"The Radiant Church"

Intro: I love when people go against the grain against everyone else. We see it all the time when things or ways become popular and everyone jumps on board. I jokingly like to say that I am a proud Android phone user because I’m not an Apple fanbody. I’ve never owned an iPhone, and because of that, I take pride in it.

Or I love it when an athlete nowadays actually stays loyal to a team because he loves the city or people he plays with. My favorite basketball player was Dirk Nowitzki, and he played his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks. He often took lower contracts to try to help the team, and was incredibly loyal. He won a championship with the team, and retired a Mav. That’s not common anymore. It’s different.

Today, we are going to see what it means to look different. To love different. To be light instead of darkness. God’s people need to imitate God and go against the grain...

CTS: Shine brightly as God’s people by loving like Jesus and exposing the darkness of sin.

I. Love Sacrificially (1-7)

The overall command to imitate God continues. Because of our identity as God’s beloved children, we then love. That identity was made clear earlier throughout the book of Ephesians. As God’s redeemed people, once dead and made alive, receiving the spiritual blessings, and no longer alienated from God and from being His people, we are now one people called the church. The church is God’s “beloved.” Beloved children that we are, then are to walk in love.

A. The sacrificial love of Jesus (1-2)

The foundation of walking in love is found in verse two. As we imitate God as his beloved children, we love as Christ loved us. This again has close ties to the verses previous in chapter four. Because we are forgiven, we forgive others. Because we have been loved, we love others.

But this love much more than the world’s definition of love. And love is not something you fall into or out of. Biblical love is rooted in action. The action of our Creator himself became flesh. He was sent by the Father, and was made in like manner everything that we are as human beings. He then offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to die for our sins, the only way that sins can be forgiven. The One whom we transgressed did all the was necessary to forgive us of those transgressions. Jesus was given up for us. He is the fragrant offering and sacrifice of God for us. This is the Gospel message.

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

So then, because we have been loved in this incredible manner, we then walk in that very same love as His people. We love Jesus and then we love others. Walking in love is sacrificial. It is something that is done, that we give up ourselves for. When we give our time, our energy, for the good of others, we are in essence loving like Jesus loved us. We are living as sacrifices to God, and we are pleasing aroma’s to the Father.

2 Corinthians 2:14–15 ESV

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

B. The self-centered love of the world (3-4)

In contrast to the sacrificial love of Jesus is the self-centered love of the world. Here, Paul makes it clear that the church must be aware and conscience of the love they espouse. If they are to love sacrificially and live the new nature they have in Christ, the old ways of their former life must no longer be.

Remember, these Ephesians were once pagan worshipers with many gods that were present in Ephesus. One of the wonders of the ancient world was the temple of Artemis. She was a fertility god, hence much of her worship involved sexual perversion and promiscuity. But those that are part of the church are no longer pagans worshiping false gods. They are made new, a new people by the blood of Christ, cleansed and forgiven, and given a new nature.

So he reminds them again not to go back to the old ways. And in light of behavior individually and corporately as God’s people, these listed sins must not be named. The old view of love, which was purely based on sinful pleasure and emotion, must be removed.

The actions and heart of self-centered love: Sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness: This is the Greek word, pornea. This word encompasses all perversions of sex. Adultery. Fornication. Homosexuality. Bestiality. etc. In essence, it is everything against God’s intended gift of sex within the confines of marriage between a man and a woman. And that’s key in our culture today. Where love is described as “whatever makes you feel good” or “love is love, no matter who it is.” But we must be careful here, because even among Christians, the biblical view is becoming less and less popular. A lot of conservative evangelical Christians will say of course that homosexuality is wrong, and rightly so, but will sometimes turn a blind eye to a man and a woman living together and having sex outside of marriage. But the firmness we find here is evident and needed. Impurity is closely related to sexual immorality, but extends it to not just the action but also the thoughts and intents of the heart. Things like pornography, films and shows that promote sexual immorality, that causes us to lust and to have impure thoughts need to removed. Covetousness is desiring what someone else has. In the triad here, it would be desiring someone that is not yours to have. That carries on into all the sin itself, and it is idolatry, for our greediness for things that are not ours become gods in our eyes. Greedy to feed our appetites for sin and impurity.

