Here is my commentary on Ephesians 5:7-8. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site, http://www.new-life.org.au

Ephesians 5:7-8

“Therefore do not the associated with them, for once you were darkness but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.”

We must have nothing to do with disobedient people on whom God’s wrath is coming down. (Ephesians 5:6)

This does not mean that we should try to separate ourselves completely from the world. How can the light shine in the darkness if the light shuns the darkness?

It does mean that we need to be careful about our friendships. We must ensure that the people who are disobedient to God are not the people who are influencing our thoughts and our values.

This is always a delicate balance for christians who are called to be “in the world” but not “of the world.”

We were once darkness but now, in the Lord, we are light.

This is a binary state – we are either light or darkness, for Christ or against Him. There are no grey areas.

Before we were united with Christ, we lived in the darkness. We shared the nature of darkness – the sin and depravity of the world.

As children of darkness, we set our own destiny and lived by our own values. We were headed for eternal judgement, which is the fate of all who choose the darkness over the light.

Then Jesus came into our lives. The darkness was overtaken by the light. We made a quantum leap, a leap of faith. We crossed over from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.

All of this was by the grace of God. We had little say in it except to agree that we needed salvation.

In Christ, we are now light. The light of Christ shines from us into the darkness. The darkness cannot overcome light.

Some people feel that they are not very good at being light in the darkness. It is true that some seem to have a brighter light than others, in that they live an exemplary Christian life.

If you had ever been in a pitch black space, such as a cave, where there is literally no light, you may have seen a match or candle lit. What would seem to be a very weak light in the middle of the day, has great brightness in perfect darkness.

Even the weakest of christians shine as beacons in the darkness of the world. As long as we are trying to be faithful to the Lord, His life will shine through it.

This light is “in the Lord.” He is the source of light that flows from us and shines in the darkness. The brightness of the light, the amount of light that shines, is proportional to the power of the presence of Christ in our lives.

Sin can dim the light. Sin is like a film of grease on a lamp. It does not extinguish the light, but it does make the light less clearly seen. It may blur the focus, making the light of Christ less distinguishable. It might add colours that are not meant to be there.

Therefore, Paul tells us that we must live as children of the light. It seems odd that many who have crossed over from darkness into light still live by the laws and customs of the kingdom of darkness.

If we have truly been born of the Spirit then the works of the Spirit will grow in us. For some this is a rapid process, but for many it is a long, slow process of daily turning to the Lord.

Over time, we will see the fruits of darkness diminish in our lives, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit should increase.

Like many things in the walk with the Lord, this is both the grace of God together with hard work on our part. We have to decide to walk as children of the light, while also remaining humble to receive the power to change.

Key points in these verses:

• We must not allow the people of darkness to influence our own attitudes and deeds
• We were once darkness, but God lifted this up into the kingdom of light
• We must live as children of the light
• Do not be discouraged if you feel that your light is inadequate. Keep trusting the Lord.