In Christ, I Am...light In The Darkness Series

IN CHRIST, I AM…LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS—Ephesians 5:1-20

(Series on Ephesians: In Christ, I Am…) Read the sermon title from the card.

There is a lot of darkness in the world. The media bombards us with stories of injustice, oppression, and corruption. We see people who are caught in a web of sin, and can’t seem to find their way to a healthy way of life. We probably know people who are looking for a better life, but in all the wrong places, and in all the wrong ways.

God wants us to be light in the darkness. Paul says in verse 8, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

Yet bringing light into our world is not always easy. If there is darkness at work or school, how can you bring light into that environment? If you see darkness in your friends, how can you help them see a better way? If there is darkness in your family, what can you say and do to help those you love?

HOW CAN WE BRING LIGHT INTO THE DARKNESS?

1. SHINE GOD’S LIGHT UPON OUR OWN DARKNESS.

Our first inclination might be to shine God’s light upon the darkest, most depraved parts of the world: the “dark web” of child pornography and stolen credit card numbers, the darkness of human trafficking and political corruption, or the darkness of gangs and drug dealers. Those are dark places, but if we begin there, we might fail to address the darkness in ourselves.

Paul begins with us. Read Ephesians 5:3-7.

Some people have a “Twinkie view of sin.” We know that Twinkies are not the best thing for us to eat; they are full of sugar and fat, as well as preservatives. Yet an occasional Twinkie is not going to kill us, as long as we don’t overdo.

Are sins like Twinkies? Does God allow for an occasional lie, a few impure thoughts, and rare “big sins,” as long as we don’t do those things all the time? No, sin is never “OK in moderation.” Sin is more like a highly-addictive, illegal drug, which can quickly take over someone’s life and destroy them.

I don’t think that Paul is implying that those who trust in Christ are in danger of losing their salvation every time they fall into sin, or that Christians will be able to eliminate every sin from their lives. He is concerned that even the smallest sins among Christians will dim their light in a dark world.

For that reason, there should not be even a hint of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among Christians. We try to hide our thoughts or attitudes, and even secret activities, but they might come out when we get in a group of people. Paul says that our conversations should not include “obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking.” In the workplace, it may be obscenities and constant complaints. Sitting around the table at church, we might be labeling a person as a “loser,” or putting down a spouse or church leader.

In today’s world, the discussion might be on social media, where “obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking” are sometimes joined with lies and innuendo. Paul is quite clear: “Do not be partners with [immoral, impure, or greedy people].” Don’t get caught up in the darkness; change the atmosphere, as much as you can. Paul suggests substituting “thanksgiving”! What a novel idea!

To be light in the darkness, we begin with shining God’s light on ourselves and those closest to us.

2. SHINE LIGHT INTO THE DARK PLACES OF THE WORLD (verses 11-13)

Christians need to expose the darkness in the world. We need to be able to say, “This is wrong,” “This is destructive,” or “This is evil.”

We can begin by shining a light on what is wrong in our community, our church, or our family. We might take a stand against injustice, and join a movement to reveal the darkness of abortion, racism, abuse, or political corruption. We might refuse to ignore bullying, and advocate for those who are victims of prejudice. You might go to your boss to protest against favoritism, or you might point out lies that are being told in your family.

If we do this, it might seem like we are being judgmental, and Jesus said, in Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Notice, however, that Paul doesn’t tell us to judge people, but to “expose the fruitless DEEDS of darkness.” There is a difference between judging people and exposing their deeds as wrong.

What does light reveal about evil deeds? In verse 12, Paul says that they are “shameful.” That is true, although many people have become quite accustomed to living in darkness, and they might not see anything wrong with their sins. How do we shed light on evil, when people have no shame?