Children of Light Pt. 2

Good morning and welcome to Dishman Baptist Church. Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Ephesians 5, Ephesians 5. If you don’t have a Bible with you and you would like one to follow along just raise your hand and someone will bring you a Bible.

Have you ever stopped to consider what makes you you? For instance - what is it that makes you an American? Is it simply that you were born here? And if you had been born in another country would that then make you a different person? If you’d been born in India, you would be an Indian. If in France you would be French. If in Brazil you would be Brazilian. But does that make you who you are?

Paul has just told the Ephesian believers that they had undergone a fundamental change in their person. That while they had once been darkness but now are light. That when they were made new by Christ that their nature had changed and they were now a new creation. And he leaves them with the statement to walk as children of light. But what exactly does it mean to walk as a child of light? And how is this done? Is it simply attending church and the gathering of the saints there in Ephesus? We know from what Paul has written here earlier that it definitely does not look like the normal life lived among the people of Ephesus as sexual immorality, impurity and greed are not even to be named among the believers there.

The great question of the Ephesian life, and I would say for Christians today, is what exactly does it look like to live life as a child of the light. Thankfully Paul doesn’t leave us wondering but instead he breaks his train of thought to add in a parenthetical statement regarding what it looks like to live as a child of the light. Earlier he told the Ephesian believers to walk in love and rather than leaving them wondering how that happens he provides them an example in verse 2 telling them Ephesians 5:2 “and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” Here Paul is going to give us a parenthetical statement that will define for the Ephesians and for us what it looks like to walk as a child of light.

Please look at your Bibles with me as we read again Ephesians 5:6-14. We’ll be spending our time in verses 9 and 10 today but reading the whole passage will give us a good understanding of how these verses fit into what Paul is saying.

Ephesians 5:6–14 CSB

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light— for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth— testing what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible, for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Paul would not be a fan of the unspoken eleventh commandment - the one that our modern society has taken out of Matthew 7:1 ““Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged.” He, like Christ, tells us that there should be some demonstration, some noticeable difference in the lives of those who profess to believe. That there should be some fruit. No one who drives through the central Washington apple orchards later this summer would be surprised by the presence of luscious, beautiful apples all over the trees there. No one who drives south out of Spokane down 27 would be surprised by the wheat growing in the Palouse. The same should be expected from the life of a Christian. No one who knows of your profession of faith should be surprised by the growth of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness or self-control within our lives.

The truth is though that there is precious little of this fruit growth in the life of the church. Instead what we have plenty of is fake fruit trees on the one hand and trees that, instead of luscious good fruit, produce dried out fruit bereft of any value. The fake fruit trees are those that mimic or present the image of Christian virtues and maturity and growth but in fact have none of those. These would be the ones who have already been addressed by Paul earlier in this chapter when he wrote that sexual immorality, impurity and greed should not even be named among you.

In the world of trees today there are actual producers of fake fruit trees. These trees give the same look as real fruit trees with one difference - no actual fruit. One marketer of these trees says that’s actually a benefit of fake fruit trees. There is no messy fruit mess that you either have to eat or can or clean up at the end of the season. And these trees hold symbolic value. An apple tree can mean curiosity or patriotism. An orange tree can stand for prosperity, good fortune and happiness. But there is no real fruit. There are christians and churches that have taken this approach. Just give off the right image - especially the orange tree, just add health and you have the prosperity gospel symbolized in a tree - and you don’t need any of that messy discipleship stuff. You don’t need to actually grow in your faith - just say that right things and act the right way and you are good.

On the other side are those who have wrung all of the grace and love out of the church and have instead become ultra-discerning and looking for the slightest misstep or altering in order to pounce on it and correct it. I read this statement from a pastor named Ray Ortlund the other day and at first I disagreed with it but the more I think about it there is a whole group of christians in the church that this fits. “I just don’t believe God put me in this world for me to show you how wrong you are and to correct you, scold you, and treat you like you’re so lucky I’m here. I don’t believe God put any of us here for such a purpose.” I thought - what a straw man argument. There really aren’t Christians who think and act in such ways. But actually there are - there are christians who spend most of their time correcting others, scolding others, pointing out their shortcomings and faults and - while they would never openly admit this and may not even consciously acknowledge this attitude - carry themselves as if the church is lucky they are around to set everyone straight. In fact as I think of it - I used to be such a person. I can still remember a conversation I had with someone standing in the hallway of my in-laws home. I was informing him of a preacher that I was certain was really bad and his response was “I just can’t listen to you because you’re just so negative.” And I truly was. It would seem that this demographic of the church has wrung all of the love and grace out of the gospel until the fruit that they produce is just like the raisins and prunes that have had all of the water wrung out of them.

