Walk as Children of Light

Introduction:

Read I John 1:5-7.  “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” NKJV God and light have always been contrasted with sin and darkness.  God’s people have always been called upon to walk in light, in the realm of righteousness and holiness.  In our text, Paul admonishes the Christians in Ephesus to “walk as children of light.”  He describes for them how this is to be done.

Text:  Ephesians 5:8-14

Body:

I. Must Bear Fruits of Light (Verses 8-10) Verse 8 Before they were converted to Christ, they lived in darkness [sin, ignorance, and religious error].  (Isaiah 9:2)  Notice how Paul describes this in II Corinthians 4:6.  Because of this, they now lived vastly different lives in stark contrast to the world.  (Philippians 2:14-16)  People should see changes in us when we are converted. Verse 9 “Fruit of Spirit”  “Fruit of Light” Some say one; some say the other.  They are the same.  One who lives in the light produces the fruit of light.  When we walk as children of light, that means we walk in the light of God’s Word.  (Psalm 119:105)  Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”  NKJV That Word, when put to use in my life, produces that which is good.  It produces righteousness – right living in God’s sight; it produces a life of truth.  Paul is urging these Christians to do the same thing that he said in Galatians 5:25.  “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”  We follow the directions of the Holy Spirit by following the Spirit’s Word. Verse 10 By living this kind of life, walking in light, Christians demonstrate to the world the kind of life that is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord.  The same thought [word] is in Romans 12:1-2.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  We must approve the things that are excellent.  (Philippians 1:9 )  The Christian is admonished to always examine his conduct to see if he is truly walking in light, in the ways of the Lord [with family, work community].

 

II. Have No Fellowship with Darkness (Verses 11-14) Verse 11 “Unfruitful” This produces no good, only evil.  “Works of Darkness” are that which contaminate the soul [sin, ignorance of God’s will, religious error].  “Fellowship” is participation in, taking part in, or being connected with.  (I Timothy 5:22) What happens when you mix pure water with dirty water?  Pure water is no longer pure!  Notice the idea of not fellowshipping in  II Corinthians 6:17-18, 7:1.  We are not to even show approval of evil in any way.  (II John 9-11)  Note:  This would include all man-made religious organizations and denominations.  We cannot fellowship them.  This is a very serious charge. Instead of extending fellowship, we are to expose or reprove them.  It is our responsibility so we must expose them for what they are – works of darkness, not works of light.  Some do not want to do this and refuse to do so.  Sin and error cannot be ignored.  Listen to the following quote.  “Those who belong to the realm of light cannot be neutral with respect to the work of darkness. . . Sin must be exposed.  One is not being ‘nice’ to a wicked man by endeavoring to make him feel what a fine fellow he is.  The cancerous tumor must be removed, not humored.  It is not really an act of love to smooth things over as if the terrible evil committed by those still living in the realm of darkness is not so bad after all.” Unknown  Verse 12 Some works of darkness are even more vile, wicked, and shameful than others even when done in secret.  (Romans 13:13)  God knows for He has an all-seeing eye.  (Proverbs 15:3)  Verse 13 Exposure by the light reveals things as they really are.  God’s Word helps us to see.  (Hebrews 4:12-13)  This is true of both sin and religious error.  [Homosexuality and the belief that all one must do to be saved is to say the sinner’s prayer.]  Let’s always remember the words of John 3:19-21.  “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Invitation:

Verse 14 The man in sin can be depicted as a man sleeping while driving a car.  He is unaware of the danger that he is in.  Paul calls upon him to wake up! (Matthew 26:41)  This is true of the alien sinner [outside Christ] as well as the Christian who has wandered back into a life of sin.  Each must realize the danger you’re in and do what is necessary to be saved.  John 5:25  “Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”  The dead, spiritually dead, are in darkness.  The alien sinner must comply with these words.  Romans 6:3-4 “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”  The Christian must live by these words.  I John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” “Christ will shine upon you.”  Psalm 43:3

 Bobby Stafford 

August 3, 2014