Walk in the Light

Take your Bibles if you would please and turn to the book of Ephesians as we continue through this wonderful epistle. Ephesians chapter 5 is where we're at. We'll get to verse 7 here in just a moment. Today's title, if you take notes, is "Walking in the Light," and walking in the light is the subject for today. It is part of what it is to imitate God because God is light and in Him is no darkness — 1 John 1:5. And so as we warm up to our text today, which is verses 7 through 14, I'd like to mention that two Sundays ago we dove into the main theme of imitating God.

So in your Bibles, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1 gives us that main theme. If you look at it, "Therefore be imitators of God" — and that is those of you who are beloved children, verse 1 says — then you're going to imitate God. And how we do that is unfolding in the remaining portions of this particular chapter. And so how we imitate God is explained clearly, and that is through the metaphor of walking. How you live is what that metaphor is illustrating. And so in verse 2 it gives you the first idea in regards to how to walk, and there are three ideas in this particular passage. In verse 2 it says, "And walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself." And so we are to walk in love.

How do you imitate God? Well, first of all, you walk like Him, and He is One who walked in love, and that is explained through verses 1 through 7. And then as you get to verse 8, look with me if you would. Verse 8 talks about how you can now walk in the light. "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." And so this metaphor continues to unfold, and how you can imitate God — not only as ones who walk in love, but also to walk in the light — that's where we're going to be today. And then as well, in verse 15 it concludes with this metaphor of walking. In verse 15 it says, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise." And so if you come back next week, you know where we'll be — we'll be discussing this metaphor on how to walk in wisdom. And obviously God has the lock on wisdom. He's the only know-it-all that actually ever knew it all, and we have what He wrote. So we'll kind of dive into that. Come back next week as we continue to explore what it is to walk in a way that is imitative of the Lord.

So walking has been the term thus far that Paul has used in this particular chapter, but it's not new to the Ephesians. He has utilized this metaphor already in the book of Ephesians, and it's throughout the Bible. But just for the sake of context, we can see in chapter 2 — turn with me if you would — chapter 2, verses 2 and 3, that walking is metaphoric for your previous worldly conduct. If you were saved later in life, then you perhaps know exactly what this is talking about, even though a child's depravity pre-conversion is just as deep and dark. Nevertheless, chapter 2, verses 2 and 3 say this: "In which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience — among them we too all formerly lived, or walked, in the lust of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."

And so the word "walk" here illustrates your previous worldly conduct, but it is also used by the Apostle Paul to illustrate the providential works of God through you. So the future providential works that He has foreordained from the foundations of the world is your walk, and so what you have by way of service unto Christ and how your life unfolds, what you do, is also metaphorically speaking your walk and how you imitate God. Look in chapter 2, verse 10 and see this for yourself. Chapter 2, verse 10, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand, so that we would do what? Walk in them." And so how your life unfolds has already been pre-planned for you. So now it's just a matter of abiding in the vine — John 15:5. It's just a matter of walking in Christ. It's just a matter of obeying God's Word.

But not only does the word "walk," the metaphor here, refer to our previous worldly conduct and our future good works, but it also refers to our present manner of life being worthy of our calling to be saved. In chapter 4, verse 1, the word "walk" is mentioned as well, and that we are to walk in a manner that is worthy of the fact that a precious Lord and Savior has saved you with a holy calling — and that is now a calling for you to walk worthy of that calling. "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." And so now we are to walk and live in such a way that is respectful unto the One who gave His life for your life. You've been prepaid for. And so now follow the plan and stick to God's design. Be a Great Commission Christian. Make disciples. Be a worshiper of God. Walk in a manner that is worthy of Him and keep your character clean.

And in verse 17 of chapter 4, there is a reference to our thinking, and so walking is actually how you are in your mental state. In chapter 4, verse 17, the Bible says, "So this I say and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their" — what? — "mind." And so we are not to be thinking in a way that is depraved. We're not to be thinking like the Gentiles who are focused on the things of this world. We're not to be backbiting. We're not to be ugly and unkind. We're not to be Gentiles. We're not to be lost people in our minds. And so as you dwell — as a man thinketh, so is he, the proverb says. And so how you are in your mental state is your walk. Not only are you to walk in a manner that is worthy externally in how you live, but you are to manage your stinking thinking, so to speak. Keep those rotten thoughts at bay the best you can. Take them to the Lord in prayer and leave them there the best you can.

This is how Paul said, "I die daily" — not just externally to serve Christ, but also to harness his mental state and to harness his emotional state. He knew that the heart is a deceiver above all things and desperately wicked. He knew the Old Testament. He knew Jeremiah 17. He knew that. And so he forced himself to walk in the light.

