Light!

Eph.5:^1-2 “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Please read Eph.5 in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Paul continues with “New Life Instructions” in Eph.5:3-20 (please read). Paul is telling us what to stay away from, as God’s own. God’s Word is clear, people that practice these things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. The keyword there is practice; people that do these things, people whose life pattern is these things cannot inherit the Kingdom. He listed sexual sin, greed, vulgar stories… Instant messaging apps have made it so easy to forward vulgar stories and vulgar jokes. Things that when your children grow up, they will not be proud that their mom or dad was forwarding such things. He talked about indecency and this does not only apply to women. It also applies to men; men can be indecently dressed. Then he went on to talk about silly talk, foolish talk, and corrupt talk. Paul is saying that as Christians, we should stay away from these things.

Eph.5:⁸ (NRSV) “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light”. This is God sharing something deeply powerful with us through Paul. This is something we have been explaining in other ways before now. Note that Paul did not say, ‘for once you were in darkness.’ Instead, he says, ‘we were darkness’. Huge difference! But now the Lord has not just put us in the light, the Lord has made us light. We are not just in the light; we actually are light. Jesus says to us, “You are the light of the world“. In other words, if you are not in your office, there would be so much darkness they would not know their left from their right. That is what Jesus wants for you and that is who you are.

For those of us who have family members that are not yet saved, God is saying if you were not in that family, if you were not in your village, if you were not living on your street, the whole street would be in darkness  [spiritual darkness]. Your presence there is not just bringing light, you are the light. So, when I was outside of Christ, I was not just in darkness, I was darkness. Knowing this truth makes me appreciate what Jesus has done for me even more. I am better able to appreciate the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. I was darkness, you were darkness, we were all darkness. When we come to Christ, He does not just put us in the light, Jesus makes us light. You are light!

Prayer: Father, I declare that I am indeed the light of the world; Light that cannot be hidden, a light that will expel every darkness in my sphere of influence, in Jesus Name. Amen!