Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive glory & honor & praise, both now and forever! May we become disciples worth reproducing, walking in Your footsteps, O Lord. Amen!

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 

Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.””

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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We all have choices to make today, don’t we? We choose how to spend our time, our money, how we want to invest our hearts and lives. There’s always a choice to make, whether we acknowledge that they’re there or not. Every interaction with another human being, in person or online, is a choice. Every dollar spent is a choice. Every inclination of our heart is a choice, and we will be held accountable for them. 

We may not like acknowledging that, but it is true. As Christians, obedience defines our walk as a disciple. Are we faithful in our decision making? Do we walk according to the life of Christ? Are we walking worthy of Him, in love, sacrificially? Are we participating in the world’s patterns of behavior, or are we being renewed day by day, our minds transformed, worldviews shifted? 

Jesus makes it pretty clear that we cannot follow Him and look back to where we once were. We cannot be like Lot’s wife, longing for what was while running toward our salvation. Paul says here to “take no part the unfruitful works of darkness…” and that means -no- -part-. None. We don’t have a time-share in sin’s country and in Christ’s country. We are citizens with a single point of residence. There is no way to participate in both. 

Pray and ask God where your life needs to be brought into correction. Seek comfort in the conviction that follows. When God corrects us and disciplines us, it is because He loves us and desires something better than the world’s example in us. He desires to see Christ in every aspect of our life.

Read Scripture, observe what is being said, pull out those application points (and obey them), pray that God will guide you and give you strength, and then share it with someone else who needs it, too. Repeat daily. Walk in faithful obedience.