In Ephesians 5:8-20 (NIV) Paul writes, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' "
"Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
"If you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem." These words are not unlike President George W. Bush’s ultimatum to the nations. "You are either for us, or you are for the terrorists." And they are not unlike the words Christ spoke to the Church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:15-16 (NIV). "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm— neither hot nor cold— I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
These expressions are uncomfortable because they force us out of the middle, out of that noncommittal gray zone. The gray zone is where there is neither a commitment to being good nor evil, to being hot nor cold, to being light nor darkness, or to being for or against. We love the middle. We love sitting on the fence, committing neither this way nor that way. In the middle there is comfort. There is indifference. There is complacency. There is an illusion of safety and security. There is extreme tolerance. Truth is relative.
It takes too much courage to walk in the light, but it is so risky to walk in darkness. So we relegate our lives to the shadows, keeping a foot in both worlds, living a shadowy Christian existence. For part of the week we appear as children of the light. But then for the other part of the week we appear as children of darkness. Back and forth we go from light to darkness. Being for but then being against. Pursuing good but then doing evil. Being hot but then growing cold.
Are you a follower of Christ, or not? Are you a loyal subject of Christ the king, or not? Is Jesus Christ the lord of your life or not? Well, yes and no. Sort of! Partially. In some areas, but not all areas. Mostly. Half and half. Friends, the middle is not a choice for God. The middle is not a choice for Jesus Christ. The middle is what it is. It's a place of neutrality, of impartiality, or non-alignment. The middle is a choice against God, against Christ, and against the kingdom of heaven.
God would rather you become hot or cold, that you go left or right, or that you choose light or darkness. Just don’t be lukewarm! Don’t be middle of the road. Don’t be gray. Notice once more Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:8 (NIV). "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
This verse is like a fork in the road, bringing us once more to a place of dedication. The apostle Paul is pushing us out of the middle, out of the shadows, and out of the gray. You were once darkness, but now you are light. Live as children of light. This morning I want you to do a spiritual inventory. I want you to ask some important questions about your life.
What is your identity? Are you reflecting the light of the Lord?
There are two types of people in this world. One type of person turns lights on, and the other type of person turns lights off. Whenever I walk into a room I always make it a point to turn on the lights. It is like second nature to me. I love opening the drapes and letting the sunlight pour into the room. If it is nice outside, I can hardly stand being inside. I’m drawn to the light. Now Lara is just the opposite. Whenever she enters a room she turns the lights off. If I am standing in the kitchen making a sandwich, she comes in and flips the lights off. If I walk from one room to the next without turning the lights off, she clears her throat. If the curtains are open and the afternoon sun is shining in, she’ll close them! I told her that if she would quit cheering for the Duke Blue Devils and instead cheered for Illinois, she could stop living in darkness.
In all seriousness, there are two kinds of people. There are those who see themselves as light, and there are those who do not. Which kind of person do you see yourself as? Paul’s word choice in Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) is most unusual. He says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light."
When you walk into a meeting, when you sit down at a restaurant, when you walk into a store, when you go out with your friends, or when you go about your routine or job, do you bring light with you? Or do you contribute to the darkness of the area?
In Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." As a matter of identity, do you see yourself as light in the Lord?
What fruit comes from your life?
In Ephesians 5:8-14 (NIV), Paul says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' "
If you are being a child of light, you will have a profound impact on the people around you. Paul describes the fruit of a light as consisting of goodness, righteousness, and truth. Goodness describes your disposition toward people, especially non-Christians. Are you kind? Do you show compassion? Do you show understanding? Do you have people’s best interests at heart? Do you genuinely love people? Do you serve others? Are you selfless? Do you go out of your way for your neighbor?
Are you bearing the fruit of being a child of light?
Righteousness describes your disposition toward God. Do you have character? Are you a person of integrity? Is your heart right before God? Is your heart surrendered to Jesus Christ? Is your deepest desire to find out what pleases God? Are you the same person when people are looking at you as when they are not looking at you?
Truth describes your disposition toward reality. Are you a person of truth or a person of falsehood? Do you live by the principles in God’s word? Do you regularly confess your sins to God? Do you lovingly expose sin when it threatens your life or the life of someone that you know? Do you allow light to shine in every part of your life, including into the relationships surrounding you? Do you avoid sin or do you partake in sin?
