Post by Shepherd on Mar 11, 2009 12:14:15 GMT -6
EPH-5-III
WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT
EPHESIANS 5:8-9...FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OR LIGHT; (FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH).
When a man becomes a Christian should there be any difference in the way he lives?
Paul certainly thought the living in faith would make a difference in anyone’s conduct. (I agree). This is simply put in Ephesians 5:8-10. The apostle is writing to the Christian at Ephesus to encourage them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. He wants them to live like Christians, thus he writes, FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT . EPHESIANS 5:8.
For the Apostle Paul unbelief and faith were two entirely different things. The difference can be seen when it is remembered that unbelief is like darkness and faith is like light. Paul felt if a person were in unbelief he was in the night, but if he were a Christian and look into the face of God, he was walking in the day.
Paul makes a statement about the fruit of the Spirit that would encourage any Christian. He writes FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH. EPH. 5:9. The fruit of the Spirit is far more than simply accepting he truth of Christ Jesus. BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE ..GAL. 5:22.
All these characteristics will appear in the Christian when the Holy Ghost is having His way. Take for instance the word LOVE. this cannot be placed in a container. One cannot get a box or bag of love. Love is a quality of conduct.
JOY–joy is not something one can buy a bottle and sprinkle around. Joy is an inward condition of the person. PEACE is an inward state of the human being in his awareness. LONGSUFFERING has to do with an attitude on his part. GENTLENESS is not something to be seen in a person by himself. Gentleness is always found in conduct. Things can be done for one another in a gentle way. Gentleness is a way of doing things to others. The same is true for GOODNESS and so on.
These characteristics are all qualities of the individual Christian in action, and they are the result of the indwelling Holy Ghost of God. The apostle writes that the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness. He has just told the Christians that they are to walk as children of eh light, they are to manifest the truth of the Spirit at all times, letting these things that are the fruit of the Spirit be seen.
IN ALL GOODNESS. When is anything good? The Gospel emphasis in the word GOOD is upon performance. GOODNESS is the quality of anything that is good for something that is right and proper. In your goodness toward God, what in your conduct toward God would be good? It must be good for something. A Christian could worship Him by going to church.
That would means fellowship with other Christians in the worship of God. GOODNESS toward God could mean being careful how one uses His name–being reverent. This would include a careful use of Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
What about my money? Is my income tithed? Is a certain portion given to God in recognition of His benevolence? The same is true with reference to praying if I want to live in goodness before God, is prayer central in my life? What about my witnessing? What about me talking to other people about God, and about coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a Christian I would certainly take part in that. What a out serving? What about sharing in mission work? What about witnessing? What about visiting the sick and the infirm, the aged? When we consider that the fruit of the Spirit is IN ALL GOODNESS, does this refer only to my conduct toward God? What would be goodness so fare as other men are concerned?
It is all such thing taken together that would be good for a Christian who is inwardly moved by the Spirit of God.
AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. Righteousness is a quality of being and doing, which is the result of being right. For my manner to be right means that it is according to certain standards. The Christian person will want to be right. That will be righteous. There will be respect of other people. There will be obedience to the law. It is keeping the rules whatever they happen to be that will make one a righteous person. To be clean in my conduct is righteous. To be honest in my affairs is righteous. To be generous in the way I treat other people is righteous. In all the judgment rendered by me, I should always remember mercy.
Paul wrote in this connection that the fruit of the Spirit is IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH.
The Christian will seek TRUTH about God, as he reads his Bible. Sin will cost a person his eternal life. Sin needs to be confessed to God, and forsaken. I should keep before my mind the truth about Calvary. Christ Jesus died for me and the fruit of the Spirit will keep me conscious of the fact that Christ died for me on Calvary’s cross.
I need to remember the truth the resurrection. Christ literally arose from the dead and I need to keep in mind the truth about the ascension. Christ Jesus went up into the presence of God in full view of the disciple. It is keeping these things in mind that will enable me to have the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Christ Jesus went into heaven where He is now and He is my Advocate. He is interceding for me right now, and I have the blessed results of his intercession in my daily righteousness.
The fruit of the Spirit also proceeds from the truth that He is coming again. There will be an end of this world, these things will have an end, and there will be a coming judgment. Heaven and hell are real; these things are an will be .
Paul wrote FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT; (FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH;). The wonderful fact is that I will not need to remember everything by my own memory. All I will need to do today is to yield my life to the living Lord. His Holy Ghost within me as a Christian will move me into these things. As they happen in my actions I can recognize them and know that I am on the right road; walking AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT.
EPHESIANS 5:8-9...FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OR LIGHT; (FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH).