Now if I could give you a cliché that I hope sticks with you for the rest of your life, take down this phrase: "Live in the light, do what's right, it'll be all right." I promise you, if you live in Christ and do what's right, it'll be all right. No matter how you think the world is turning — if it's turning backwards in your estimation, it is in mine, but it's not in God's estimation. If this country's going in the wrong direction, which I feel like it is, but it's not in God's estimation. We have to get a biblical worldview in our mind and in our heart and see things from heaven. See things from God's perspective. Get outside of time. Don't be limited to your watch. Don't be limited to this day. Don't be limited to this week, this month, this year. Do not be limited to your country. Don't be limited to this world. Think as children of God and live in the light. Dwell your mind, your heart, your life, everything. This metaphor "walk" is so huge — it's wonderful, it's beautiful — and if you would live in the light and do what's right, I promise you it'll be all right. No matter how bad things get, I promise you it'll be okay.

So not only is this metaphor of "walk" being used in these ways, but it's also used of ones who should be given to sacrificial love and service. In chapter 5 and verse 2, we talked about that already: "And walk in love just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us as an offering, a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Most people draw a line in the sand when it comes to loving others if it costs them something — especially if it's emotional turmoil, especially if it comes with being reprimanded, or if it comes with being chewed out, or some ugly conversation, or something disrespectful. "You disrespect me, I cut you off and cut you out of my life." Christ didn't do that. What about loving those who persecute you — Matthew chapter 5? It's so important for us to see things from heaven, see things from God's perspective, to have a biblical worldview. You know, if you take this and you see life through the Scriptures — what's God's perspective on this? Well, you bless those who persecute you. That's a tough one, isn't it? That is sacrificial love, and in life we're to be sacrificial. Why? Because Christ loved you while you were a fool, while you were a sinner — "yet Christ died for you."

"While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you." We look at life through Christ's lens and we see lost people acting lost because they're lost, and we don't expect less of them or force them to be hypocrites. And so you lead them to the way, the truth, and the life. And your walk matters, because if you view life in this way then you're equipped by the Word of God to have a different perspective on pain and suffering, a different perspective on enemies, a different perspective on what you say and do and how you live and where you spend your money, how you use your words, how you think, how you feel. You don't let your feelings run rampant and you don't react to your feelings — you react to what is right and true, and what you know is right you do. And so if you live in the light and do what's right, it'll be all right.

And so not only that, we see now in today's text in verse 8. Let's read the text together from verse 7 all the way to verse 14. Verse 7 gives us the transition from last week's message on love and now to light. So Ephesians chapter 5, verse 7 says, "Therefore do not be partakers with them." Who's "them"? Well, yes, exactly — those who are not in Christ. Those — hold your place here in verse 7 — look back up with me to verses 3 and 4. You have two sets of categories of sin here, and those people who are trapped in these sins walk in these ways. You're not to partake with them. So in verse 3, "But immorality or impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. And there must not be any filthiness nor silly talk nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." And so as you continue with that thread of thought down to verse 7, "Therefore do not be partakers with them" — "them" being the sons of disobedience, "them" being those who claim to be Christians but act like the world. This is important.

In verse 8 it also says, "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." Now this is not feeling your way through life. Learn what's right and align with what's true, right? And so it starts with the cognitive and then it gets to the emotive. You cannot let your emotions dictate what you think is true. If you get that backwards, I guarantee you you will be the tail through life and not the head. And Christ wants to lead you first of all with your mind so that you know what's true, and you align your feelings with what is true. Think of it like a train — at the beginning of everything is the Word of God, and then your mind, and then your heart. Okay, so your feelings kind of trail behind and you just kind of pull them along through life. But you do not feel your way through life, lest your heart fool you — John 17:9. And so, try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Think about this as well in regards to salvation. In Romans 10:9 it says to confess Jesus as Lord. How can you confess Jesus as Lord unless you know Him and you know what it is to be Lord and Master, unless you know that in the context of that situation you are not to confess Caesar as Lord but Christ as Lord? And so first of all it is a knowing thing. And then those who delight themselves in the Lord will be given the desires of their heart, the Bible says. As you intellectually think and study and rightly divide the Word of God and align your life with the Word of God, you do what's right. You live in the light and do what's right — it'll be all right. As you align yourself first of all as a thinking person and you come to the Word of God, you see who Christ is and you know Him. So this is a continual pursuit of trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

In doing that, in verse 11 it says, "Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them." Yeah, so for us to be faithful Christians it's not just doing what's right, but it's also knowing that our light will shine in dark places and expose darkness, and we are to be participants in that. In verse 12, "For it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. And for this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'"

Now keep in mind that in this context the Ephesian believers had not been believers for a long, long time. They were still living in a pagan society and dealing with grotesque sinners around them. Terrible things were going on. They were having a hard time living in the light. They were working around pagans, they were living around pagans — their daily life was around those who were participating in some of the grossest sins. And so it was extremely hard to eat in the community, to play around town with your children, because so many people were doing so many bad things. "Bad company corrupts good character," the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33. And so now Paul is telling the Ephesian believers to live in the light and not be conformed to darkness. And so the Ephesians' recent, shameful pre-conversion behavior is something that they are to run from and get out from underneath, and live as children of light.

