Yahweh`s Kingdom | ||
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Shalom Ephesians 5-8 For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light in the Elohim: walk as children of light:
Ephesians 5:8 says that the converted
persons are "light in the Elohim" and should "walk as children of light."
This light is revealed in all goodness,
righteousness, and truth. This is what
others should witness in us and be guided by as an example. Each of these
three terms covers a different aspect of our
witness. Righteousness conveys legality. Psalm
119:172 defines righteousness as keeping the commandments of Yahweh, thus
righteousness implies conformity to law. It is a narrower term than either
truth or goodness. It indicates uprightness and a manifestation of
justice. It can literally mean being right. Yahweh uses the illustration
of a plumb line in Amos to portray what He means by righteousness. The
person who is righteous has been measured against the standard of Yahweh's
law and found to be in alignment. Therefore righteousness should be a
characteristic of a Christian. He is fair and just in his dealings with
others, plays life by the rules and respects others' rights and
possessions. Earlier, in , Paul speaks of deceit,
things done in secret, and the hidden things of darkness. "All truth" is
their opposite. The character of the life of the Christian is without
deceit. Nothing is hidden, underhanded, or dishonest; nothing smacks of
hypocrisy or pretense. The life of those walking in the light will be
open, aboveboard, and transparent; it has nothing to conceal and never
pretends to be something it is not. New Testament goodness,
agathosune, is a versatile and strong word that can be used either
of the act or the intention motivating the act. It can be gentle or sharp,
but the intention of the good person is always the well-being of the
recipients of his goodness. An English word that covers some aspects of
the Greek word is "benevolence." This "inclination to do good" seems to be
Paul's intent in goodness is "indicative of a perfect
balance in the various parts of the personality. A good man is a balanced
man, a man in whom everything that is noble and excellent works
harmoniously together" . Thus he can be gentle or sharp, but what he does
always has the right balance and is good. Such a person tries to promote the
happiness of all around him. He is not selfish or self-centered, but
because he has this balance himself, he desires that others have it too.
This is how Yahweh is. Yahweh looks upon us in our misery, the result of
sin, and in His goodness leads us to repentance. Sometimes the path to
repentance for us is sharp and painful, but it is always
good. On the more gentle side, Yahweh "makes
His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and
on the unjust" (). Although men are evil, He does this kindness> out of
His goodness. In the converted person we see a pale
reflection of this goodness. The good man is one who thinks about love,
beauty, and truth—not just in the realm of majestic mountains, surging
seas, gorgeous flowers, and sunsets, but more specifically in his fellow
man. He wants to alleviate suffering and to mitigate wrongs. He
consciously looks for ways to benefit others. Because he is not out to
gratify himself, His works are the opposite of the self-centered works of
darkness. The good person is the benefactor of the weak, helpless, and
those in trouble—and sometimes even of the evil. In the presence of Cornelius and his
family, Peter says of Yahushua, "Yahweh anointed Yahushua of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with , who went about doing good and healing all who
were oppressed by the devil, for Yahweh was with Him" (Acts 10:38). The
Scriptures speak frequently of Yahushua healing all who came to Him
without qualification who they were. He sharply rebuked those who had the
power to do good but did not. Though He at times ate with the
"respectable" of the cities and villages, He was known to keep company
with publicans and sinners. He flatly states that He did not come for
those who were well, but for those who needed a physician (Matthew
9:12-13). As a man Yahushua continued to follow the same pattern He
established as Yahweh above, and in so doing He gave us a perfect example
to follow within our contacts and power. Salom
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