There must be a middle ground. There must be a christian life defined by growth and maturity and still characterized by grace and love. There is no room for false fruit but there must be room for seedlings sprouting and mature fruit - each still growing. We must be able to fulfill Paul’s earlier challenge to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” The NLT translates the last part of this verse as “making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”

It is important for us to understand and recognize that these challenges that I’m speaking of are natural within the body of believers known as the church. One interesting observation of the book of Ephesians is that there are no real glaring doctrinal issues that Paul is seeking to correct. There are no “problems” in Ephesians unlike Galatians, 1st and 2nd Corinthians or even in Philippians. We have to glean from the book, to read below the surface to understand the issues that were taking place. The closest we get to an issue is the comment that I’ve already alluded to regarding sexual immorality, impurity and greed and even that doesn’t say that it was actually happening there - but more a warning that such things are not conducive or can not coincide with a christian testimony. But through such comments as bear with one another in love and make allowance for other’s faults we see that in every church there will be those who’s manner of living out their christian life may be different than someone else’s. Speaking on this passage of scripture Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones likened christians to apples - that all apples are apples but that there are variations in color, texture and flavor but that doesn’t make them any less an apple.

Now what does any of that have to do with this morning’s passage - Paul is going to tell the Ephesians three characteristics of the fruit of light - some translations call this the fruit of the Spirit - that we would do well to recognize, pursue and foster in one another’s lives. The first is the concept of goodness, the second is righteousness and the third is truth. In each of these we see a counterpoint to the three words Paul has previously used to characterize those things which should not be found amongst believers. Each of those - sexual immorality, impurity and greed found its greatest beneficiary in the self. But these three - goodness, righteousness and truth are all outwardly focused. Goodness speaks primarily of our relationship with those around us. Righteousness speaks of our relationship to God. And truth pertains to our personal integrity which impacts both our relationship with God and with others.

Goodness - Our Relationship To Others

This is an interesting characteristic the Paul chooses to highlight here. Goodness. I say that it is interesting because of the way that human nature is characterized in other portions of Scripture with respect to this notion of being good. In Romans 3 Paul quotes Psalm 53 saying there is none who does what is good, not even one. In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon writes regarding the nature of man Ecclesiastes 7:20 “There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.” When approached by the rich young ruler and addressed as “Good teacher” you will remember Jesus response “Why do you call me good. There is none good except God alone.” So why is Paul requiring something of christians that we are not? And what exactly does he mean by this term goodness?

There are several words translated as good or goodness in the New Testament. One is kalos which describes that which is intrinsically right, free from defects, beautiful or honorable. Another is chrestos which refers to that which is pleasant, useful, suitable or worthy. The word Paul chooses here is agathosune - which refers to the quality or moral excellence of a good person. It is a moral quality characterized by interest in the welfare of others.

In calling christians to demonstrate the fruit of goodness in their lives Paul is calling us to be interested in the welfare, in the well-being of others. Earlier Paul intimated that our surplus of income should be used to benefit others and that is some of what is in view here. As Christians who have the largest concern of our lives both in the present and future removed, our concern should be for the overall well being of those around us. Not that our focus should be on making everyone comfortable in this life or removing all obstacles or pain that come in to our lives here - some of those things are meant to whet our thirst for Heaven or for our discipline when we start to wander away from Christ. But instead it is to demonstrate a difference in our outlook - that we are so content and confident in our eternal destination that we can genuinely seek the betterment of those around us. Paul tells the Thessalonians 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “See to it that no one repays evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for one another and for all.” James writes that the essence of true religion is James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

But this goodness is not simply to be focused on making the world a better place. Greenpeace, the ACLU in their own perverse manner, the United Way - and thousands of other philanthropic organizations are seeking to do just that same thing. The goodness that Paul is calling the believers here to is something so counterintuitive to the world that it is shocking to them. The early church father Tertullian said this of Christian goodness “Our religion commands us to love even our enemies, and to pray for those who persecute us, aiming at a perfection all its own, and seeking in its disciples something of a higher type than the commonplace goodness of the world. For all love those who love them; it is peculiar to Christians alone to love those who hate them.”

There is a measure of goodness that the world can aspire to and there might even be a counterfeit version of love for one’s enemies that the world can muster up. But it is only sustainable for a fleeting moment because ultimately the selfish motivation to satisfy one’s own needs returns or the need to establish or sustain one’s place in society compels them to seek something else. There is even a measure of moral goodness that the world can achieve but the motivations for this goodness are self-serving rather than truly being about the other person or people. Christians in ancient Rome were actually accused of cannibalism because they would take in the infants that were left out to be exposed to the elements so they would die - a practice that we may have to resume in the near future if the unthinkable bill in Maryland gets passed. In any society where the marginalized in that society saw life get better for them Christians were the driving force behind the moral changes that led to societal improvement. But this is not sustainable for long because the society’s reasons and the Christian’s reason for moral change are polar opposite. Society will change as long as it benefits society in some way - but a Christian’s inherent goodness comes from a much deeper, purer source - the righteousness that is being developed in them by the Holy Spirit.

