Walk as Light (Pt. 1)

It’s been a while since we have been in ’ve been looking forward to getting back to it. That is where I’m most comfortable, moving verse by verse as God lays it out. Just to catch us up where we were. We had just finished mini-series in this book entitled “The Christian’s New Clothes.” was realizing the new life and new identity that we have in Christ. Paul used the imagery of putting on new clothes to describe the new behaviors that we put on that identify us as Christians.

Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Eph. 4:2

Eph. 4:20-24

Ephesians 4:21–23 ESV

21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

When we get to , he doesn’t move far from this same theme. But he does change his metaphor a bit. He moves from the metaphor putting on clothes to the metaphor walking. Notice .

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Ephesians 4:8 ESV

8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

Eph.

This might bring up the fact that there are different ways to walk.

We are all familiar with the normal heal toe walk. Then there is the Limp, that we might have if we have kicked the bed post at 3:00am in the morning. Of course, if teenagers come in after curfew, they might try to be really quiet and Tip Toe into the house, so that you can be a heathen and lie and act like you’ve been home a long time. Then there is the Dash, like when you’ve been on a bus in Honduras for 3 hours and Mr. Bobby finally let’s you out and you have to find a banyo in a hurry. Or you might Pace around the room if you get nervous or worried. Or when someone get’s drunk and the Stagger across the room. I don’t know how to do that.

So, there are different ways to walk. When the Bible uses the metaphor of walking, it means a manner of living. And just like there are many ways to walk with you legs, there are many ways of living that a believer might engage in. But, here’s the thing, Paul says that there is only one correct way for a Christian to live. That correct way is Holy.

The way you walk, or the way you live, displays your identity in Christ.

So when we think about a person who is lost in their sin for a moment. They don’t have Christian values. They abuse alcohol. Their language is atroshish. They are prideful, just looking out for themselves. Tearing down other so that they can get ahead. The might be promiscuous. Sleeping around with whoever they can.

It’s tempting to say that there problem is their walk, their behavior. So they need to change their behavior. But, that’s not what the Bible says. Remember, your walk displays your identity. People sin because their sinners. Their walk matches their nature.

Ephesians 5:5–6 ESV

5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Don’t let anyone deceive, God doesn’t gloss over sin. It brings judgment. Either Christ bore it on the cross, or you bear it in eternity.

They sin, sexual immoraltiy and covetousness and judgement is coming on them because they are “sons of disobedience.” That’s their identity.

The main difference between and Christian and a nonbeliever is that they have different spiritual identities.

When a person becomes a Christian, first and foremost, their identity changes. They move from spiritual death to spiritual life. They are born again. They become a child of God.

Now, here is Paul’s concern, when our identity changes, our walk, our behaviors need to change to match our new identity.

We are to walk as Children of the Light for 3 reasons. We are only going to deal with one of them today.

I. Our walk becomes our witness. (vv.7-9)

Ephesians 5:8 ESV

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Notice that he doesn’t say that at one time “you were in darkness” But, “at one time you were darkness.” He doesn’t say, “but now you are in the light of the Lord.” (v.8) He says, “now you are light in the Lord.” See we are not simply influenced by God or the Devil, we have one or the other’s nature. It’s who we are.

So when Paul says to the Ephesian believers, “Walk as children of light.” (v.8) He is not saying that you need to become light by shining. He’s saying, you are light. Now Shine!

So to shine, or to seek to live like Christ. First realize that a fundamental change has happened in your identity. But how do we show that something eternal and spiritual has happened inside of us? No one can see inside our hearts.

It’s no mistake that Paul uses the metaphor of light to show our new natures in Christ. How do we no that light is light? It shines. As Christians we shine through new Christlike behavior. Our walk is our witness to who we are. This is why Paul continues in v.9.

Ephesians 5:9 ESV

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

I didn’t even know that light made fruit. I’ve been offered a banana for breakfast, but never light fruit. What does he mean by that? He means that which is produced by your nature.

An orange tree produces oranges because it is an orange tree. No one has ever walked up to an orange tree and picked and orange and said, “Look at that, a pecan tree.” That never happens because we understand that the identity of the tree is seen in the fruit it bears. That same thing is true in the lives of people.

So what should our lives be bearing if we are new creatures in Christ? Paul tells us. “(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),” (v.9)

There is an infinite number of ways what is good and right and true can be expressed. It means showing sacrificial love to your spouse, children, and neighbors. It means being generous with your time and money. It means being honest in all of your dealings. It means not cheating on tests. It means living in sexual purity. Paul is saying, “When you describe the detailed expressions of your life, they are fruit of light if they are good and right and true. That is what Christ is. That is shining with the light of Christ as the light of Christ.

Eph

Our walk becomes our witness.

Also, in this text Paul warns us about something. If you are going to shine, you have to be thoughtful about who you connect you life with. Let’s read vv.6-8 again.

Ephesians 5:7–9 ESV

7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

Ephesians 5:6–9 ESV

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

Ephesians 5:6–8 ESV

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Light and darkness can not coexist together because their natures are fundamentally different. So he says that light should partner with light and not with darkness.

What does that mean practically? It doesn’t mean you can’t ever come in contact with lost people. So, we should become some kind of Christian monk or something. No, we are the light of the world. The only way that people will see Christ is if they see us. What it means is that we as believers should not connect our lives with unbelievers.

One obvious example is why believers should only marry believers.

2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Some of you don’t know what a yoke is. It was a farming devise used to hitch up animals together to pull a wagon or plow. In OT, it was forbidden for the Hebrews to yoke different species of animal together.

Deuteronomy 22:10 ESV

10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.

*Show Picture

It’s inappropriate to yoke them together because they don’t have the same nature. It’s inappropriate to yoke, wed, join together believers and unbelievers because they don’t have the same nature.

Some of you are like, “Ok, but Bradley Paul never saw my girlfriend. She is HOT!” Or, “Paul doesn’t know my boyfriend, he’s everything I ever needed!”

Being attracted to someone is not enough reason to marry them. First, it is not enough to sustain you. You have a completely different value system. You are going to see the world differently. You are going to approach parenting differently. Ladies, the likelihood he’s not always going to be 180lbs of lean muscle with a full head of hair. I know. And guys, she doesn’t wake up looking like that. To connect your life with someone you need something at the core of life holding you together. And, that is a love for Jesus. If both of you live with a sincere love for Jesus. You will never live without a sincere love for one another. Second, for a believer to knowing marry an unbeliever is disobedience to God.

This issue doesn’t just apply to your spouse. It also includes your core friendships. Whoever you connect your life to closely is going to influence who you become.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

If your close friends are cheating on their spouses and looking at porn, then it starts to seem more normal to you. Their values start to corrupt your values.

Some would say, “Wait a minute. I’m being a good influence on them.”

*The way we teach this to youth is to have one person stand in a chair and another stand on the floor. We tell the one in the chair to try to pull the other person up. The one on the floor tries to pull the one in the chair down. Guess who always wins. The person pulling the other down.

We are to walk as light. Which means we seek to live in the company of others that are shining so that we are motivated to shine even brighter.

Let’s close listening to Spurgeon:

The Bible is not the light of the world, it is the light of the Church. But the world does not read the Bible, the world reads Christians! “You are the light of the world.” -Charles Spurgeon

II. Our walk exposes the darkness (vv.11-16)

III. Our walk displays our wisdom (vv. 16-21)

a. How we use our time. (v.16)

b. How we understand God’s will (v.17)

c. How we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit (vv.18-21)