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Follow Jesus in serving others.
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The light of God is: Be imitators of God. Walk in love. Walk as children of light. Learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Expose evil doers. Awake and arise from the dead. Walk making the most of your time. Understand what the will of the Lord is. Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Always give thanks for all things. Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Imitators of God.
How do children imitate? My son loves to do what I do when I am working in the wood shop. If I am using a hammer he wants to use the hammer. He wants to use the tool that I am using. With the power tools he pretends that he is using them.
To imitate God as children is to see what God is doing and do the same thing. As I would keep an eye on my son to protect him from injury, so our Father will keep an eye on us to protect us from harm.
Walk in love.
Love by faith through the power of God's Spirit according to His desires and not ours, knowing that God loves us and will take care of us.
Romans 14:15
"For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.""But if your brother is being pained, or his feelings hurt or if he is being injured by what you eat, (then) you are no longer walking in love.- That is, you have ceased to be living and conducting yourself by the standard of love toward him. Do not let what you eat hurt or cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died" Amplified
Put the advancement of others before your enjoyment. Col. 3:14 Love works for unity.
John 13:34,35 A true test of weather we are Christ's disciples if we love our brothers in Christ.
Rom. 8:37 We conquer through Jesus who loved us. It is not by the knowledge of Jesus. But by the flowing of His Spirit through us to enable us to love. He gives the direction, He gives the will, He gives the words and He gives the life. Rely upon Jesus not your knowledge.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this that one lay down his life for his friends." To lay aside your desires and to work for the good of others is to walk in love.
Prov. 17:9 Love covers a multitude of sins.
Walk as children of light.
Walk with every act exposed to God. (Westlake)
Take the attitude that Jesus is right with you. Ps. 16:8 "I have set the
Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not
be shaken." As we walk prayerfully meditating on God's words, we are walking
in reverence of God.
What is light? "The unfolding of thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." Psalm 119:130 Light is a type for understanding. "For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light;
..." Proverbs 6:23 When The Lord explains His word it gives wisdom for us to live our life. A wise man can act on instruction. He can take the experience of others and plow new ground. The key, though, is to act on the instruction. God's words are sure, giving wisdom. Ps. 19:7 Let us not ignore the instruction of God, but live according to the light that the Lord has given us.
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Understand what the will of the Lord is.
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The way we learn what pleases God is to quiet our soul before Him and hear His direction for our lives. We reject the world's ways and transform our mind by renewing it in God's word. (Romans 12;1,2) Then act on what God is showing us. We can't please God without obedience.
When our love abounds more and more in real knowledge and all discernment than we will be able to approve the things that are excellent. Phil. 1:9,10
1 Thes. 5:21 Examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good.
Rom. 12:9 Abhor what is evil cling to what is good. One good way to find out if something is pleasing to the Lord but is not perfect is to ask ourselves if we would do it if Jesus would pay us a visit? Would it lift up Christ or is it detracting from the purposes of the gospel. Legalism can enter in here, but if we set our heart to serve God the things of the world will take a back seat while the things of God become more important.
What pleases God? The obedience of faith.
Expose them. "Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning." (1 Timothy 5:20) "Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, but he who regards reproof will be honored." (Proverbs 13:18) "Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear." (Proverbs 25:12) "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2)
"Asrake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." How do we awake from spiritual sleep? Believe is to be awake. To trust God to fulfill His word is to believe. As we trust God for the things that He has shown us we will be a light to others.
"And do this (loving your neighbor) knowing the time, that is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed, (our promotion to heaven at death, or the rapture) The night is already gone, and day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light." (Romans 13:11,12)
How do we put on the armor of light? By living the truth that God has shown us. By trusting in the righteousness that was given to us because of the washing by the blood of Jesus. By being ready to share the gospel with all who come our way. By blocking all the attacks of the evil one with the word that God has given to us to live by. By having the assurance of salvation because of the work of the Spirit and the promises of His word. By using the word of God as it is quickened to us by the Holy Spirit, to pierce the kingdom of darkness. All of these activities are upheld as we pray in the Spirit being alert in it also for all the saints. Eph. 6
Walk making the best use of your time. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. (Col. 4:5) "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom." (Ps. 90:12) "We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coning, when no man can work." (Jn. 9:4) "So then while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." (Gal. 6:10) God has given us each a work to do. (Eph. 2:10) As we serve Him, He will reveal His will for our lives, in a clearer and clearer way. "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day." (Proverbs 4:18) What is valuable? What will stand the test of the fire? That which is born of God. That which was born of God and not of self. Don't identify with the age that we live in but with God's kingdom.
Understand what the will of the Lord is.
Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. It is natural to complain about the things that are in our life. To be full of the Lord though, is to share of the things of God with a joyful heart. It is not enough to know the truth, we should apply what we know with diligence.
Always giving thanks for all things. In the world people can obey rules and get by that way, but there is no way that they can give thanks for their trials. The lessons of the beatitudes show that if we view life from God's perspective we will consider it a blessing when we are faced with unfair or tough situations. Thankfulness can only come by the infilling of God's Spirit.
Thank you Jesus for this life and the opportunities that we have to share about your love and forgiveness. Thank you for the problems that come our way for without them we would have no work to do. Let me be ready for the work that is ahead for me to do. Lord I trust you with my life, for I know that you have my best interests at heart.
And be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Fear of injustice causes us not to subject ourselves to others. This fear is there because there is a lack of love. As we love God we will be able to love others and to work with them. If we can't love other Christians than we can not be identified as a brother. (John 13) Look to Christ and follow His lead. Trust His care and protection for us. Assurance in Christ allows us to be free to love.
Summary of Ephesians 5:1-21 Be about God's business, not your business.
Water From the Rock Bible Studies
- - -Scott McCrae
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