In this passage I'd like for you to notice this teaching technique that Paul uses. I think it's wise for us to see this because he goes from one side of the truth to the other and back and forth, back and forth — from darkness to light, from darkness to light. And if you read the passage and just allow your mind to say, "Okay, he's talking about the darkness here and he's talking about the light here," as you read this passage it goes from one side to the next, from one side to the next, and then the gospel. And so at the end of today's message is the gospel, because it says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." And this is a gospel invitation echoed from the prophet Isaiah.

Now the spirit of this text is revealing to you so that you can see how you are walking well and how you're walking wrong. And so as you see what it is to walk in the light, it's going to be revealing — to see what you're doing well and what you're doing wrong. And so it's clarifying for us to be able to know what it is not only to be a child of light, to be saved, but how to walk in the light and to be sanctified. And so this is not only to help Christians be able to know where they're walking well and where they're not walking well, but it's also so that the lost can see how to be saved, because at the end of the day they see what a true child of God lives and does. And so I'm preaching today for sanctification and salvation.

And so today in our day we see this is a continual problem, and this passage should invoke conviction from the depths of your soul, because there are so many who claim to be children of light but yet walk in darkness. And how that has become normative in our day, many of us see and hear. People say, "Yes, I'm saved, yes, I'm a child of light," but at the same time they embrace and live in darkness — yet they live in darkness.

You know, Jonathan Edwards dealt with this as well in the first Great Awakening in our country, and he wrote a book because of it called Religious Affections. When he wrote this book, he was just up to here with all of those who had claimed to have been saved from the revival meetings, but it was just an emotional experience. And now they were simply there — the life had not been changed. They were living as children of the world. And so he wanted to clarify what it is to truly be saved. And he said when you are saved you have a new nature, new desires — your everything changes. Now you actually hate sin, whereas before you loved your sin, you protected your sin, you defended your sin, you were prideful. But now you hate your pride and you're working to eliminate it and let the water of the Word of God wash that out of your life the best you can. You hate your sin, and when you fall into it you fall under conviction.

And so the religious affections — the biblical desires, the desires of your heart — change when you have a new heart. We've been granted repentance and faith in Christ, and it's evidence of your salvation, because your inner desires now are biblical — or as Jonathan Edwards was saying, true religious, spiritual affections and desires for Christ: to know Him more, to love the brethren, to study God's Word, to fellowship with the believers, to be right with Christ, to be right with one another, to pray and to worship. These religious affections that God has essentially placed inside of your heart, you now want to live those out. And so Jonathan Edwards was saying to everyone in that day that if you have these affections, then that's a good indication that you are genuinely saved. But if you sin and you don't confess your sins, and if you don't have a desire to go to church and be around like-minded believers and learn God's Word — to hear preaching, to truly worship — if you don't have a desire to pray, if you don't have a desire to read your own Bible, if you don't have these religious affections, these desires, then essentially — I feel the need to say — Jonathan Edwards would say: you heard the truth but you perhaps emotionally responded but did not truly intellectually know it, and you have not repented of your sin and placed your faith and trust in the true Lord Jesus Christ.

We live with a pseudo-Christianity today that is being passed down from one generation to the next that is not true Christianity — just like the Israelites who came out from underneath Egypt and Pharaoh experienced the Exodus and walked through a parted sea, and then they left God behind and did not pass God and His wonderful deeds and works down to the next generation. What was passed down was a pseudo-Christianity, a false religion of works and a system of saying, "I'm of God because I'm an Israelite." Just because you were born an Israelite doesn't mean you're saved. Just because you're born in America doesn't mean you're a Christian. And we're dealing today with a pseudo-Christianity just like Israel passed down a pseudo religion. And it took centuries — centuries — before Ezra would discover the Word of God and read it publicly and revival would hit for Israel. It took centuries before Nehemiah would go back and rebuild the wall. Ezra helped to rebuild the temple; Nehemiah rebuilt the wall. And they started worshiping God. The people who heard God's Word for the first time actually wept in Nehemiah chapter 8, because they were so far away from true religion, from the true God.

