Ephesians

Thursday, 13 October 2016

For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. Ephesians 5:12

This verse is given to highlight the utterly shameful conduct of the “works of darkness” of the previous verse. They are often so perverse and so shameful that they should not even be spoken of. This is a difficult thing in the world today where sexual perversion, satanic rituals, and obscene displays of so-called “art” are made open and public. What was once “done by them in secret” is now highlighted by our elected leaders, proclaimed as acceptable by our judges, and placed at the choicest hours of viewing by the media. Even more, the internet has these things pop up before our eyes by the mere click of a wrong button.

The completely vile nature of the offenses are to be left undescribed by our lips. If this is so, then  how much more are we to refrain from them! This is Paul’s intent here. He is indicating that our walk is to be one of light. The works of darkness are often so despicable that we are to not only refrain from participating in them, but just mentioning them is inappropriate.

Life application: While the world devolves into its perversion party, we are to keep our eyes directed towards the Lord, our hearts in meditation upon Him, and our lips fully praising His glory. Let us not have ourselves be caught up in the debauchery which surrounds us, but rather let us have our minds renewed and reinvigorated by God’s word at all times.

Lord God, our hearts are saddened by the works of darkness in this depraved world. The perversion, the unholy religious practices, and the obscene nature of culture, media, and art literally permeate society. The things once only done in secret by the world’s offscouring are now highlighted by our elected leaders, proclaimed as acceptable by our judges, and are on prominent display on TV and the internet. Help us to be strong in our walk, sure in our moral convictions, and ready to proclaim the right way of pleasing You so that others can see and turn from the path which they have chosen. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11

In verse 9, the “fruit of the Spirit” was mentioned. This was explained as “all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” Further, it was implied that this is “what is acceptable to the Lord” (verse 10). Now, in contrast to that, we are instructed on “the unfruitful works of darkness.” With such things, we are to “have no fellowship.”

This means that we are not only to not participate in them, but we are not to be adjoined to those who do participate in them while they are so engaged. By being around people who are carousing and conducting their lives in unholiness, we will become infected by that state as well. This is what “fellowship” implies.

Rather than having such fellowship, we are rather to “expose” them. The word from which “expose” is translated gives the idea of confronting, admonishing, convincing, rebuking, and the like. We are to act in such a manner that a complete contrast is set up between our “fruit of the Spirit” and their “unfruitful works of darkness.” In so doing, we will hopefully convict them of their sin and have them turn from such things. If we fellowship with them while they are so engaged, that will never come about. We are to stand apart and demonstrate those attributes which are acceptable to the Lord.

Paul speaks of such things in Romans 6 as well. There he says –

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What is important to understand here is that by being admonished to not fellowship with such unfruitful works, we can – in fact – fellowship with them. We are given the choice as to how we will conduct our walk. It is unfortunate that so many blood-bought believers in Christ choose to spend their time, not in pursuing what is pleasing to the Lord, but in engaging in exactly what they are asked to refrain from.

In the end, our rewards and losses will be based on how we apply the precepts of the word of God to our lives. What a sad meeting with the Lord it will be for many who have chosen to ignore these warnings, and to continue to fellowship with the unfruitful works of  darkness.

Life application: In order to bring others to a state of conviction concerning their own sin, we cannot fellowship with them while they are engaged in those sins. In so doing, we are then condoning their wickedness and keeping them from understanding their need for Christ. We have been given a gift in our salvation. Let us be grateful for it, and show that appreciation by walking in accord with that which is pleasing to the Lord.

Lord God, all-powerful and glorious, You have given us the gift of salvation through the shed blood of Christ. Help us to realize the high cost that was paid to free us from the sin-debt we owe, and to never again fellowship in the unfruitful works of darkness. Instead, help us to walk as children of light, exposing that which is contrary to Your will. May our life and actions bring others to a state of heartfelt conviction over their sins and a turning to You for freedom from their wayward walk. May our actions speak out boldly, turning many to You. Amen.

Tuesday, 11 October 2016

…finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.  Ephesians 5:10

This “finding out” what we are to do is connected to the word “walk” of the previous verse. Taken together it says, “Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”

As we walk in the light, we are to find out that which is “acceptable to the Lord.” This is very similar to the statement which Paul uses in Romans 12:2 –

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The same word is used there and in this verse. It comes from the idea of the testing of metals. When a person wants to “find out” the purity of gold, they will take a sample of it and test it. The process of such testing is to determine if there are impurities, and if so, the gold can be refined in order to further purify it. This is to be true with us as well. By finding out what is acceptable to the Lord, we can then apply it to our walk. In so doing, we are being purified.

This transforming process is compared to the standard measure which we have available to us, the word of God. This is what is to be used for the refining of our walk in this life, and it is what will be opened for our judgment when we stand before the Lord. The words “what is acceptable to the Lord” are to be our goal; they are the standard of our testing.

This does not come to us by an inner voice or some type of external injection of the Holy Spirit. Rather, it comes from reading and applying the word of God to our lives. As we learn and comply, we become more and more acceptable to Him.

Life application: A closer walk with the Lord must come about by adherence to God’s word. Without it, we become the arbiters of what is and isn’t acceptable. Stay close to the word, know the word, and live out the word. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you through obedient conformity to God’s word.

