Paul started the chapter saying that the goal of the Christian life is perfect imitation of God. Paul is exhorting the believers in Jesus Christ to "Live as children of light." (Ephesians 5:8) because God is light. The apostle John said that one day, “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." and continued by saying, "You are the light of the world."
When we were children we were all afraid of the dark. We wanted the hallway light to be left on, or a night-light to glow in a corner to keep back the all embracing darkness. Total darkness is a fascinating experience as long as it is controlled and temporary. There's an intimate connection between light and life, it's essential to all food, to the entire food chain. Everything starts with light. Here, I speak of the marvel of photosynthesis. I'm not going to say much about it, except that the word just means ‘manufacture or create from light.’ or the manufacturing of things using light. We are surrounded every day by the marvels of biology, the marvels of life. And how God in a very mysterious way uses light, at every moment to create chemical processes in plants that produce ultimately fruit, and all life comes from that process. Now, I don't know how and it happens nor I do not know how to explain it. But somehow the light shines on the leaves and as the roots absorb nutrients and water from the soil, something happens within the leaves that makes its food by the process of light. So when you keep a plant in the dark, it dies. Light is essential to life.
There's an intimate connection between light and life, it's essential to all food, to the entire food chain. Everything starts with light. Here, I speak of the marvel of photosynthesis. The word just means ‘manufacture or create from light.’ We are surrounded every day by the marvels of biology, the marvels of life. And how God in a very mysterious way uses light, at every moment to create chemical processes in plants that produce ultimately fruit, and all life comes from that process.
Light is just as necessary in our spiritual life as it is in our physical life. In the spiritual realm, darkness means whatever is contrary to the God. Down through Scripture, in passages too numerous to fully reproduce here, darkness consistently symbolized that which was contrary to God, to order and law. The theme echoed in the Ninth Plague of Exodus: there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived (Ex 10:22-23). It echoes in the prophets. Through Ezekiel God spoke tenderly of his people saying I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark (Ez 34:12). All through the scripture it is clear that God is the source of light who can bring brightness in times of darkness.
The Darkness of our time
We use darkness as a symbol of ignorance, of primitive times, of the pre-scientific superstitious ages ‘the dark ages.’ It is also a picture of hell – ‘outer darkness,’ and the devil is called the prince of darkness. And in St. John’s Gospel the battle between light and darkness is described. The prologue says "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:5); yet still, in the third chapter of John, Jesus laments: "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19). The darkness reaches its pinnacle when Judas goes out to betray the Lord. John says simply, it was night (Johnn 13:30).
The darkness of our time is obvious to everyone. People are worried about contracting the virus, anxious about their own health and that of others, intimidated and saddened by the requirements (legitimate as they certainly are!) of social distancing, and deeply concerned about an economic collapse and the grave consequences such a collapse would bring. There is a lot of darkness right now. No one disputes it. Before saying anything about the light of today’s situation, perhaps a word about the contrast between light and darkness is in order. When we hear the word light, we are reminded of the darkness. It is because light is significant only when there is darkness.
Darkness of the past
The Bible talks about light as the opposite of darkness over 230 times. The Book of Job, the oldest written book in the Bible has the most references to light. The first words the Bible records as coming from the mouth of God are, “Let there be light.” The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep (Gen 1:2). But, Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light (Gen 1:3) and thus order began to be introduced. The First chapter of the Book of Genesis has reference to light seven times. Darkness was the condition of the universe before God acted and said, “Let there be light.” “Darkness was over the surface of the deep” (Gen. 1:2). Immediately there was light, and God declared it good. It is worth noting that from the very beginning, wherever God was, wherever God is, there is light. And then also from the beginning of the Gospel of John, we have that same imagery, coming over from Genesis 1 where it says, "In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ] and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning through Him all things were made and without Him [Jesus Christ] nothing was made that has been made and in Him [in Christ] was life and that life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not understood it.”
So the word darkness, then means far more than just the absence of light in the Bible. In Genesis 1, God separated the light from the darkness, and very poignantly, He called the light good. We do not read anything about the darkness, but the clear implication there is that, it is the light that is good, not the darkness. And we get that even more clearly in 1 John chapter 1, where we're told, "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all." It is clear that the light is beautiful, and good, and attractive, and the darkness is evil.
When we go through bad times in our lives, we generally refer them as dark times or dark moments.
