Turn with me, if you would, to
Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. Our Bible
study will pick up with verse 9 this morning. But let's read
the first 8 verses leading up to it. Verse 1 says, Be ye therefore
followers of God as dear children. He is speaking to dear children. We're going through some exhortations. And I want to make it extremely
clear each time that He is speaking to children. those who are His
children. He's not giving any of these
exhortations in order for us to become His children. Never
have I told my two girls, if you want to be my children, this
is what you have to do. Never. This is because we are
His dear children. Because of that, He's speaking
to us And He's given us these exhortations. He declares in
verse 2 what Christ endured to make us His dear children, to
secure that. Verse 2 says, "...and walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for
us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling Saviour."
He said Christ hath done that. That's done. That's in the past.
That's finished. He gave Himself. And now He says,
because of that, in verse 3, But fornication and all uncleanness,
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh
saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. For
this you know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain
words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon
the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers
with them, for you were sometimes darkness, but now are you light
in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Now, he continues what he's saying.
He's saying something right here. And he continues what he's saying
in verse 10. But in verse 9, he inserts a
statement. He inserts a thought in parentheses
and he says, For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness
and righteousness and truth. John Gill gave a good illustration
for what that verse is saying. He gave a very good illustration.
He compared a believer, a child of God, to a tree. The believer is the tree. He
said Christ is his root. The spirit is the sap which supports
and nourishes the tree. And good works under the influence
of God's grace. They are the fruit. And the fruit
will evidence the tree. What is the fruit of the Spirit
in a child of God? What is the fruit of the Spirit
in a child of God? The Apostle Paul said in verse
9, it's goodness, righteousness, and truth. This could be the
most critical thing I say in this Bible study. All three of those things are
the same thing. Christ. That's right. Christ. All three of those things
are Christ. All three of those things. There
is none good but God. If a person tries to say, well,
my own goodness is the evidence of the fact that I'm a child
of God. I know I'm going to go to heaven because I've done plenty
of good to. No, sir. No sir, there is none
good but God. None good but God. He is made
unto us righteousness. He is the end of the law for
righteousness. Righteousness is perfection.
It says according to what God demands, good and right, He's
the end of the law. for righteousness. The scripture
says all of our righteousnesses are filthy rags. He's my righteousness. And he
himself said, I am the truth. I'm the truth. But his goodness
produces a desire for goodness. His righteousness produces a
desire for righteousness. His truth produces a desire for
truth. God's people don't love evil.
They do not love evil. They do not love wickedness. They do not love lies. They just
don't. Turn with me over to Galatians
chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 verse 19
says, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these,
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variants, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, Of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God." Naturally in the flesh, that describes every
person in this room. That just described all of us.
That described our mind. That described our heart. Every
single one of us. That described the Apostle Paul. That right there described the
Apostle Paul, but he said in Romans 7, I hate the fact that
I see these things in my flesh. I hate it. I hate the fact that
I cannot stop committing the sins of this flesh. I hate it. God's people sorrow over what
they see in the flesh. They go into their mind, they
get lost in their mind just for a minute, and they think, what
in the world am I thinking? That right there. And they hate it. They sorrow
over what they see in their flesh. They repent before God. And they
hate it. And the reason they hate it,
the reason God's people hate it, is because God has put His
Spirit in them. And the Spirit of God in the
child of God, desires and craves the exact opposite of the flesh. Just craves it. Everything that's
totally contrary to the flesh. Look at verse 22. But the fruit
of the Spirit is love joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.
John Gill said, he went on to say, and I love this, I love
how he worded this, he said, when the Spirit of God dwells
in the child of God, there will be to some degree, There will
be, to some degree, the appearance of this fruit. To some degree. Now this is why he said, to some
degree. If you look at verse 17, it says,
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against
the flesh. And these are contrary, the one
to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. Because we're still carrying
around the body of this sin, we cannot enter into the Spirit
like we want to. We just cannot do it. But thank
God, because His Spirit dwells in us, we cannot run with the
flesh like it wants to. They're at war with each other.
They're warring. Wars within the child of God.
So we can't always see the fruit of the spirit. And the reason
is because the flesh is at war with it, but the exhortation
is this fight the good fight. Fight the good fight. Strive
to suppress the flesh. He said in verse 16, this I say
then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust
of the flesh. Strive for that. And that's what
Paul is saying in Ephesians 5. Go with me back over there. Let's read verses 8 and 10 together. For you were sometimes darkness. He's saying all of those things
were us. You were sometimes darkness.
