Living In the Light
Text: Eph. 5:1-14
Introduction
1. Have you ever noticed what often happens when a light burns out? Many times, when a light is turned on for the last time it produces a sudden burst of light (even burning brighter than it normally does) until the element burns into darkness. A sudden explosion of light is followed by the search for a new lightbulb. None of us would want to light our homes with flash bulbs, or the pulse of a strobe light. We want a steady consistent light that will make the room comfortable to be in.
2. Our lives are to have that same kind of consistency. Jesus said that our lives should be as lights for the world to see.
3. In our text this morning, Paul gives us some principles to follow as we live in the light.
a. Be Imitators of God
b. Live As People of the Light
c. Find Out What Pleases God
4. Read Eph. 5:1-14
Proposition: As children of God, we need to let our light shine for everyone to see.
Transition: First, Paul tells us to…
I. Be Imitators of God (1-2).
A. Imitators of God
1. From the time I was a little boy, I’ve always been fascinated with entertainers who do impersonations. In fact, often I have worked on doing impersonations of my own. It started with Richard Nixon and continued through John Wayne, Ross Perot and so on.
2. In the first verse, Paul tells us, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.”
a. Just as I loved to imitate politicians and TV and movie stars, so Paul tells us imitate God.
b. We are instructed to model ourselves after God, who loved us so much that he gave his own Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
c. Furthermore, we should try and emulate the way that Jesus lived his life as someone who loves the unlovable, cares for the outcast and shows mercy to the sinful.
d. The reason that Paul gives us for imitating God is because “you are his dear children.”
e. Typically, children try and be like Mom and Dad, and as children of God we should try and be like God in all we do.
3. Then in v. 2, Paul tells us to “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”
a. Paul gives the prime example of imitating Christ by loving the way that Jesus did. Our love should be the same kind of love that Jesus showed us.
b. It was an unconditional, self-sacrificing love. It’s only through Jesus that we know what love is.
c. “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
d. This is the kind of love that Paul is talking about.
e. It is a love that doesn’t consider what it does for us, but rather what it does for others. It doesn’t even consider if the other person deserves it or not, because we certainly didn’t do anything to deserve it.
f. Jesus not only gave up his life for people who didn’t deserve it, but rather for people who deserved the exact opposite.
g. Paul says that this kind of love is a “pleasing aroma to God.” Jesus’ offering of himself was a pleasing aroma to God because of his attitude. He was doing it not because of what he got out of it, but because of the fact that we needed it.
h. This is the kind of love that we should be imitating.
B. He Is Your Example
1. Wayne Cordeiro tells of a receptionist from his church who has found a “little slice of heaven on earth” around God’s people: He found out she worked her “day job” six days a week and volunteered to be a receptionist at the church building her one day off. He says: “Why do you come here and do this?” I asked. “Being here is like a breath of fresh air,” she replied. “Don’t you want to take a day off?” “This IS a day off,” she responded. “It fills my soul.” He reflects: “She feels valued. That is the kind of love we want to show. This love is not something we muster on our own; It comes from learning to recognize evidence of God’s presence. It is easy to look for evidence of God’s absence, but we focus on the opposite, because we know that people tend to see whatever they look for.” (Culture Shift, authored with Robert Lewis, p. 115) In the context of today’s text, it is not so much about looking for God, as in imitating God, so that when others LOOK, they SEE and EXPERIENCE the truth and love of God at work in us: they experience a little slice of heaven.
2. The lives we live should be a mirror of Jesus.
a. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. (1 Pet. 2:21)
b. Jesus was a person of mercy, kindness, forgiveness, and gentleness.
c. Jesus was also a person of self-sacrifice, compassion, and looking to the best interest of others.
d. We, as his followers, are called to live our lives the same way.
e. We are called to look at others as people, who like us, need a savior.
f. We are to be people who are filled with compassion.
g. We are to be people who look not to our own best interest, but rather to the interests of others.
h. We are to love people not because they love us, because even sinners do that, but to love them because that’s how Jesus loves us.
i. We are to follow the example of Jesus!
