Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds

Last week God spoke to me about how to use my time productively. I have written two posts which contain His three suggestions:

• Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds
• Making the very most of the time (buying up each opportunity)

There were three parts to what He was saying via Eph 5…

1. One was to focus on buying up the opportunities and how this is influencing my use of my time, to remain focussed on the calling He has given me
2. The second part was to separate myself from fruitless people and their deeds. This is a much harder thing to do than it sounds – at least for me! – in this post
3. The third part is this… try new things, experiment and learn as you go what He finds pleasing- in this post

Here is part 2…

¹¹Take no part in and have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness,

but instead [let your lives be so in contrast as to] expose and reprove and convict them.

¹²For it is a shame even to speak of or mention the things that [such people] practice in secret.

¹³But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light. – Eph 5:11-13

We have to live our lives following the Holy Spirit. That can be harder than it sounds, because we may not know His voice, or we may not yet have enough experience to know what He likes and dislikes.

But one thing we can do, is avoid dark places, dark people and fruitless deeds. We can’t be faultless or perfect – only Jesus Christ will ever be that – but as we encounter fruitless deeds that seek to block our path, we can move around them.

The point is simply to prefer to be doing fruitful things, praying, loving, using our words to lead people to Him… yes… buying up the opportunities that are presented to us!

And now, part 3…

And try to learn [in your experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]. – Eph 5:10

I find it exciting to hear that we learn by experience. This means we must try new things. We are invited to experiment!

If we embrace new things, and have no part in druitless things… imagine what He can do in our lives with such dedication.

Perhaps just to confirm that there is a cost… last night I felt led to re-read about the life and ministry of John Knox in Roberts Liardon’s book God’s Generals 2.

Reformers have a tough time, because change is resisted and opposed. It’s just something that is a part of the cost.