Walk as Light (Pt.2)

In so many ways, salvation is simple. It’s .

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

While it usually doesn’t come off quite as brash as that, in the cultural Christianity that we live in South Alabama, there are

It usually doesn’t come off quite as brash. But in the cultural Christianity that we live in South Alabama, there is a serious problem with the average person thinking they are right with God either because they grew up in church, or their parents were Christians, or they had some experience when they were a child.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 3:18 ESV

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

1 Peter 5:18

The grace of God is the glory of the gospel. No matter how sinful we have been grace increases to cover it. In Christ we have forgiveness. In Christ, we have eternal security. In Christ, we have the righteousness of God.

But the same grace of God that is the glory of the gospel is what opens the door for the abuse of the gospel. Gospel abuse is a big problem in the culturally Christian South.

The gospel is opened to be abused by license. Because it’s easy to get the impression that works don’t really matter. If I’m righteous because of the works of Christ then how concerned do I really need to be about my works. And, so any kind of concern for real holiness just gets overlooked. As long as I had an experience with Christ at some point and got baptised then I’m good. So, a lot of people just get their ticket punched and never think too much about God again.

But the gospel is also open to the abuse of legalism. This is usually an overcorrection to the abuse of license. You better walk the line. Though it is not said, it is communicated that God loves us based on how good we are. We live in this constant guilt of never being about to hit the mark.

There’s analogy that is often attributed to Martin Luther where he once said that living the Christian life is like a drunk riding a horse. We keep falling off one side or the other, either into legalism, which chokes out freedom and causes us to live in guilt constant guilt of failure, or into license, which perverts freedom into a opportunity to live carelessly in sin.

One great gift of Ephesians is that it strikes that proper balance to guard us from the abuse of grace.

He starts out in vv.3-4 discussing how our spiritual blessing are linked to God’s choices, not our choices. Then in , we see that our salvation come not because of life change, but because of new life that we are given in Christ. We were described as sons of disobedience (2:2) and children of wrath (2:3). Then God’s answer to our problem

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Eph

So, our identity in Christ. His work for us: his life and death and resurrection is what saves us.

But, then it tells us that if we are really saved there will be a desire in us to obey God. And one of God’s purpose of saving us is so that our lives can display the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

tells us

Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV

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.

So our behavior matters. Our works matter. Our works are the fruit of the inward identity change. Our works show that we are followers of Christ.

In , he uses the metaphor of walking to display our behavior.

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 4:2 ESV

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Eph. 4:2

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

What aroma does our faith put forth.

We must be holy, because this is the only sound evidence that we have a saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/32-great-christian-quotes-about-holiness/#ixzz5xRLp6Kmr

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/32-great-christian-quotes-about-holiness/#ixzz5xRNGi500

A faith which works not for purification will work for putrefaction. Unless our faith makes us pine after holiness, it is no better than the faith of devils, and perhaps it is not even so good as that. A holy man is the workmanship of the Holy Spirit. C.H. Spurgeon

I cannot see how any man deserves to be called “holy,” who willfully allows himself in sins, and is not humbled and ashamed because of them.

I should as soon expect a farmer to prosper in business who contented himself with sowing his fields and never looking at them till harvest, as expect a believer to attain much holiness who was not diligent about his Bible reading, his prayers, and the use of his Sundays.

I am convinced that the first step towards attaining a higher standard of holiness is to realize more fully the amazing sinfulness of sin.- J.C. Ryle

A faith which works not for purification will work for putrefaction. Unless our faith makes us pine after holiness, it is no better than the faith of devils, and perhaps it is not even so good as that. A holy man is the workmanship of the Holy Spirit. C.H. Spurgeon

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/32-great-christian-quotes-about-holiness/#ixzz5xRMohJWk

3 reasons we should walk as children of light.

I. Our walk becomes Christ’s witness (vv.7-10)

“In proportion as a church is holy, in that proportion will its testimony for Christ be powerful.” C.H. Spurgeon

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/32-great-christian-quotes-about-holiness/#ixzz5xRNc4EtL

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

Ephesians 5:11–13 ESV

11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

vv.11-13

As children of the light, we are light. As light, our job is to drive out the darkness. When we do, it exposes the evil that exists.

People will be very quick to throw at you .

Matthew 7:1–2 ESV

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

When we do, it exposes the evil that exists. While we don’t reveal in the sensuality of their sinfulness (it is shameful just to speak of it), we should point to the sinfulness of it.

This is does not mean don’t every judge. What it means is that when you shine, you better be real sure you shining on your own life because if you shine on others, others will shine on you with the same measure.