Lord God, You have set a path before us, showing us how to be acceptable to You. It is known as the Holy Bible. In its pages are found all we need in order to be pleasing children, walking in holiness. Help us not to listen to some dubious “inner voice” which is sure to lead us astray. And give us the wisdom to understand that Your Spirit isn’t going to externally mold us, as if we can sit and wait for the transformation. Rather, we need to know Your word, and then to walk in accord with its precepts. In this, we will surely find out and adhere to those things which You approve of. Thank You for this wonderful word. Amen.

Monday, 10 October 2016

(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), Ephesians 5:9

This verse is parenthetical as is evident when seen together with the surrounding verses –

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), ¹⁰ finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”

It is the work of the Spirit which has brought us from darkness and made us “light in the Lord.” Because of this, light is our new nature. In order to describe that nature, we are told what that means by the words, “the fruit of the Spirit.” Paul says that it is in “all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” These attributes are set in contrast to those negative things detailed at the end of Chapter 4, as well as those noted in the previous verses of this chapter.

Paul gives us a list of the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22, 23 as well –

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control.”

These are the things which come from a right application of the word of God in our lives. It is the Spirit who inspired the writing of Scripture, and so in order to know what is right and appropriate according to the word of God, we need to know what He has detailed for us. This includes Paul’s letters which were given by divine inspiration. Anyone who thinks that they will, by default, have the fruit of the Spirit without studying and applying the word of God is self-deluded. The Ephesians had to be told these things by Paul, a designated apostle of the Lord. How much more then should we rely on those same things that they were told by him!

Life application: Enjoying the fruit of the Spirit comes from understanding what that fruit is, and then pursuing it in the manner in which God says that those things will come about. That is found in studying and applying the word to our lives. Read your Bible; study what it says; and then adhere to those things which it instructs you.

Lord God, where can we go to know what You expect of us? How can we be pleasing to You? And how can we find out what will keep us from doing that which is against Your will? The answer is obvious, and  yet we find pretty much anything else to fill our time with EXCEPT doing that which will help us with answering these questions. The answer to them is to read Your word and then apply what it says to our lives. But apparently, that isn’t as important to us as we claim! We say we want to be pleasing to You, but we ignore the way of finding out exactly what that means. Forgive us of this, and stir our hearts to pursue You through Your marvelous written word. Amen.

Sunday, 9 October 2016

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8

The Bible is literally filled with the concepts of light and darkness, even from the first verses to the last. A contrast is being made, but it is more than just a literal light and darkness which is spoken of. Rather, it is quite often speaking of these in a figurative sense. This is what Paul is referring to here. The verse is highly emphatic, and it is contrasting what has just been spoken of concerning the “sons of disobedience.”

He begins with, “For you were once darkness.” Here, and in the clause to come, he uses the abstract to speak of the concrete, thus showing the emphasis. In that his readers “were once darkness,” it implies that it was their very nature. The word “darkness” is skotos. It signifies darkness, either physical or moral. Here it is referring to the moral darkness previously mentioned. It is “the principle of sin with its certain results” (HELPS Word Studies).

The darkness was our nature. We were infected with sin and could do nothing but pursue sin. We were bound by the law. Paul explains what that means in Romans 7:8-11 –

“But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. ⁹ I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. ¹⁰ And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. ¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.”

The “darkness” can be equated with the death which results from the law. However, Paul next says, “but now you are light in the Lord.” The Greek word is phos and indicates “light, a source of light, radiance.” It speaks of light, but “(especially in terms of its results, what it manifests); in the NT, the manifestation of God’s self-existent life; divine illumination to reveal and impart life, through Christ” (HELPS Word Studies).

This “light” then can be equated with the “life” of Paul’s word in Romans. In fact, John shows this close connection to the two words when speaking of Jesus –

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4, 5

The life that we have is given to us in place of the law which brought death. How did this happen? It is because Christ fulfilled the law for us. When we receive His gift of fulfilling the law, we die to the law; new life has come. The darkness of death is defeated and we become light; children of light. In this new state, Paul admonishes us to therefore “Walk as children of light.”

We are shown to not just reflect light, but we actually are radiating light. This is why, even in the Old Testament, it was understood that we Gentiles would so shine forth –

“Arise, shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
² For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the Lord will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
³ The Gentiles shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3

In that we have come to the light of Christ, we now shine forth with that same light. Life has replaced death; light has replaced darkness. As we have been born into new life through Christ’s fulfillment of the law, so we also have been born into light in how to walk in this world. The emphasis of this verse, then, is given to show that just as we once were darkness – like the sons of disobedience – we are now children of light. We are not to participate any longer in that which is contrary to our new nature.

As a fine point of theology, this verse – when properly considered – once again demonstrates the doctrine of eternal salvation. The law is fulfilled for us; we are dead to it. We have taken on a new nature. Paul shows that we can go back and do the things of darkness, but they do not change our new nature. Those deeds are simply contrary to it. We have not gone merely from being “in darkness” to being “in light.” Instead we have gone from being darkness to being light. The emphatic nature of Paul’s words are intended to show us this as an absolute truth.

Life application: If you have called on Christ, the light of Christ now dwells in you. Arise! Shine forth! Your light has come! Don’t enter again into darkness, but rather radiate out that marvelous truth that you are now a son of God, fully redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Lord God, Your word shows two states of man. We are either in Christ and we are light, or we are not in Christ and we are darkness. If we are light, we have life. If we are darkness, we have no life. As this is so, then help us to be willing to radiate out Your light for others to see. Help us to not participate in darkness any longer. It is contrary to our new nature and can only hinder others from coming to know You. Guide us as children of light and life for the benefit of others and for Your radiant glory! Amen.