Living As Children, Walking As Light

Well, there's a narrative in certain Christian circles that goes something like this.

I used to be an addict.

I used to be an alcoholic.

Or I was addicted to pornography.

But when I became a Christian, the desire for that sin just left me.

I was miraculously freed from its bondage.

And although this certainly can be true by God's grace, and maybe some of you have even experienced something similar,

the vast majority of us continue to fall into some of the same sinful patterns that plagued us since long before we came to faith.

Even if you have experienced radical transformation in one area of your life, there's still failure in others.

And the fact is, you still struggle with these sins because you enjoy them.

You desire them.

Maybe you're wondering, why is there still so much darkness in my heart?

Or maybe you're on the opposite end of the spectrum.

You've been a believer as long as you can remember.

And God in his grace has spared you from much of the darkness I just mentioned.

You never participated in such things and have never felt their allure.

And you're beside yourself when you think about how other people could participate in these things.

Sure, I mean, you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, just like everybody else.

But the unsaved version of yourself was still a pretty good person.

You still struggle with sin.

I mean, who doesn't?

But none of the real egregious ones, right?

But your struggle to see the weight of your sin,

to see its infinite offense before a holy God,

is evidence of lingering darkness in your heart as well.

Or maybe you're like me, a combination of the two.

You still feel the allure of really dark sins,

lasting scars from a life spent walking in darkness.

But you also feel apathy towards things that would seem to be shades of gray.

Paul's going to tell us this morning as we open up Scripture

that none of these categories are consistent with our identity in Christ.

Darkness, however dark, is the old you.

It's the old me.

We are now light in the Lord,

so we must walk as children of light.

My hope is that in considering our new identity as light,

we would better understand how to faithfully live as light.

Please turn in your Bibles with me to Ephesians chapter 5,

Ephesians 5:3–14

verses 3 through 14.

Ephesians 5, 3 through 14.

And you'll want to keep your Bibles handy,

because I'll be pointing us back to it quite a bit.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness

must not even be named among you,

as is proper among saints.

Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk,

nor crude joking, which are out of place.

But instead, let there be thanksgiving.

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.

Let no one deceive you with empty words,

for because of these things the wrath of God

comes upon the sons of disobedience.

Therefore, do not become partners with them.

For at one time you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

For the fruit of light is found in all that is good

and right and true.

And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness,

but instead expose them.

For it is shameful even to speak at the things

that they do in secret.

But when anything is exposed by the light,

it becomes visible.

For anything that becomes visible is light.

Therefore, it says,

Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.

Well, this is a complex passage.

And it would be really easy to just gloss over it,

focus on all the commands,

and think,

that's what Christianity is all about.

In fact, that's pretty much how I felt

during the time of the story that Rick shared.

But this isn't God's list of do's or don'ts.

If you want to be a Christian, don't do this.

Or, if you do this,

God's going to punish you.

This passage is about identity,

not commands.

Verse 8 is critical.

Everything's hinging on it,

so let's take another look at it.

Paul says,

For at one time you were darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light.

So remember,

Paul's not just writing to people who,

he's not just writing to people in general.

He's writing specifically to the church.

And how does he begin Ephesians?

He says,

To the saints who are in Ephesus

and are faithful in Christ Jesus.

Paul's baseline assumption

is that he's writing to people

who already are Christians.

In verse 8,

he acknowledges that darkness is their past,

not their present.

And back in chapter 2,

Paul writes,

You were dead in the trespasses and sins

in which you once walked.

You were following the Spirit at work

in the sons of disobedience.

You were, by nature,

children of wrath.

But God...

Paul is talking to believers

and his message is this.

Christian,

you used to be darkness.

That's the old you.

But God is light.

Now you are a child of God.

You are light.

So walk accordingly.

But what does it mean to walk?

In the context of Ephesians,

when we talk about walking,

we're talking about

how we as Christians

are to live.

So really,

walking is living.

Maybe you notice the phrase

back from chapter 2

that I quoted just a moment ago.

He says,

You were dead in the trespasses and sins

in which you once walked.

Walking is a theme

that we see throughout Ephesians.

