to sin progressively. Conformity to worldly customs opposes this renewal. The Holy Spirit transforms the entire person into godliness.
- Awaken and prepare spiritually: Believers must awaken from spiritual sloth. They should cast off sinful works. They also need to put on the “armor of light,” which includes Christ’s righteousness and Spirit. Walking honestly in the day means avoiding darkness like drunkenness, strife, and lustful behaviors. Care for the soul by not succumbing to anxious or indulgent desires.
- Be vigilant against spiritual complacency: Christ warns against being overpowered by temptations or corrupted by sensual security. The day of judgment will come unexpectedly to those focused only on earthly things, bringing terror and destruction.
- Live a life of watchfulness and prayer. To be worthy at Christ’s coming, believers must watch against sin. They must engage in every duty. They also need to pray continually. A life of prayer in this world leads to a life of praise in the next. It is essential to obey Christ’s word daily.
Spiritual Vigilance in a World of Shadows
The Call to Awaken
In the stillness of human experience, a voice echoes through the corridors of history. It resonates deep within the soul. “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead. Christ will shine on you.” These words, drawn from Ephesians 5, are not merely an invitation. They are a summons to transformation. It is a call to shed the torpor of spiritual slumber. Embrace the piercing clarity of divine light. To awaken is to step from shadowed ignorance into the radiance of truth. It is to allow every darkened corner of the heart to be illumined. Ultimately, it is to become a light oneself.
Exposure, Illumination, and Transformation
“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.” The journey of awakening begins with exposure. Hidden, rationalized, or ignored things must be brought into the searching gaze of truth. In Ephesians 5, Paul cautions not only against flagrant acts of sin. He also warns about those subtle compromises and attitudes. These seem trivial yet act as slow poison to the soul and the community.
Awakening requires an unflinching honesty. It demands a willingness to see oneself as one truly is. Recognizing sin is essential; it is not merely shameful, but a breach of holy law. It is not enough to have some knowledge or fleeting regret. The light of Christ invites a thorough reformation. It calls for a rooting out of “filthy lusts” and the abandonment of all that pollutes. Cheerfulness, Paul asserts, should be marked by joy in God’s glory. It should not be marked by fleeting pleasures that ultimately leave the spirit impoverished.
The Folly of Worldly Pursuits
There is a subtle warning woven through the biblical texts. To chase after the world’s promises—be they riches, pleasures, or the dull comforts of unthinking routine—risks losing oneself to futility. A covetous person, it is observed, places their hope and delight in earthly goods. They make these goods a false god and thus exclude themselves from the kingdom of grace and glory. The tyranny of lust and greed blinds one to the higher calling. It leaves the soul wandering in darkness. The soul becomes unsure of direction or purpose.
What, then, is the remedy? When the vilest transgressors repent and believe, they are transformed into “children of obedience.” Their hearts turn away from wrath and toward grace. The grace of God works a mighty change. Those who once stumbled in the dark now walk as children of light. They are marked by knowledge, holiness, and fruitful living.
The Seriousness of Fellowship and Reproof
Scripture is clear that it is not enough to abstain from wrongdoing. One must also abstain from abetting the sins of others in any form. This includes commendation, consent, or silence. To share in another’s sin is to share in its consequences. Darkness multiplies in the absence of reproof. Imitating the example of prophets and apostles, the church must call those asleep in sin. They must be urged to awake and arise. This is so that Christ’s light will reach them.
A good person will be ashamed to speak of what many are not ashamed to do. To awaken spiritually is to have a new sensibility. It means seeing sin as not merely shameful. Instead, it is a violation that dims the soul’s brilliance and disrupts communion with God.
Wisdom in Time and Conduct
Ephesians 5:15-21 offers a remedy against sin: caution and care. Time itself is a talent given by God, a gift that is too often misspent on trivialities. The wise person “makes the most of every opportunity.” The wise recognize the urgency to redeem what is easily squandered. The days are evil, not in the sense of doom. If one has wasted time in the past, the way ahead is to be more diligent. Our hours are precious. The dying would gladly pay dearly to reclaim what they have lost.
Drunkenness, Paul notes, is a sin that never walks alone. It leads to other evils and hardens the heart, making the drunkard a spectacle of spiritual ruin. Instead, believers are called to seek the fullness of the Spirit through prayer. They are encouraged to offer thanksgiving. These expressions of gratitude anchor the soul in God’s loving intent. This remains true even in trials and afflictions.
Submission and service among believers are not burdens, but means by which God’s glory is revealed and our duties fulfilled. Spiritual awakening leads naturally to a life of giving thanks. It fosters joy that is not contingent on circumstances. This joy is rooted in the unwavering goodness of God.
Renewal of Mind and Living Sacrifice
Romans 12 calls believers to offer themselves as a living sacrifice. This is a “reasonable service” and a conscious act of devotion. It arises from the mercies of God received daily. Conversion and sanctification are not surface changes. They involve the “renewing of the mind.” This is a deep transformation carried on by the Holy Spirit until it is perfected in glory.
The great enemy to this renewal is conformity to the world. The awakened soul must guard against forming plans for happiness that rest in things destined to pass away. Instead, the Holy Spirit starts with understanding. It works outwardly, changing affections, desires, and habits. This continues until the whole person reflects the likeness of God. To be godly is not a mere aspiration. It is a surrender and an offering of all that one is. It is dedicating all one has to the purposes of the divine.
Awake and Arm Yourself: The Christian’s Daily Work
Romans 13:11-14 paints a vivid scene: the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Now is the time to “awake out of the sleep of carnal security, sloth, and negligence.” The Christian is called to cast off the garments of darkness. They must put on the armor of light. To be undressed is to be unarmed. Unarmed souls are vulnerable to temptation.
The graces of the Spirit—faith, hope, love, and patience—act as armor. They protect against the assaults of the world and the schemes of the adversary. “Put on Christ”—not only for justification, but for sanctification, for guidance, and for strength. Having awakened, we are not to stay idle. We must walk honestly. We must avoid works of darkness. We should always seek to please God who sees all.
Watchfulness and Prayer
Luke 21 reminds believers to watch the signs of the times. It urges them to be vigilant against the lure of security and sensuality. The danger is not only in failing to prepare for the end. It also lies in living as though the day of judgment were a distant thought. The awakened heart understands that the call to watch and pray is a daily undertaking. Those who pray diligently in this world are rewarded with a life of praise in the next.
To be ready and to be found watching is not merely to avoid calamity. It is to live every day attending to Christ’s word. It also involves obeying His precepts and living as His example.
The Path Forward: Awakened Living
Spiritual awakening is not a one-time event. It is a continual process. It involves an ongoing commitment to reject the works of darkness and to walk in the light. It is a daily call to vigilance, gratitude, honesty, and service. The awakened soul redeems time. It guards the mind. It arms itself for the journey. The soul trusts always in the sufficiency of Christ and the power of His Spirit. Our days should be marked by watchfulness and prayer. Then, whenever the Lord calls, we may be found awake and alive. We may be shining as lights in the world.
Minister A Francine Green
September 2025
afrancinegreen.com 