Walk in Light
Notes
Transcript
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
In this paragraph, Paul provides the justification for why the Ephesians should not be deceived. He explains that they were formerly in the dark (darkness is the absence of light), but now they are children of the light. As enlightened believers, they know the truth and should not fall victim to the deception of the tempters. Instead, they should be able to expose them.
1. Walking as Children of the Light
5:8 Paul begins his explanation of why the Ephesians should not be deceived by reminding them that they were formerly in darkness, but that is not their current state. As such, they should walk as children of the light. The rest of this paragraph elaborates on what this walking in light means.
a. What does it mean to Walk in the Light
5:9 In this verse Paul expresses what it means to be children of light.
He states that the fruit of light entails goodness, righteousness, and truth.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Thus, if the Ephesians are children of the light, they should be demonstrating this with a walk characterized by goodness, righteousness, and truth.
b. How they are to Walk in the Light
5:10 Paul continues by explaining how they should go about this task of walking as children of light.
They should be walking according to the light by trying to discern what is pleasing to God.
Since he has already stated that the fruit of light entails goodness, righteousness, and truth, it is apparent that actions and attitudes centered on such concepts are pleasing to God.
Thus the believers are to strive to understand what such practices are and then to adopt them in their own lives.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 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.
5:11 In this verse Paul provides broad commands that are implicit in walking according to the light. He gives one vital one in the negative and the other in the positive.
The first command is to not become involved in the unfruitful deeds of which those in darkness are engaged.
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
Instead, as bearers of light, they are to expose these deeds of darkness. As light pervades darkness and reveals what it hidden, the believers are to expose (reprove) the evil practices of those in darkness, which he will detail in 5:12–13.
5:12 Paul gives a rationale in this verse for his instructions in 5:11. He states that those deeds of darkness are not even appropriate to speak of. These secret acts are a disgrace and therefore need exposing by the light.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
5:13 Paul continues his explanation of light and darkness. He explains that these hidden practices will be revealed when they encounter light.
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.”
In 5:14 Paul will tie this concept back to the OT and Jesus’ role as the great revealer.
5:14 Paul concludes his discussion of walking in the light by linking Isaiah’s comments about sleepers awaking and the dead coming to life with Christ shining on them. (Is. 26:19)
His relating of Christ’s role in shining light brings these notions together to convey Jesus’ position as the one who exposes the darkness. As he exposed the Ephesians to the light, they are to live according to this light and bring the light to the world of darkness around them.
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.