In chapter 2, verse 10,

Paul says,

We're created in Christ Jesus

for good works,

which God prepared beforehand

that we should walk in them.

And in chapter 5, verse 2,

the verse just before this morning's text,

we are to be, quote,

imitators of God

as beloved children

and walk in love.

Our old selves

walked in trespasses and sins.

But that was the era of our death.

We are now in a new era of life,

and the living walk differently.

In our passage today,

Paul further instructs us

in three ways

on how the Christian

or the child of light

is to walk

or to live.

So if you're taking notes,

point number one,

and this will be the longest one,

the other two will be a bit shorter.

Point number one,

children of light

give thanks.

Children of light

give thanks.

Number two,

children of light

try to discern

what is pleasing to the Lord.

Children of light

try to discern

what is pleasing to the Lord.

And number three,

children of light

expose darkness.

Children of light

expose darkness.

So number one,

children of light

give thanks.

Let's look at verses three and four.

But sexual immorality

and all impurity

or covetousness

must not even be named among you

as is proper among saints.

Let there be no filthiness

nor foolish talk

nor crude joking

which are out of place,

but instead

let there be thanksgiving.

So, sexual immorality,

impurity, covetousness,

and various kinds

of sinful speech

are the old way.

They're the way

that darkness walks.

But the light-bearing

alternative

that Paul provides us

to all of these sins

is thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is not only

presented as

the opposite

of these sins,

but also

the solution

to these sins.

Let's take a look

at these sins again.

Sexual immorality,

all impurity,

and covetousness.

One commentator

writes this,

Paul moves

from the acts

of immorality

and uncleanness

to their inner spring,

greed,

that insatiable desire

to have more,

even the coveting

of someone else's body

for selfish gratification.

So, covetousness,

or greed,

is the force

behind these sins.

And it's all idolatry,

according to verse 5.

It's worshiping

the created

over the creator.

It's looking at God

and saying,

you're holding out on me.

But Paul isn't simply

forbidding these sins

in verse 3.

That would be redundant.

Indeed,

he's already condemned

them all

in strikingly

similar language

back in chapter 4,

verse 17 to 20.

You can look back

a page or so

if you'd like.

Chapter 4,

verse 17 to 20.

He tells the church

not to walk

as the Gentiles do.

He says,

they have given

themselves up

to sensuality,

greedy,

to practice

every kind

of impurity.

No,

Paul goes

beyond the command

not to commit

these sins,

and now he says,

don't even talk

about them.

Listen to the wording

in verse 3.

These sins

must not even

be named

among you.

So do we never

talk about them?

Do we put our heads

in the sand

and pretend like

they don't exist?

Verse 4 is going

to clarify.

Let there be

no filthiness,

nor foolish talk,

nor crude joking

which are out of place.

You see,

joking

is a soft way

of introducing

these sinful desires

into conversation

that ultimately

leads to their

acceptance.

So it's easy

to just categorize

verse 4

as the locker room

humor verse,

but remember,

this isn't just

flippant conversation

about sexual sins.

Paul is telling us

to have nothing

to do with

flippant conversation

about all manner

of idolatry.

So this isn't

just addressing

locker room humor

among young men.

I spent

five years

working in

construction management

before I went

to China.

And I daily

heard men

complaining about

their old lady,

their ball and chain,

and plenty of other

phrases I can't utter

in this room.

Why are they

unsatisfied with

the gift God

has given them

and their wives?

Unless we think

the sinful speech

of verse 4

is just a guy problem,

wives,

do you joke around

with your friends

that your husband

doesn't do enough

around the house?

Moms,

are you tempted

to disguise

grumbling

about your children's

disobedience

with laughter

by telling

parenting war stories

with other moms?

and what's behind

a lot of our

self-deprecating humor?

We make fun of

our weight,

our intelligence,

our lack of a skill

in a particular area,

our finances.

We're not giving thanks.

Our jokes

reveal our idolatrous

discontent.

we talk casually

or make jokes

about the areas

of dissatisfaction

in our lives.

It gives us

a sort of

gratifying release

that we can't

achieve in action,

either because

the desired act

is so shameful,

verse 12,

or because it's

simply not God's

plan for us.

And this speech

also promotes

the spread of sin.

