In recent weeks a theology of Christian living we have explored includes walking worthily, walking differently and walking in love. This week we begin looking in Ephesians 5:7–14 at walking as light. Light is one of the rich theological images in the Bible. God is light. Christians are children of light. Jesus is the Light of the world. Light speaks of knowledge in place of ignorance, of truth instead of error, of holiness as opposed to sinfulness.
While the Bible does speak about walking in the light (1 John 1:7), this week’s passage goes deeper than saying that Christians walk in light; it says that we are light. “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” The same verse informs our theology of Christian living by calling us to “walk as children of light” (5:8).
Walking as light
Walking as light calls for what believers often have described as living a separated life. Referring to people described in last week’s passage as sexually immoral in behavior and crude in speech, this week’s passage has the direct command, “Do not associate with them” (5:7). Lest we miss it the first time, the command is repeated in different words toward the end of the passage, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness” (5:11). The context of these commands suggests reasons for leading a morally separated life or walking as light. For one thing the nature of God’s kingdom demands it. What is immoral or impure has no inheritance in the kingdom (5:5). Also the fact of God’s wrath against the works of darkness calls for walking as children of light (5:6). In addition our new natures as those born again should cause us to live differently than children of darkness.
God matches His expectations of us with His provisions for us. In making us His children of light, He provides the enablement for us to walk as light. One provision mentioned in this week’s passage is that of our spiritual union with the Lord, who is Himself the Light of the world. Our passage puts it directly, “You are light in the Lord” (5:8).
Luminaries of Christ
The common phrase in the New Testament for this union is that of being “in Christ.” We are not light apart from being spiritually united with the Lord. We look upon the sun as the source of earth’s light. In the night we look at the moon and call what we see moonlight. However, we do better to think of the moon as a luminary instead of a light source. The moon reflects light that has its source in the sun. As Christians, we are luminaries of Christ. He is the light. As such He is the source of the light that we are to reflect each day by virtue of being joined in union with Him.
Since we are light in the Lord, we are to walk as what we are. Our passage goes on to tell us. “The fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (5:9). Thus walking as light entails thinking and doing what is good and right as well as speaking what is true.
What we are
As our Christian walk continues let us remember that once we were not only in the darkness — we were darkness. Now we not only live in the light — we are light in the Lord. Let’s walk daily in keeping with what we are.
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