Our "goodness" is Rottenness
As we walk in love toward everyone we encounter, we are walking in the Spirit of God. Staying in step with Him aligns our hearts to be further worked upon and sanctified so that we can be used to assist in one another's growth and maturity in Christ.
Ephesians 5 dares to call us to be imitators of God
He goes on to exhort the Ephesians to thankful speech, juxtaposing it with the out workings of the flesh:
sexual immorality
all impurity
covetousness
idolator
filthy or foolish talk
crude joking
These are "out of place" for the child of God. We will forfeit our inheritance if we become partners (a joint partaker) with those that do these things because who we keep company with encourages us in our outward expression of the Spirit.
We are deceived if we think that bad company does not corrupt good morals. Paul is specifically concerned with seeing fellow believers who are deceived by the empty words of these individuals who are obviously influencing the Ephesians.
He then exhorts them to:
We are called to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
This exposing begins with our own ugly hearts. The minute we look at the above list and think we have no part of darkness in us we are deceived. We suppress the truth and in so doing we are susceptible to the wrath of God.
The fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true! Thats not me or you but that is Christ alone! He alone is good, He alone is right and He alone is true!
In order for us to manifest the fruit of goodness in our lives we must first realize and confess that we are wholly unacceptable for the work we are called to but that Christ, our great high priest, stands in the gap so that we can be deemed good, right and true!
If we are just trying to be "better" than we are living moral religion devoid of Christ's empowering power.
Goodness is only found in Him! Therefore if we are looking to be good and acceptable, we then must cling to the "rock that is higher than I", the author and finisher of our faith, the head cornerstone.
Zurrabel was told
We are woefully inadequate for the task of producing anything good from our lives. Our righteousness leaves us infected and impure like this tomato that lacks calcium.
From the top of the fruit all looks healthy but when you turn it over you observe the underside you see that there is a deep corruption occurring.
This is what happens when we suppress the truth and believe that we are good based on what our "good" works.
We are incapable of producing any good fruit without the Spirit of God growing it in us.
As we allow the Spirit of the living God our throne we allow Him to take up residence as Lord over our hearts, then we can walk in obedience, growing in faith and goodness, maturing along the way because He who began a good work has every intention of seeing it through to completion.
He has already completed the work on the cross so that our lives could be reconciled to God, how much more will He supply, through is astounding grace, all that we need to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness?
It is God's desire for us to fulfill every good intention that we have to be good but it is very clearly stated in Thessalonians 1:11-12 that it is according to his power and grace and not our own efforts.
So as we strive to be and do good, let us not forget that God is working on our behalf and that we are not powerless but through Him we are powerful to fulfill what He has called us to do today.
As we are filled with His goodness our knowledge and understanding of Him increases and we are able to teach one another to do the same.
Even Paul takes no credit aside from the grace of God in Romans 15:15-19 as we see that he saturates his words, crediting the Spirit's work in and through him as he goes.
But thanks be to God that He is able to exchange our defiled wanton heart with an upright heart as we become beneficiaries of His great grace through Christ Jesus our Lord!
When we believe we are good, we do ourselves and others a great disservice as we hinder the grace of God from working in our lives to make us acceptable and sanctified.
Lord, help us to not wallow in our self righteousness any longer, thinking that we are good because we "do" good but give us a revelation of Your goodness so that we can compare our deficiency to Your great abundance and turn our wicked darkened heart toward the rays of your shining face.
We want to walk with you and be influenced by You so that we can imitators of You and come to rely more fully on Your grace to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
We are counting on You today to fill us with Your goodness to fulfill Your good pleasure in and through our lives. That we would cause many to be imitators of God, bringing them alongside us to obedience by our words and deeds and by the power of signs and wonders performed by Your Spirit that we might fulfill the ministry of the gospel of Christ that You have ordained us to walk in for Your glory! AMEN
Ephesians 5 dares to call us to be imitators of God
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
He goes on to exhort the Ephesians to thankful speech, juxtaposing it with the out workings of the flesh:
sexual immorality
all impurity
covetousness
idolator
filthy or foolish talk
crude joking
These are "out of place" for the child of God. We will forfeit our inheritance if we become partners (a joint partaker) with those that do these things because who we keep company with encourages us in our outward expression of the Spirit.
