From the Inside Out
A Grace Filled Life
Where do I Stand with God? (2|2)
Pages 17-22
Ephesians 5:8-13 (NIV) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.
Colossians 1:24-28 (NIV) Paul’s Labor for the Church Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
What is and is not permissible in pop culture is always (and has always been) a hot debate in the church. Mike Betts uses the question about letting children read Harry Potter books. Debates go round and round in church, such as Harry Potter is not okay with you, but The Lord of the Rings is? The Lord of the Rings is not okay with you, but the Wizard of Oz is? The Wizard of Oz is not okay with you, but the Chronicles of Narnia is? On and on, round and round we could go. When questions arise about cultural or entertainment choices and/or activities, why is it important to consider both Scripture and the condition of our conscience instead of simply following blanket rules?
Can you think of a time when your conscience made you uneasy about something others found acceptable? How did you handle it, and what did you learn about listening to the Holy Spirit?
What does it mean to ‘find out what pleases the Lord’ (Ephesians 5:10), and how does this principle guide Christian ethics and spiritual formation?
How can we discern whether something in our lives is helping or hindering our walk with God, and what steps can we take when we recognize it’s hindering?