And folks, it is so important that we crystallize and understand what it is to be a child of light, a true child of God, the true gospel, because if we drop this gospel baton — if we pass down to the next generation a pseudo gospel, which is so prevalent in our country today — it could be that the ramifications of that would be centuries of lostness. And so it's important for us to get this right. What is it to be a child of God? What is it to live in the light and do what's right? From the inside, it is not outward religious obedience. It's an inward desire to do what's right. You actually want to find out what God has to say and do that. And so that is evidence of true salvation.

Here we are clear — we're clear what the gospel is, the same as Jonathan Edwards was clear. Now in this text, in verse 7, the transition moves from the prior sins — these categories of sins — to now the persons. It moves from the problems to the persons, moves from the sinners to the saints. And it's going to help us to see this. You're not to partake in that. Light and darkness is being contrasted here. In verse 7, "Therefore do not be partakers with them." And so this word "partakers" is helping us to see that we cannot be best buddies with the world. "Friendship with the world is enmity toward God," James 4:4 says. "Friendship with the world is to make yourself an enemy of the Lord." And so this "partakers" — it means to be a companion, to be a close companion. It means to have something in common. It means to be cooperating with. If you are partnering up with the world and you are cooperating and accepted and with them, then you are against God, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

It's vital that converts in Ephesus not partake in the lifestyles of the idolaters around them. You say, "Idolaters? That's strong language." As in, strong language — because that's what the Bible says. Look at verse 5. "For this you know with certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." So Paul is warning the Ephesians that you cannot have it both ways. You can't say you're a Christian and be an idolater, which basically categorizes all of the sins that have been listed so far. To be an idolater — you know, in Exodus chapter 20 God spoke against that. "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol of any likeness of what is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. And you shall not worship them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me."

Oh, let's pause there for just a moment. And so if you live in darkness, God is saying that you hate Him. And if you live in darkness then you are essentially saying to yourself, "I'm okay with my sins sticking to my children and their children's children and their children's children. I'm okay with depravity ruining their lives as well." That's what you're saying, because sin is so contagious. Habits are so contagious. Children pick up on these things and they do them, and it's hard to come out from underneath generational sins. No one is condemned — you don't have to sin — but these things are just the way our human nature is.

And then in verse 6 of Exodus chapter 20 it says, "But showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments." And so this idea of not being an idolater is to communicate to God that you love Him, and the way that you do that is you keep His commandments. And in the Great Commission, Matthew chapter 28, verse 20 and following, it says "teaching all that I have commanded you." So we are as Great Commission Christians to teach all that He has commanded. So this is all that He has commanded. These are His commandments. This is His Word of God. It's not a suggestion. It's a commandment. And so we are to spend the rest of our life learning what it is to please God and teaching that — so, so important.

And so back to Ephesians chapter 5. These categories of sins that have been listed are categorized as idolatry, and those who participate in these sins communicate to God that they hate Him. But those who obey God and His commandments communicate to God that they love Him. And so those of me and everyone else who are walking in love — the first part of Ephesians chapter 5, verse 2 and following — if you're walking in love you are communicating to God that you love Him, and if you are walking in a sinful way you're communicating to God that you hate Him. That's what God said in Exodus chapter 20.

Now the interesting part about the Ten Commandments here — making no other God and no other image or idol before Him — is that this true religion set them apart from all of the other false religions of the day. You ask why. How did it do that? Because true religion is imageless. All the other religions were full of images and full of idols and had made empty items out of them. But now we serve an imageless King. He is triune, He is invisible, He is omnipresent. We serve Christ our King. That's incredible to think about. Now a major distinguishing feature for Christianity was that it was imageless. No more images. No images. The Egyptian gods, the Mesopotamian gods — they all had images. But true Christianity is imageless.

And so in Ephesians chapter 5, the prohibition against partnering with those who worshiped images and participated in idolatry is not against making contact with them, but against mimicking your conduct after them and connecting with them in partnership. Obviously when we evangelize we go with the mindset to spread the gospel. When you go — and perhaps you have to be in an evangelistic mindset even with family or friends across the street, neighbors, and all that kind of stuff, not just when you go on mission across the world — oftentimes it's when you go out the door that you should be in an evangelistic mindset, in that, "I'm going to spread true Christianity and I'm not going to take on the ways of the world." And so we have to have that mindset because we have a prohibition here not to be partakers with them, with idol worshipers.

