To all who read this: May God richly bless you this day!
As I was resting, meditating and considering what to share on FGGAM this morning, I sensed in my spirit to look at Ephesians 5:9. Although I’m very thankful for the privilege to prepare and edit news reports for FGGAM, when one writes daily on what can be oft’ described as ‘the tragedy of daily news,’ there can be no denying the critical importance of starting off each day with the undergirding of the word of God!
My brothers and sisters, whether you are raising children, managing a corporation, working in the service industry, performing government work, teaching, ministering Christ – or whatever tasks you do each day – consumption of too much of ‘the world’ can quickly become distressing to the soul (i.e., your mind, will and emotions) if you are not undergirded with the word of God!
In Ephesians 5, Paul is speaking to the believers in Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Ephesians 5:8-14 (NKJV)
Walk in Light
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: ‘Awake, you who sleep, [a]rise from the dead, [a]nd Christ will give you light.’”
Verse 9 says that “…the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth…”. Putting it another way, we operate in goodness, righteousness and truth through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (not of ourselves or the wisdom of this world).
The “fruit of the Spirit” is described, listed or defined (as you prefer) in Galatians 5, in which Paul is writing to the churches in Galatia (northcentral Asia Minor):
Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
When we accept Jesus as Savior, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This is how Jesus ‘lives within us’ here on earth. Praise God! The fruit of the Holy Spirit flows from within us. Let’s remember that the bible says that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and testifies of Jesus (see John 15:26). When the voice of our conscience speaks – so long as what we are hearing is in accord with scripture and not a lie planted by the evil one – we are hearing the voice of God, the voice of goodness, righteousness and truth spoken in love!
The bible speaks of God’s goodness (see Psalm 118:1 and 118:29).
The bible says that our Savior, Jesus, is righteous (see 1 John 2:1-2). Praise God that Jesus ‘the righteous’ was willing to die and shed His blood upon the cross as the ‘once-and-for-all’ sacrifice for our sin – bringing us the gift of eternal life in the very presence of God Almighty! As believers, we carry with us the righteousness of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). In fact, the bible says that the kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (see Romans 14:17)!
The bible also says that God’s written word is true and that Jesus (the Word) is truth (see Psalm 119:160 and John 14:6). You see, the bible is the inerrant word of God, and the Truth is a Person and His name is Jesus! We can trust in God – in ALL THINGS and at ALL TIMES.
If you are willing, let’s pray: Father, we come before You today, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with great thankfulness in our hearts. You are beyond words and we love You so very deeply. Thank you for Jesus, the Son of God and our Savior, who willingly suffered upon the cross of Calvary to sacrifice Himself so that by His shed blood, we are saved from perdition. We declare Your majesty, Your beauty, Your goodness, Your righteousness and Your truth this day. We worship You and You alone. We are thankful that as believers, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, sent to guide us and to bring us godly wisdom, and to point us to the ways of righteousness – as we work out our salvation, run the race and share the gospel here on earth. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever!
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
Your Body Is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
“…[d]o you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
John 15:26 (NKJV)
The Holy Spirit Proceeds from the Father and Testifies of Jesus
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me [Jesus].”
Psalm 118:29 (NKJV) [See 118:1 – This psalm begins and ends with this same verse!]
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
1 John 2:1-2 (NKJV)
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous [emphasis mine]. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NKJV)
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ) [emphasis mine].”
Romans 14:17 (NKJV)
“…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy [emphasis mine] in the Holy Spirit.”
Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)
“The entirety of Your word is truth, [a]nd every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
John 14:6 (NKJV)
“Jesus said to [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Praise Jesus forevermore!