It promotes

the spread of sin.

Make no mistake,

if we talk

about wickedness,

sexual or otherwise,

in a casual

or joking way,

we will soon

walk in that

wickedness

quite casually.

The sort of speech

is dangerous

because it seeks

to call darkness

light

or just

shades of gray.

But for the Christian,

there can be

only light.

There's no room

for darkness

and there are

no shades of gray.

So preach

the gospel

to yourself.

The only appropriate

response to the

staggering blessings

of the gospel

is thanksgiving.

I'm going to list

off a few of those

blessings that Paul

wrote in Ephesians.

These all come

from chapter 2,

so you can look at them

on your own later.

He says,

but God,

being rich in mercy,

made us alive

together with Christ.

He showed us

the immeasurable

riches of his grace.

We have been

brought near.

He has killed

the hostility.

He has reconciled

us all to God

in one body.

So remind yourself

of these truths

daily.

And I'm

intentionally

sticking with

the word

thanksgiving

and not switching

over to the more

common word

thankfulness.

I think it's

significant

that it's actually

active.

It's not just

be thankful.

He's saying

give thanks.

In our sinful flesh,

thankfulness

will not come

effortlessly.

Here's a quick

example regarding

preaching the gospel

to yourself.

Consider your

adoption in Christ.

God loved you

enough to lay

down his own

son to make

you his son

also.

You parents

out there,

you love your

kids, right?

You wouldn't

give them up

for anything.

But God did.

And he did it

in love for you.

So knowing

that we're

children of God

and loved by

him invites

us to press

deeper into

relationship with

him and find

greater satisfaction

in him than

we would ever

find in our

idolatrous

pursuits.

I don't know

about you,

but just

remembering that

I'm forgiven

of a particular

sin doesn't

curb my

desire for

that sin.

But knowing

that I'm loved

does.

Depth of

relationship

does.

Our adoption

in the gospel

is an even

greater gift

than our

forgiveness.

It's probably

our best tool

in giving

thanks and

our best

weapon in

battling sin.

So meditate

on that and

other truths

that are

similar to it.

Meditate on

them every day

and drive

yourself to

thanksgiving.

thanksgiving.

The fact is

we have

sufficient

blessing

in the gospel

alone

for thanksgiving

to drive out

our idolatry.

That is

enough.

But in our

forgetfulness

often it doesn't

feel enough.

praise God

for Romans

8, 32.

He who

did not

spare his

own son

but gave

him up

for us

all,

how will

he not

also with

him graciously

give us

all things?

Yes, we

have this

eternal

blessing

but we

also have

many blessings

in creation

that redirect

our minds

to that

eternal

blessing.

Giving

thanks even

for God's

earthly blessings

is a way

for light

to shine

in the

darkness

in our

own

hearts

and in

others.

So combat

lust and

grumbling

about your

spouse with

thanksgiving to

God for the

gift that he

or she is

to you.

If you're

single and

discontent in

your singleness

are you giving

thanks to God

for the other

relationships that

he has given

you at this

time?

Maybe it's a

close relationship

with a parent

or roommates

or members

of your

small group.

Are you

covetous of a

friend,

their home,

their income,

their job?

Are you

giving thanks to

God for his

provision for you

in your life?

If you're

responding and

speaking as those

in darkness would

speak about these

things, you're

going to walk the

way that they

walk.

But when

children of light

give thanks in

their speech, it

promotes their

own satisfaction

in Christ and

in the blessings

of the gospel.

It curbs our

desire to continue

chasing the lies

of idolatrous

sins.

sins.

And when

others around

us speak

flippantly about

these sins,

our thanksgiving

responses are a

light that can

expose the

foolishness of

their idolatry and

point them to

hope in Christ for

their satisfaction.

So that was

point number one.

Children of light,

give thanks.

Number two,

children of light,

try to discern what

is pleasing to the

Lord.

Look back with me

at verse one, just

before this morning's

passage.

Paul says, be

imitators of God as

beloved children.

I'm reminded of

Jesus' words to the

Pharisees in John

8, 44.

He says, you are of

your father the devil

and your desire is to

do your father's

will.

Your will is to do

your father's

desires.