But now are you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Solomon said in Proverbs
10 verse 32, the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable. The lips of the righteous know
what is acceptable. They know and they declare what
is acceptable. This is my second critical statement.
What is acceptable to God? Christ. That's it. He's it. We never get away from Christ. We never get away from Christ. A child of God knows the lips
of the righteous know. They don't read these things
and say, well, I think if I'll do all these things, God will
be happy with me. The child of God knows and he
declares that all the focus must be on Christ. We never take the
focus off of Christ, never. Christ alone is acceptable. Ephesians chapter one says, we
are accepted in the beloved, only in the beloved, only in
him. Without him, we can do nothing.
Without his favor, we have no acceptance. Without His Spirit,
we have no life. Without His blood, we have no
hope. Without Him, we have nothing.
I mean, we have nothing. We have nothing. But with Him,
in Him, through Him, we have all things. And the scripture
says, in Him, through Him, by Him, we can do all things. Through His work in us, He performs
a work in His people. And through His work in us, there
are things that He produces that He says are acceptable to Him.
Just like the scripture says, Abraham believed God and it was
counted unto him for righteousness. Alright? God gave that faith
to Abraham. Faith is not of ourselves. That's
a gift of God. So God selected Abraham. God
gave the faith to Abraham. God performed the faith in Abraham. He which has begun a good work
in you will perform it. But then God counted it to Abraham
amazingly through his grace, his gift. He counted it to Abraham
for righteousness. He said, that's acceptable to
me. He did it. And then credited Abraham with
it. Let me show you some things that our Lord says are acceptable
to Him. Go with me to Romans 12. Romans 12 verse 1, it says, I
beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service. and be not conformed
to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind
that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect
will of God. Do you know that old saying,
don't smoke, cuss, chew, or run with women that do? Whether you run with them or
not is your business. But don't let it hinder your worship. Let's not let anything hinder
us from presenting ourselves before the Lord. Presenting ourselves
to him. Don't run with him on Sunday
morning, Sunday night or Wednesday night. Tell him I'll chew with
you any other day of the week, any other time. But let's guard
the times that have been set aside for worship. Let's guard
those times. Let's strive to present ourselves
before God. He said it's our reasonable service
and He said it's acceptable to me. It's acceptable to our God. Look right here at Romans 14
verse 14. I know and am persuaded by the
Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, but to him
that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably, not in love.
Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not
then your good be evil spoken of. For the kingdom of God is
not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. For he that in these things serveth
Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men. Let us therefore
follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith
one may edify another." What he said was, we have liberty
in Christ. We have liberty in Christ. We
are not under the bondage of the law. Our Lord said, nothing
that goes into the mouth can defile us. You know, they had
all the, you better not touch that, you better not taste that,
you better not this, you better not that. Our Lord said, nothing
that goes into the mouth can defile you. Paul said, I can eat any piece
of meat that I want to, even if it was offered to an idol. He said, I could care less. That
idol means nothing to me. That's nothing. What man is doing
over there, that's nothing. I serve the true and living God
who made that piece of meat. But he said, if a younger brother
in the faith comes and says, don't eat that. The religious organization made
that. That spaghetti dinner is in support
of what they're doing over there. That's supporting false religion. Don't eat that. He said, don't
tell him how weak he is in the faith and don't don't cut him
down and and break his spirit. By just offending him and eating
it in front of him, say to him, you know what, brother? That's
right. I'll throw it away. Even though
you have liberty to eat it, I'll throw it away. At all costs,
do things that make peace. Let's be patient with one another.
Strengthen each other. Our God said, that's acceptable
to me. That's acceptable. Look at Philippians 4. Philippians 4 verse 18 says,
the Apostle Paul said, But I have all and abound, I am full, having
received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you,
an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to
God. He said, You gave to me in my
time of need. And he said, I'm very grateful.
And he said it was acceptable and well-pleasing to God. Give
to each other. Be generous with each other.
