making the dark deeds visible

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 5:11-14 (JDV)

Ephesians 5:11 Don’t participate in the fruitless achievements of darkness, but instead expose them

Ephesians 5:12 because it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.

Ephesians 5:13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible.

Ephesians 5:14 You see, what makes everything visible is light. For this reason it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

making the dark deeds visible

Christians get a bad reputation in many cultures because of what we choose not to do. It isn’t always blind legalism that motivates those choices. We choose to not participate in some things because those things are shameful and sinful. Our choice to refrain from those activities is exposing them to the light – making it visibly clear that God does not approve of them.

The more we choose to live the resurrection life we have been granted by Christ, the more this will happen. Christ himself, in all his goodness, righteousness and truth will shine on us, exposing what is going on in the darkness all around us. His light will show us what is worthwhile and pleasing to God, and what is not. Then, it is up to us to say no to the deeds of darkness.

Lord, shine through us, and show us what is worth participating in, and what is not.

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making the dark deeds visible

Posted on September 30, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
person playing on light

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 making the dark deeds visible

 Ephesians 5:11-14 (JDV)

 Ephesians 5:11 Don’t participate in the fruitless achievements of darkness, but instead expose them

Ephesians 5:12 because it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.

Ephesians 5:13 Everything exposed by the light is made visible.

Ephesians 5:14 You see, what makes everything visible is light. For this reason it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

 making the dark deeds visible

 Christians get a bad reputation in many cultures because of what we choose not to do. It isn’t always blind legalism that motivates those choices. We choose to not participate in some things because those things are shameful and sinful. Our choice to refrain from those activities is exposing them to the light – making it visibly clear that God does not approve of them.

 The more we choose to live the resurrection life we have been granted by Christ, the more this will happen. Christ himself, in all his goodness, righteousness and truth will shine on us, exposing what is going on in the darkness all around us. His light will show us what is worthwhile and pleasing to God, and what is not. Then, it is up to us to say no to the deeds of darkness.

 Lord, shine through us, and show us what is worth participating in, and what is not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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decision training

Posted on September 29, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 5:9-10 (JDV)

Ephesians 5:9 because the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth –

Ephesians 5:10 evaluating1 what is pleasing to the Lord.

decision training

We are used to evaluating our life options based on our own interests and ambitions. What would life be like if we dared to stop and evaluate every option based on whether this choice would please God or sadden him? Is this a good choice? Is this a display of righteousness, or depravity? Is this choice based on truth, or a lie I would rather believe?

Lord, train us to make choices that please you.

1δοκιμάζω

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don’t partner with darkness

Posted on September 28, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 5:6-8 (JDV)

Ephesians 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, because God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things.

Ephesians 5:7 Do not become their partners, then.

Ephesians 5:8 You see, you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light –

don’t partner with darkness

There is no third option here. You are either living as a child of light, or you are counted among the disobedient on whom God’s wrath is coming. Paul warns the Ephesian Christians that their eternal destiny is at stake should they choose to partner with unbelievers.

The reason Paul is so strict about associations is the same reason God insisted that Canaan be cleared of its inhabitants when he sent the Israelites to live there. They would encourage the Israelites to be unfaithful. But the Christians were not supposed to drive out the unbelievers in Ephesus. Instead, they had to seek to win the lost, without being corrupted by their unbelief.

Lord, show us how to win others to you, without losing our commitment to you.

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limiting close relationships

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 5:1-5 (JDV)

Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, then, as dearly cared about children,

Ephesians 5:2 and walk in care, like Christ also cared about us and gave himself in behalf of us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.

Ephesians 5:3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for devotees.

Ephesians 5:4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.

Ephesians 5:5 Because know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

limiting close relationships

Some of the early Christians were wrongfully accused of being sexually immoral because of how close their relationships were. Here, Paul warns the Ephesians about this possibility. They are to be committed to growing together, and to caring for one another deeply. But they are also to watch their interpersonal relationships and their language to make sure that there is never even a hint of impurity or impropriety. The church has no business including what the kingdom excludes.

Lord, teach us to care for each other sacrificially, especially by sacrificing impure and illicit desires.

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more on the guidelines

Posted on September 26, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 4:29-32 (JDV)

Ephesians 4:29 No vulgar language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives favor to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:30 And don’t grieve God’s Sacred Breath. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.

Ephesians 4:32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, like God also forgave you in Christ.

more on the guidelines

Paul shares more about his guidelines for growing together through healthy relationships here.

  1. We grow together when we share honest words with one another, not when we tear each other down with vulgar, obscene, and profane words.

  2. We grow together when we forgive one another, showing the God’s kindness and compassion instead of bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander.

  3. We grow together when we work hard at being who we will be – who we are destined to be. The Sacred Breath has given us new life and he is grieved when we use that new life to live the old way.

Lord, fill our lives with opportunities to grow together through honest words, honest forgiveness and honest work.

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guidelines for growing together

Posted on September 25, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 4:25-28 (JDV)

Ephesians 4:25 For this reason, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.

Ephesians 4:26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity.

Ephesians 4:28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.

guidelines for growing together

If you want to know how to show love to your neighbor or fellow believer, here are three suggestions.

  1. honest words: don’t lie to him.

  2. honest forgiveness: don’t stay angry at him.

  3. honest work: don’t miss an opportunity to give to him.

If we are diligent with following these guidelines, we will eventually find ourselves growing towards each other, instead of away from each other.

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the unsurrendered life

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 4:20-24 (JDV)

Ephesians 4:20 But you did not learn Christ in this way,1

Ephesians 4:21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, like the truth is in Jesus,

Ephesians 4:22 to take off your former way of life, the old human that is corrupted by deceitful cravings,

Ephesians 4:23 to be renewed in the breath of your minds,

Ephesians 4:24 and to put on the new human, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

the unsurrendered life

What does the new human look like?

  • Her actions are purposeful.
  • She walks in the light of Scripture.
  • She is part of the congregation.
  • She is aware of the world around her.
  • She can bend her will to others’ needs.
  • She feels the hurt of others.
  • She has control of her appetities.
  • She walks in purity.
  • She has learned contentment.

She does not come by these characteristics naturally. They are the products of an unsurrendered life. They take hard work and discipline.

Lord, this is the life we want. The Unsurrendered life.

1οὕτω

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learning how to unsurrender

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 4:17-19 (JDV)

Ephesians 4:17 Then I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer live like the Gentiles live, in the futility of their thoughts.

Ephesians 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.

Ephesians 4:19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.

learning how to unsurrender

Remember that the inhabitants of Ephesus were mostly Gentiles. The descriptive terms that Paul uses here for the Gentile lifestyle are all too familiar to these believers. Most of them grew up living like this: futile, darkened, excluded, ignorant, hard-hearted, callous, promiscuous, impure, insatiable.

They had lived most of their lives surrendered to the enemy. Now they were learning how to unsurrender. It is not easy. We need God’s miraculous power to break that bondage.

Lord, teach us how to break the bonds that keep us living like unbelievers.

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maturity builders

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Jefferson Vann
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Ephesians 4:14-16 (JDV)

Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Ephesians 4:15 But speaking the truth in care, let us grow in every way into him who is the head – Christ.

Ephesians 4:16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in care by the proper achieving energy of each individual part.

maturity builders

Why is Paul picking on kids? I like little children; they are wonderful. But I get what Paul is saying here. Small children can be gullible and easily influenced. Paul had been talking about the ministries which Christ gave “so the devotees could be equipped for achieving ministry.” These missionaries, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers enabled the Ephesian Christians to be strong in the truth of the gospel and to model the care of Christ.

Lord, thank you for sending us maturity builders.

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