A FAITHFUL WALK IN THE LIGHT
Ephesians 5:8-14
· This morning we looked at Paul’s command that Christians live their lives as an imitation of who God is.
1) He told us that God’s footsteps are characterized by a spirit of sacrificial love.
2) Paul also warned us against IDOLATRY which shows itself in such things as IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, GREED, FILTHINESS, SILLY TALK, or COARSE JESTING.
· Tonight we are going to look at FIVE practical features we should recognize in order to faithfully walk in God’s light.
1) We live in a day where many people say they are ‘enlightened’ because of their progressive attitudes towards moral issues.’ The Prophet Isaiah wrote a long time ago, ‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness’.(5:20)
Story has been told of a lion who was very proud and decided to take a walk one day to demonstrate his mastery over all the other creatures.
He strutted his way through the forest until he came across a bear, ‘WHO IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE BEAR? ‘Why of course you are mighty lion’.
He went on until he found the tiger, ‘WHO IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE TIGER?’ ‘Why you are great lion’.
Next the lion found the elephant, ‘WHO IS THE KING OF THE JUNGLE FAT ELEPHANT?’
The elephant immediately grabbed the lion with his trunk and spun him around a few times and slammed him to the ground.
He then stepped on him a few times and picked him up and dunked him in the water and then threw him up against a tree.
The lion staggered to his feet and said, ‘LOOK, JUST BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER IS NO REASON TO GET SO UPSET!’
The lion was the one who wasn’t getting it. He was missing the truth like many today.
THE CONTRAST OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT: (8) For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
· There is a contrast to who were once were and who we are now. It is not a contrast of where but who.
1) Did not formerly walk in darkness but were darkness. Not that you are in the light but you are the LIGHT. Those are powerful words.
In John 8:12 Jesus makes a startling statement, ‘I am the light of the World. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life’.
This statement was made during a special Jewish Feast, the FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
In the Temple treasury stood four massive golden candelabras topped with huge torches. There were said to be as high as the highest walls of the temple.
There was a ladder for each and young priest climbed up to fill four great bowls that held over 20 gallons of oil in each one.
IT is said that when the wicks were lit at night the huge flames illuminated all of Jerusalem.
It was a night of feasting and dancing around these great torches
It was in the same place the next morning with smells and memories of the night before that Jesus proclaims, ‘I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD’
· How can Jesus be the Light of the World and we also be light?
Paul says that we are LIGHT IN THE LORD.
Barnhouse put it this way, ‘When Christ was in the world, He was like the shining sun. When the sun sets, the moon comes up. The moon is a picture of believers, the Church. The church shines but not with it’s own light. It shines with reflected light…Our light does not orginate with us’.
1) Our job, like the moon, is to reflect light. IF we do not then things really can be dark. What is the only reason the moon does not reflect the light of the Sun? Only in an eclipse, when the world gets in the way. We stop reflecting light when the world blocks our way.
THE CONTRAST OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT (9) for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
· The light has fruit with it. That which naturally develops out of it’s existence. Three are mentioned by Paul and three which are quite opposite of the six things mentioned earlier.
1) GOODNESS: This refers to ‘moral excellence’.
It is the same word Paul uses to describe a ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in
Galations 5:22. It is best described as ‘love in action’.
2) RIGHTEOUSNESS: This is the idea of living in integrity before God and man. Paul told Timothy to ‘Pursue righteousness’(6:11) and John said in 1 John that whoever ‘practices righteousness is born of Him’ (2:29)
3) TRUTH: The absence of deception or falsehood or hypocrisy
We live in a day in which KNOWLEDGE is constantly growing. Daniel said that in the last days, ‘Knowledge shall increase’
Today it doubles every 10 years and printed materials every 15 years.
80% of all scientist in history are alive today.
When Apollo 13 ran into trouble while 205,000 miles from earth some scientist working with computers figured out a flight path of return in just 84 minutes.
It is estimated that to have done the same in a pre-computer age working with just pencil and paper would have taken 1,040,256 years to work out the same problem.
BUT TRUTH DOESN”T CHANGE OR GET ADDED TO. IT IS A FRUIT OF GOD’S REVEALING LIGHT.
· These three are essential characteristics of a person who is Light in the Lord. GOODNESS – RIGHTEOUSNESS – TRUTH
THE CONTRAST OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT
THE COMMAND TO WALK IN THE LIGHT: (10) trying to prove what is pleasing to the Lord. (11) And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness… (7) Therefore do not be partakers with them.
· While there is fruit in the Light the deeds of the dark are fruitless(other than sour grapes and rotten apples).
· We are commanded to WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT(8) and that is defined by bearing the fruit of GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH AND always trying to learn more and more of how to please God through our lives.
1) How much time do you spend trying to figure out how your life can be more pleasing to the Lord?
· There is something tragic to find a believer ‘co-laboring’ for the things of the world. Partaking together with lost people for lost causes instead of learning more and more what pleases God.
THE COMMISSION WHEN WALKING IN THE LIGHT: (11) …but instead even expose them; (12) for it is disgraceful to even speak of the things which are done by them in secret. (13) But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
· Do not live in darkness but instead live a life that exposes it. This comes from a word which means to ‘correct, reprove, or discipline’. We are to discipline with our lives.
1) Notice that the exposing we do is not necessarily done with words. Verse 12 says ‘it is disgraceful to even speak of the things…’ but our lives can be a reproof and correction to others when we live them out in goodness, righteousness and truth.
Heard about a man who went golfing with a foursome that included Billy Graham. After the last hole he was asked what he though about Reverend Graham. He angrily responded, ‘I don’t need anybody like Billy Graham ramming religion down my throat’.
It was later understood that Billy Graham had not spoken one direct word to this man about anything religious but his very life reproved him.
· All things become visible when exposed to the light. What effect does your life have on your workplace, your classroom, your friendships, your family?
· Paul ultimate point is that we are to hold all things up to the light of Scripture and the testimony of Christ to expose the darkness.
A common middle eastern shop has no windows since they are built side by side.
This makes it very dark inside and when a customer is buying some merchandise they must take it out into the sunshine to see it for what it really is. To determine where there are any flaws or imperfections.
We need to do this with all the opinions and suggestions and ideas and ways of the world to see if they stand up to the light.
THE CALLTO WALK IN THE LIGHT: (14) For this reason it says, ‘Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’.
· This is Paul’s invitation to those who recognize that this passage hits very close to home. Paul always has an element of grace in his messages.
1) There are some SPIRITUAL RIP VAN WINKLES who need to recognize that their lives have more in common with Paul first list of immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, and coarse jesting than with his second list of goodness, righteousness and truth.
2) PAUL says to them WAKE UP and stop dreaming that things are right between you and God. Realize that your life is being lived out among the dead. Get up from there and start reflecting Christ!
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11 He didn’t just say, ‘Lazarus come to life’ but LAZARUS COME FORTH.
‘You don’t belong in that tomb anymore, you are not the same now’
He is saying to you tonight, ‘YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS IN THE DARKNESS, you are a child of the Light’
Live life each day reflecting Jesus everywhere you go and in all that you do and say and let that light expose the darkness and make a real difference.
