565 - The Correct Faith Will Lead to Correct Actions#
(JP Text Group - shalom 整理)
Today is Sunday, let's take a look at God's words together.
The topic of sharing is: The Correct Faith Will Lead to Correct Actions.
Acts 5:1-6:
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
Let us pray together first.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you. Thank you for preparing this wonderful time for us to come before your truth, granting us faith and wisdom through the truth, so that we may know how to act in our lives. You have also placed the correct faith within us, allowing us to live a life that glorifies Christ with such faith. May the Holy Spirit renew our thoughts and intentions through today's words. Thank you and praise you. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
The correct faith will lead to correct actions. What people do comes from the heart, which is why we emphasize the importance of believing correctly. The standard for correctness is the Bible; what aligns with the truth spoken by Christ is correct, and what does not is incorrect. What Jesus did was correct, so we see that Jesus brought peace, harmony, and blessings to people. This is because Jesus had the truth in His heart, and He fully lived out this truth.
Although we cannot fully live out the truth like Jesus, we have the goal of pursuing to be like Jesus. Those who are willing to live out the truth will first benefit themselves, and secondly, those around them will also benefit. Let's first look at the background of the story we are discussing today.
Acts 4:32-35:
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet, and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
At that time, when the church was just established, it was very simple for everyone to believe in Jesus. The apostles acted completely according to Jesus' words, and the church's believers acted according to what the apostles said. This is the correct faith. After establishing the church, everyone worked together with one heart and mind, resulting in many manifestations of God's power.
Matthew 18:19-20 says:
19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
At the beginning, when the church was just established, everyone was of one heart and mind. Thank the Lord. Therefore, we envy the early church; why were there so many miracles and wonders? Why were so many manifestations of God's power evident? It was because the entire church was united in heart and mind.
Verse 32 starts off very well: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common."
The hearts of all believers in Jesus were gathered around the truth of Jesus. The apostles correctly proclaimed the truth, and everyone believed correctly. Miracles and wonders continuously occurred in the church, and everyone lived joyfully every day.
Acts 5:12-16:
12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. 15 So that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
What do we see here? Our Lord performed many signs and wonders through the hands of the apostles. There is a key phrase we must see: "And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch."
Being of one accord is something we must pay attention to and meditate on. A church that can produce so many manifestations of God's power is one where everyone is united from top to bottom. It is not that the apostles had great power; rather, the apostles fully believed in God's words. They believed exactly as God's words said, resulting in great power. And those who correctly used God's words were all in one accord.
For example, when Peter went to pray for someone, that person also believed that there was God's power in Peter. When Peter acted, the matter was accomplished. This is what it means to be of one accord. Some might say, "Why do I pray for some people and nothing happens?" Perhaps some do not fully believe, or they are in disbelief. You think one way, and they think another; the ideas are simply not aligned. Therefore, we should not judge where the problem lies but first resolve the issue of being of one accord.
You see, it says here: "Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly." Because at that time, our Lord performed many things through the apostles, those who opposed the apostles did not dare to approach them, as they saw so many manifestations of God's power in them.
However, the people were indeed very joyful because they believed in these individuals. Thus, verse 14 says: "And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women."
Through the apostles, the people saw God's power, and the apostles, through their service, saw God's power. They were more willing to serve the Lord, and the gospel spread widely. Therefore, if a church is united, the power that is released is tremendous. What happened later? Even people brought the sick into the streets, laid them on beds and couches, and when Peter passed by, his shadow might fall on some of them, and they would be healed. This is also the effect of faith.
The more faith is used, the greater it becomes; the more witnesses see this, the more their faith will be inspired and grow. Thus, these people had the idea: "I will just wait by the roadside every day; as long as Peter passes by me, my sickness will be healed." This was their faith; they believed that God was using Peter. At that time, Peter also thought this way and knew that it was the Lord Jesus using him, not that he had any great power. Amen.