We may have a dark past that we may not want to remember. It may be the past failures in our lives that cloud the past with darkness. It could be the bad behaviours that ended in dark moments in our relationships and social and spiitual lives. Darkness of the past can be threatening if you continue to brood over them and live in them. St Paul picks up the theme in numerous places, warning that we walk no longer as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding (Eph 4:17-19). And he sadly depicts the Greeks and Romans as those who suppress the truth and their senseless minds, darkened by sin, approved homosexual acts and many other forms of sin (Rom 1:17). In our own times, it is almost a replica of the culture described in Romans 1, and it is hard to describe our times s anything but dark. God brought forth light God by His word. Jusat as He created light when earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep (Gen 1:2). and order began to be introduced, God will bring order and life into the dark moments of our past. We do not want to be stuck with a dark past, but we can rejoice as children of light reflecting the hope and joy of a bright future.
The Darkness of our future
“If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?” (Matthew 6:23), said the Lord Jesus.
You are in the dark about everything – where you came from, who you are, what is the purpose of life, what is the good life, who is God, what lies beyond death and many other important questions in life. Concerning every important question in life you are in the dark. Jesus loved to use this contrast between darkness and light as a tool to describe the difference that Christ makes. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). At the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus forecast his own epitaph by saying, “This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil” (John 3:19).
Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world.” What is astonishing is that He tells his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. He did not say this about any other creatures like animals or angels. "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." (1 John 1:7)
Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it [in it.] for the glory [the very glory.] ] of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. Revelation 21:24 And the nations of those who are saved [of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 22:5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.
The Darkness of our lives
We may be faced with the darkest moments of our lives when we look for light. There seems to be no end to the darkness we are experiencing. The light at the end of the tunnel is not anywhere near. The health is declining, family is falling apart, money is dwindling. We don't know how this is all going to end.
Paul does not say that you were in darkness. This verse says "you were darkness." Before God, not being in the light meant more than being without light. It meant we were darkness. Just like there was darkness before the creation where God brought light, our darkness can be made bright by the light of Jesus Christ. God shines His light on us because of Christ who is the light of the world.
Ephesians 5, verse 14 is a shorthand reference from chapters 59 and 60 of Isaiah. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph. 5:14). Romans 13:12-14 says it this way. “The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light….” What are the works of darkness? The passage in Romans goes on to describe them, “not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Several of the apostles exhort their readers to live in the light and to be a light. “Put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). “Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). “You are all children of light and of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble” (1 John 2:10). “You are a chosen people. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
Luke 11:34, “The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, "It's the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ", in other words how magnificent and great and glorious God is when you look into the face of Christ. That's the light that is shining in the heart of every true Christian, is a sense of the glory of God in Christ. Those live in the light of Christ will radiate His brightness into the lives of other. "He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him." (1 John 2:9,10).
The Dark valley of Death.
David talks about the dark valley in Psalm 23. All will have to go through the dark valley one day. "Though I walk through the valley of shadow death, I will fear no evil, For You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." We have the assurance that the dark valley of death will be brightened by the glorious light of God who will be walking with us in the valley of death.
Graham Kendrick wrote a song in 1987 and is entitled “Shine, Jesus Shine.” Listen to the words:
“Lord, the light of your love is shining,
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us,
Shine on me. Shine on me.
Shine, Jesus shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.
Let there be light..
God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts. - 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV). Fire station #6 in Livermore, California, draws visitors from all over the globe. They come to see the world’s most famous light bulb, a 60-watt bulb installed in 1901 which has been shining for over 115 years. That light bulb continues to baffle scientists who can’t explain how it has managed to glow for so long. Physicists discovered that the bulb’s filament, the heart of the bulb, is about eight times thicker than that of an ordinary bulb, giving it extraordinary durability. Also, since a bulb which is turned on and off will typically have a much shorter life span, the fact that this bulb shines 24 hours a day is part of the secret. That light bulb in Livermore is a tangible reminder for me that if we consider the words of Jesus, we’ll want to let others see the loving light of God constantly shining through us. Like the filament in that bulb, God calls us to radiate light continuously, year after year. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” and “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:14, 16). It is our privilege to glorify God and to share God’s light with others so they may glorify God as well.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Paul told the Corinthians that when the Gospel of truth goes forth clearly, there will be conviction. When the light of the Gospel shines and reveals the secrets of the heart; the listener will bow and down and worship God (1 Cor. 14:25). Our dark moments of the past, the darkness of the present and the uncertainty of the future will be repalced by the hope of a brighter future because God has planned something better than we can see or imagine. "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).
