This is an image from my childhood that has just stuck with me. It’s from one of those movies that we used to watch over and over again, at least every holiday. It’s from the last of the original, and good, Star Wars movies. In my mind, it’s one of the pivotal scenes from the whole trilogy. It captures the moment when the hero, Luke Skywalker, is faced with a decision. I loved the way his face is so perfectly divided, with the light and shadow. It represents the struggle that is going on within him. Which way is he going to go? Will he turn to the Dark side of the Force or stick with the Light?
This scene, this image, is so embedded in my memory, that whenever I see someone in similar lighting, I can’t help but remember it. But regardless of the scene around us, it captures a decision that we all must face. Will we walk in light or darkness? It’s a decision we must all make. How will we live?
In the movie that scene is made all the more potent, as there’s only one voice that Luke hears. It’s the voice of Darth Vader, calling him to the Dark, with all kinds of threats and promises.
In the passage from Ephesians that we’re looking at this morning, we have one voice calling out. Its Paul’s and he’s calling out to us, almost shouting, – “Live in Light!” But that’s only because there are so many other voices calling us to live in darkness. The world around us is awash with voices telling us how to live. It comes in the shows we watch, music we listen to, billboards while driving to work, newspapers. Comes from friends and family. We’re constantly bombarded with messages about what we should think, how we should act, about what’s important and what’s not. If you listen, you might think life’s all about Sex, Drugs & Rock’n’Roll. Incidentally these are three things Paul speaks about in this passage, but more on that later!
In verse 6, Paul warns us against being led astray. None of us like being lied to, do we? Paul doesn’t want us to be deceived by the darkness. Their words are deceptive, even empty. There’s no substance, no truth to them. In verse 15, he calls us to be wise, to avoid the foolishness of the world in which we live. We need to recognize that the days are evil. That is, the world around us is evil.
Paul says what is done in the darkness is not just foolish, it’s shameful. In fact, it’s so shameful that it shouldn’t even be mentioned among the saints, among the church. It’s entirely out of place. It’s shameful even to mention what those around us to do secretly, or indeed not so secretly.
There’s always the allure of the clandestine, the secret, the improper. But even worse than just being indecent, foolish or shameful, Paul warns that living in the darkness leads to an ugly end. No fornicator, impure or greedy person has any place in the kingdom of Christ or God. There’s no place for them in the church and no place for them in heaven! God’s wrath is stirred up against these things and those who live in them.
This is a pretty stern warning! And it’s a bit of a worry. As we look at the list of things here in this passage, sexual purity, relational purity, monetary purity, motivational purity, these are all things we struggle with. There are things in this passage I’ve struggled for a long time with. What am I to do? Am I out? Are you out? If we have an impure thought, if we listen to the wrong comedian on TV, if we laugh at the wrong jokes, are we done for? Are we no longer in Christ if we do any of these things?
I don’t think Paul is saying if we struggle with these things, we’re out. If that were the case, Paul wouldn’t bother writing encouraging us to take off the old and put on the new. He’d just say, “Sorry. It’s too late, you had your chance.” No. It’s a warning that those who persist in them, those who could be labeled as such are not showing in their lives that they are in Christ. It’s a warning to take seriously the command for us to live seeking what is pleasing to the Lord, not what is pleasing to myself. It’s a warning not to persist in our disobedience, but to strive towards bearing fruit that is right and pure.
Paul warns that we shouldn’t even be associated with those who persist in their disobedience. He’s not endorsing cutting ourselves off from the world, retreating to a Christian ghetto somewhere. We’re not to be associated with their deeds, their actions. There should be a clear distinction between those who are in Christ and those who are not, between those who are light and those who are darkness.
Notice, that Paul says it’s not that we walk in light or darkness, but that we are light. We once were darkness, but now we are light!
Through this series our theme has been complete in Christ. We’ve seen that we are Complete in Christ and completely in Christ.
And if Jesus is the light of the world, there’s no surprise that we are light. We are children of light, as Paul puts it in verse 8.
This week at Mike’s Mates, Ian Oates shared some stories and insights from his family’s time in Tanzania. As part of that he spoke of Fiona’s work with establishing solar lighting projects. The name for that project was Watu Wa Mwanga- which translates as ‘People of Light’. I thought to myself, what a wonderful name. Yes, they were bringing light to those around them, through solar panes. But as Christians, they offered an even greater light. What a name for us, as God’s people, Watu Wa Mwanga.
We’re to do this so that those around us can see the light. We’re to bear fruit of light, so that those around us can see what is good and right and true. Our lives are meant to be blazing lights to those around us, so that they can see Christ in us.
If we shine as light, we’ll also expose the works of darkness. This isn’t to mean we should camp out outside people’s houses, ready to expose their every misdeed. We show the darkness by being light.
13but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
Our longue room at home is variable. Each night, chance we might put boys toys away in different spot. Number of times I’ve wandered through without turning on the lights and stumbled into something!
If we lead lives Lord intends for us, we’ll show up the misdeeds, the misbeliefs of those around us. They will be confronted by how we believe, without us needing to point sticks, waggle fingers, compile lists.
More than just showing them up, there’s a deeper purpose. That they might come into the light that they might be transformed themselves.
13but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for everything that becomes visible is light.
