#DailyDevotion Live As Children Of The Light
Eph. 5:5-9 5Be sure of this, that no one who is immoral, unclean, or greedy (a greedy person worships an idol) has any share in the kingdom of Christ, Who is God. 6Don’t let anyone fool you with meaningless words. These things bring God’s anger and punishment on those who don’t obey the truth. 7So don’t share their ways. 8Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, 9since light produces everything good and righteous and true.
So we and our society have a lot to repent of it seems. Immoral has as it antecedent “sexually immoral” from the previous verses. It’s difficult to even escape it if you watch any television, movie, or even hear a commercial. Unclean here is not ceremonial unclean but has to do with being lewd, which naturally follows being immoral. Greed, well that seems to drive all of society and government. Pursuing more for the sake of having more. Not being content with what we have. To be greedy is to have an idol. Our LORD Jesus Christ named it mammon. Those who engage in such activities Paul says have no share in the kingdom of Christ. Seriously, I don’t know how any of us are going to make it. We need to examine ourselves regularly to see if any of these things has anything to do with us. We need to repent regularly. Confess our sinfulness in these matters and look to Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.
Now Paul makes a very clear statement about Jesus here. He says, “kingdom of Christ, who is God.” Now you can’t get any clearer who Paul believed and taught who Jesus is. He is God, in the flesh, our flesh, suffered, died, risen, ascended and returning in judgment God. Instead of engaging in these activities we should be thanking God as Paul said in verse 4 for everything. We thank him for providing our daily needs. We thank him for providing for us salvation through his life, death and resurrection. We thank him for redeeming us from sin and death and giving us a new life in the Holy Spirit.
We have some work to do which a lot of Christians don’t want to do. Paul says don’t let anyone fool you with meaningless words. In other words, just because someone mentions Jesus and quotes a scripture to you (which is probably out of context) you need to judge their teaching. Don’t be fooled with meaningless words. There’s probably more pop psychology and self-help mumbo jumbo being passed off these days as Christian teaching. It is not. Seriously, when you read some stuff look it up in the bible. Does whatever passage they’re quoting have anything at all to do with what they are saying, in the context of that passage or does it just make their point, out of context. If you have a pastor or teacher doing this, RUN AWAY. God’s wrath is coming because of such people. YOU have a responsibility for what “spiritual” stuff you read, watch and listen to.
Don’t share in these people’s ways. You are now light in the LORD. With the clear teachings of Scripture you have what you need to walk as children of Light. The Light of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, will produce in you everything good righteous and true. You don’t need gimicks or pop pschology. You need the gospel of Jesus Christ, the free gift of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation through faith in him.
Heavenly Father, through your Word and Holy Spirit, have us turn from the ways of darkness and turn and live as your children of Light. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.