September 18, 2020
Brothers and Sisters,
(Ephesians 5:1-2) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
This morning as we continue to look at Paul’s epistle (letter) to the church at Ephesus, we see that as a result of God accepting the Gentiles into his royal family, Paul instructs these new believers in Christ to be followers of God as dear children. What a blessing it is this morning to know that we are the dear children of God. We are no longer an outcast, but in Christ we have been brought into the family of God and beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is (I John 3:2).
As dear children, we are instructed to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us. This is the litmus test of someone who calls themselves a Christian (love one for another). Paul is just basically repeating what Jesus had already said. (John 13:34-35) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Then Paul goes on in his letter to the church listing some deeds of the flesh that these new converts should not find themselves involved in. These are some of the same things that none of us should find ourselves involved in too. (Ephesians 5:3-5) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
(Ephesians 5:7) Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Evidently there was a problem with these things going on in Ephesus and Paul wanted those that named the name of Christ to not be partakers of these evil deeds. No matter what a person’s background may consist of, thank God that He can rescue us out of that darkness and bring us into the light where we can see the error of our ways and not continue down that same path in life.
Paul goes on to instruct them to have no fellowship with these works of darkness. (Ephesus 5:11-12) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. Not only are we to have no fellowship with these unfruitful works of darkness, but we are to reprove them. We should not even go around telling ugly jokes about them (which we have probably all been guilty of).
It’s good to read this entire chapter in Ephesians, but let me sum it up this morning with these two verses. (Ephesians 5:15-16) See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. See then that ye walk circumspectly. This means to walk above reproach. I’ve been taught that if anyone says anything derogatory about you make them have to lie to do it. In other words, don’t give them an opening to say something bad about you. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Make sure you fill up your life doing good deeds and taking advantage of the time you have left here in this life. If we will fill our lives with doing good, then that leaves very little time to do wrong.
May God help us to fill our life doing the right things because the days are evil.
Bro. Rick
