EPHESIANS 5
8. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light – lead lives of those native-born to the Light.
9. For the fruit – the effect, the product – of the Light, the Spirit, (consists) in every form of kindly goodness, uprightness of heart and trueness of life.
10. And try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord; let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him. Amp.
And how do we learn what is pleasing to the Lord? We must read the Word and always obey His commandments. But I think the best way is drawing near in worship and in communion. The closeness causes us to know Him and love Him. And because we love and know Him, we want to be pleasing to Him. Then we follow Him and deny our own fleshly ways because He is more important to us.
Then He starts to rub off on us. Our darkness is exposed to the Light and we see things differently. When His Light is present, it is such a tremendously beautiful thing. We just want more of Him. Our flaws and sins show up in His Light. That makes us want to change.
It is like a guy when he is trying to impress a girl. He starts dressing up and fixing his hair. Before, he didn’t really care how he looked. Love changes us for the better.
Then there are those who believe Satan’s lies. All their life they have been told they are no good and believe it. They have a hard time drawing near to the Lord because they believe He could not possibly love them. That is where we come in and must show them the love of Jesus and what He has done for us. We are to pray for them and help them believe Jesus loves them.
Ephesians 5:11 Take no part in and have not fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness, but instead let your lives be so in contrast as to expose, reprove, and convict them. Amp.
When we walk in the Light, we must stay away from the darkness. The darkness is getting darker in this world. People are getting farther away from the Lord as the end draws nearer. We must be on our guard at all times and stay away from the darkness. They will be so convicted by the Light that they will separate themselves from you.
Ephesians 5:15. Look carefully how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise or witless, but as wise – sensible, intelligent people;
16. Making the most of the time – buying up each opportunity – because the days are evil.