December 1 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading:

Ephesians 5:1-20

¹Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
²And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
³But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
⁴Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
⁵For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
⁶Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
⁷Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
⁸For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
⁹(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
¹⁰Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
¹²For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
¹³But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
¹⁴Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
¹⁵See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
¹⁶Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
¹⁹Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
²⁰Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Devotional:

Believers are God's children. This we have read all through Scripture. Here Paul calls us God's 'dear children '(5:1). What an appellation for sinful creatures! What a responsibility it places upon us! So Paul tells us here how 'as dear children' we must 'walk' in order to be followers of God in deed.

We are to 'walk in love' (5:2). Our language is to be loving, never soiled by innuendos or distorted sex conversation or inappropriate levity concerning sacred things. Our communication is to be different from that of the world and people are to be able to tell the difference. Our conversation is to be characterized by thanksgiving tc God.

We are not only dear children. We are children of light. Not only are we to have no fellowship with children of darkness, we are to reprove them. Not only are we to refrain from choosing our intimate companions from among those who take God's name in vain—we are to rebuke those who do! A life lived for God is a silent rebuke, too. If our lives are not a reproof, surely our words cannot be.

Can our neighbors recognize that we are God's dear children? Are they careful of the jokes they tell in our presence? Does our observance of God's day, week after week and year after year, act as a knife cutting into them? Are we, in fact, walking as lights in the world and showing up darkness in all its ugliness?