Theology 101 — Holy Spirit and Holy Living: Walking as Light (Part 2 of 2)

Theology 101 — Holy Spirit and Holy Living: Walking as Light (Part 2 of 2)

Last week we began looking at aspects of Christian living in terms of walking as children of light. Our focus at that time was on God’s provisions for enabling us to walk as light. We continue this week with additional thoughts from Ephesians 5:7–14, which will further illuminate the idea of being light in the Lord. This week, we think about God’s purposes for us walking as light. Two ideas emerge from the passage. One purpose is for us to discern and then demonstrate what pleases the Lord (v. 10). In broad terms, what pleases the Lord is “all that is good and right and true” (v. 9). Goodness shines brightly in a world that is beset with bad attitudes and actions. Uprightness stands out all the more when demonstrated against the background of moral standards that have become bent out of shape. Truth is like a shining beacon when it can be seen in Christians who believe truth, embody it and share it with others. We can speak words that are good, upright and true (and we should), but all around us are those who need to see the qualities being lived before them.

A related purpose for walking as light is to defeat what promotes darkness. Our passage refers to “works of darkness,” which are unfruitful. Part of God’s purpose for us is that we do not participate in such dark deeds but also that we should “expose them” (v. 11). The practical question then is how does God mean for His children to expose deeds of darkness? Our passage points to several ways. One way to isolate such deeds is by separation from them. God’s command is to the point: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness.” A firm but loving refusal to join in with those who are not yet light in the Lord exposes those deeds because of a clear distinction between Christian behavior and non-Christian behavior.

Another part of God’s victory plan is that the darkness be defeated by our silence about what goes on in the darkness. The command is, “For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (v. 12). To our shame sometimes some Christians experience a measure of carnal delight in talking about the secret (and not so secret) sins of the rich and famous as well as of nonpublic figures. To speak to others with graphic descriptions of the bad things people do is to risk spreading evil ideas, stirring shameful desires and suggesting emulation of the deeds our words describe. In a way silence helps put the brakes on the spread of ungodly influences stemming from works of darkness.

In addition God’s plan for defeating the deeds of darkness is for children of light to let our light shine consistently. Just as refusal to speak of dark deeds helps stem their influence so does godly living outshine the darkness. The passage declares, “When anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible” (v. 13). The contrast between being light in the Lord and being darkness in sin is made more vivid when the light is shining in dark places.

The best part of God’s plan for defeating the darkness is to call those in darkness to come to the light. Such a call is the concluding part of this week’s passage, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (v. 14).

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Jerry Batson, retired associate dean of Beeson Divinity School at Samford University and professor at several schools of religion, is pastor of First Baptist Church, McCalla.