And there came a multitude bringing sick people and those tormented by unclean spirits from the surrounding cities, and they were all healed. These words are used very accurately. It is not that one person could not be healed; these people already had faith, so they sought out Peter. If someone did not believe in Peter, they would not seek him out.
In the Bible, we find that even Jesus, those who actively sought Him were healed; conversely, those whom Jesus sought seemed to find healing and power a bit difficult. The reason lies in whether there is unity of heart and mind. At the beginning, when the church was just established, Peter led the apostles to establish a church that was united in heart and mind. Everyone gathered with one heart and mind to listen to the word and act on it, truly living out Jesus as He originally did.
Many people say, "I can't build a small group; I can't serve." Actually, it's very simple. Just look at how I serve you, and you can serve in the same way. Wasn't Peter like this? How did Jesus serve them back then? They now serve others with faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, passing it down from generation to generation.
Verses 32-33:
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
After Jesus' resurrection, He spent forty days on earth, speaking to the disciples about the kingdom of heaven, and then He was taken up into heaven. At that time, over five hundred people witnessed it, and they were reluctant to leave. The angel said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
At that time, the apostles had a misunderstanding about Jesus' return; they thought Jesus would come back soon. Therefore, many people felt that storing up treasures on earth was meaningless, and some even thought, "Why work or earn money? If Jesus comes back in a few days, He will take us to the kingdom of heaven, and all of this on earth will be meaningless."
As a result, some people liquidated their possessions and brought everything to the church, and everyone shared everything in common. Additionally, the apostles continuously manifested Jesus' power, performed miracles and wonders, and witnessed the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Almost all believers were filled with faith, and everyone continuously testified to God's grace. In this atmosphere, more and more people did this.
Verses 34-35:
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 35 and laid them at the apostles' feet, and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
The reason everyone could do this was that they believed Jesus would return soon, perhaps in three days. Therefore, everyone was already disinterested in working. What was the benefit of this? After selling their houses and lands, they brought the proceeds to the apostles, who distributed them to everyone according to their needs. At that time, there was no lack in the church.
Because we must understand that within a church, there will inevitably be some wealthy individuals and some who are financially lacking. However, now, when these wealthy individuals brought all their wealth to the church, everyone was in the church, sharing everything in common. They would eat together, spend the remaining time praising God, witnessing God, listening to the apostles preach the truth, and then spreading the gospel. This way of life was unique globally at that time.
This was great and interesting; many people thought it was wonderful. Especially those who were in need found their lives much better after entering the church. Some others might think, "Although I have land and houses, I am not living well; the harvest is poor, and the house is just for living in. But if I can join the church, how lively it will be! The key is to see miracles and wonders, to witness God's power, and to participate in such ministry, which will lead to being taken to the kingdom of heaven. This is the most meaningful thing in the world." Unexpectedly, more and more people did this.
The apostles then did one thing: they saw those in need and helped everyone, distributing to each person. This led to a phenomenon where there was no lack in the church. Thank the Lord! Of course, this way of giving was clearly not very correct because they misunderstood and thought that since the gospel had not been spread to the ends of the earth, they did not need to work, believing that Jesus would come back soon. At that time, they did not correctly understand the meaning of that word.
For example, at the beginning, in Acts 1:8, Jesus had already made it very clear: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
In fact, God's words have already stated very clearly that when the Holy Spirit comes upon the disciples, they will receive power. What is this power for? To spread the gospel. They are to preach the gospel in Jerusalem, and after finishing in Jerusalem, they are to go to all Judea. After finishing in Judea, they are to continue to spread to Samaria. To them, Samaria was almost like the Gentiles, except that some Samaritans had Jewish blood, while others were Gentiles. Then, they were to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth, which means to spread the gospel globally and be witnesses for Jesus.
However, at that time, since those who received this word were all Jews, they thought that as long as they finished preaching to the Jews, Jesus would surely come back to take them because the gospel was meant for them. They did not yet have a global spiritual vision, which led to the later situation where people sold their possessions and lived a communal life in the church. This way of giving was incorrect, and everyone should not adopt it.