If we have a brother who's in need, give to him. Give to him. He said that's acceptable and
it's well-pleasing to God. Go with me to 1 Timothy chapter
2. 1 Timothy 2 verse 1, I exhort therefore
that first of all supplications and prayers, intercessions and
giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, for all that
are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior. Pray for each other. Pray for
each other. Brethren, pray for us. Oh, pray
for us. Pray for those who are in authority
over us. That the Lord may allow us to
live a quiet and peaceable life and just worship Him. He said
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.
Go one more. Go to 1 Peter chapter 2. First Peter 2 verse 19. For this
is thankworthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering
wrongfully. For what glory is it if when
you be buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently? But if
when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently? This
is acceptable with God. Now, this is what he's saying
when we endure grief and suffering wrongfully, people. Do things to us and treat us
in a way that we did not ask for it, we didn't do anything
to bring it on ourselves. He said, if we take all of that
patiently, just wait on the Lord. Just take it patiently where
they're not treating me right. Just take it patiently and wait
on the Lord. He said this is acceptable to
God and it's well pleasing to God. Verse 21 for even here unto
where you called because and this is how we started and this
is where we finish and this is the motive for the middle. Christ
also suffered for us. Leaving us an example that you
should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. He knew the judge of the earth
is going to do right. Who his own self bear our sins
in his own body. You talk about suffering by the
walk of life wrongfully. Who his own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree. That we being dead to sins should
live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. For
you were as sheep going astray, but are now returned unto the
shepherd and bishop of your souls." God said that way right there,
that fruit of taking the suffering patiently.
He said, that's so acceptable to me. That's acceptable, well
pleasing. Go back to our text, Ephesians
5. Verse 8 says, For you were sometimes
darkness, but now are you light in the Lord. Walk as children
of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Now, do you notice in verse 8
he said, you were darkness? You know, people read that and
think, well, don't have any fellowship with them over there because
you're better than them. No, no, no. He's saying don't
have fellowship with yourself. That's what he's saying. Don't
have fellowship with all those unfruitful works of darkness
right inside your own selves. Fellowship means friendly association
between people who share the same interest. It means companionship. And he said, don't have it with
yourself. Don't have it with your flesh. Don't encourage it.
Don't nourish it. Give it the opportunity to thrive. He said, but rather reprove the
flesh, the works of the flesh, things of the flesh. Reprove
means convict, convicted, be convicted by it. And if our fellowship
with others does bring out all of those things in us, then maybe
we shouldn't have fellowship with those. If that's what thrives
every time we're together, that's all that thrives. And let's not
encourage that fellowship. Verse 12, for it is a shame even
to speak of those things which are done of them in secret, but
all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light,
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Everything is being
seen by the eye of Him with whom we have to do. He's looking on
the mind. He's looking on the heart. Everything
is being seen. Isaiah 40 says all the secret
things in the valley are going to be exalted. It's all going
to be exposed. Every dark secret thing in this
heart is going to be exposed. And every proud thing on top
of the mountain is going to be made low. And all the rough places
are going to be smoothed off All flesh is grass, and the grass
is going to be burned up. So the voice cried, Behold your
God. Behold the Lord God. Verse 14, Wherefore he saith,
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light. Look to him. He's our only hope. Seeing that we are these things
by nature, he's our only hope. Verse 15 says, see then that
you walk circumspectly, that means diligently, walk diligently. Where? Toward Christ. Run to Christ. Run to Christ. We see these things. This is
so convicting to a sinner. We see these things and we know
I don't stack up. Run to Christ. I'm going to be based on my mind.
Forget about my deeds in my heart. Just based on my mind, I'm going
to be judged in my sins. Run to Christ. Run to Christ. See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools. Don't come in your own works.
Don't come in your own merit. Don't come saying, well, I did
this and I did that. Don't come as fools. He said,
but as wise, come begging for mercy, come crawling on the hands
and knees of our heart, begging for mercy, pleading the blood.
I just plead your blood. God be merciful to me, the sinner.
Verse 16 says, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
Redeeming means to purchase, to ransom, to rescue from loss. What it means is, be urgent about
this. Let's be very urgent about this.
Because he said the days are evil. That means full of temptations. The days are full of temptations.
This is what our Lord taught us to pray. Our Father, which
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will
be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation. He said you need to pray this.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Amen. May the Lord allow
us to redeem the time, awake out of our spiritual sleep, and
strive for the fruit of His Spirit. Okay, you're dismissed.