So there's a difference between being friendly and being best friends — a big difference. And oftentimes it's the same as when a couple gets married. The husband and wife are to leave and cleave, right? And so their focus is now more on each other, and perhaps the friends they've had for a long, long time would be experiencing less of their time, because their focus is on becoming one with their new spouse. This is supremely important in obeying God's Word because He designed marriage. And now it is as important — it's the same for when you get saved. When you get saved, you come out of the world and into the light, and those friendships that you used to hang out with — your drinking buddies or whatever, your sinning buddies or whatever the case may be — those old friends would get less of your time and less of your heart, less of your mind, less of your affection, because now you are investing your life in becoming a Christian, being in Christ. And what happens is that draws them out of darkness and into the light. You're a leader — be a leader in Christianity, not a follower, not a friend of the world. And so it's a big difference between being friendly and being best friends. Come out of all of that and truly invest yourself in what the Lord has for you, and do not be partners with the world.

You know, it's really tough in this day. Solomon said it best when he said in Proverbs chapter 1, verse 10, "If sinners entice you, do not consent." And we live in a day where every billboard and every commercial and everything wants to entice you into a worldly philosophy or participating in sin itself, and we have to be on guard. The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart, for out of it are the wellsprings of life." Don't allow your heart to be polluted by the things of the world. "If sinners entice you, do not consent" — Proverbs 1:10.

And so would it be right then for a Christian who's living in the light to be close friends with one who has a god such as Molech, or one who has a god such as wealth in America? Would it be best for someone who makes a worldly god out of something, an idol, to be the best friend of a child of God? Friends, let me say that bad company corrupts good character. I don't care who you are, whether you're a prophet, a priest, or just a regular person. We're all human. And the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that bad company corrupts. Okay, and so we are not incorruptible just because we're saved. Who you hang around is who you're eventually going to be like and become, because it's just the way human nature is. We have to fight against that. It's the narrow road that's uphill. It's not a coasting to heaven. We've got to be very wise and very careful. We're to reach people without being reached ourselves. We've got to evangelize without being partners with the world. We've got to reach them and not allow our hearts and minds to be breached. We have to be fortified in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says to be "steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord." And so as you're going about the work of the Lord, you cannot be shaken or penetrated. You have to be unmovable in your service to Christ your King. This is so important.

In Ephesians chapter 4, verses 17 to 24 — turn back with me and read this because your walk in regards to how you are with people really matters. We're not to be holy hermits who hide in the church. We're to evangelize and disciple, and ministry is messy. But at the same time, guard your heart. Be very wise with your walk. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 17: "So this I say and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart. And they having become callous, having given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus — that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self which is in the likeness of God and has been created in righteousness and holiness and truth."

I beg and I plead with you to make this the highest priority of your life — to be becoming more like Christ, to become more and more like Christ. Holiness is at the top of this, because God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. And when you compromise in the area of holiness and truth — the very essence of the deity of Christ — then things in your life will fall apart like a deck of cards on a windy day.

It is God who sustains the heavens and the earth. All these major things that you look around the earth and world and see evidence of God — and all these arguments — yes, He sustains everything, even the evaporation from the other side of the globe. The psalmist attested to the fact that He's in control of every minute molecule. But at the same time, He is a sustainer not only of this world, every little thing, but also a sustainer of your life. And if you abandon Christ in your conduct and sin against Him, He equates that as hate. You're hating Him. And if you live in darkness, He removes His sustaining blessings from your life. He will allow your life to fall into shambles because of sin. You're sealed by the Holy Spirit of God and you're saved gloriously saved for eternity — you cannot undo what God did in regards to salvation. But if you live as a child of darkness when in fact you're a child of light, you can expect the discipline of the Lord to show up in your life. And believe me, you'll know. There's just that little thing in your mind that goes, "Man, I think that happened because I did that." And it's a reminder: "I cannot sin against God. I must live in the light, do what's right, and it will be all right." You know that you're known by the friends that you keep and the friends that you don't keep. You know that you're known by your actions and what you do. And so guard your life carefully.

Back to Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 8. It starts this light and darkness metaphor. "For you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light." And now this is revealing, first of all, conversion and then character. So light is illuminatory — you are enlightened to the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died on the cross for those who would repent and believe in Him and they're saved. And so when Christ illumines the mind and you are able to respond in faith and trust in Him, you're converted. So the light of Christ does that. And then it refines your character.

It's interesting here in verse 8 that it makes a reference to your former way of life. "For you were formerly darkness." Back in chapter 2, verses 1 to 4, I'll read to you — because we've already read it once — "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, and the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, among them we too all formerly lived in the lust of our flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest." "But God" — I think those are probably my two favorite words in all of the book of Ephesians — "but God, being rich in His mercy, because of His great love with which He has loved us, even while we were dead in our transgressions and sins, He made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved."

