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Children Of The Day
June 16, 2013
The majority of people choose to follow people who tell them what they want to hear; charismatic people; people who put on airs and pretend to know more than they actually do, and the like. On the other hand, there is a small core of devoted people who actually seek God and His truth by studying the written word, meditating upon it, applying it based on their practical experience in life, and praying to God for guidance. These are the children of the day, enlightened people who walk in the light of God's word as presented to us in the person, teachings, and life of Jesus Christ.
Bernie Parsons
Children Of The Day
by Bernie Parsons
Presented to Load church of Christ on 06-16-2013
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 06-23-2013
In the last lesson, I pointed out that many who profess to be Christians
choose to follow false preachers and teachers. They do this to their own
detriment. Instead, those who are true followers of Christ carefully choose
to follow only those teachers and preachers who follow Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1 "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep
the ordinances, as I delivered them to you."
Ephesians 5:1 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And 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.
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once
named among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not
convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For 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.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh
the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For 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;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in
secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is."
From the above, we see that in following God – that is, listening to him and
doing what He says – we walk in the light of truth. Now, we put aside
fornication, filthy talk, greed for more, and anything that is contrary to
what God has said is true and right. There is no good that comes from those
practices, and we must point that out. Instead, we walk as followers of
Christ, making good use of our time, because evil is all around us. The only
antidote is to know God’s will.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of
the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of
faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our
Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together
with him.
11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as
also ye do.
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and
are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at
peace among yourselves."
Being children of light, we are to be alert and aware. We are of the day, so
we must equip ourselves for what is coming. We know those who stand before,
admonishing us. That is, we appreciate the work that they do. We follow
those who follow Christ, and are at peace.
We, of the day, must prepare for spiritual battle against evil.
Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and
watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Those who walk in light and are alert to danger understand that our
spiritual enemies surround us on all sides. We gird ourselves in battle
dress and weaponry to take on those enemies, while maintaining contact with
our spiritual headquarters through prayer and supplication, not only for
ourselves, but for all saints.
John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life."
John 11:9 "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man
walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light
in him."
John 12:35 "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with
you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that
walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of
light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from
them."
Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and the light in our lives. We walk
in Him and His light.
2 Corinthians 4:3 "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are
lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of
God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your
servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in
our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ."
Those who stumble about in darkness do so because that they do not seek the
light. They care more about the things of this world, which keeps them in
darkness.
1 John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare
unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all
sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is
not in us."
We walk in the light of Christ. We are the children of the day. We see our
sins. We work to remove sin from our lives. We allow the blood of Jesus to
cleanse us of our sins.
