Ephesians 5:11

"Take 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." Ephesians 5:11

When I came to this verse, this time... in this commentary, I thought to myself... "It seems like Paul is just kicking a dragon we slew several verses back". I mean, we are: imitating God, walking in love, we're not letting immorality or impurity around us to get in or even be named among us, no foolishness or empty jesting... we even quit hanging out with those that do. And so then, we get into the nature of The Spirit of God, and Paul talks about us trying to experience this, and boom... we're back to, "Take no part in and have no fellowship with darkness! But, in The Spirit, we can see that is just the way the "experience" is. Think about it... it's just like that in life... we go along with The Lord for awhile and things seem straight, then boom... Someones back at the door you thought was gone forever... a friend request from you know who - out of the blue!

Maybe we didn't sever a relationship the way we should have... maybe they just don't get it... maybe it's a new hopeful whom already the Holy Spirit is saying to us, "run". The point I believe Paul is showing us is that it never stops... temptation and evil never seem to sleep and we must consider it as part of the experience... again, suggesting our need for a heightened awareness of the Holy Spirit.

But notice something Paul says of darkness that helps us to pick out who we are not to fellowship with. Paul says fruitless deeds are associated with darkness. Remember in verse 9, he referred to this fruit as "kindly good". I think here is a good place to bring a deeper description of the fruit of that Holy Spirit, because if someone is not producing these things... that is who me must depart from.

"But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, Gentleness (meekness, humility)" Galatians 5:22-23

Finally, he says that we, obviously should be living the opposite of them... bearing (producing) all of what they are not. Where some of us may be use to pointing , arguing, purposefully convicting them of their darkness... Paul says that we should just let our bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit be what exposes, reproves, and convicts them.

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 5:12 next time.

I love you.