Weekly Devotional 9-9-24 Participation
In his letter to the Ephesians the apostle Paul instructed the believers about a proper walk before the Lord (chapter 4) and stated that they were not to engage in fornication, uncleanness, or covetousness, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting. He said that such acts were not becoming of a saint, a child of God (chapter 5:1-4). He went on to say that God would judge the children of disobedience, the lost, whose lifestyle was the practicing of those things (5:5-6). Paul wrote that a Christian is not to be a partaker with them (5:7; 11).
Wearing the mantle of a Christian and being a follower of Jesus Christ is serious business, and we are not to take our calling lightly. We have been called out of spiritual darkness into the light of spiritual truth, which manifests (exposes) the unfruitful works of darkness (5:13). We are to walk in the Holy Spirit and He will produce His fruit in us (vs.9). Paul adds that we are to be filled with the Spirit (5:18).
Often, we Christians seem to forget that our walk is a walk of participation. God gives us His Spirit to indwell us when He rebirths in us Spiritual life, but being indwelt by the Holy Spirit is different from being filled with Holy Spirit; being filled with the Spirit means to be under His complete control and His authority. In his statement of 5:18, Paul says that we are not to be drunk with wine (under the control of wine) but be filled with the Spirit (under the control of the Spirit). To be under His control means that we have surrendered ourselves to His authority. This is our participation.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, that is, under His authority, it is interesting that we do not practice, we do not perform the things of the flesh, nor are we enticed by them. Why should we desire anything else? Who would not desire to enjoy the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23)? It is he (or she) that does not know God, it he (or she) who lives according to the dictates of the flesh, which are; “19adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like” (Galatians 5:19-21a). These things are of Satan and the powers of darkness.
We are freed from these when in participation with the Holy Spirit we put on the armor of God. We are to gird ourselves with truth, with righteousness. We are to be prepared with the gospel of peace. We are to take the shield of faith. We are to live by the knowledge of our salvation and by the Word of God. We are to continually pray for our brothers and sisters as this keeps us engaged (6:14-18). These things are the power of His might (6:10) not ours. He works in and through these things to bless us and give us victory. Peace and rest are ours when we participate in these things.
Steve