You know, there are many heresies today that use this passage from the Bible to deceive people into selling everything they have and giving it to the church. This is wrong; it must be remembered that at that time, their understanding of this passage and the gospel was somewhat lacking, which is why such things occurred in the church. Thank the Lord, we must understand correctly. Since that way of giving is incorrect, their intentions were good because the church indeed needs finances to help those in need.
So what should the correct way be? Let's look at what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15:
13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."
Paul's approach to giving is very clear. After spending some time with God, he gained a deeper understanding of Jesus' gospel and the truth. By this time, Paul had already established many churches, and he saw that there were some people in the church who were in need and some who were wealthy, but it seemed that everyone in the church did not know how to love one another.
Therefore, Paul said this: "For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened." He was saying to some wealthy brothers and sisters, "I am collecting this offering from you not for any other reason, but to help those brothers and sisters who are in need. In this way, when everyone gives, there will be equality before God."
Have you ever thought about it? If the rich give more and the poor give less, they will still have needs. Therefore, the church takes these offerings to help the brothers and sisters in need. Don't these brothers and sisters in need also feel God's love? You must understand one thing: our God does not lack money. Giving is not to make God have more; it is to manifest God's love, allowing brothers and sisters to truly be one before God. Hallelujah.
So Paul said: "But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality."
It's a bit like this: you see, we have nothing on earth; first, we have no life, and second, our life is not abundant. Jesus is completely abundant, lacking nothing; He brought this abundant life to earth. If we are zero and Jesus is one hundred, how can Jesus make us abundant? He needs to give us everything He has, so we become equal. Equality means we no longer have lack. In fact, what we receive from Jesus is indeed this; we cannot give anything to Jesus; everything we have comes from Him. In the church, it is also like this. What Paul is doing now is that some wealthy individuals have given their offerings to the church, and Paul takes these to help the brothers and sisters in need. This is also a form of equality.
Moreover, at that time, Paul also preached a sermon saying: "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack." This refers to the situation of the Israelites gathering manna in the wilderness. God provided so much manna; whether you gathered much or little, it was only for one day. The next day, everything started over again.
So even if you gathered a lot, you wouldn't have leftovers; if you gathered less, today you just gathered less, and tomorrow everything resets. This is actually the supply of the kingdom of heaven. Thank the Lord, at the beginning when the church was just established, everyone had this concept: "What is mine is no longer mine; it is all God's." At that time, this concept was correct; it was just the way of giving that was not quite right.
They were not giving tithes; they were giving everything. Later, everyone stopped working and went to church every day, which led to mismanagement in the church and various conflicts. In fact, what Paul said is the middle ground. Thank the Lord. If everyone in the church can care for one another, God's love will be manifested. But what is the premise? Everyone must be selfless; if there is selfishness, such things cannot be done.
Although many people sold everything they had and brought it to the church, they could only do so without selfishness. If there is a bit of selfishness, saying, "What if these people run away, and the church ceases to exist? What will I do for my future?" This is selfishness. Once a person thinks this way, they will not be able to give. Thank the Lord.
So you will find that those who could do this at that time had complete trust in God, complete trust in the church, and complete trust in the apostles. Therefore, that group of people produced a great and beautiful testimony. Thank the Lord. If selfish people enter, it will destroy this balance and may shake the foundation of the church. What is the foundation of the church? Faith, being justified by faith, receiving blessings from God through faith, and freely giving out everything received through faith. Once there is selfishness, all of this will be shaken.
Returning to the text: 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet.
What was Ananias' problem? Was it wrong for him to give? No, it was not that; his problem was that he kept back part of the price and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. In fact, this is deceiving God.
Some might say, "No matter how you look at it, he still made a contribution. How could he be struck dead? How is this deceiving God?" First of all, this way of giving was not something the apostles required; it was something the believers voluntarily did at that time.
