Ephesians 5:6-16
5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
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Whether on TV, the radio, or in person, there are false teachers in the world. They make up doctrine and use it for their own ends. They may take verses out of context, or just use mans wisdom to make it sound good.
2 Timothy
3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3:3
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, 3:4 Traitors, heady,
highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 3:5 Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead
captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 3:7
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist
the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be
manifest unto all men, as their’s also was.
Check what these false teachers say against the whole Word and they will show themselves of what sort they really are. When you’ve found one of these false teachers, don’t stay and listen to them. Anything they say can sow a seed of doubt and weaken your faith.
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Throughout the Bible, leaven is used as a symbol for sin and corruption. When celebrating the Passover (which illustrates Christ’s crucifixion), the Jews were to eat unleavened bread. This symbolizes how we’re to eat the whole Word of God, the Bread of Life, without the leaven of the world.
1 Corinthians
5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump?
If you’ve ever made sourdough bread, it’s the perfect picture. You take a “starter” from the last batch, add ingredients to make your bread, and save back part for the next time. The leaven that came from the starter is enough to leaven the whole loaf you made, and the starter for next time.
5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump,
as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with
the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth. 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company
with fornicators: 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world
or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye
needs go out of the world.
That is, if you’re fully separated from sinners, how can you witness?
5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man
that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater,
or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not
to eat. 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?
do not ye judge them that are within? 5:13 But them that are without God
judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
The way to judge a false teacher is to look at their fruit. No one is perfect, but if someone professes to be saved and is wilfully living in sin, you have to question it. There are steps to help a backslid brother and restore them to the fold, but that’s a message for another day. You can start in Galatians Chapter 6 if you’d like to explore this topic.
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When you’re saved, God begins to use the Holy Spirit to work in your life. He will show you where you are weak, and build you up to be stronger. You have to yield to The Spirit and let Him perform this work in you.
Matthew
6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be
single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 6:23 But if thine eye
be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! 6:24 No man
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot
serve God and mammon.
Your eye looks for the things you desire. It will show you the things you want to see. You cannot grow in Christ and hold on to your old sins. You have to be willing to set them aside and let the Holy Spirit show you the path the Father has for you.
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Paul gives us a brief outline of some of the fruits of The Spirit…
Galatians
5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such
there is no law. 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the
flesh with the affections and lusts. 5:25 If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit.
Along with the Holy Spirit, God gives us gifts. The Spirit will help us lay hold on these gifts so the fruit can show forth in our lives.
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The Spirit will help us figure out what we’re supposed to do, and what we’re not supposed to do.
Romans
12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. 12:2 And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Let The Spirit guide you in all things. Don’t just look to God when you’re in trouble or need something. Try to lean on The Spirit to find the will of God for your life in all things, and to recognize and thank God for all the many blessings of each day.
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I’m sure we’ve all had fair weather friends that only hang around as long as they can use you. When you’re saved, your old “friends” will try to tempt you to return to your prior ways. If you use the strength of The Spirit to resist, they won’t understand and will likely leave you, showing they never were true friends.
1 Peter
4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the
will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess
of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4:4
Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same
excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 4:5 Who shall give account to
him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. 4:6 For for this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they
might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to
God in the spirit.
The Law was given to convict men of sin. Jesus came to show there is a better way. All are dead in trespasses and sin. Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and He will give you the gift of The Life.
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Sinful man in his own wisdom thinks he has it all figured out. Because they love their sin, they’ve chosen to believe the lies of the Devil.
Romans
1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened. 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools, 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed
beasts, and creeping things. 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to
uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own bodies between themselves:1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a
lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed for ever. Amen.
An idol doesn’t have to be a gold statue. It can be anything you believe or trust more than God. The evolutionists have their faith in vast stretches of time. However, when some of their own start pointing out that their estimate of the age of the Earth (5.6 billion years) isn’t enough to account for the development of life, many of them started talking about life coming from somewhere else. Rather than believe the truth of God, they would rather create and believe a new lie.
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The world doesn’t want to believe, because then they’d have to admit they are sinners in need of a Savior.
Luke
8:16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel,
or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they
which enter in may see the light. 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall
not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known
and come abroad. 8:18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever
hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be
taken even that which he seemeth to have.
God’s light penetrates all things. You can’t hide from Him. One day, the evil man will lose his riches and the humble will receive the riches of God, the treasures they’ve been storing up in Heaven.
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This quote can be found in few places in the Old Testament. One is in Isaiah.
Isaiah
60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is
risen upon thee. 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his
glory shall be seen upon thee. 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy
light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
One day the entire world will see the brightness of God in Christ. We can start living in that light now. As Jesus says in John (8:32) “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
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You have to walk in this world, but you don’t have to take part in it. Keep your eyes open. There are many traps and snares set out to trip you up.
Matthew
10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye
therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
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Someday soon, the clock will run out on this world. We have to work while there is still time, to witness to the lost and sow the seeds of life. When the world has ended, we’ll be able to enter into His promised rest.
Hebrews
4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 4:10 For he
that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works,
as God did from his. 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief 4:12 For the word of
God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight:
but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we
have to do. 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as
we are, yet without sin. 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
God knows all things. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows all our faults, our weaknesses and our shortcomings. He also knows our strengths and talents. Most importantly, He knows His plan for us. Our part is to let Him work that out in us.