PT-2 "What We Were" (Eph. 5:8)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/5/2019 8:32 AM

 

My Worship Time                                                                           Focus:  PT-2 “What We Were”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                             Reference:  Eph. 5:8

 

            Message of the verse:  “8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” “once you were "darkness" but now as Christians you are "light". Live then as children of the light’” (Philips).

 

            We want to begin this SD by looking at four basic characteristics of this spiritual darkness.  First it is the work of Satan.  If you are not a child of God then you are a child of the devil.  “’You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).  “’He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him" (John 3:36). 

 

            As we think about two different kinds of people in the world today, and there has always been only two different kinds of people in the world those who are children of God and those who are children of the devil, and at times, perhaps many times it is difficult for us as believers to imagine that the law-abiding, decent and also pleasant unbelievers we run into every day are actually children of Satan.  It is obvious that there are different degrees of both kinds of people.  I probably have mentioned that when we get to heaven that there will be three surprises, the first is who we see there, the second is who is not there, and the third is that we are there.  This helps us better understand the different degrees of people on both sides. 

 

            Second, spiritual darkness not only is the work but the domain of Satan.  MacArthur writes “The unbeliever does Satan’s work because he is under Satan’s control (in Luke 22:53 he is called ‘the power of darkness’) as a citizen of his ‘dominion of darkness’ (Col. 1:13; cf. Eph. 6:12; 1 John 5:19).  That is why it is so foolish for people to reject the claims of the gospel because they imagine they would have to give up their freedom and come into a forced and unwanted obedience to God.  One of Satan’s most deceptive and destructive lies is the idea that a person apart from God is free, which is what he told Eve.  The unbeliever is totally bound and imprisoned by Satan through sin.  He cannot do anything but sin and he cannot obey anyone but Satan.  Fallen man thinks he is free only because what he wants so closely agrees with what Satan wants.  But the believer’s obedience is the deepest desire of his heart (cf. Rom. 6:17-18, 22; 7:22; Ps. 119).”

 

            Third, spiritual darkness brings God’s penalty.   Paul just declared the following in Eph. 5:6 “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” who are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3).  Paul also speaks about this in the book of Romans where we read in 1:18 “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

 

            Fourth, spiritual darkness leads to the ultimate destiny of eternal darkness.  It makes no difference whether one is a Jew or Gentile if they do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, they “shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” as seen in Matthew 8:12, this can also be seen in 1 Sam. 2:9; 2 and 2 Peter 2:17.  The ones who reject Jesus do so because they are content with the darkness that they are living in.  Since they have chosen darkness over light then they will always be in the darkness and not the light.  “Eternity simply crystallizes the choice into permanence.”  (MacArthur)

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Understanding this truth that we have looked at in today’s SD it is my desire to continue to pray for those on my prayer list who are in need of salvation.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Continue in my quest for learning humility as seen in places like Romans 12:3.

 

Today’s quotation is from and unknown author:  “The more we trust the sovereignty of heaven, the less we fear the calamities of earth.”

 

6/5/2019 9:01 AM