This is the self-centered love of the world. Notice that all of it is in relation to what we want and not sacrificial in any way. Feeding our pleasures and our desires is the world’s mantra of love. Our desires become god, idolatry. The imitator of God, the one who walks in love no longer walks in these things but loves as God loves. When self comes off the throne and God is on the throne, we seek His will and the good of others. This self-centered description should not be named among us because it is destructive. The church should be a place of holiness, showing true sacrificial love instead of self-centered love.

The speech of self-centered love: Filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking. But not only must the actions of this kind of behavior be removed, but our talk of it. This doesn’t mean that no one can talk about sex. Sex is a good gift and should be espoused as a good gift. As our children get to the age, we must show them what true love looks like, and that kind of speech is good to show them the biblical view of love and sex.

What Paul is warning against is talking about sex in a joking and crude manner. In other words, locker room talk. That became a talking point years ago, but here’s the truth and the reality of it. Christians should not engage in that kind of talk or excuse that kind of talk in amongst one another. The words of our mouth are to build up, not degrade one another. Jokes that make light of sex and treat it flippantly. The church should be a place where our speech reflects our nature.

Why is this important? It reflects Christ. It also, instead of instigating thinking about sin with our words, it protects it for where true love belongs. Are non-Christians comfortable with saying crude jokes around you because you laugh and participate in those jokes yourself? These things are out of place.

Instead, we should speak thanksgiving. Thanking God for the good gift of sex and gift of friendships and his blessings upon us should come from our lips, not things that lead to destruction and brokenness. Our speech should be one that builds one another up, not causes heartache and darkness.

C. The judgment against false love (5-7)

Paul makes it clear here that there reason why he warns against this, is to remind them that this wickedness deserves judgment.

We must be very clear here as the Scriptures say. All those that are described as these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And here is the things: If you know Christ, this is not you anymore.

How do we then reconcile this? If I sin in one of these areas as a Christian, am I no longer saved? No. Again, Paul is marking these things as identifiers. Those that live this way, wickedness with no remorse and live self-centeredly and idolatrous do not inherit the kingdom of Christ and God. It is the constant practice of such sin and wickedness with no remorse. If someone claims to know Christ and does these things with no remorse or no conviction, continuing in that sin with no intention to repent, that they don’t know Christ.

What must we do with this? Those that teach a Christianity without holy living is espousing false doctrine. It’s likely that the church at Ephesus was dealing with false teachers coming in and trying to say that living in this sin wasn’t bad. They are still saved. But the assumption of any Christianity that is all about grace without a transformation of the old nature into a new nature, a heart after Christ and living for His glory is one that is foreign to the Bible. So, we don’t listen to that teaching. No, you don’t go to heaven by doing these things. That is foreign to the Gospel. But because you have been saved by grace and transformed, you will be sanctified and growing in holiness to honor the One who saved you. Your identification in Christ has already been purchased, but you are also called to live that identification. A royal priesthood, a holy nation.

Colossians 3:5 ESV

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The commands don’t save us. The commands are what we do BECAUSE we are saved.

And church discipline is an aspect of this that must be addressed as well. The body of Christ is called to be a holy temple, to live as a holy community. Biblical church membership, one that is healthy, makes sure that the members are regenerate and are growing in the likeness of Christ. When there is sin in the body, it must be removed. There must be repentence and accountablity. Refusal to live a holy life means that we are to remove them from membership according to Matthew 18. Treat them as tax collectors and Gentiles. But that doesn’t mean we don’t let them come to worship, but that they can’t be a part of membership, voting and serving, partaking of the Lord’s Supper. But the goal of discipline is always to bring restoration, never hatred and anger. We preach the Gospel to them in praying that they repent and turn from wickedness.

Transition: The end for this is because of what comes next in the text. We are no longer in that darkness, that sin. We are now light. And because we are light, we are called to shine brightly as His people in contrast to the ways of the world and the Enemy.

II. Shine Brightly (8-14)

A. Your radiance as light (8a)

Paul very clearly reminds the Ephesians of their previous state. Again, the identity of the believer is crucial to our understanding of the Christian life.

Colossians 1:13 ESV

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

The transfer of our citizenship also indicates a change of behavior. Now that we are no longer darkness, but we are light, it has implications.

And see that it is not you were in darkness or in light, but rather, your very being has been changed. Not the location, but rather, your very essence and being has been transformed.

B. Your function as light (8b-12)

And because of this transformation, the command is clear. Walk as children of light. Remember, walk is the word that we describe the lifestyle of the believer. Their is a transformation that changes us. We are no longer conforming to our former passions, but rather have a new passion as God’s people, His beloved, as children of light.