We are deceived if we think that bad company does not corrupt good morals. Paul is specifically concerned with seeing fellow believers who are deceived by the empty words of these individuals who are obviously influencing the Ephesians.
He then exhorts them to:
Walk as children of light
(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
We are called to take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
This exposing begins with our own ugly hearts. The minute we look at the above list and think we have no part of darkness in us we are deceived. We suppress the truth and in so doing we are susceptible to the wrath of God.
The fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true! Thats not me or you but that is Christ alone! He alone is good, He alone is right and He alone is true!
In order for us to manifest the fruit of goodness in our lives we must first realize and confess that we are wholly unacceptable for the work we are called to but that Christ, our great high priest, stands in the gap so that we can be deemed good, right and true!
If we are just trying to be "better" than we are living moral religion devoid of Christ's empowering power.
Goodness is only found in Him! Therefore if we are looking to be good and acceptable, we then must cling to the "rock that is higher than I", the author and finisher of our faith, the head cornerstone.
Zurrabel was told
Not by might, not by power but by my Spirit says the Lord!
We are woefully inadequate for the task of producing anything good from our lives. Our righteousness leaves us infected and impure like this tomato that lacks calcium.From the top of the fruit all looks healthy but when you turn it over you observe the underside you see that there is a deep corruption occurring.
This is what happens when we suppress the truth and believe that we are good based on what our "good" works.
We are incapable of producing any good fruit without the Spirit of God growing it in us.
As we allow the Spirit of the living God our throne we allow Him to take up residence as Lord over our hearts, then we can walk in obedience, growing in faith and goodness, maturing along the way because He who began a good work has every intention of seeing it through to completion.
He has already completed the work on the cross so that our lives could be reconciled to God, how much more will He supply, through is astounding grace, all that we need to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness?
It is God's desire for us to fulfill every good intention that we have to be good but it is very clearly stated in Thessalonians 1:11-12 that it is according to his power and grace and not our own efforts.
To this end we always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,
so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him, according to the grace of our God
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
So as we strive to be and do good, let us not forget that God is working on our behalf and that we are not powerless but through Him we are powerful to fulfill what He has called us to do today.
As we are filled with His goodness our knowledge and understanding of Him increases and we are able to teach one another to do the same.
Romans 15:14
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,
that you yourselves are full of goodness,
filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
Even Paul takes no credit aside from the grace of God in Romans 15:15-19 as we see that he saturates his words, crediting the Spirit's work in and through him as he goes.
But on some points I have written to you
very boldly by way of reminder,
because of the grace given me by God
to be a minister
of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles
in the priestly service of the gospel of God,
so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable,
sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except
what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles
to obedience-- by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God -- so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ...
Let us realize that without the grace and power of God our efforts add up to nothing!
But thanks be to God that He is able to exchange our defiled wanton heart with an upright heart as we become beneficiaries of His great grace through Christ Jesus our Lord!
When we believe we are good, we do ourselves and others a great disservice as we hinder the grace of God from working in our lives to make us acceptable and sanctified.
Lord, help us to not wallow in our self righteousness any longer, thinking that we are good because we "do" good but give us a revelation of Your goodness so that we can compare our deficiency to Your great abundance and turn our wicked darkened heart toward the rays of your shining face.
We want to walk with you and be influenced by You so that we can imitators of You and come to rely more fully on Your grace to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh.
We are counting on You today to fill us with Your goodness to fulfill Your good pleasure in and through our lives. That we would cause many to be imitators of God, bringing them alongside us to obedience by our words and deeds and by the power of signs and wonders performed by Your Spirit that we might fulfill the ministry of the gospel of Christ that You have ordained us to walk in for Your glory! AMEN
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