And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. The word for discern here means test or examine. The Greek word is a word we get the verb document from. When you document something, you ascertain its authenticity. So I think what is being said here is that we should evaluate what we do and other potential behaviors or activities we might be involved in, and determine if those things would be pleasing to the Lord.
It’s true that we are not under law, but under grace. But even in human relationships, isn’t it true that we try to please those we love just because of that love, and not merely to be obedient to some law?
Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Isn’t that a strong implication that our goal in life is to please him?
Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
From this passage we can clearly see that pleasing God is the aim, no matter what the rest of the culture may think about it.
Pleasing God is the result of having a relationship with God — being born again. Paul tells us in Romans 8:8 that those who are in the flesh, i.e. those who have not been born again, cannot please God. That means that no matter how many times they attend worship services, or pray, or give to the poor, they are not pleasing God.
So as we live our lives, let’s take time to consider our plans and our activities and document the fact that they are pleasing to God.
As Paul says in 1 Thess 5:21, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.” By the way, the word test there is the same word we had in Ephesians 5:10. Document it! Is it pleasing to God?
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:27 AM May 13, 2021.