So there is a principle here: What is the principle of giving? It must be willing and joyful. If others control you in various ways, you should not do it. No matter who it is or what method they use to force you, you can refuse. Whether they condemn you or use any means, you can refuse. Everyone must remember that the principle of giving is voluntary. Since it is voluntary, just be honest.
For example, Ananias sold everything for ten thousand dollars, and he said, "I want to give four thousand and keep six thousand for myself." There is nothing wrong with that; it is completely fine. Amen. No one says you must give everything; there is no such requirement. This is inherently a voluntary act. But why did he and his wife do this? They kept back part of the price and brought the rest to lay at the apostles' feet. They said, "This is all we have." This is the problem; there is a lie in between.
Because they did not believe in the Lord, but they envied the joyful lives of the church believers, who were so happy and joyful every day, with so many miracles and wonders happening. It was simply too good. They wanted to take advantage of it because once they entered such a church, they would be free from worries about food and clothing. Imagine entering such a church not only solves the problem of basic needs but also guarantees healing for physical ailments because the apostles had great power. No matter what kind of illness you had, if you came before the apostles, they would definitely prioritize taking care of believers. In such a situation, can you imagine how attractive it was? It was incredibly attractive.
So some unbelievers wanted to take advantage of the situation, to blend in and seek a backup plan for themselves. Such people really do not know how they think; they want to extract things from this church. But we must know that the church is a place where believers receive love from God and give love. If everyone comes here to take, there will be nothing left. For example, some people say, "I find there is no love in this church." Those who can say such things are actually here to take, so they cannot see the love in this church because they themselves are unwilling to give love, so they cannot receive love.
What should a true church be like? Everyone gives love, and this place is filled with God's love. Everyone can contribute their strength, help each other, and love one another. Isn't this place filled with warmth? Isn't it the same in a family? When a couple gets married, if both want to take from each other, saying, "You must listen to me; you must help me; you should do this and that," well, if they only see their own lack and hope the other person does things for them, that won't last long.
What should the situation be? "What can I do for this family? What can I contribute to this family?" If both think this way, the family will become richer. When problems arise, everyone thinks about how to solve them, rather than blaming each other. In fact, the church is like this; the church that God established at the beginning was like this.
Why do we say they did not believe in the Lord? Let's look at verse 3: Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?"
Well, through this word, we can know that Peter said that Satan filled Ananias' heart. In fact, no matter how much they gave, it was inherently acceptable; however, after keeping back part of it and then saying it was all they had, a lie emerged. They wanted to keep a backup plan for themselves while also wanting to gain the reputation of "I have given everything." Such people do not believe in God; they have their own plans in mind.
You must know that when there is a lie in the church, faith is dispersed, and everyone becomes distrustful. This can be very troublesome. Therefore, Peter directly said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart?" He was deceiving God because Satan filled his heart, so he did not believe. There was a person very similar to him, and that person was Judas Iscariot.
Let's look at Luke 22:1-6:
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. 5 And they were glad and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised and sought opportunity to betray Him to them in the absence of the multitude.
Satan entered Judas Iscariot's heart. Why could Satan enter his heart? The reason is that the truth was not in his heart; he had no faith in God, which is why he was filled by Satan. There are two kinds of spirits in the world: the Holy Spirit and evil spirits. In today's context, if a person's heart is not inhabited by the Holy Spirit, it is controlled by evil spirits. Some people have not yet allowed evil spirits to enter their hearts, but they are still under the deception of evil spirits.
For example, people often lie when they seek to gain something. Who is the father of liars? It is Satan. Satan was the first to lie, so his offspring or those deceived by him will also lie to gain some benefit. This is still the case when Satan has not yet entered their hearts. Once Satan enters a person's heart, it becomes troublesome, and that person's heart becomes very malicious. For example, Judas Iscariot, who had followed Jesus for over three years, was provided for by Jesus.