Transition: Next, we are to…
II. Live As People of Light (3-9).
A. Light Within You
1. Paul tells to not only be imitators of God, but also to not be imitators of the world.
2. Paul now moves from what we should do to what we shouldn’t do. In v.3 he says, “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.”
a. He begins with a sin that is so prevalent in our society: sexual immorality.
b. Just like our society, sexual sin was also a big problem in the Roman society that Paul lived in, but it has no place in the Christian community.
c. The word used in Greek here refers to any form of sexual sin and includes anything outside of the marital bond between one man and one woman.
d. Our society lives for any kind of sexual indulgence, and like we talked about last week, we have lost our sensitivity to what is pure and right.
e. Likewise, we live in a world filled with greed, which is an unreasoned desire for anything, wanting it so much that we would sacrifice anything to get it.
f. Paul says these kinds of sins have no place among God’s people.
3. Next Paul talks about sins of the mouth, the things we say. He says, “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.”
a. These things are so common today that we take them for granted. But Paul says that this kind of language is inappropriate for us because it doesn’t show God’s gracious presence in us.
b. We often fall into this kind of sin because we don’t want to be seen as though we are not cool.
c. The kind of things we would never say in church, but once we get out of church come out of our mouths because everyone else is saying them.
d. But Jesus makes it clear that we will give account for everything we say.
e. “And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” (Matt. 12:36-37)
f. You’ll notice that Paul in this section tells us to not just get rid of some behaviors but to replace them with more godly ones.
g. So, instead of impure talk, Paul tells us to replace it with thanksgiving towards God.
h. In doing so, our words will build people up and be a blessing to others.
i. Now, there is nothing wrong with humor, because I love to laugh and make others laugh too. But there is a godly way to do it and that we should focus on.
4. Paul then adds a severe warning. In v. 5, he says, “You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. “
a. Immorality, impurity, and greed are referred to by Paul as idolatry because those who indulge in these things are literally worshipping idols.
b. They allow these things to run their lives, and so these things become their gods. Anything we place ahead of our allegiance to Christ is an idol.
c. As a result, those who practice these things cannot be a part of God’s kingdom.
d. These things, these sins, separate us from God and put up a wall between ourselves and God.
e. They leave us without hope, without a future and without a heavenly inheritance.
f. The only thing we can do is repent of these sins and lean upon the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ.
5. In vv. 6-7, Paul says, “Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.”
a. The great danger in the church today is that people teach it’s okay to excuse these sins.
b. That’s what was happening in Ephesus, false teachers were telling people “Oh, that’s alright, it’s not so bad,” or “it really doesn’t mean that.”
c. This is what happens when people start picking and choosing which parts of the Bible they are going to follow and which ones there going to throw away.
d. It’s like they have this loose-leaf Bible and when they come upon something they don’t like they just rip it out and ignore it. For these people I feel truly sorry.
e. “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matt. 18:6)
6. Paul now shows the best way to distinguish the old life from the new one. In vv. 8-9 he says, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”
a. Paul shows us here that light and darkness cannot co-exist together, just as oil and water cannot co-exist.
b. As such, we cannot remain with one foot in the Lord and one foot in the world.
c. The darkness is a part of our past, and you will notice that Paul says, “for once you were full of darkness.”
d. As followers of Jesus, we need to leave our past behind us and move on in Christ.
e. We are not just exposed to the light in Christ, we are filled with it, and this is something that should be displayed in our lives through truth and holiness.
f. We are to be reflecting the light of Christ in how we live.
B. Light of the World
1. A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday School presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him. She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son’s memory was blank. Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, "I am the light of the world." The child beamed and with great feeling and a loud clear voice said, "My mother is the light of the world!" Jesus is the "Light of the world," but He certainly uses Christian mothers to let His light shine in this world.
