Sunday, February 13, 2022

PT-2 "The Commission" (Eph. 5:11b-13)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/13/2019 11:35 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                        Focus:  PT-2 “The Commission”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Eph. 5:11b-13

 

            Message of the verses:  but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.”

 

            In our last SD I was thinking about these verses in light of the awful abortion industry that goes on, not only in this country, but also in the entire world, and we will continue to look at these verses for what they have to say in our SD for today as we talk about what Paul went on to say that “it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” 

 

            I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that I did not get saved until I was almost 27 years of age, and one can have a lot of living in 26+ years on this earth, especially when working in a place that my wife described as “hell” for over 35 years.  Yes the foundry was a very hot place to work, which does remind you of hell, but that was not the only thing that reminded me of hell, for the many people who worked there also reminded me of what hell may be like as I observed their behavior, and also their language.  I say this because it is very hard to get some of the images out of my mind that went on while working there and I suppose that is one of the reasons that this part of verse 12 that causes me to have difficulties in my walk with the Lord.  I suppose that in most cases it is best to just keep my mouth shut so I won’t be tempted to talk about things of the past, at least things that were sinful.

 

            Some of those things are like in a sense like nuclear by-products as they are so extremely deadly that even the most trained and best-protected technicians and even scientists who work with them are in constant danger.  They also have terrible affects even after many years of lying dormant similar to things in my past when working in that foundry.  MacArthur writes “In the same way, [nuclear by-products] some things are so spiritually ‘disgraceful’ and dangerous that they should be sealed off not only from direct contact but even from conversation.  They should be exposed only to the extent necessary to be rid of them.”

 

            He goes on to write “Our resource for exposing evil is Scripture which is the light (Ps. 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23; Heb. 4:13) and is ‘profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness’ (2 Tim. 3:16).  ‘All things become visible when they are exposed by the light’ of God’s Word.  Our commission as children of light is to hold everything up to the light of Scripture, to expose and seek to remedy whatever is evil.”  As mentioned in our last SD this certainly speaks of abortion and the evilness of it.

 

            MacArthur adds “The phrase ‘for everything that becomes visible is light’ is a part of verse 14 in the best Greek manuscripts, and is better translated, ‘for it is light that makes everything visible’ (NIV).  ‘Light’ is that which makes things manifest, that which shows them to be as they actually are.  When sin is revealed, it loses its ‘hiddenness’ and is seen for the ugliness it is.”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  In the Sunday school class that I am teaching we have been looking at chapters 21-22 of Revelation, and one of the things it teaches us is that there is no need of sun in the New Jerusalem because of God’s glory, and that glory is light, and His light penetrates every section of the New Jerusalem.  In my life today God’s light penetrates everything about my life so that I can see when I am not pleasing to the Lord and then seek His forgiveness in order to continue to walk in the Light.

 

My Steeps of Faith for Today:  It takes humility in order to be convicted of sinful practices so that I can walk with the Lord. 

 

Today’s quotation is from J. I. Packer:  “Not until we have become Humble and teachable…distrusting our own thoughts, and willing to have our minds turned upside down, can divine wisdom become ours.”

 

6/13/2019 12:06 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment