Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.

Ephesians 5:1-21 

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Ephesians 5:11-14

I continue my study of Paul's prison epistles - Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.  Today I focus on Ephesians 5:1-21 where Paul warns us against various sin and exhorts us to imitate God and to walk in the light to "expose" sin.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.  

• What do we learn from the text about God?: V1: God is Father and believers are His children - adopted into His family - see also John 1:12-13.  Just as children model their behavior after their parents, we are imitate our Heavenly Father. V2: Christ loved (still does) us and died for us - His sacrifice was pleasing to God (obedient to the Father's will). V5: Those who willfully demonstrate a pattern of sin have no inheritance (salvation) from Christ, and V6 instead are subject to His wrath upon judgement day. Vv8-14: Christ is described as Light and believers are children of Light and our actions must reflect light as we are to be a light to others (exposing sin - not as judgement but as contrast to the world of darkness) - see also Matthew 5:14-16, John 8:12, 9:5. 
• What do we learn from the text about people?: There is much sin and darkness in the world and Paul outlines this in V3 (sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness), V4 (filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking), V17 (foolishness), and V18 (drunkenness and debauchery).  Paul's exhortation is that we "[t]ake no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them (see above)."  Believers are warned to not be deceived (with empty words v6) and not to become partners with those who demonstrate willful patterns of sin (v7).  This of course does not mean that we avoid unbelievers but instead that are careful not to allow their patterns of sin to influence us - which should cause us to limit how we spend our time with them.  Broadly, in light of sin, we are to make "the best use of the time, because the days are evil," echoing 1 Peter 5:8.  To make the best use of our time, we should understand God's will (see Romans 12:2), be filled with the Holy Spirit (God's Word, prayer, etc.) (v18) and to address other believers in psalms, hymns, and songs (v19) - our interactions with others should be pleasing (dare we say harmonious) in the same way.  Finally (vv20-21) we are to give thanks always (see also 1 Thessalonians 5:18) and to submit to one another (believers) out of reverence to Christ.        
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to avoid being "yoked" to sinful influences in our lives.  Claim the promise we are children of God and follow the example of our Heavenly Father Christ.  We should seek His will via renewal of the mind and walk in the light - attracting others to Christ through the light of Christ that shines through us.  

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that is Light in a world full of sin and darkness.  Thank You for being the Light of the World and for adopting me into Your family allowing Your light to shine through me...and for my salvation. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me daily.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

1 Peter 2:19, Hebrews 12:3-4, and Philippians 2:5-8

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8

I agree with this post on DesiringGod.com that states that Holy Week is the most important week in all of history. While Holy Week and Easter have passed, I do want to read to completion John Piper's 50-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. Today I read reason #37: To Call Us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love.  In today's devotion, John Piper opens by clarifying that "imitation [of Christ] is not salvation...[b]ut salvation brings imitation."  Piper then compares Christ's suffering to the suffering we are called to follow as a believer.  Christ's suffering and the "pattern of love" He seeks for us to imitate happen together, yet for believers we must first be justified/pardoned/saved before we can imitate/follow Christ.  Piper explains: "[Christ's] sufferings are unique. They cannot be imitated. No one but the Son of God can suffer “for us” the way Christ did. He bore our sins in a way that no one else could. He was a substitute sufferer. We can never duplicate this. It was once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous. Divine, vicarious suffering for sinners is inimitable."  The devotion then moves to share that while we can imitate Christ exactly, as we follow Jesus, sanctification makes us more like Him "in loving...in suffering to do good to others...in not returning evil for evil...in lowliness and meekness...in patient endurance...[and] in servanthood."  Piper then refers us to Philippians 3:9-10 for scriptural support that explains how this sequence of salvation then causes imitation. The devotion concludes by then sharing how believers' suffering "is crucial" to show Christ's power in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and ultimately to point others to Him - see also 2 Timothy 2:10.  Rejoice in how God saves, makes us more like Him, and uses us to point others to Him.

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and suffered and died for me, so that I could be forgiven of sins and have eternal life.  Thank You Jesus for my salvation - the greatest gift of all time.  Of course I am undeserving of such a gift.  My sins are great and they continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us point Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.

 3 John 1

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. 3 John 1:11a

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  Today, my study consists of a commentary-assisted review of 3 John 1, focusing on the third division - vv11-12 and the associated commentary (Demetrius: A Man with a Good Testimony). While v11 shares that we are to imitate good, presumably by watching godly examples such as Gaius and Demetrius, we are reminded that we should most importantly be more like Jesus Christ - we are referred to 1 Corinthians 11:1 and Hebrews 12:2-3.  This said, godly examples such as these men prove helpful and God provides us these men in our lives as "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17).  The commentary also points out how Godly brothers and sisters in Christ serve as examples not just for us in our own journey but also for the next generation.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who serves as the example for all to follow, and You give me Godly men and women in my life to sharpen me and to give me examples to follow.  You also give me the Holy Spirit and Your Word to guide me as a lamp unto my feet.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.