2. We need to let the light of Jesus shine from us for all to see.
a. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matt. 5:14-16)
b. A major problem with the modern church is that we are, instead of being the influencers, we have allowed ourselves to be influenced by the world.
c. We have tried to make the Gospel message more palatable for unbelievers, but in the process, we have watered down the message to not offend anybody.
d. Well, let me tell you something, church, the message of the Gospel is offensive!
e. They crucified Jesus for it, beheaded Paul for it, and for those who are bold enough to preach it today, are still being persecuted for it.
f. Instead of trying to water down the Gospel, we should be living it out for the world to see.
g. Instead, of trying to be like the world, we should be showing them how to be like Jesus!
h. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel everywhere you go, and if you have to, use words!”
i. It’s time for the church to wake up and let the light of Jesus shine for all the world to see!
Transition: In addition to being imitators of God and letting our light shine, we need to…
III. Find Out What Pleases God (10-14).
A. Determine What Pleases the Lord
1. As Christians, we are responsible to find out what pleases the Lord. As Paul says in v. 10, “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.”
a. Each of us is responsible to God and ourselves to learn what is right and what is wrong.
b. How we do this is by praying daily, studying the Word daily, and seeking wise advice as to how we should handle different situations in life.
c. In addition to finding out, we must also be determined to live out this life of faith.
d. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (James 1:22-25)
2. Then Paul tells us, “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”
a. We are to separate ourselves from the “worthless deeds of darkness.”
b. Just as darkness and light cannot co-exist, neither can we continue to practice sin in our lives.
c. We cannot continue to associate with the things that are contrary to the light of Christ.
d. On the contrary, Paul tells us to expose the deeds of darkness.
e. The thing we notice about light is it chases away the darkness, but it also allows us to see what was hidden in the dark.
f. As Christians, we shouldn’t just separate ourselves from sin, but we must warn others to flee from it as well.
g. We must in a loving way speak out for what is right and wrong.
3. Paul takes it even further when he says, “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”
a. In the society in which we live, not only is sin practiced, but it is celebrated.
b. People brag about the sinful things they do as if it is a medal on their chests or a trophy on their mantle.
c. But Paul tells us we shouldn’t even “talk about what the ungodly do in secret.” Again, we are called to expose the darkness by allowing the light of Christ to shine on it.
B. Seek the Lord
1. “What Jesus is talking about is no mere reference to hunger which could be satisfied by a mid-morning snack. The thought is that of STARVATION. Are you longing for God like that? J. N. Darby expresses the same thought when he says: “To be hungry is not enough; I must be really starving to know what is in God’s heart towards me. When the Prodigal Son was hungry, he went to feed upon husks, but when he was starving, he turned to his Father.” So many believers today are living on the husks of spiritual junk food. It is time we turned to our Heavenly Father with an intense desire in our souls for Him.” - Stephen Olford
2. When we seek the things of God, we will have a better grasp on the will of God.
a. Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. (Is. 55:6-9)
b. How do we find out what pleases God? By seeking God in everything we do.
c. It starts in prayer. If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him and he will tell you. The Christian faith is about relationship, not religion. Spend time listening to God about how you should live.
d. We also learn by what God has already told us. I told you my first Sunday, my theology is pretty simple, if the Bible says do it, you do it. If the Bible says, don’t do it, don’t do it! The bible is not only God’s love letter to us, but also God’s instruction manual to us. Read it. Study it. Meditate on it. And every chance you get listen to the preaching and teaching of it.
e. Be attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. His ministry to us it teach us, guide us, and when we are wrong, correct us. Listen for that for that still small voice and obey what it tells you.
f. Do these things and you will know what pleases God.
Conclusion
1. In our text this morning, Paul gives us some principles to follow as we live in the light.
a. Be Imitators of God
b. Live As People of the Light
c. Find Out What Pleases God
2. What’s the point? The world we live in needs us to be like Jesus, and not try and fit in with them. So, be imitators of Jesus!