But what did he do later? He sold Jesus. He went to confer with the chief priests and captains about how he could betray Jesus. We might say, "How could Judas Iscariot have no conscience? How could he do such a thing? Isn't this repaying kindness with enmity?"
We see that Judas Iscariot was so insane, but the actual reason is that Satan entered Judas Iscariot's heart. The truth that Jesus spoke did not take root in his heart, which is why he did such things, and we see the result.
Did Judas Iscariot believe incorrectly? Yes, he did. Perhaps from the beginning, he followed Jesus with his own purpose. The other disciples called Jesus Lord and truly believed what Jesus said; Judas Iscariot might have been too clever, calculating that following Jesus would be beneficial, so he followed Jesus. For over three years, he still did not believe in Jesus and did not call Jesus Lord.
After Satan entered Judas' heart, he sought those people to find out how he could betray Jesus. Those people knew what Judas liked, so they agreed to give him money. Judas liked money, so they gave him money, and Judas sold Jesus. How reasonable it was! Afterward, we see that when Judas saw that they gave him money, he agreed and sought an opportunity to betray Jesus when the multitude was not present.
We can see that Judas had a series of actions that initially stemmed from his incorrect belief. Perhaps in his heart, he did not think Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. He might have thought Jesus was not handsome and came from Galilee, among various prejudices, which ultimately led to his disbelief. The others acknowledged Jesus as Lord, but Judas did not believe. Later, when Satan entered his heart due to his greed, he acted on it. That is why we always say Judas Iscariot did not believe in the Lord and was not saved. This is made very clear in John 6: Jesus said he did not believe.
Returning to the text, Peter's statement to Ananias was: "Why has Satan filled your heart?" "This is worse than Judas Iscariot's situation. Judas Iscariot only allowed Satan to enter his heart, but at this moment, Ananias was filled with Satan's heart."
The consequences of being filled with Satan's heart are more terrifying than those of Judas Iscariot. Why do we say this? Because if he enters the church in this way, it means allowing lies to enter the church, and he may bring a group of people with the same mindset as him. Once the leaders know about these things, the entire church may collapse, and it will be impossible to rebuild. Lies are the opposite of faith. We completely trust God; we believe everything God says; but lies say: "You should not fully trust Him."
Isn't it true that Adam and Eve fell in this aspect? They believed a lie. God said, "In the day you eat of it, you shall surely die!" The serpent said, "You will not surely die." The serpent gave them a lie, and as a result, they believed the lie and lost faith in God. This is what is terrifying.
Therefore, Peter knew the serious consequences and said, "Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?" Keeping back part of the price indicates that he had his own plans and backup, which is fine; just be honest. But why bring lies into the church and corrupt it? The price is something you can control; this thought of yours is deceiving God. Do you really think you can deceive God? The result was that this man fell down and breathed his last.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17:
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
Isn't this very appropriate for our text today? Ananias brought lies into the church, which would corrupt the brothers and sisters, causing distrust and suspicion among them. That is a serious matter; he was destroying the temple of God. Therefore, God destroyed that man, and Ananias fell down dead, and those who heard it were greatly afraid. From then on, no one dared to commit such acts again. Thank the Lord.
Later, we find that when his wife came, she was just like Ananias, and as a result, both of them fell dead. From then on, lies and deception in the church were eradicated. This is the consequence of believing incorrectly, leading to everything going wrong. How can one act correctly? First, you must have faith in God; believe that God can supply all your needs, and you will not resort to such clever tricks.
Let's look at the relevant verses in the Bible, Philippians 2:14-16:
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
This is some advice for us. When a person truly believes in God and believes in the truth, they will live out the truth. These are not things that force people to do; rather, they are manifestations of the life within them.
Verse 14 says: "Do all things without complaining and disputing."
Think about it; in a church, sometimes people's viewpoints may not align, and they may even encounter some grievances.
"Do all things without complaining and disputing." The purpose of human disputes is actually to win for oneself, but in love, there is no distinction between winning and losing. For example, if two people are married and they argue about winning and losing all the time, can they live well? In love, there is no winning or losing.
