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How can one know if they are in the faith? In this sermon on Ephesians 5:8-10 titled “Acceptable Unto the Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides one such test that a Christian can measure their lives up against to see if they have been made new by Christ. The test that one must apply to their lives is this: are they bearing fruit? What is this fruit? Paul writes that it is all forms of goodness, righteousness, and truth. But how are these different from each other? Goodness, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is one of the characteristics of God. It means “benevolence,” and it points to an understanding of balance and desire for the happiness of others. The next is righteousness which might seem to mean the same as goodness. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that it carries a legal concept with it- it means that someone is right and just. Paul is saying that a believer’s life should be characterized by these principles. A Christian knows what they are doing and why they are doing it. Finally, what is truth? It is the light that illustrates and makes manifest. Those who have been saved by Christ are called to be His witness to the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that in seeking these traits, the goal should never be to reach this in and of themselves, but rather in order to please the Lord. This is what sets Christians apart from good people.