Righteousness - Our Relationship to God

Speaking of righteousness here, Paul is specifically thinking of the performance of actions required by God. The word here is dikaiosyne. It was used by Matthew to describe the reason why Christ needed to be baptized by John in Matthew 3:15 “Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.” It is also the righteousness that is described by Jesus in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Blessed are those who seek a right standing with God.

This is not a righteousness that leads to justification or sanctification. We know from Scripture that man cannot be justified by works but rather by faith alone. This is a righteousness that is the outgrowth of salvation - that seeks to accomplish the Father’s will because of love and devotion to Him. It is the underlying source of the goodness that Paul has described as the fruit of light and that we just looked at. It is possible because Christ has given us His righteous nature and we are now to pursue righteousness.

The challenge presented in this is that we are already naturally pre-disposed to seek and pursue after righteousness - self-righteousness. Even when seeking to pursue God’s righteousness we can fall victim to pursuing instead our own version of righteousness that is contrary to the righteousness that God would seek to grow within us. This is a danger for all believers but in particular it is dangerous to those who think they are mature or have learned much in the faith. Commenting on this tendency within believers, John Newton said “I am afraid there are Calvinists, who, while they account it a proof of their humility that they are willing in words to debase the creature, and to give all the glory of salvation to the Lord, yet know not what manner of spirit they are of. Whatever it be that makes us trust in ourselves that we are comparatively wise or good, so as to treat those with contempt who do not subscribe to our doctrines, or follow our party, is a proof and fruit of a self-righteous spirit. Self-righteousness can feed upon doctrines, as well as upon works; and a man may have the heart of a Pharisee, while his head is stored with orthodox notions of the unworthiness of the creature and the riches of free grace.”

We must have our hearts guarded by the Holy Spirit to avoid this manner of spiritual blindness and arrogance. We must be solely focused on His righteousness and His efforts to effect His righteousness within us rather than our own. We must recognize also that this is not a righteousness that is inactive but rather is active in its outworking in our lives. This righteousness that Paul is referring to is the ACT of doing what God requires. Not in a way to earn salvation but as a fulfillment of the salvation that has already been delivered to us.

We are righteous not because of what we have done but because of what has been done for us - but out of that righteousness comes a desire to do the works that God requires of us as an offering of gratitude to Him.

Truth - A Life of Integrity

John D. Rockefeller Jr said “I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man’s word should be as good as his bond; that character - not wealth or power or position is of supreme worth.” There was once a time when the integrity of a man was worth more than gold. Yet that has changed now - and even truth is questionable. This is nothing new or recent - truth has been in question ever since the Garden of Eden. Pilate could look at Jesus on that Friday morning so many years ago and question “what is truth.” As Christians we should be known as men and women that speak the truth - truth spoken in love surely - but truth speaking all the same. The challenge often isn’t the truth part - it is the speaking it in love part. We are actually very good and often very willing to speak the truth regardless of how it comes across or is perceived.

But this isn’t the way that Paul is telling us to model truth in this verse or anywhere in Scripture. Truth has to do with what is honest, reliable, trustworthy and embodied by integrity. While we are to speak the truth in all situations we are to do so in a manner that is both winsome and kind. Later in Ephesians Paul will tell his readers that they are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord. Nyah would fit very well into that passage as she is in the habit of walking around the house making up songs about everything right now - but I don’t think what Paul was getting at there is that we should be part of some Broadway musical. But one thing I think he is getting at there is that our conversations should be pleasing to the Lord both in content and in manner of speech. Paul expressed that same thought earlier in Ephesians saying Ephesians 4:29 “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”

The truth that we speak to one another should ultimately demonstrate the goodness and righteousness that is being developed and grown in our hearts. In this way we will test what is pleasing to the Lord. Testing comes from the word dokimazo meaning trying to learn. In the life of the Christian we will spend time growing in goodness and righteousness and as we grow will be able to test our actions to determine if they are pleasing to God. We will also be willing to allow our lives to be scrutinized by others to determine if we are who we profess to be.

What fruit are you bearing? Are you bearing the fruit of the light having a gracious spirit towards one another that seeks the best for each person? Are you bearing fruits of righteousness toward Christ your Savior? Or are you bearing dried fruit that is bereft of love and grace - fruit that doesn’t exclude you from the Kingdom of God but that doesn’t have the full effect that God desires from you. Hopefully you aren’t trying to get by with fake fruit - fruit that bears all the marks of true fruit until it is tested to reveal that in reality it is not true fruit.