Learn what is pleasing to the Lord

(Ephesians 5:7-10)

Do you want to live with Christ in His eternal kingdom? I am sure the answer to this question is “Yes.”

If you want to live with Christ into eternity, then there is one thing that you and I and ALL Christians must learn to do. We must learn what is pleasing to the Lord. This is the focus of this scripture today.

7 Therefore do not associate with them, 8 for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:7-10)

Think about this for a minute. Would you spend time with people who are malcontents and opposed to you in s many ways? I think not. Then why would Christ be any different. God and Jesus Christ want to live together with people who like them and they like in return. Yes they love us, but they want to like us as well and that requires us to change.

Coming out of the darkness

While we were living in this world we were living in spiritual darkness. We were tossed to and from at the whims of the devil and did whatever we pleased based on the passions, lusts and desires of our flesh. So many of our decisions and the decisions of all mankind are based on emotion and “what’s in it for me.”

This is not the way of God and of Jesus Christ. This is the way of darkness that leads to death and destruction, not life and peace.

When we were called to Jesus Christ we were called to come out of the darkness because nothing in the darkness is pleasing to Christ. This is what verses 8 and 9 in this section are telling us.

At one time we were all children of darkness, but now that we have come to Jesus we are children of the light. The light of knowledge, truth, wisdom and the love of God.

When we were living in the darkness we were not pleasing God.

This scripture gives us some clear insight into what we need to learn and do to be pleasing the Lord and to step out of the darkness.

We are told in verse 9 that the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Nothing in the darkness is good and right and true, otherwise it would not be darkness but would be light. Christ is in the light and He is good and right and true.

So to learn to walk in the light and to learn what is pleasing to the Lord we need to listen to the words of Christ and do them. We need to follow the sound words of the Lord that He has given us in the Bible so that we can learn to walk in the light.

There are many Christians today who do NOT look into the words of light that come from Christ and from God. They do not read the Bible and so are easily swayed and led astray to strange and diverse teachings designed to deceive and keep Christians in the dark.

If you want to come out of the dark, then you need to immerse yourself in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You need to fill yourself with the teachings of the New Covenant so that you can discern truth from error, good from evil and light from darkness.

And this takes work. There is no easy way to absorb, learn and understand the teachings that will bring you into the light other than to study and do it. But the rewards are enormous when you do. You will begin to hear teachings being spread into the church that are false and you can shun those things knowing they are not the truth.

There is darkness in the broad church today I am sad to say. If you think this is incorrect, just consider how many denominations, independent churches, splinter groups and home churches exist. All of them exist because someone had a differing point of view and a different doctrine than the group they came from. And they can’t all be right.

So what are we to do about this?

Do not associate with them

One of the other points Paul makes in this section is to not associate with those who are of the darkness. Step away from them and give them a wide berth.

Think of the things you did when you were in the darkness before coming to the Lord, especially the things that you are not proud of, but don’t dwell on them. Did any of those things give you joy?

And consider the people around you still in the ways of the world and who will or are trying to ensnare you again into the ways of darkness so that you can be like them. Do you believe what they would have you do will commend you to God?

Of course not. They want the “old” you back so that you don’t show them up doing the evil or wrong that they are doing. This is not for your good or your benefit but for theirs. It’s not about you but about them. They will drag you down and try to pull you back into the lifestyle from which you are escaping. And don’t forget these rather brutal words in the Bible that say:

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

And;

It has happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire. (2 Peter 2:22)

That is why Paul instructs us not to associate with the people who formerly had such a hold over us that we would do all manner of wrong and evil things to please them.

Do not associate with them he says. Have nothing to do with them because THEIR bad company will ruin YOUR newly formed or forming good morals.

And if you do return to your old ways after barely escaping them, then you will be like the dog that turns back to its own vomit or the pig that once washed and clean returns to wallow in the muck and mud.

The best way to prevent these things occurring is to stay away from those people or things that would influence your behaviour to go back into to darkness. If your problem was gambling, stay out of casinos or the racetracks. If your problem was drinking stay out of pubs and clubs. If your problem was drug addiction then stay away from your suppliers and the company you kept who were likewise doing drugs.

Whatever you have to do to break the cycle so that you can cease associating with the people or things that call to you from the darkness…do it. You eternal life depends upon it.

Learn what is pleasing to the Lord

The next phase of this is to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Many people in the world think that to be a Christian means “no more fun.” I can’t think of anything further from the truth.

Christians have fun…lots of it. They also have pain and suffering just like everyone else, but Christians are far better off because they have someone to whom they can turn who does and will help us through the difficult times.

When we learn what is pleasing to the Lord then He is pleased to help us grow into maturity in Him. He will continue to teach us what is good and right and true so that we can be like Him in this world. We can become beacons of light for the Lord in this world.

But we have to come to Christ and to God on THEIR terms, not on ours.

Their are many people who say things like, “Well, I’d be a Christian if only I can continue doing ‘______’” (fill in the blank).

Coming to God though is not about continuing to live the life we were in but changing our lives to please God.

The very beginning of our walk with Christ starts with repentance. The word “repent” in Greek means to change your mind or better yet, to change the way you think.

Coming to Christ is all about change; changing who we are to be like Him. From a simple logic point of view then we cannot remain the same and change as well because these two things are mutually exclusive.

To learn what is pleasing to the Lord means we have to change. And the changes He requires of us are not bad things. In fact they are great things as they lead us to peace, joy, love, mercy and happiness in the here and now, and in the future to eternal life.

But one of the challenges facing people coming to Christ is to find the truth among all of the lies, half-truths and false doctrine that exists in the church today…and there is a lot of it out there.

Accepting false teachings will not please the Lord. Accepting lies thinking that they are truth will not please the Lord. The only way to please the Lord is to seek out the truth for yourself and to live by it.

God has promised us that if we seek the truth then He will show us the truth. If we diligently seek His truth through prayer and study of His words, He will open the words up to us so that we can fully understand and grasp His will for us. And that is learning what pleases the Lord.

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