Just like Jesus

said to the

Pharisees, only in

reverse.

If God is your

father, your will is

to do his desires.

And in verse 10 of

our passage today,

Paul tells us that

children of light try

to discern what is

pleasing to the

Lord, their father.

Well, how do we know

what pleases him?

Look at the

parenthesis in verse

9.

He says, the fruit of

the light is found in

all that is good and

right and true.

The child of light

pleases the Lord when

he or she walks in or

lives out good works,

righteousness, and

truth.

This all echoes

Micah 6, 8.

If you'd like, you can

turn there or you can

just listen.

Micah 6, 8.

And Micah says,

He has told you, O man,

what is good.

And what does the

Lord require of you but

to do justice and to

love kindness and to

walk humbly with your

God?

We have the Old

Testament, and we

certainly have the life

of Jesus in the

Gospels and the

teachings of the

Apostles.

With Scripture and the

Holy Spirit as our

guide, we are to test,

examine, and walk in

what is pleasing to the

Lord in every aspect of

our daily lives.

Why would you continue

to participate in the

old way, the way of the

sons of disobedience?

Their fate is clear in

verses 5 and 6.

Exclusion from the

kingdom and the wrath

of God.

Why would you partner

with them in the old

way of death and

darkness?

Do not partner means

this.

As light, do not act

as darkness.

Verse 8.

At one time you were

darkness, but now you

are light in the Lord.

These aren't

locational, like living

in darkness or living

in light.

Light is identifying who

you are, Christian.

Light is who you are,

Christ the King Church.

It's all about identity.

If we view these as

locational, then our

response is, well, don't

hang around the darkness

crowd.

Don't spend too much time

around sinners.

Bad company corrupts good

morals.

Hang around the light.

No.

You are the light.

Christ the King Church,

you are light.

We have to be who we are.

That is what pleases God.

So, regardless of your

location, whether you're

at church, or you're at

work, or school, around

Christians, or God-hating

coworkers, neighbors,

family, friends, be who

you are.

Be light.

Walk in good works,

righteousness, and truth.

In darkness, we knew only

exclusion and wrath.

But in the light of Christ,

our reality is now adoption

and grace.

We no longer have to try to

please God.

We seek to please God in our

light-bearing because of the

fact that we already have his

everlasting favor.

We don't have to earn it.

Last point, number three.

Children of light expose

darkness.

Children of light expose

darkness.

To what purpose?

What's the point?

Is it calling a spade a spade?

Policing the unbelieving

world?

Condemning those who are

darkness?

darkness?

No.

Verse 13 and 14.

Look with me there.

He says,

But when anything is exposed

by the light, it becomes

visible.

For anything that becomes

visible is light.

Transformation.

Darkness becomes light.

So in the beginning of verse

14, we're going from being

exposed by the light to being

transformed by that light.

I love this quote.

Listen to this.

An object that is

illumined not only becomes

visible, but may also take on

luminosity.

That is, it glows as if it were

the source of light itself.

So the object becomes visible

and then gives off light itself.

Think of the moon.

It's a source of light in the

darkness of night.

But is it a star?

No, it's just a chunk of

gray rock.

But it's the object of the

sun's light.

It's illumined by the sun,

and the result is the

reflection of that light upon

the earth at nighttime.

And isn't that the case with

us?

Once darkened,

now reflecting the light of

the glory of Christ.

Verse 14.

Therefore it says,

for this reason of

transformation, it says,

awake, O sleeper, and arise

from the dead, and Christ will

shine on you.

This isn't a direct quote from

anywhere in scripture, but

listen to Isaiah 60, 1-3.

Isaiah 60, 1-3.

Isaiah writes,

Arise, shine, for your

light has come, and the

glory of the Lord has risen

upon you.

For behold, darkness shall

cover the earth, and thick

darkness the peoples.

But the Lord will arise upon

you, and his glory will be

seen upon you, and the

nations shall come to your

light, and kings to the

brightness of your rising.

So, the glory of the Lord

has shown on you.

Once darkness,

now light.

So arise, and shine

yourselves, and the nations

will come to your light.

The goal in exposing darkness

is not condemning in nature,

but evangelistic.