Therefore it says,
“Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
The dead will be raised to life by the light of Christ. As those who are dead we are powerless to bring ourselves into the light, to be transformed. But the power which raised Christ from the dead is at work in us too. It raises us from the dead and brings us into his marvellous light.
So we’re to be light in the dark world so that others might be transformed. No good if people come to the Alpha course and see that we live just like everyone else. What does that suggest? No we need to live transformed, holy righteous lives.
We’re to take no part in the things those who are in darkness do. Instead we’re to seek out what is pleasing to the Lord. To live as children of light, fruit found in all that is good and right and true.
There are lots of ways we can shine as light in our world. Paul mentions several in this passage, but this morning I want to focus on just three.
Paul warns that any kind of fornication is incompatible with Christian life. The word he chooses to use, pornea, is pretty broad. It refers to any kind of sexual activity outside of marriage.
Paul is calling the Ephesians to be a blinding light in the midst of their world. You might remember the story from Paul’s time in Ephesus. The citizens were particularly devoted to the worship of Diana. She was a ‘fertility goddess and so sexual practices were part of her worship. Sexual immorality was ‘religious’ devotion! It’s not so different to our world today. Sexual pleasure, sexual satisfaction is paramount, no matter where it comes from, or how we get it.
Christians would have seemed strange for not taking part. Indeed, Paul doesn’t just saw we mustn’t take part, but that we’re not even to talk about such things. The vulgar talk mentioned in the next verse includes lewd talk, dirty talk, vulgar jokes that revolve around sexuality. It’s not just that these things aren’t decent. It’s more than that. They point to such a low view of sex and relationships. They’re degrading, questioning the image of God that is in men and women. Instead our language is to be of thanksgiving and praise.
If we do this, we might be accused of having a Victorian, an antiquated view of sexuality. Of being old fashioned. Of having a low view of sex. That Christians are anti-sex. Nothing of the sort. In fact, we’re to have a higher view of it than any one else. Value it so highly, that we don’t joke about it, don’t debase it with our language or our actions. Celebrate it as it was intended – between husband and wife. We’re to hold it so highly that we don’t try to cheapen it by taking it outside of there. Language of thanksgiving, celebration of this great gift that God has given husbands and wives.
Of course in verses 3-5, Paul isn’t just talking about sex. He also mentions any kind of impurity or greed. It’s that which seeks self pleasure, self-gratification, whether through improper use of money or relationships. That’s why Paul says such a one is an idolater in verse 5. We think of idolatry as worshiping another god, statue, image, other than the one true God. But idolatry is allowing anything to take God’s place! Jesus said we must seek first his kingdom. If we don’t, if we seek other things, we’re in danger of missing out on God’s kingdom all together.
If we’re to be light in our approach to sex and relationships with one another, we’re also to be light in how we treat our own bodies. In verse 18 Paul says:
18Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery;
but be filled with the Spirit,
A few more things might make it onto Paul’s prohibited substance list today!
I’ve never been drunk, so I don’t know what it feels like. But I’ve seen enough friends get drunk, to wonder why any one would ever want to. Any buzz that might come is not enough to outweigh the loss of control, the loss of inhibitions. What it does is makes us less than human, it dehumanizes us. Makes us little better than animals.
Instead Paul says we should be filled with the Spirit. The contrast isn’t that the Spirit, and not spirits, should give us a buzz. No, it’s on the effect it has on us. The Spirit empowers us. The Spirit is what joins us together in Christ. It makes us whole, it makes us fully human.
Being filled with the Spirit will lead to out outpouring of praise to God. With that Paul ventures into one of the most controversial areas in the church – music!
Almost no subject that causes more controversy in churches! Should we have organ or drums, can we have both? Songs to fast, to slow, to new, to old, to loud, to soft, to edgy, to repetitive, to traditional. Even we aren’t immune!
But the light is meant to overflow even into our songs. So, as we gather together our music isn’t like that of the world. We don’t stick to the top 40, or just choose songs that we like.
19as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So regardless of whether we sing spiritual songs, hymns or Psalms, we sing them to edify each other. We sing to remind ourselves of the truths of the gospel. Remind us of what God has done for us. Remind us of the truths we have learnt, our hope our future, or present way of life.
But we also sing our praises up to God, giving him thanks for everything. So we sing for an audience of one. God is pleased with our singing, even if we sing off key, out of tune, out of time. I'm sure we’ve all had experiences sitting next to someone who sings like that. If you haven’t, sit next to me next week. But it doesn’t matter what the noise sounds like. Why? Because it depends on the condition of our hearts. We’re to make a joyous melody in our hearts.
And in all this, in all things we are to give thanks to God. It’s hard to live a selfish life if we are giving thanks. It’s hard to exploit others if we are praising him.
In the end Luke chooses Light. Always knew he would. In fact, brings out the light, the good, in the evil, in his Father Darth Vader. Light shines into his life, and he’s transformed.
We are the light of the world. We are children of light. Let’s allow that light to shine brightly in our lives. Let’s light up those around us. Let’s expose their deeds as we seek to shine brightly for Jesus, so that they may be quickened, that they might be made light themselves. Let’s put away all vulgar talk, all impurity, all greed, all that is shameful, and instead be full of light, righteousness, holiness.
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