Walk in the Light

V.8:

From darkness to light, unsaved to saved.

It doesn’t say that we were once living in darkness, it says we were darkness.

Darkness is a place absent from the Lord, and it describes the very character of the unsaved.

Together they create a realm of darkness, which is a realm of lies and vain philosophies.

It is a realm without intellectual honesty, a realm with no moral absolutes.

Why, because they do know the truth.

Every one of us was once in this state, but we who are believers ave been rescued from the darkness and have been made light.

As such, we should avoid the darkness, we are to “walk as children of light”.

After all, “What communion has light with darkness?”

I guess if we are to walk as children of light, we should understand what light is.

What is light?

Light is good.

Genesis 1:4

Genesis 1:4 NKJV

And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Light is life.

John 1:4

John 1:4 NKJV

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 8:12

John 8:12 NKJV

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.”

Light is armor.

Romans 13:12

Romans 13:12 NKJV

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Jesus is the light.

John 9:5

John 9:5 NKJV

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 12:46

John 12:46 NKJV

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

Believers are light (v.8).

V.9:

What this is saying is that the product or the outcome of light is...

It takes light to make things grow, so without light there is no fruit, but in Believers, light will produce fruit.

Therefore, if we are children of light, then we will display the characteristics of light.

That means goodness, righteousness, and truth.

What does light produce?

Goodness:

God is the source

Exodus 33:19

Exodus 33:19 NKJV

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Having a character that reflects God

Righteousness

Conformity to the standards set by God

Truth:

Jesus is truth

Psalm 86:11

Psalm 86:11 NKJV

Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

John 14:6

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The Word of God is truth

Colossians 1:5

Colossians 1:5 NKJV

because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,

Jesus is the Word

John 1:1, 14

John 1:1 NKJV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 NKJV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Trust in Christ above all else

Nothing is good and right and true apart from God.

V.10:

How do we walk in the light?

Walk to please the Lord.

We should always be seeking to discern and understand what pleases the Lord and what doesn’t.

Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 NKJV

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It starts with a renewal of the mind. Our mindset must align with the Lord’s.

To discern means to test, examine or evaluate the issue.

This means that we should have the Biblical knowledge and mindset to properly view the issues at hand.

We should be able to look at everything through the lens of Scripture.

That means we should adopt a Biblical worldview, in which all of our beliefs are influenced and determined by Scripture.

The Word of God should be the bias by which we interpret everything., the filter by which all else is sifted.

This is how we will truly know what pleases God.

V.11:

Have no fellowship with the “works of darkness”

If a work is of the light, it will be fruitful.

Works of darkness are always unfruitful, and to take part in those unfruitful works is never pleasing to the Lord.

Therefore, we are to have no fellowship, or no part in those sinful works.

However, it is not enough just to cease participation.

If we are to walk as children of the light, we can be no more tolerant of sin than God Himself is.

Expose the works of darkness

We are told instead, to expose them. Light always exposes what is in the dark.

Paul instructs us to expose these deeds, because our silence may be interpreted as approval.

Christians must take a stand for righteousness, and lovingly speak out against the sinful works of darkness.

These types of sins mentioned in this letter (largely of a sexual nature) were common in the first century, and are still very common today.

Exposing these sins is very frowned upon in our culture. It’s usually met with much ridicule, disdain and even attacks.

Im quite sure it was just as unpopular in Paul’s day, but that doesn’t excuse us from speaking out.

People will no doubt say “judge not”, but it only takes a basic understanding of Scripture to know that command is not absolute.

Jesus in response to a crowd of Jews who were complaining about Him healing a man on the sabbath.

John 7:24

John 7:24 NKJV

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

There are criteria to righteous judgement. It always starts with yourself.

Matthew 7:3-5

Matthew 7:3–5 NKJV

And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We have a duty to warn.

Ezekiel 33:8-9

Ezekiel 33:8–9 NKJV

When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

Ephesians 5:12 NKJV

For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

V.12

Dealing with these sins does require a level of caution.

We don’t want to inadvertently promote these sins, nor do we want to get caught up in them ourselves.

Scripture warns us repeatedly to flee sexual immorality, this is just one example.

1 Thessalonians 4:3

1 Thessalonians 4:3 NKJV

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;

For instance, we could get so obsessed that these sins become a temptation to us.

On the other hand, if we aren’t careful about how we speak of them, we could end up making it sound enticing.

Godly discernment is definitely the order of the day.

Ephesians 5:13

Ephesians 5:13 NKJV

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

V.13:

Shine the light

All we really have to do is shine the light, and the darkness is exposed.

The darkness can never overcome the light. No matter how intense the darkness, light will always illuminate it.

Shining the light simpIy means we should share the truth of the Word of God.

The truth will expose the lies that they live by. It should be reiterated that this should be done gently, in a spirit of love.

Galatians 6:1

Galatians 6:1 NKJV

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.

Ephesians 5:14 NKJV

Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

V.14:

The Gift of light

The real goal is to awaken the sleepers (those who are dead in their sins).

When a light is shined on a sleeping person, they will wake up.

What we want from this is for the light of Jesus to shine on them.

Isaiah 9:2

Isaiah 9:2 NKJV

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

This is the work of the Savior. He is the only one who could accomplish such a thing.