If you are being a child of light, you will have a profound impact on the people around you. Goodness, righteousness, and truth inspires the best in the people around us. When people taste your unyielding desire to please God, it provokes them to glorify God. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16 (NIV), "…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Who will be blessing God this week because of your example of goodness, righteousness, and truth? Who will walk a different path this week because you personally had the courage to walk in the light? To do good? To be righteous? To renounce the darkness? Who will wake up to their need for Christ because of your example? Who will Christ shine upon because you chose not to stay hidden in the shadows? Is it your identity to be light in the Lord? Is the fruit of light visible in your life?
Are you living wisely?
Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV) says, "Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is."
Back in Ephesians 5:14 (NIV) Paul quotes a hymn, or scroll. Scholars aren’t exactly sure what he is quoting. But the quote begins, "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead..."
When I was younger I was a chronic sleepwalker. I would rise up in the middle of the night and start walking through the house. My parents would hear me rummaging about, wake me up, explain what was happening, and walk me back to my bedroom.
Well, one night I had this nightmare. I remembered shouting and lots of commotion, and I remembered screaming for help. The next morning, I walked out into the kitchen, and noticed the drawer holding our dish rags had been removed from its cabinet. In the middle of the night I had walked into the kitchen and pulled out that drawer. Anyway, I should have been in the bathroom. Boy did I get a lecture that night! I told my parents to never ever make me do dishes before going to bed again if they didn't want a similar incident. They didn't buy that at all! It didn’t work.
Paul’s point is that there are those among us who need to wake up, who need to be very careful how they are living. We make hundreds of choices every day. We choose what we will eat and drink, what we will commit ourselves to, what we will say and do, who we will associate with, how we will deal with a situation, and how we will raise our kids, among other things. Some of these choices are trivial, but many of these choices are life-altering. Many of these choices will change who we are, who we are becoming, and even who our children are becoming. And these choices have consequences. Emotional, physical, and spiritual consequences.
Foolishness means plowing forward with life’s choices without first understanding the Lord’s will. Foolishness also means not making the most of every opportunity to serve God. Living wisely means waking up! It means taking time to find out what pleases the Lord. It means slowing down to pray, to discern God’s will in scripture, to seek godly counsel, and to consider the outcome of your way of life.
Many of our choices are driven by pride and to make ourselves look good. Our choices are driven by greed in order to acquire more, or to attain a certain lifestyle or social status. Our choices are driven by comfort, peer pressure, selfishness, and our appetites. It is reckless and foolish not to live according to God’s wisdom. So, is it your identity to be light in the Lord? Is the fruit of light visible in your life? Are you living wisely and according to God’s will?
Is God’s Holy Spirit filling your life?
Ephesians 5:18-20 (NIV) says, "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In the world of technology, a lumen measures the intensity of a light source. The more lumens, the brighter the source of light. The intensity of the Christian’s light isn’t measured by lumens. It is measured according to the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. In these verses, Paul gives an illustration about how the Holy Spirit works in our lives.
Some people choose to get drunk on wine. People will surrender their mind and body for the night orfor the weekend to something they have no control over. You cannot control your mind and body when you are drunk. Paul keenly observes that alcohol, like all addictive agents, loosens us up and leads us into debauchery, which is a fancy word for wickedness. People say and do unspeakable things while drunk; horribly reckless things.
To be filled by the Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. Paul's point is, why not surrender your mind and body to God’s Holy Spirit? Alcohol will destroy your life, but God’s Holy Spirit will bring healing and wholeness to your life. Alcohol will lead you down a path of self-destruction and it will destroy your relationships. But God’s Holy Spirit will lead you into goodness, righteousness and truth.
As Christians, we need to amp up our lumens, our intensity, and our brightness. But how do we become filled with the Holy Spirit? How do we shine brighter? Paul tells us to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. He tells us to make music in our hearts to the Lord. He tells us to always give thanks to God for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. To be filled, we must continually saturate our hearts and minds with the goodness and greatness of God. We must allow Christ’s light to continually penetrate down into the depths of our souls.
This morning we are being challenged to move out of the shadows. To be light in the Lord! To show evidence of the fruit of light! To live wisely! To be filled with God’s Holy Spirit! To amp up the lumens! For once we were darkness, but now we are light.