EXPOSING THE WRONG!

Recently I attended a presentation that informed us that Slavery has not ended; it has gone underground in the form of Human trafficking. Modern-day slavery is running rampant in our cities and is steadily rising.  Moreover, that which is evil, low, and perverted has become common practice. It is a disgrace even to speak of the things done in secret. It must be exposed, but how?

We are continuing our study of the Book of Ephesians. This week we are studying Ephesians 5. Paul moves from the theme of unity and moves toward reminding the new converts of what it was like before they came to Christ and their life now that they have come to Christ. He warns us never to go back to the way we used to be, and he tells us how to keep that from happening.

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Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:  

God Almighty, wake us out of our sleep and help us see the true conditions of this world. Use us as instruments of light to expose the darkness.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 When you read Ephesians 5:11–14, you might think that Paul is speaking directly to us today, and in a sense, he is.  

Now, to see the point Paul is making in Ephesians 5:11–14, we must understand that Paul is giving us two crucial guidelines for living.

Guideline Number 1:

Live a life that honors God. We do this by living a life that tells everyone around us that we belong to God. The guideline for honoring God is expressed in Ephesians 5:1-2, 4, 8–11, and 13-14.

Guideline Number 2: Don’t participate in sexual immorality or any other lifestyle that displays works of darkness. The guideline for exhibiting a lifestyle acceptable to God is found in

Ephesians 5:3-8 and11-12.

Ephesians 5:8–10 helps set the groundwork for us to understand Ephesians 5:11, which advises us to

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11)

Non-believers, those that do not know God, watch the things we say and do. So, our lives must show them that we belong to God; therefore, as believers, we are to live before unbelievers as “light in the Lord” and “children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

Why do we do this? It is so that we can cast out the darkness. By living as children of the light, we make clear that “the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:9, ESV).

Paul advocates that we show God’s love and goodness to those who do not know him. By living a life of righteousness, in contrast to the evils of this world, we teach by example. In teaching by example, we expose corruption. We expose the works of darkness.

Paul makes The point in Ephesians 5:13, 14 that when we as believers practice living a Spirit-filled life exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit (goodness, righteousness, and truth), teaching by example, we cast out darkness and win nonbelievers to Christ.

In other words, The Spirit is like light. The Holy Spirit reveals hidden things: “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light” (Eph. 5:13, 14, ESV).  

When the light exposes immoral living, those participating in the evils may see their behavior for what it is: fruitless and bound for eternal ruin (Ephesians 5:5, 6).

Once they understand this, they will see that they must make changes. It is only at this point that they can be saved.

Ephesians 5:14 is considered a poem or hymn. In this poem, Paul calls believers to wake up from spiritual sleep and allow Jesus to change their hearts. This poem, borrowed from Isaiah 60:1–3, was written to the people of God, the Israelites.

So, we also need to understand that the poem in Ephesians 5:14 tells all believers down through the ages to wake up. He wants us to remember that we are no longer servants of Satan but servants of God.

Therefore, as servants of God, we must shine for Jesus the same as the light that shines in the darkness. We must light up this dark earth and expose evil.

Paul expresses this same principle in Philippians 2:14-16

14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. (Philippians 2:14-16)

And Jesus in Matthew 5:16

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

We expose darkness by lighting up the world. Lighting up the world involves teaching by example. It consists in living our lives in a way that evil is exposed.

Considering we are living in difficult times, Paul insists that exposing darkness is urgent. His appeal is that we should take immediate action. What does Paul urge us to do?

Go back and Read Ephesians 5: 1-20, then Continue to Part 4: Snapping Up the Bargains

Ephesians

(Lesson 9)

Living Wisely

Part 5: Snapping Up the Bargains

Paul ends Ephesians 5:1–20 with encouraging advice. He says in Ephesians 5:15, “So be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools” (Ephesians 5:15, ERV).

He repeats the same thing in Ephesians 5:1, but in a different way: “So do not be foolish with your lives. But learn what the Lord wants you to do” (Ephesians 5:17, ICB).

Now, between Ephesians 5: 15 and Ephesians 5:17, in Ephesians 5:16, Paul tells us to “use every chance we have for doing good” (Ephesians 5:16, ICB). He admonishes us to make “the best use of our time” (Eph. 5:16, ESV)

Thinking about the advice Paul gives in Ephesians 5:15–17, living wisely and living foolishly are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

In between that, he tells us that we should “Make the best use of our time” (Ephesians 5:16, NLV).

So, in our walk away from living foolishly, we should waste no time in our effort to live wisely.

In Ephesians, Paul talks about how believers should live or not live. Notice that He repeatedly uses the image of walking as a metaphor for how we should live our lives:  He uses this image in Ephesians 2:2 and 10, Ephesians 4:1 and 17, and Ephesians 5:2 and 8.

Using the word walk shows us that we should live our lives intentionally. In other words, we should watch our steps. We must be careful with the decisions we make in life. We must ensure that we are making wise decisions, not foolish ones.

