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| \n \n Rev. Dr. Ji<\/em>mmy CHONG | Dean of Students<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n The dawn of a new year signifies a fresh start, encouraging us to value and \u201ccherish time.\u201d The Bible portrays cherishing time as a characteristic of a wise individual. As the Bible reminds us: \u201cSee then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time.\u201d (Ephesians 5:15)<\/p>\n In fact, there are three elements to becoming a wise person: redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16),understanding the Lord’s will (Ephesians 5:17), and being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n (1) Redeeming the time (Ephesians 5:16)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n The term \u201cRedeeming the time\u201d implies a sense of \u201cRedemption.\u201d In the context, it signifies \u201cto redeem time from the bondage of sin,\u201d which can also be interpreted as \u201credeeming the past.\u201d Paul advises believers not to live as they did in the past, engaged in wickedness, but instead, to seize the moment and live in a manner aligned with the conduct expected of saints (Ephesians 5:3).<\/span><\/p>\n Through the understanding of redeeming the past, we realize that cherishing time is not just about focusing on the present but also involves compensating for past mistakes or time wasted. While we might not be able to change past events, we can take action in the present to renew the meaning derived from past experiences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n (2) Understanding the Lord’s Will (Ephesians 5:17)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n As mentioned earlier, the concept of redeeming the time means living in a manner aligned with the conduct expected of saints. Consequently, the scripture continues: \u2018Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.\u2019 This echoes Paul’s advice in Romans 12:1-3<\/span>: \u201cAnd be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n How can one understand the Lord’s will? This can be practiced through two points: firstly, by engaging in spiritual reflection during one’s devotional life. Secondly, by altering negative behaviors and habits. Understanding is not solely an intellectual matter but is encapsulated in behavior. If a person possesses knowledge but fails to change their behavior, they have not truly understood. Genuine understanding is revealed through actions, demonstrating the truths comprehended via behavioral change. This, indeed, is the authentic embodiment of comprehending the essence of the divine will.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n (3) Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u201cAnd be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.\u201d In Jewish wisdom literature, drunkenness is used to describe foolishness, whereas the Holy Spirit is regarded as the source of wisdom. \u201cGetting drunk\u201d can be interpreted deeper as being under control, resulting in indulgence and chaos. \u201cBeing filled with the Spirit,\u201d however, entails being endowed with a power that enables individuals to surpass their limitations, living a fulfilling life, and move from chaos towards order.<\/span><\/p>\n Conclusion:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n In 2024, let us anticipate living a life of wisdom. Commit to three things:<\/p>\n 1. Redeeming the time and establishing goals.<\/p>\n 2. Understanding the Lord’s will and living according to God’s desires.<\/p>\n 3. Being filled with the Holy Spirit, striving to transcend oneself and live a fulfilling life.<\/p>\n May everyone become wise individuals who redeem the time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rev. Dr. Jimmy CHONG | Dean of Students The dawn of a new year signifies a fresh start, encouraging us to value and \u201ccherish time.\u201d The Bible portrays cherishing time as a characteristic of a wise individual. As the Bible reminds us: \u201cSee then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotional-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=513"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/513\/revisions\/515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stm.edu.my\/beritastm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}} |