When a man becomes a Christian should there be any difference in the way he lives?
Paul certainly thought the living in faith would make a difference in anyone’s conduct. (I agree). This is simply put in Ephesians 5:8-10. The apostle is writing to the Christian at Ephesus to encourage them to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called. He wants them to live like Christians, thus he writes, FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT . EPHESIANS 5:8.
For the Apostle Paul unbelief and faith were two entirely different things. The difference can be seen when it is remembered that unbelief is like darkness and faith is like light. Paul felt if a person were in unbelief he was in the night, but if he were a Christian and look into the face of God, he was walking in the day.
Paul makes a statement about the fruit of the Spirit that would encourage any Christian. He writes FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH. EPH. 5:9. The fruit of the Spirit is far more than simply accepting he truth of Christ Jesus. BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE ..GAL. 5:22.
All these characteristics will appear in the Christian when the Holy Ghost is having His way. Take for instance the word LOVE. this cannot be placed in a container. One cannot get a box or bag of love. Love is a quality of conduct.
JOY–joy is not something one can buy a bottle and sprinkle around. Joy is an inward condition of the person. PEACE is an inward state of the human being in his awareness. LONGSUFFERING has to do with an attitude on his part. GENTLENESS is not something to be seen in a person by himself. Gentleness is always found in conduct. Things can be done for one another in a gentle way. Gentleness is a way of doing things to others. The same is true for GOODNESS and so on.
These characteristics are all qualities of the individual Christian in action, and they are the result of the indwelling Holy Ghost of God. The apostle writes that the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness. He has just told the Christians that they are to walk as children of eh light, they are to manifest the truth of the Spirit at all times, letting these things that are the fruit of the Spirit be seen.
IN ALL GOODNESS. When is anything good? The Gospel emphasis in the word GOOD is upon performance. GOODNESS is the quality of anything that is good for something that is right and proper. In your goodness toward God, what in your conduct toward God would be good? It must be good for something. A Christian could worship Him by going to church.
That would means fellowship with other Christians in the worship of God. GOODNESS toward God could mean being careful how one uses His name–being reverent. This would include a careful use of Sunday as the Lord’s Day.
What about my money? Is my income tithed? Is a certain portion given to God in recognition of His benevolence? The same is true with reference to praying if I want to live in goodness before God, is prayer central in my life? What about my witnessing? What about me talking to other people about God, and about coming to the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a Christian I would certainly take part in that. What a out serving? What about sharing in mission work? What about witnessing? What about visiting the sick and the infirm, the aged? When we consider that the fruit of the Spirit is IN ALL GOODNESS, does this refer only to my conduct toward God? What would be goodness so fare as other men are concerned?
It is all such thing taken together that would be good for a Christian who is inwardly moved by the Spirit of God.
AND RIGHTEOUSNESS. Righteousness is a quality of being and doing, which is the result of being right. For my manner to be right means that it is according to certain standards. The Christian person will want to be right. That will be righteous. There will be respect of other people. There will be obedience to the law. It is keeping the rules whatever they happen to be that will make one a righteous person. To be clean in my conduct is righteous. To be honest in my affairs is righteous. To be generous in the way I treat other people is righteous. In all the judgment rendered by me, I should always remember mercy.
Paul wrote in this connection that the fruit of the Spirit is IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH.
The Christian will seek TRUTH about God, as he reads his Bible. Sin will cost a person his eternal life. Sin needs to be confessed to God, and forsaken. I should keep before my mind the truth about Calvary. Christ Jesus died for me and the fruit of the Spirit will keep me conscious of the fact that Christ died for me on Calvary’s cross.
I need to remember the truth the resurrection. Christ literally arose from the dead and I need to keep in mind the truth about the ascension. Christ Jesus went up into the presence of God in full view of the disciple. It is keeping these things in mind that will enable me to have the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
Christ Jesus went into heaven where He is now and He is my Advocate. He is interceding for me right now, and I have the blessed results of his intercession in my daily righteousness.
The fruit of the Spirit also proceeds from the truth that He is coming again. There will be an end of this world, these things will have an end, and there will be a coming judgment. Heaven and hell are real; these things are an will be .
Paul wrote FOR YE WERE SOMETIMES DARKNESS, BUT NOW ARE YE LIGHT IN THE LORD; WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT; (FOR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH;). The wonderful fact is that I will not need to remember everything by my own memory. All I will need to do today is to yield my life to the living Lord. His Holy Ghost within me as a Christian will move me into these things. As they happen in my actions I can recognize them and know that I am on the right road; walking AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT.