Ephesians 5:17 helps us understand how we may live as wise people. Wise people learn and “understand what the Lord wants” them to do (Ephesians 5:17, NIrV).

To walk wisely rather than foolishly means that we do not look within for wisdom; looking within is walking foolishly. Looking within for advice is walking like the unwise.

In contrast, when walking wisely, we instead reach outside of ourselves and seek to know and understand the will of God.

So, in walking wisely, what does Paul mean when he says, “Make the best use of our time (ESV)? In the NKJV, it is translated as “redeeming the time.”

It is translated as “make” in the Greek language. It comes from the verb “to buy,” which means “to get a good bargain.”

What Paul is saying is that Jesus offers us “a good bargain.” His good bargain is mercy and forgiveness for our sins. Packaged in this, we are offered everlasting life. So Paul is saying that we should “buy”; “snap up the bargains as fast as we can while waiting for Jesus to return.

The word “time” in Ephesians 5:16 comes from a Greek word that describes a chance to do something, a moment of opportunity. So, Paul is saying that now is our chance or moment of opportunity to use our “time” wisely before Jesus comes back.

We are also reminded in Ephesians 5:16 that the times that we live in today are challenging times because the days are filled with evil and trouble.

Notice what it says in the following verses about the evil days:

Ephesians 6:13 tells us what to do.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Galatians 1:4 promises us deliverance

4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Of course, in Ephesians 2:2 we are reminded that the devil, the prince of the power of the air, makes this time difficult, but he is already defeated

Ephesians 2:2

2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,

Therefore, as believers looking forward to Christ’s return, knowing that we live in difficult times, we must be like  “bargain hunters” in the marketplace.

Bargain hunters use their time wisely. They take advantage of the brief sales that offer deep discounts.

Of course, we can’t buy salvation; this imagery shows us that we should act promptly to take advantage of what Christ is freely offering us.

While walking and using our time wisely in these evil days, Paul offers us advice on how to keep from being distracted. How do we avoid being entangled by the devil in troublesome times?

Reread Ephesians 5:1-20 and Continue to Part 6: Spirit-Filled Worship.

Ephesians

(Lesson 9)

Living Wisely

Part 6:  Spirit-Filled Worship

In Ephesians 5:18–20, Paul talks about worship. But before he moves into talking about worship, in an effort to expose evil, Paul talks about the use of alcohol.

He admonishes the Ephesians believers to walk away and not to get drunk from the mind-altering, mind-numbing use of wine. In the place of this mind-altering drink, Paul advises believers to be instead filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Paul warning against getting drunk is not new; it is believed that he based his warning against drinking wine and getting drunk came from Proverbs 20:1; Proverbs 23:29–35 found in the Old Testament:

 Proverbs 20:1

1 Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler, And whoever is led astray by it is not wise. (Proverbs 20:1)

Proverbs 23:29-35

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.

31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;

32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.

34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?” (Proverbs 23:29-35)

The problem with alcohol and other mind-altering drugs is that they benumb the senses.  Therefore, evil things happen when people become intoxicated.

Intoxicated people tend to say and do things that are evil. It becomes easy for them to participate in sexually explicit speech, sexually explicit acts, mindlessness, immorality, and idolatry.

Under the influence of intoxicating drinks or mind-altering drugs, they forget God. Thus, they are subject to doing evil things. This is why Paul encourages believers to fill their hearts with the Holy Spirit instead of wine.

Spirit-filled Christians will talk about God. When the heart is filled with the Holy Spirit, we give God thanks and sing praises to Him.

Paul sees the value of being filled with the Holy Spirit; he imagines believers coming together in unity for a Spirit-inspired worship service in his mind. (Split)

In other words, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, evil is exposed, darkness is dispelled, and unity is experienced among the believers. We walk wisely exposing evil (Ephesians 4).

Our Worship is then inspired by the Holy Spirit and is not motivated by selfishness or demand for personal attention because we focus on worshipping God.

In Ephesians 5:18–20, Paul talks a lot about music. That is because music is an integral part of worship, and so is praise.

Look at what it says in Colossians 3:16, Acts 16:25, and James 5:13 about the importance of singing praises to God.

Colossians 3:16

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)

Acts 16:25

25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25)

James 5:13

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (James 5:13)

When the people of God come together in unity by singing, it is the same as talking to each other. At the same time, we must remember that when we sing, we praise God. As part of our worship, we give God thanks, just as Paul points out in Ephesians 5:20, and we praise Him with songs, as He expresses in Ephesians 5:19.

Therefore, when we sing, we offer our songs and praise to God the Father in Jesus’ name. 

Hence, Paul says we should:

 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19).

Using the word “spiritual songs,” Paul highlights the role of the Holy Spirit in our worship.

So, Paul shows us in Ephesians 5:18–20 that when we worship, we worship all Three Persons of the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Split)

Therefore, walking away from foolishness, walking wisely, living a life worshiping God in songs, giving thanks, praising God, and making melodies in our hearts drive out the darkness and expose evil.

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