Now those who are truly saved truly shine for Christ — you can't help it. Your nature's been changed. You love Jesus and you can't hide that. What's in your heart is going to come out of your mouth. The Bible says that in Matthew chapter 12, verse 34 — "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Who you are comes out, and who you are is lodged deep within. And so who you are is eventually going to be known by those who are around you, because of your words and because of your walk. We live from the inside of our being, and when we live and move and dwell in Christ, who is at the center of our salvation, then we are living out these holy attributes. Those who are truly saved truly shine because we're children of light.

Now how do you brighten your light? Well, Psalm 119:105 says that "the Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Those of you who look to the Word of God as a lamp to your feet and a light to your path — we don't get this because we have light switches at home, but in context, these people woke up in the middle of the night and had to go out and it was dark. It was dark. And unless they lit a lamp, they couldn't see where to go. And so the Bible here is communicating that in order for you to be able to see where you need to go in this dark world, you need the Word of God. The Word of God is a lamp to your feet. And might I add that with a lamp like that, you can only see two or three steps in front of you. The Word of God is not going to give you security for all of your steps for the rest of your life. In fact, it's just going to give you guidance for today. "Don't worry about tomorrow," Jesus said. And so the Word of God is for you today.

I'm a big proponent for Bible study in the morning. Start your day with the Word of God so it can guide you throughout the day. I like Bible study anytime — morning, night, through the day, holidays — but especially starting your day with just some of the Word of God. Let the Word of God be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. And this is how you brighten your life as a child of light. This is how you make your life shine brighter — to know the Word of God and conform to the Word of God, which is essentially conforming to Christ.

How bright does Christ want your life? Well, I think I can perhaps illustrate it with Psalm 104:4, because He demands that His ministers, His preachers, be as bright as fire. Psalm 104:4 says, "He makes His ministers flames of fire." And so we who teach the Word of God, who minister the Word of God — which by the way, we've all been given the ministry. Paul said to the Corinthians, "We all have a duty to spread the Word of God, to minister to the lost, to share the Word of God." You have influence no matter how young or old you are, whether you're male or female. You have a duty to minister the Word of God somewhere, somehow. And you should be bright in doing that. Really bright, really clear, really on fire for Christ.

Now in verse 8 it says that we should be light in the Lord. And so since you're saved, you're then going to be reflecting the light of Christ. You're in the Lord. It's not of yourself — you don't have your own energy. In Christ you are being energized by Christ, and then as well you are reflecting Christ. You know, it's really cool. I read this testimony: one individual looked up and saw geese flying by in the middle of the night. It was completely dark, but he saw the white bellies of the geese flying by in the middle of the night. Now think about that. On a pitch-black dark night, the sun from the other side was shining and illuminating the moon, the moon was reflecting upon where he was in the snow, and so the light was reflecting off of the moon onto the snow, and then from the snow it reflected back up to the bellies of the geese. The same is true for our light. We're not the source of the light, but we reflect the light. And so as you are getting as much light as you possibly can through the lamp, through the Word of God, and it's reflecting off of you, you have no idea how far it can travel around the world.

And so keep reflecting the light of Christ, because you never know the extent to which God can use the light that is reflected off of your life. That's how light gets to the darkest of areas around the whole world. Not only do we reflect light, but we conduct the light as well. We're conductive. We should allow the light of Christ to flow through us. In Matthew 5:16 it says, "Let your light shine." In Matthew 5:14 it says, "You are the light of the world." Okay, and so we reflect, we're conductive of light, and then my favorite is that we are residents of light, because Acts 17:28 says, "For in Him we live and move and exist." And so this is really cool — that we are in Christ, residents of Christ. So we reflect and conduct, and we are residents of light. And that helps us to walk in the light.

Now what does walking in the light produce? This is what the text says. In verse 9, back in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 9, it produces fruit. "For the fruit of the light consists of all" — now this is very specific. You're probably familiar with Galatians 5:22 when it comes to the fruits of the Holy Spirit, but here the fruit of walking in the light is specific, and it names three things: goodness, righteousness, and truth. This is what the text says. And so children of light produce goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Goodness being a reference to their moral character and their benevolent actions towards those who are undeserving. And so your goodness — it's good of you to be a blessing to someone who doesn't deserve your affection or blessing or funds or whatever. That's good of you. That's what it's referring to. But it's also a moral goodness — are you good in the likeness of God and His moral character? So children of light produce those things.

And then as well they produce righteousness, which is character and conduct. It's from a justified position — you've been made righteous in the eyes of an almighty God, and then from that position of justification your character is producing fruit. The fruit of those who are in the light is not only goodness and righteousness, but also truth. You're able not only to know truth, but to discern truth and impart truth. And so a life that is in the light is continuing in the Word of God. John 8:31 says that "if you continue in the Word then you so prove that you are disciples of Mine." That's our memory verse for January. And so that if-then statement helps us to see that we must continue in the Word. And then John chapter 14, verse 6 — everyone knows that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And so as a child of light, you are spreading the truth of Jesus Christ, and this is how God's grace spreads.

These are God's virtues essentially — goodness, righteousness, and truth are virtues of God. God is good. In Psalm 118:1 it says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." And so God is good, and as the One who is the originator of what is good and is determinative of that — and then we are imitating Him and becoming more like Him — we are then becoming better. None are good but we can be like Christ. And then also, not only good but righteous. God is righteous. In Isaiah chapter 45, verse 21 it says, "There is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and Savior." And so this is a self-proclaimed statement. He is a righteous God. And so God's character is not only good, it's not only righteous, but it's true. God is true. In Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 10 it says, "The Lord is the true God."

And so therefore we as imitators of God are to be good, righteous, and true, and spread these virtues. And this means then in verse 10 that we are going to illuminate the truth. We're going to learn what the truth is. And in verse 10 it says, "Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." And so this means that Christians do not know it all. Don't act like a know-it-all. You're still learning. And that's what it is to be a disciple — a learner. And so as we are learning the Word of God and learning who Christ really is, then we are pleasing God because we're continuing to learn. And so what does it mean to learn except to examine it, to see if it's right, to prove it? You can scrutinize the Word of God with a hammer, with an axe, with the sharpest, heaviest tools that you can imagine. You can use computer software to try and tear it apart. And any way you split it, any way you cut it, any way you dice it, it's going to be pure through and through — non-contradictory, lovely and kind and right and true. And so the Word of God is where we are learning what is true, and it enables you, after testing it, to be able to teach it and also to refuse what is wrong.

That's important, because we need to go beyond just being a good Berean believer in testing what is true — to teaching what is true. So the Hebrew idea, which Paul — obviously a Hebrew of Hebrews — is teaching from an Old Testament worldview to the New Testament Ephesians. In communicating truth in a Hebraic worldview and way, when he communicates hearing, the idea from the Hebrew mindset is this: if you've heard it, then you not only understand it but you're doing it as well — that's one concept. Hearing and learning — if you've truly learned it, then you not only understand it but you also do it. And so you have not learned it if you do not do it. It's important that we learn what we need to learn and press it into our lives. Discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. We discipline our lips, we discipline our mind, we discipline our emotions, we discipline our actions. 1 Timothy 4:7 says to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Do you see how you're to be imitators of God? And to be able to do that, you've got to learn and you've got to work at applying it. It takes time. No one is a truly wonderful Christian overnight. It takes a lifetime to develop wonderful godly character.

And so in verses 11 to 13 there is a surprise here for you. It says, "Do not partake in the unfruitful deeds of the darkness, but instead even expose them." Oh man. Now it goes beyond the hard work of learning. It goes beyond teaching those who want to hear. Now I've got to go to a different crowd and expose. Yes. And so the dark and dirty deeds of the lost are a result of original sin, that which you used to be trapped in from Genesis 3. And now you are to confront that and bring them to an understanding that they too are guilty of sin, which comes with an eternal damnation, an eternal punishment in hell, separate from God. And if they repent and believe the gospel, they can be saved. So we need to boldly proclaim a clear and bright gospel, which by nature invokes confrontations and even opposition, because light is opposed to darkness. And as you're sharing the light, those who are in the darkness will try and rear back. But what's more powerful — light or darkness? Right? You flip on the light.

Now as you do this, we're to be bold. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 19, look with me — I want you to see that you're to be bold in sharing the gospel. Ephesians 6:19 says, "And pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel." And so Paul — you think of him as a bold brother going all over the known world to spread the gospel, he's unstoppable, he'd probably line up in front of all the prophets of Baal and do like Elijah did and just preach the gospel right — well, he's needing prayer to be bold. And perhaps we also should be transparent with one another and say, "I'm going evangelizing. Pray that I'd be bold in proclaiming the faith." I'm so proud of Mike here — he said, "Hey, pray for me when I share the gospel with my family over Christmas. There'll be 30 or 40 people in my house and I'm going to do it to the best of my ability." We prayed for Mike and he did it. That was great. That's hard — to share the faith with those who do not know it. So we're to confront sin so that they can repent.

