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Book: Ephesians
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Ephesians 5:8
I. "But you were at one time in darkness, but now are the light of the
Lord."
A. In chapter 2 as Paul is describing what we once were, he said,
EPH 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in
the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is
called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
EPH 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
B. Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of darkness. In Ephesians 6:12
Paul said, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against
principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this world.
C. Isaiah in context with the prophecy of "Unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given," said concerning the coming of
that child,
ISA 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them
hath the light shined.
D. Matthew quotes that verse and applies it to the ministry of
Jesus around the sea of Galilee.
MAT 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them
which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
E. Jesus called Paul on the Damascus road to go to the Gentiles,
ACS 26:18 To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to
light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which
are sanctified by faith that is in me.
F. To the Colossians Paul wrote,
COL 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath
translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:
G. Paul writing to the Thessalonians concerning the coming of
Jesus Christ said,
1TH 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief.
1TH 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:
we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
H. You are either being ruled by the powers of darkness or by
Jesus Christ. You are in the kingdom of darkness or the
kingdom of light, you cannot have it both ways.
2CO 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what
fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness?
1JO 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and
declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness
at all.
1JO 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1JO 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.
I. Again John wrote,
1JO 2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true
in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true
light now shineth.
1JO 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in
darkness even until now.
1JO 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is
none occasion of stumbling in him.
1JO 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in
darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that
darkness hath blinded his eyes.
II. Now you are light in the Lord.
A. Jesus said to His disciples, "You are the light of the world."
He told them to let their light so shine before men that when
they saw their good works they would glorify their Father
which was in heaven.
B. Proverbs 4:18 says, " But the path of the just [is] as the
shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect
day."
C. Writing to the Phillipians Paul said,
PHI 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among
whom ye shine as lights in the world;
D. Why would a man want to walk in darkness when he could walk in
light of Jesus Christ?
2CO 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
JOH 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.
JOH 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh
to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
JOH 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may
be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
III. "Walk as children of light."
A. We have been told to walk worthy of the calling wherein we have
been called. 4:1
B. Not to walk as the heathen. 4:17
C. Walk in love. 5:1
D. Now to walk as children of light. This is in contrast with
verse 6 where Paul refers to the children of disobedience.
E. Writing to the Thessalonians concerning the coming of the Lord
Paul said,
1TH 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief.
1TH 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:
we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
F. How do we become children of the light?
JOH 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, i.e. in Jesus as the
Messiah that ye may be the children of light.
F. Paul now describes how the children of light are to walk.
1. According to the fruit of the Spirit.
a. This would be in contrast to the works of the
flesh.
b. Paul makes this contrast in Galatians
GAL 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one
another.
GAL 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this; Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
GAL 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not
consumed one of another.
GAL 5:16 [This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil
the lust of the flesh.
GAL 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
GAL 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
GAL 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these];
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
GAL 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies,
GAL 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of
the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the
kingdom of God.
GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
GAL 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2. Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is in all:
a. goodness
b. righteousness
c. truth
F. He then tells them to prove what is acceptable to the Lord.
1. It is really not an issue of right or wrong.
2. So many Christians are concerned with is it right for a
Christian to do this or not to do the other.
3. They try to define a thin line between what is right
and what is wrong for a Christian to do.
4. Paul tells us to seek to prove if it is acceptable to
the Lord.
a. You may be able to convince yourself that as a
Christian you are free to do a certain thing,
but is it acceptable to the Lord?
b. Paul told the Thessalonians to prove all
things, and hold fast that which was good.
c. God told the children of Israel,
DEU 32:46 And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which
I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your
children to observe to do, all the words of this law.
DEU 32:47 For it [is] not a vain thing for you; because it [is] your
life: and through this thing ye shall prolong [your] days in
the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.
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