Post by Shepherd on Mar 12, 2009 12:33:18 GMT -6
EPH-5-IV
UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS
EPHESIANS 5:9...FOR THE FRUIT OF HE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH.
Is it all right for a Christian to join in what ever is going on round about him, in what ever is being done? No. Not if the things are wrong.
The living of a Christian is complicated by the actions of others around him. As I live with faith in Christ Jesus, I want His blessing and want to be well pleasing in His sight. Thus the way I live makes a difference. This leads into self-denial, even unto death of self. I have to give up on myself.
People can live in such a way as to discourage the Christian in his walk AND BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD. MATT. 24:12. How we could wish it were not this way in our culture.
Suppose I wanted to pray and next door there was a boisterous party going on. There could be music, with all kinds of noise-making instruments, laughter and singing. It would be hard for me to pray. It would be hard even for group to conduct a prayer meeting.
Paul had something like this in mind when he admonished Christians what to do and how to live. He told them plainly that they were to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. One serious aspect of the works of darkness is that they are not always ugly. If only sin were always ugly, dirty, as a festering sore, outwardly, it might be avoided. But some of these works of darkness can be so sweet.
Paul calls them however, the unfruitful works of darkness. This is their significant characteristic. Even if they were sweet, or even if they were gentle in action, even if they were nice, even if they were perfumed, they would yet all be unfruitful.
Most of our activities at work or at home are largely neutral, as far as the soul is concerned. It is what we choose to do with our spare time and money that really counts. For instance, in the line of entertainment, unfruitful works of darkness couldbe parties, week-end trips to the wrong places. They could include reading bad books, watching bad movies on TV, or playing cards, with gambling in mind. All such entertaining activities could easily be unfruitful works of darkness. Why darkness? Because in such activities, no conscious attention would be given to God.
I am reminded of this passage in the gospel of John; AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, THAT LIGHT IS COME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. FOR EVERYONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE REPROVED. BUT HE THAT DOETH TRUTH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD. JOHN 3:19-21.
That is what the Lord Jesus Himself taught with reference to darkness and light. The things we do because we like to do them, If they interfer with what God wants us to do. And things like the next verse, can easily be unfruitful works of darkness.
I PETER 2:11-12..DEARLY BELOVED, I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL; HAVING YOUR CONVERSATION HONEST AMONG THE GENTILES; THAT, WHEREAS THEY SPEAK AGAINST YOU AS EVILDOERS, THEY MAY BY YOUR GOOD WORKS, WHICH THAT SHALL BEHOLD GLORIFY GOD IN THE DAY OF VISITATION.
Peter is admonishing Christians to abstain from gratifying the desires or their human nature because these war against the soul. This does not mean that any one of those things is necessarily evil or wicked or crude, but they all tend to lead the soul away from the things of God.
All around are nice, cultured people who acknowledge no relationship with God. One fact we can realize about them is that they are not right with God. As a Christian, I should vote against them, reprove them, for it is a shame even to speak of things which are done in secret by such people.
Paul has in mind certain things being practiced in public that are wrong and hurtful. These can be a real snare. It has become to common to accept anything that is done in public as being all right. I have noted the tendency of public media to use profanity. In fact, this has become so acceptable that unless a person uses a certain amount of profanity is publishing an article, people are inclined to feel the author is not telling it as it is.
The same can be said about books, moves, tv, and other media. Paul would say that is shameful and believers should have no fellowship with such. Other people may talk in this way but I ought not to have any fellowship with them, but rather reprove them.
I am impressed to feel that for me, as a Christian, I should be very careful to have no part in anything that is a work of darkness of any sort and therefore unfruitful. That does not promote the things of the Lord. I am referring to loose talk, careless talk, vulgar talk, crude talk, obscene talk, immoral talk, profane talk; all these things hurt all down the line. A Christian should have no part in that.
We should love every body but not their sin and bad ways.
EPHESIANS 5:9...FOR THE FRUIT OF HE SPIRIT IS IN ALL GOODNESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUTH.
