What Is Acceptable

Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5:10

Truth often dawns upon us slowly.  As God transforms us, He brings us from death to life, from far to near, and from darkness to light.  As we ‘walk as children of light’ we will evidence ‘the fruit of the Spirit.’  As this process occurs, the truth of what it means to be genuinely Christlike will dawn upon us a bit at a time.  Thus we engage in ‘finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.’  For us to find out ‘what is acceptable to the Lord,’ will in many instances sweep away our misconceptions about what really is acceptable.  This will undercut much of the form and ceremony of mere will worship.  It will not necessarily put us in line with popular religious trends or whatever the religious establishment deems ‘acceptable.’  What Christ did, and what the disciples did in imitating Him, thoroughly upset the religious establishment of the day.  If we, like them, imitate Christ and truly ‘walk as children of light,’ then as we are ‘finding out what is acceptable to the Lord,’ we will inevitably encounter opposition, often from the directions we least expect it.  As we daily look to Christ, we have confidence that, by His Spirit, He will show us more clearly what is acceptable to Him.

Our God and Father,
We rejoice that by Your Spirit
You grant us wisdom,
as we grow in grace.
We praise You that You will continue to conform us
to the image of Christ,
that we may know what is acceptable to You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning