Walking in the Light
Notes
Transcript
Ongoing study in Ephesians. Last sermon we looked at morality which followed an ongoing description of how we are to live as Christians and how we are to live in the church. Remember: put off the old man and put on Christ. Now Paul is still on the same idea, but he switches metaphors from clothing…putting on Christ…to something more essential. Something that defines what we are. Light.
LIGHT
LIGHT
Paul again calls us to a transformed life.
Paul again calls us to a transformed life.
You were once darkness. There is always a contrast between darkness and light. We know by experience that they cannot coexist. Light dispels darkness.
There is a contrast of you were, but now you are. You WERE darkness. Not just you were in darkness but you WERE darkness. Now you ARE light!
That is a radical change, a supernatural thing! A change of your core that is the work of Christ in your life! Your essence has changed. What you are has changed!
But we also know that this is by degree. That light can be dim or brilliant. Darkness can be fading.
The LN says that skotos can refer to complete or partial darkness. Strong’s says the word can mean shadiness. The CBGL uses the term gloominess.
I think it is significant that Paul is writing this to Christians. You are light…walk as children of the light, implying that even though you are light, you might be emanating darkness…you might still be walking in darkness.
Matthew 6:23 (NKJV) 23 ... If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Jesus points out the problem, the mixture of light and darkness, but he emphasizes the consequence of this: How great is the darkness. When we fail to shine we are increasing the darkness exponentially.
Again the LN: a relatively high point on a scale involving exclamation—‘how, very, how great, how much, intense, severe.’ What is a shade of darkness in us is a severe intense darkness in the world.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Paul tells us what light looks like. It looks like the fruit of the Spirit. Specifically IN, or proscribed by, or in within the boundaries of goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, restraint, faith all wrapped up in goodness, righteousness, and truth.
This is like layer upon layer of light. Like a sunrise. Like light on a dimmer being turned up to the max. Again, it implies degrees. Light becoming lighter, darkness fading.
Just as fruit grows and matures as it absorbs more sunlight, our goodness and righteousness and truth grow by being in the light of Jesus.
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
You to well to get plenty of light! That’s how fruit grows. Plenty of water and plenty of light. The Water is the HS. The light is the Word. The fruit of the light and the Spirit is goodness righteousness and truth which is in short supply today.
EXPOSED
EXPOSED
So what light does is it exposes. What can’t be seen because of darkness can be seen in the light. Ephesians 5:13 (NKJV) — 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
So what light does is it exposes. What can’t be seen because of darkness can be seen in the light. Ephesians 5:13 (NKJV) — 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
It exposes internal darkness
John 8:12 (NKJV) — 12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Jesus invites us into the light. Sounds good…but be aware. That light will scorch you like a refiners fire. It will expose you.
Paul had an encounter with the light.
Acts 26:13 (NKJV) — 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
The end result is that all his self righteousness was exposed. His religion was bringing him to hell! He thought himself a servant of God but he was kicking against God.
John 3:19–21 (NKJV) — 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Our deeds are exposed by the light! Our darkness is exposed by light! A genuine relationship with God will bring you to grips with your utter sinfulness, your complete lack of goodness, righteousness and truth! And when you see it, and it drives you to the mercy of God, you come to the light and your deeds are clearly seen, so now the light is getting through you into the world.
Light exposes external darkness, the darkness of the world.
Philippians 2:15 (NKJV) — 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
When Paul encountered the light he had two questions. Who are you Lord and what do you want me to do? And he got answers to both questions. I am Jesus whom you are persecuting…but rise and I will make you a witness...
Acts 26:18 (NKJV) 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'
This is unavoidable if you’re doing your Christianity right. Light shines into darkness. Darkness can’t prevent that. All darkness really is, is the absence of light. And here you come all shiny and bright and there goes the neighborhood!
It exposes darkness in the church.
It isn’t, as we have seen, just a question of darkness in a dark world. When our light dims, darkness creeps in.
The interesting feature of this word is that there is a confrontational quality to it.
LN: to state that someone has done wrong, with the implication that there is adequate proof of such wrongdoing—‘to rebuke, to reproach
Strongs: to confute, admonish:—convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.
Obviously, we call sin sin when we witness and preach. But the idea of rebuking and pointing out wrong doing seems to lend itself to the relational dynamic in the church. We saw this a while back in this study. Ephesians 4:25 (NKJV) 25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
Galatians 6:1 (NKJV)
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
James 5:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
We are to have no fellowship with darkness. That again implies that Paul is talking to Christians. We are to be a distinct people, a different kind of fellowship. We don’t let sin into our midst, to mess with the fellowship of light that God is creating. We have to be able to speak the truth in love, one to another, and to hold each other to the standard of light.
This doesn’t make us all the HS, the spiritual gestapo, but it does call us to a mutual accountability. You can’t get all butt hurt if you’re acting the fool and a brother or sister calls you out on it.
The bottom line is that we as the church of Christ all have a stake in this. Our light is enhanced by the collection of light, by the multiplication of light, the gathering of light. If someone is not adding light but rather darkness to the mix, that dims the light we all have in Christ. It dims the light of the church. Before long, if that trajectory is followed, the light will be darkness and how great is that darkness.
AWAKE
AWAKE
So Paul quotes Isaiah and says, “Wake UP!!!” Light is a wake up call.
So Paul quotes Isaiah and says, “Wake UP!!!” Light is a wake up call.
Too many sleep through their Christianity. There is no vitality. No awakening.
Romans 13:11 (NKJV)
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
If that was true then, it is truer now. This is no time to be sleeping like the foolish virgins. It is time to be awake and busy about your Father’s business.
Paul alludes to resurrection...Isaiah 26:19 (NLT) — 19 But those who die in the Lord will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy! For your life-giving light will fall like dew on your people in the place of the dead!
This light that shines into our lives is the light of the resurrection. It is the power of God that Paul referred to at the beginning of this letter: Ephesians 1:19-20 (NKJV)
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
If you sleep through the day, you stay up all night and live in the darkness. If you dwell in darkness you dwell in death.
1 Timothy 5:6 (NKJV)
6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
So Paul calls us to awaken out of death, awaken out of sin, awaken out of spiritual lethargy and let our lights shine. Some of you need a wake up call this evening. If you lie there, you die there. Wake up, and Christ Himself will give you light.