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.

Function 1: Bear fruit

Verse 9 is a parenthetical, that those that are light will exude all that is right, good, and true. Again, this contrasts with the triad of sin above. Those that are children of light will live as light. We are good because Jesus is good. We live righteously because Jesus is completely righteous. We are truth tellers and livers because Jesus is the Truth.

Are we affecting our world for good? Is your workplace better with you in it? Is your home a place where goodness resides, rather than anger, hatred, and sin? To be light is to bear fruit of that which is light.

Function 2: Discerning what pleases the Lord

Those that are light will live their lives discerning what pleases God. We find out what pleases God through how He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures, the Bible, the Word of God. He also regenerates us and gives us a new nature, leading and guiding us by the Spirit through remembrance, conviction and empowerment. He also gives us a conscience that bears witness to His standard. All of this together is how we discern the will of God.

Do we live to please God, or to please ourselves?

Function 3: Expose the darkness

There is a two-fold aspect to this function. First, God’s people, the Christian, cannot expose darkness if they take part in the darkness themselves. Darkness bore no good fruit. Instead of something that was valuable, it was rotten, causing sickness. The Christian is to again not espouse worldly values about love and life, but rather, live differently. The light is diametrically opposed to darkness. They are opposites. We desire to be light. Instead of increasing the darkness, we should be shining a light on it as a witness of the Gospel.

The second aspect of this that by living as light, there will be revealing of that darkness. The people of God, when they live as light, living holy lives, will naturally expose darkness. It will make those in sin uncomfortable. Why? Because the life and words of the truly born again Christian will reveal what sin really is, and what they were delivered from themselves. What once used to be so attractive to us becomes shameful. What we once did in secret brings overwhelming sense of “what was I thinking?” Why? Because we realize what it was doing to us, how it grieved God, how it was against His holiness, and how it went against His plans and intentions for us.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Illustration: Light reveals what is happening in the dark. Have you ever heard the phrase, “nothing good happens after midnight?” It was meant to be a reminder that often under the shadows of night, it seems the worst things are done because it can be hidden with no sunlight. But the light exposes the dark, and we are called to go into the dark and shine the light of Christ.

Such as we were, but now we are completely different. Our identity has changed. Praise the Lord for His grace, and we want to reflect His light to the world!

C. Your goal as light (13-14)

And rooted in this end of being light is that others become light themselves. When sin is exposed, when darkness is seen for what it is, it has a chance to be transformed. The Christian reflects the Light whom they belong to, Jesus Christ. We live as light so that those who are darkness become light through our testimony and witness of Christ, the one who can make those who are darkness become light themselves.

Verse 14 is most likely an early Christian hymn or teaching that has roots in OT Scxriptures.

Isaiah 60:1 ESV

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Isaiah 26:19 ESV

19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Jesus awakens us from darkness, from our sleep, death in sin, and light shines upon us.

Illustration: I know from my own experience as a teenager that light was a pretty important part of me waking up. Some people need to be shaken, yelled at, or other things. Turn on the light when it is dark and I that is when I wake up.

As we radiate as light, we do well to remember that we as Christians are not the source of our light. That is Jesus Himself.

John 8:12 ESV

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 3:19–21 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Jesus wakes us up from sin and death and gives us life. He shines upon us light, when we were once darkness. He reveals our sin, but He also shines on that sin, removing it from us by taking on darkness himself to save us. The Gospel is verse 14!

Conclusion: The Radiant church is one that reflects the light of Jesus. We shine brightly in a world that is dark. We love differently because Christ loved us. We shine brightly because we are no longer darkness. We imitate God in this incredible way

We cannot give into the demands of culture. We must stand as light. Why? Because the darkness needs to be exposed. And our lives reflect that. Sacrificial love. Love that is not defined by us but by a holy God who knows what is best. The church is to be different. We walk in sacrificial love and walk in the light of Jesus. That’s what the world needs. It doesn’t need a culturally relevant church that excuses sin. It needs a church that lives as light. But in that, we show with humility and our own testimonies that grace is found at the cross. Yes, we stand firm, but we are also loving our enemies, sharing the grace of God to all, and are patient in exposing darkness with our lives. The church should be a place of truth and love. Both and. Shining bright the holiness and grace of God in love. Because 1 Peter 2:9-10 reminds us of this. SING VERSE 9!

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.