We're to confront sin because that's how you lead them to repentance. And you can be confident in quoting Scripture and leading them to faith in Christ, because God's holy law is written on their heart. Romans 2:15 — they have God's moral code in their heart, and when you trigger that, they fall under conviction and you lead them to repentance. These are bold proclamations. Is this important? Well it is important because verse 14 says, "For this reason it says, 'Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" Wake up.

So after Israel had experienced all kinds of terrible centuries apart from God and even God's wrath upon their rebelliousness, now you have gospel light coming to both the Jews and Gentiles. And he is saying what Isaiah said. If you want to read it with me — and this is how we're wrapping up the message today — in Isaiah chapter 52, verse 1: "Awake, awake, clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion. Clothe yourself in your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For the uncircumcised and the unclean will no longer come unto you. Shake yourself from the dust and rise up, O captive Israel. Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus says the Lord, 'You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money.'" So here is the gospel call, and as he says "Awake, arise" — this is a gospel call for the dead to live.

In Isaiah chapter 26, verse 19, it says similar language: "Your dead will live, and their corpses will rise." And this is interesting, because Israel knew that the dead would be made alive — they would be saved — and that comes before "the corpses would rise." And so "the dead in Christ will rise again" — 1 Thessalonians 4:16. No doubt Paul taught all of these things as he was there in Ephesus for three years. No doubt they understood, even before this Ephesian letter got to them, what he is talking about here. And so he is jogging their Scripture memories and saying to them, "Your corpses will rise," by saying, "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." And so the capstone to walking in the light is this: after you have been saved, walk in the light. And we are looking forward to the resurrection. And so they knew that they'd be physically resurrected in the future, but they also knew spiritually that they would be resurrected first by Christ — they would be made alive by Him. In chapter 2 of Ephesians, verse 5, it says He made them alive. And then as well in John 3:3, we know that you must be born again.

And now with this message I end with one timeless take-home truth that you've already heard. The take-home truth for today's message can be summarized in this: live in the light, do what's right, and it'll be all right.

Christ is King. He's in control. Everything's going to be all right. Your job then is to live in the light and actually do what's right. And so if you can't do it in the light, then don't do it. Right, kids? Children? Yes. Do you know that all the thievery and all of the robberies and all of that type of stuff happens predominantly underneath the cover of darkness? But where are we to be? Children of light. And if you can't do it in the light, then it's not all right. Don't let anyone entice you into sin. Do what's right. God's Word is always right, it's never wrong. And so please God by doing what's right, living in light, and it'll be all right.

Let's pray together. Lord, I do love You and thank You for this text. Help us to be children of light. Help us to burn brightly in dark areas. And Father, I heard once that the light burns the brightest in the darkest of areas. Help us to be children of light that go into dark areas. Help us not to hide from the darkness but to be evangelistic, to go and draw people out of darkness and into the light of Christ. And personally, dear Jesus, I pray that You would help us to continue to study Your Word and know how to please You and to live as children of light. Give us the desires of our heart to please You. Give us the inner ability to flee from darkness, to flee from sin, to run from the things that continuously drag us down. Help us, dear Jesus, to have self-control — which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit — in all areas: mental, emotional, and physical. Let our feet not run into darkness. Let our minds not dwell in darkness. Let our hearts not be captivated with the darkness. Lord, I pray that You would help us to invest our heart, soul, mind, and strength in You and live as children of light.

If anyone here has never been saved, may they have seen today what a true child of God lives like in the light. And if they see that their life does not measure up, that their heart has not been converted, that they don't think about these things — pray, God, that You would grant them repentance and allow them to call upon You and to confess that they are a sinner and that You are the only Savior, that You died on the cross for the penalty of their sin. I pray, God, that You would help them to see the need that is of eternal value for their soul and that they would be welcomed into Your kingdom.

God, I'm so reminded in Isaiah chapter 55 of the gospel call — it's wonderful — and that You say, "Come." The Bible says in Isaiah 55:1, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters." And I pray, Father, that they would come to Christ, that the lost would come to You and be saved. And that they not only would be saved but they would continue to walk with You in the light of Your Word and be sanctified gradually, and to see You remove from their life all the sinful deeds of darkness little by little, by little, as they conform into Your image. And not only that, dear Jesus, that they would follow You in believers' baptism and demonstrate to this local church and the world that they in fact have been raised out of darkness and into the light — they've come out of the grave and into Your precious care.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for these steps of obedience. And I pray, Father, that they too would not only be saved and baptized, but that they also would join this dear church and commit themselves to Your plan to be part of the local church, worshiping in spirit and in truth, and to spread Your Word, and then as well to be disciple makers, Great Commission Christians. We do love You and we trust You with all these things. It's in Christ's name that we do pray. Amen.