Proving the Acceptable Ephesians 5:10

As Paul the apostle continued to instruct the church members of Ephesus, he told them they “were sometimes darkness” but were “now” “light in the Lord”. He encouraged them to “walk as children of light”, and he used “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” as the standard of the “light” to which he referred. In chapter five and verse ten of his letter, Paul continued his discourse as he told them to be “proving what is acceptable” where we read:

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

The verse begins, “Proving what is acceptable...” Paul began with the word, “proving” which means “testing, examining, scrutinizing, approving and deeming worthy” “what is acceptable” or “well pleasing, well and fully agreeable”. The Ephesians were to “test and scrutinize” ways and ideas that were brought into their lives.

The verse continues, “...unto the Lord.” Paul added, “unto the Lord” which refers to “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”. Not only were the Ephesians to “prove” what was “well pleasing”, but their standard was according to “God the Messiah”.

When we think through these words of Paul, we should be challenged to “prove” everything spiritual that is presented to us. Let's face it, some things are not “good, righteous and true”, and we are to “test” the ideas and concepts that are promoted by people. We are not to be deceived even as Jesus warned, but we are to be “children of light”. Walking in “the light” should expose all manners of “darkness”, and as we shine our lights upon false ideas, we will prove what is “acceptable” and what should be throughly dismissed.

Next time Paul talks about what the Ephesians were to do with the “unfruitful works of darkness”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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