PEOPLE OF LIGHT
OBSERVATION: PAUL’S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS WAS A SUMMARY OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE TO RESCUE US FROM THE OLD LIFE AND ASSURES A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS. GOD WILL EMPOWER YOU TO LIVE THAT LIFE.
INTERPRETATION: EPHESIANS 5:11 (NKJV) AND HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS, BUT RATHER EXPOSE THEM. EPHESIANS 5:11 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE) TAKE NO PART IN AND HAVE NO FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FRUITLESS DEEDS AND ENTERPRISES OF DARKNESS, BUT INSTEAD (LET YOUR LIVES BE SO IN CONTRAST AS TO) EXPOSE AND REPROVE AND CONVICT THEM.
POINTS TO PONDER:
THIS SCRIPTURE ADDRESSES THE CARNAL CHRISTIAN AND THE UNSAVED. THE WORD CARNAL MEANS “FLESHLY”. A CARNAL CHRISTIAN IS ONE WHO SINS (1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-3 AND 1 JOHN 1:8). EVERY TIME A CHRISTIAN SINS, HE IS ACTING CARNALLY. A BELIEVERS POSITION HAS CHANGED FROM DARKNESS (SIN) TO LIGHT (RIGHTEOUSNESS) WHEN SAVED. HOWEVER, HE HAS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED HIS CHARACTER (THIS IS TERMED SANCTIFICATION). BELIEVERS MUST REPROVE THE DEEDS OF BELIEVERS WHO CONTINUALLY PRACTICE EVIL AS WE BRING LIGHT TO THEM (EPHESIANS 5:9). THE LIGHT OF CHRIST’S EXAMPLE WHO KNEW NO SIN CAN CLEANSE BELIEVERS FROM MORAL LAZINESS!
THE UNSAVED HAVE NOT COME TO SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS PRIMARILY WHAT PAUL ADDRESSES IN EPHESIANS 5:11.
IT IS THE DEEDS OF UNBELIEVERS THAT CHRISTIANS SHOULD SHUN, NOT THE UNBELIEVERS THEMSELVES. HOW ELSE COULD THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST COME TO THEM?
YOU CAN REPROVE UNBELIEVERS WITH THE WORD WHILE MANIFESTING A GODLY CHRISTIAN WALK TO THEM. THIS IS WHY BELIEVERS WALK AS LIGHTS TO A LOST WORLD.
APPLICATION: BELIEVERS MUST LIVE AS PEOPLE OF LIGHT. YOU MAY BE THE ONLY GOSPEL THE UNBELIEVER HEARS!