Just like Jesus treated His disciples, what are you arguing about with them? Just give them the truth and love; that is enough. So correct faith will produce correct results, which means they will not want to complain or argue. Anyone who wants to argue for the sake of winning does not understand God's grace. When we do not complain or argue, our focus is on God.
"That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation." This is our true appearance. Amen. Blameless and harmless are qualities that are extremely lacking in people during the end times.
Now, how many people dare to fully trust another person? People are now wary of each other. The world has developed so rapidly, and the economy is so prosperous, yet trust between people is far less than before. What is the reason? The sins of the world are increasing. This is a crooked and perverse generation.
But what should we be like in this generation? We are children of God without fault, shining as lights in this generation. Thank the Lord. Just like at the beginning when the church was established, everyone was united in heart and mind, completely trusting one another. This is especially precious in this generation. This is shining light; the darker the world, the more the light reveals its power.
We must hold fast the word of life. You can only manifest it if you have it within you. This faith and wisdom go hand in hand. If you completely trust God, you will not lie because there is no need to. The real you will allow you to live more freely.
Because once a person tells a lie, they will use countless lies to cover up the first lie. How exhausting! As long as one lie is uncovered, all the others will be too, and no one will believe you anymore.
So you will find that in the church, brothers and sisters must be real. Amen. Jesus is real to us; after we receive this truth, we should live out the real us. Holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Ephesians 5:6-11:
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
When we have correct faith, faith will produce effects, and we will not believe those empty words, nor will we be deceived by those empty words. What are empty words? Lies, sweet-sounding words that only speak but do not act; they are just words, and the heart does not act. We should not imitate such things, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Those are the words often spoken by the sons of disobedience; we should not be partakers with them. Before, when we were unbelievers, we might have been like this.
Before, you were darkness, but now you are different. Your identity has changed. You are now in the light, in the Lord Jesus, so your conduct should be like children of light. Hallelujah.
The Lord Jesus is the light, and we are children of light, so we must shine. How do we shine? It is said later: "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth." This is the fruit of light. Imagine how terrifying it would be if everyone in a church did not trust each other.
Look at now; where do we dare to fully trust others? It seems there is none. The church is the only place in the world that has light. If the light in this place cannot shine, where is the hope and way out for believers and the world? Thank the Lord, so faith and wisdom must first be manifested in the church. Amen.
"Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." You read the Bible, read the truth, and you will know what God's nature is like; as you continually meditate on the truth, you will know how to conduct yourself.
Do not look at how people are cunning, lying, and deceiving. The benefits they gain are all temporary, but what God wants to give you far exceeds these. Amen. The blessings God wants to give you are lasting, eternal, and abundant.
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." Hallelujah. When we have faith in God, we will naturally reject these things and disdain doing them. At the same time, we also encourage others and rebuke them to stay away from such evil deeds. In this way, won't the brothers and sisters in the church love one another? Everyone can trust each other, which is such a precious thing in the world.
Especially in today's world, having someone you can trust is such a blessing. Moreover, if there is a group of people in the church that you can fully trust, how blessed you are! Thank the Lord. You must know that no matter what happens, this group of people will not abandon you; they will help you, and your heart will be warm, filled with God's love. Hallelujah. I look forward to our brothers and sisters understanding this truth and living by it. This is how you believe correctly, and you possess the wisdom that comes from God.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us such words, so that when we believe correctly, we will naturally act correctly. Especially in these last days, as the world's light grows darker and weaker, we must shine God's light. We are children of light. Just as Jesus loved us, we should also love one another. You have placed such faith within us, allowing us to believe in God's provision and that God's truth will bring forth great power.
Thank you, Lord. Your words are attractive and powerful. I also believe that this week I will experience your glory and your great power. I look forward to continually knowing you this week, continually receiving your revelation, and living by the truth. All glory be to our Father in heaven. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen. Jesus loves you all.