From Darkness To Light Series

Also, if you’re light, then one of your functions is to illuminate dark places, to expose the works of darkness, and show them up for what they are. I noticed in the Age this week there was an article on the safety of Melbourne City streets. One of the major reasons people said they felt unsafe in some parts of the city was poor lighting. So new lights have been put in all down King St to solve the crime problem there. This is classic isn’t it. Those who do evil prefer the night time when it’s dark so no-one can see their evil deeds. Well, we’re people of light, whose task includes exposing the deeds of darkness.

I received a newsletter this week called Saltshakers. Its purpose is to be a forum for exposing some of the evils of our society; for expressing a Christian view on issues that otherwise are often ignored by both society and the Church. Now I may not agree with everything that’s in it, but I thought it’s a great example of one group of Christians who are doing what Paul tells us to do. Exposing evil deeds for what they are. Naming them, rather than just ignoring them.

D. Be wise in the way you live

Finally Paul tells us to wake up and to live wisely. This wise living has two aspects to it. First it means making the most of the time because the days are evil. Have you noticed how it’s impossible to make up time. There are only ever 24 hours in the day. No matter how hard you try that’s all you’ll ever get. You can’t stretch time. All you can do is use it well, make the most of it. And the days are evil. That is, I think, time is running out. We’re in the last days and the time available to us to do what needs to be done is going fast. So use your time well. But secondly to be wise means understanding God’s will. I’ve probably said enough about that already, but just let me repeat, if you want to know God’s will, you have to know God and the only way to know God is through his revelation to us, which we find here in the Scriptures. Thirdly don’t get drunk but be filled with the Spirit. Drunkenness involves a loss of control over our actions, whereas the work of the Spirit is to give us control over our actions in a godly way. Fourthly, part of being wise is using our tongues wisely. He finishes this section with what appears to be a direct contrast to the evil use of words in v4. Rather than obscene, silly, and vulgar talk we’re to "sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among ourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in our hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." In other words true wisdom attributes the good things we enjoy to the one who gave them to us and encourages others to do the same.

Well, our time has gone. How are we to be people of integrity in a world that’s opposed to God? By being children of light, and living as light in the world. That means ensuring that the things we do are things that we’re proud of, things that we’d gladly do in the presence of God. It means exposing those things in our society and in our church that are evil, and it means striving to be wise in the way we use our time, in the way we think, in the way we live and in the way we use our tongues.

For more sermons from this source go to www.sttheos.org.au