While we don’t reveal in the sensuality of their sinfulness (it is shameful just to speak of it), we should point to the sinfulness of it.

Children of light have a responsibility to shine light on what God says is sin. If we don’t call abortion sin, who will. A lost world won’t. We catch a lot of flack for pointing out that homosexuality and any sexual relations outside of marriage is sin. But, part of our job as light is to shine truth.

What light is it that we shine? This is where we need to be very careful. Our job is not to shine our opinion, what we think is right, or what we think should be right.

The light must be the word of God. The word must be our standard of truth. God is the one who determines what is righteous and what is sin. We have to remember that we are not God. But, we also must remember who is and speak what he speaks.

When we do something unexpected happens.

Ephesians 5:13–14 ESV

13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Eph. 5:14

What does Paul mean when he says that “anything that becomes visible is light” (v.14)?

Think about it, the gospel doesn’t simply point out sin and bring conviction, but it is through the gospel that sinners are saved. It is through the gospel that sinners actually become light.

The gospel is so powerful, that when we shine it on sinners they have there natures came and they become light. Think about it, someone shined the gospel to you. You became light. Now it your job to shine on others.

This is real important. And, they apparently were not doing that all that well. In v.14, he paraphrases . He describes believers as a “sleeper” and tell him to “rise from the dead.” “Christ will shine on you.”

I think what he is getting at there is that if you will be faithful with gospel, Christ will shine through you.

III. Our walk displays Christ’s wisdom (vv. 15-21)

In our walk, we display not our wisdom, but the wisdom of our Savior.

Ephesians 5:15 ESV

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,

What do the wise do that the unwise don’t do?

a. They use time well. (v.16)

Ephesians 5:16 ESV

16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Eph. 6:

This tells us that we should be mindful opportunity. Time is short and opportunities to treat others like Christ have to be prepared for and seized upon.

Our English word “opportunity” means “toward the port.” The picture is of Old sailing vessel having to take advantage of the wind and tide to make into harbor.

The fact that life is short should impact how we live everyday.

*Here’s a dad fail that happened to me this week. Noah’s learning to do a little cooking. He wanted to learn how to fry eggs. So I gave him my non stick frying pan and showed him how to cook eggs. I did one and watched him do one. He did the rest.

A few minutes later, I smelled that he had burned the last egg. I didn’t think that much about it. But the next day, when I got up, I saw that he had absolutely destroyed my pan by frying it way too long.

The pan had just gotten hotter as it was on a while and I didn’t turn it down and cooked it normal time. This was my good pan, and I absolutely exploded. I was so upset because I had to throw away my favorite pan. I needed to remember, “Life is short. He’s your son. And that is just a pan.” I wasted that night. I can’t get it back.

We

We waste opportunities to meet with God every morning and we can never get it back. The Bible shows Jesus getting up morning after morning to meet with God, sometimes praying all night long.

What did Jesus have to pray so long for? I spend a lot of my time talking to God about my sin and asking for the wisdom of God for my leadership of family and church. Jesus did need to pray about either of those things. Yet he still found great strength of daily dwelling with God. He wasn’t willing to waste that opportunity.

Wisdom knows the value of opportunity and time.

Wisdom knows the value of opportunity and time.

b. They understand God’s will (v.17)

Ephesians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Eph. 5:17

First of all, the will of God is not some mysterious idea out there that you have to go on some kind of spiritual quest to know. Paul says that we can use our minds to understand the will of God.

What is the will of God? I have taught on this before. Look at .

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The will of God is for our lives to embody what is “good and acceptable and perfect.” (v.2). What is good and acceptable and perfect? He just told us in v.1, “ to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable.”

God’s will for you is for you to live holy. And any decision that you need the will of God in, you just ask, “What is the holy thing to do?” The right thing is always the holy thing.

So the will of God in your dating relationships is holiness, in your job is holiness, with your friends is holiness. There is a lot of freedom here for you to shape your life. You can’t be wrong if you make decisions based on holiness.

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

This is so important that our entire message next week will be about this.

I. Our walk becomes Christ’s witness (vv.7-10)

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

III. Our walk displays Christ’s wisdom (vv. 15-21)

a. Use your time well.

b. Seek God’s will in holiness.

Read more: https://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/32-great-christian-quotes-about-holiness/#ixzz5xRNSgovT

If you think you can walk in holiness without keeping up perpetual fellowship with Christ, you have made a great mistake. If you would be holy, you must live close to Jesus.- C.H. Sprugeon