SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/11/2019 8:59 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
“The Command”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ephesians
5:11a
Message of the
verse: “And
do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness,” (NASB).
John MacArthur tells us about the
Greek word for the English words “to participate in” which is Sunkoinoneo. He says that this word “may also be
translated ‘to become a partaker together with others.’ The child of light should not become involved
in evil even by association.” Now with
this said it reminds me of a story, a true story that happened back in the
1920’s or 30’s. It is about the father
of a man that I knew a few years ago, and the story of this man’s father was
made into a kind of radio play from “Pacific Garden Missions” located in
Chicago, Ill. The program is called
“Unshackled” it tells the true stories of how the Spirit of God brought
different people to the Lord. John, the
friend of mine tells the story of how his father got involved with a gang in
Chicago, not the kind of gangs we think about today, but none the less a small
gang who end up doing a robbery gone bad when one of the people they were
robbing was killed. It was during that
time in our country when if you were associated with others who killed someone
that you would also receive the death penalty and even though John’s father did
not participate in the murder he was sentenced to die. The story goes on to show how John’s father
came to know the Lord as his Savior and Lord before he was executed. It also tells of how, after he came to know
the Lord that he spent his last days studying the Bible and growing in his
faith.
The Apostle John says in one of his
letters that we are to be in the world but not of the world. We are to go out and witness to a dying
world, but while we are out there in the world we are not to become a part of
the world system, but because we are believers we are to stand above those
worldly things through the power of the Word of God and His Holy Spirit. MacArthur writes “To compromise God’s
standards is to weaken our witness as well as our character. No act of unrighteousness is permissible.”
Paul tells us in his letter to the
Corinthians not even to be associated with a fellow believer who is openly
sinning; he writes “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral
people. I did not at all mean with the
immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with
idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate
with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or
and idolater, or a reviler or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with
such a one.”
MacArthur concludes: “Paul’s command is direct and simple: Christians who are to produce the righteous
fruit of light are to have nothing at all to do with ‘the unfruitful deeds of
darkness.’ These unspecified ‘deeds of
darkness’ are typified by the specific sins he has already mentioned in
chapters 4 and five—lusts of deceit, falsehood, stealing, unwholesome speech,
bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice, immorality, impurity, greed,
filthiness, silly talk, coarse jesting, covetousness, and idolatry. Those and every other kind and degree of sin
are to be avoided by the believer, because they bring no benefit to man or
glory to God.”
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I think
the spiritual meaning for m y life today is very obvious from this last
paragraph.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Humility is,
and always will be needed in my life, and pride is always to be avoided.
Today’s
quotation is from Francis of Assisi who said “Remember that when you leave this
earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received—fading symbols of
honour, trappings of power—but only what you have given: A full heart enriched by honest service,
love, sacrifice and courage.”
6/11/2019 9:25
AM
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