Is it all right for a Christian to join in what ever is going on round about him, in what ever is being done? No. Not if the things are wrong.
The living of a Christian is complicated by the actions of others around him. As I live with faith in Christ Jesus, I want His blessing and want to be well pleasing in His sight. Thus the way I live makes a difference. This leads into self-denial, even unto death of self. I have to give up on myself.
People can live in such a way as to discourage the Christian in his walk AND BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD. MATT. 24:12. How we could wish it were not this way in our culture.
Suppose I wanted to pray and next door there was a boisterous party going on. There could be music, with all kinds of noise-making instruments, laughter and singing. It would be hard for me to pray. It would be hard even for group to conduct a prayer meeting.
Paul had something like this in mind when he admonished Christians what to do and how to live. He told them plainly that they were to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. One serious aspect of the works of darkness is that they are not always ugly. If only sin were always ugly, dirty, as a festering sore, outwardly, it might be avoided. But some of these works of darkness can be so sweet.
Paul calls them however, the unfruitful works of darkness. This is their significant characteristic. Even if they were sweet, or even if they were gentle in action, even if they were nice, even if they were perfumed, they would yet all be unfruitful.
Most of our activities at work or at home are largely neutral, as far as the soul is concerned. It is what we choose to do with our spare time and money that really counts. For instance, in the line of entertainment, unfruitful works of darkness couldbe parties, week-end trips to the wrong places. They could include reading bad books, watching bad movies on TV, or playing cards, with gambling in mind. All such entertaining activities could easily be unfruitful works of darkness. Why darkness? Because in such activities, no conscious attention would be given to God.
I am reminded of this passage in the gospel of John; AND THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION, THAT LIGHT IS COME INTO THE WORLD, AND MEN LOVED DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT, BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL. FOR EVERYONE THAT DOETH EVIL HATETH THE LIGHT, NEITHER COMETH TO THE LIGHT, LEST HIS DEEDS SHOULD BE REPROVED. BUT HE THAT DOETH TRUTH COMETH TO THE LIGHT, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD. JOHN 3:19-21.
That is what the Lord Jesus Himself taught with reference to darkness and light. The things we do because we like to do them, If they interfer with what God wants us to do. And things like the next verse, can easily be unfruitful works of darkness.
I PETER 2:11-12..DEARLY BELOVED, I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL; HAVING YOUR CONVERSATION HONEST AMONG THE GENTILES; THAT, WHEREAS THEY SPEAK AGAINST YOU AS EVILDOERS, THEY MAY BY YOUR GOOD WORKS, WHICH THAT SHALL BEHOLD GLORIFY GOD IN THE DAY OF VISITATION.
Peter is admonishing Christians to abstain from gratifying the desires or their human nature because these war against the soul. This does not mean that any one of those things is necessarily evil or wicked or crude, but they all tend to lead the soul away from the things of God.
All around are nice, cultured people who acknowledge no relationship with God. One fact we can realize about them is that they are not right with God. As a Christian, I should vote against them, reprove them, for it is a shame even to speak of things which are done in secret by such people.
Paul has in mind certain things being practiced in public that are wrong and hurtful. These can be a real snare. It has become to common to accept anything that is done in public as being all right. I have noted the tendency of public media to use profanity. In fact, this has become so acceptable that unless a person uses a certain amount of profanity is publishing an article, people are inclined to feel the author is not telling it as it is.
The same can be said about books, moves, tv, and other media. Paul would say that is shameful and believers should have no fellowship with such. Other people may talk in this way but I ought not to have any fellowship with them, but rather reprove them.
I am impressed to feel that for me, as a Christian, I should be very careful to have no part in anything that is a work of darkness of any sort and therefore unfruitful. That does not promote the things of the Lord. I am referring to loose talk, careless talk, vulgar talk, crude talk, obscene talk, immoral talk, profane talk; all these things hurt all down the line. A Christian should have no part in that.
We should love every body but not their sin and bad ways.