Through our light bearing, God

summons the dead to awaken, and

the ultimate light of Christ, of

which we are a pale reflection,

shines on them in the work of

salvation.

Well, the cross-cultural missions

component is obvious in Isaiah 60.

He says, nations shall come to your

light.

How are you a light to the

nations?

Is Christ's light compelling you to

seek the transformation of darkened

souls around the world?

Maybe this means you talk to

leadership here, and explore the

process of entering the mission

field.

If that's not you, then

scripture would have you support

those who are ministering in other

cultures.

John Piper has famously said,

go, send, or disobey.

And although financial support is

certainly an important part of

sending, it's not the only part.

You also pray for missionaries.

You get knowledgeable about

missionary work, and you excite your

fellow Christians about it, too.

Several of you, actually, reached out

to Christy and I this past year

during a time of crisis and family

tragedy.

Several of you

encouraged us, and you told us you

were praying for us.

And that kind of stuff, by the grace

of God, kept us there, and it kept us

going.

And last, we can pray specifically for

unreached Muslims and Buddhists, Hindus

and atheists around the world, that they

would find the light of Christ.

To that end, I would recommend to

everyone here, if you don't already

have it, get yourself a copy of the book

Operation World by Jason Mandrick.

Again, the book's called Operation

World by Jason Mandrick.

It's a great prayer resource.

Learn about these unreached people

groups around the world and pray for

them.

The other component

of this verse I will call

same-culture evangelism.

So we've got cross-cultural missions,

and we've got same-culture evangelism.

Now, same-culture evangelism involves

building relationships with the lost

and serving the needy around us in our

own culture.

It's not mere Christian kindness,

but the vehicle through which God

transforms darkened hearts.

evangelism.

It's not mere Christian

evangelism.

It's not mere Christian

evangelism.

Evangelism cannot exclude bold proclamation

of truth, but it also must include

the good works, kindness, and righteous living

that we're called to walk in.

Before I close in prayer, I want us to

take a moment to reflect.

Paul wrote specifically to Christians,

to genuine believers, children of light,

and so he speaks to us now as if we are.

But we must acknowledge that unbelievers, too,

can read scripture and come to church

and listen to sermons.

So we must ask ourselves the question,

Am I a child of light

or a son of disobedience?

If a son of disobedience,

then repent.

Darkness is your present,

but it need not be your future.

Consider this message, the light of Christ,

shining on you.

It's proof that he loves you.

Don't retreat further into darkness,

but be transformed by the message

of the gospel.

And rejoice in the presence of Christ

and his holiness.

If a child of the light,

are you flirting with darkness,

testing what's permissible?

You're looking at it all wrong.

You need to repent.

We shouldn't be thinking,

which jokes can I get away with?

Or is it okay to say this thought or that phrase?

If your speech isn't expressing thanksgiving,

it's wasted speech.

And Paul says it's foolish talk.

Thanksgiving speech is light-bearing speech.

It's the only speech that's consistent with our identity.

Richly blessed,

adopted children of God,

children of light.

And finally,

have no association

with the sins of those who are darkness,

but by all means,

associate with those who are darkness.

Jesus certainly did.

You could accurately categorize his life

as a walking association with sinners.

Associate with sinners.

And patiently,

gently,

lovingly,

boldly,

shine.

The light doesn't condemn.

God miraculously works through it,

his light and our reflecting light,

to transform darkened hearts.

Let's pray.

Father,

I

thank you for your word.

I

thank you

for

the forgiveness

that we have

in Christ.

And I thank you

even more

that we are not just forgiven,

but we have been adopted

and made your children.

I thank you that

our identity is no longer

associated with

our own sin and depravity,

but it is associated with you

and your holiness.

Lord,

I pray that we would be

faithful children

who honor their father.

Lord,

make us

children who

walk as we ought to walk,

who speak

as we ought to speak,

not out of fear

that you might crush us,

but out of love

because you never will.

You crushed your son instead.

You made us your children

and you love us

and our identity is secure

and nothing

can take away

your love from us.

Lord,

let us walk in confidence

because of that truth

and let us faithfully

meditate on it

every day.

amen.

It's in your name

I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.