Ephesians 5:7-14 ESV
“Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
1.
In what ways might you partner with those who
practice sin?
2.
What is meant here by darkness and light?
3.
What does God require of us for us to be
pleasing to him?
4.
What are the unfruitful works of darkness?
In context, it would be helpful if you could read Ephesians
5:1-6. I wrote on those verses earlier today in a devotion titled, “Don’t Let
Yourselves Be Deceived.” The teaching there was to let us know that, as
followers of Christ, that we are not to be engaged in sexual immorality,
impurity, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, and idolatry of
any kind. For if these are what we practice, we have no inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and God. So we are not to let others convince us otherwise.
So, we are also not to become partners with those who
practice such things as what are listed above. We are not to partake with them
in their sinful practices, and we are not to listen to the lies which are
telling us that we can partake in such sins as these and that God will not hold
these sins against us. For many people are teaching that we can make a
profession of faith in Jesus Christ once in our lives, be forgiven of all sins,
and be on our way to heaven believing nothing can take it away, but regardless
of how we live.
But “regardless of how we live” is not what Jesus taught,
and it is not what his NT apostles taught. Jesus taught that if anyone would
come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin
and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of
living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake
of Christ we deny self, we die daily to sin, and we follow Jesus in obedience
to his commands (New Covenant), then we have the hope of eternal life (see Luke
9:23-26).
Therefore, we are not to be those who partake in sinful
practices, for at one time (that means in the past) we were in the darkness
(sin, evil), but now we are the light (the righteousness of God, the truth) in
the Lord. For we have been turned from darkness (sin, wickedness, rebellion) to
light (Jesus Christ, truth, the gospel, his righteousness), and from the power
of Satan to God, that we might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among
those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (see Acts 26:18). That is if we are
truly in Christ by God-given faith in Jesus Christ as Lord (owner) of our
lives.
Thus, we are now to walk (in conduct, in practice) as
children of light, no longer as children of the darkness. Sin is to no longer
be master of our lives, for Jesus Christ died that we might die to sin and live
to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves.
He died to deliver us from our slavery to sin and to empower us to walk in his
righteousness in obedience to his commands. And he shed his blood for us to buy
us back for God (to redeem us) out of sin so we would now honor him with our lives.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20;
Romans 6:1-23]
And we are to try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
And how do we do that? By reading the Scriptures in their context, especially
Matthew through Revelation, but the Old Testament, too, where those principles
are repeated for us in the New Testament. And then by putting into practice
what the Scriptures are teaching us that we must do. For the New Testament is
filled with teachings which let us know what is good in the eyes of the Lord
and what is evil in the eyes of God, and they instruct us in putting off what
is evil and in the putting on of what is of God and is good for us to do.
[Jn 15:1-11; Rom
8:8; 1 Co 15:58; 2
Co 5:9; 2 Co 9:8; Gal 5:6; Gal
6:8; Eph 2:8-10;
Eph 5:10; Php 2:12-13; Col
1:9-14; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Thes 4:1; 2 Thess 1:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:4,21; Tit 2:11-14; Tit 3:8; Heb
11:6; Heb 13:6; Jas 2:17; 1
Jn 3:22]
So, what are the unfruitful works of darkness? They are all
that the Scriptures define as sin, and as what is against God, and is in
rebellion against God. They are what we are instructed we must throw off and
not partake in, and that we are warned against of the consequences if we choose
to walk in the ways of sin and not in the ways of God and of holiness and
righteousness. We are to take no part in them at all. They are not to be what
we practice or we will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Matt 5:27-30; Matt
7:21-23; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 5:16-24; Eph
4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thes 4:1-8; 1 Tim 4:7; Titus 2:11-14; Heb
12:1-17; 1 Pet 1:14; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
So, instead of partaking in these works of darkness, we are
to forsake them, and we are to walk (in conduct, in practice) in holiness and
righteousness and in walks of obedience to our Lord. And then we are to be
those who are exposing these fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and
who are warning others who profess the name of Jesus that they should not
participate in these sins, and of the consequences should they decide to walk
in sin and not in obedience to the Lord in holy living.
And then here is the encouragement to all who are
spiritually asleep, who are not spiritually alert, who are being convinced that
they can believe in Jesus and have the hope of eternal life but regardless of
how they live. Please open your eyes, ears, and hearts to receive the truth of
the Scriptures, and do not rely on other humans to tell you what is truth. Read
the Scriptures, but read them in context, and then obey what we who follow
Jesus Christ with our lives are instructed in how we should live for God.
Pray, Pray, Pray
An Original Work / September 6, 2012
Based off Various Scriptures
Pray that eyes may
enlightened be,
So they may know
Christ.
Pray that they may
Him better know,
Strengthened by His
pow’r.
Pray that they may
grasp
How wide and long
And high and deep
Is Christ’s love.
Pray that they may
be filled
To the fullness of
God’s love.
Pray with
thanksgiving.
Pray for an open
door for me,
So I may share
Christ.
Pray when the gospel
is proclaimed –
Shared with clarity.
Pray words are given
me so
I declare the gospel
fearlessly.
I pray for you to be
active
Sharing your faith,
too.
Pray continually.
We oft not know for
what to pray,
So we ask for help.
The Spirit
intercedes for us –
Words cannot
express.
Just keep on praying
for the saints
With all kinds of
requests to God.
Pray they may have
faith to
Please their God in
ev’ry way.
Pray with
joyfulness.
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