LIVING IN THE LIGHT
In
preparation for this sermon, I learned a new word called Photosynthesis. Simply put, Photosynthesis is the process by which green
plants make their own food. This big word can be broken down into two words: “photo,”
which means light, and “synthesis,” which means putting together. From the two
smaller words, it’s clear that the process involves plants using light to join
things together. This process takes place in the leaves of green plants and
trees.
Using
sunlight, plants synthesize nutrients from water and carbon dioxide and produce
oxygen as a byproduct.[1] It would be impossible
to overestimate the importance of Photosynthesis in maintaining life on Earth. If
Photosynthesis ceased, there would soon be little food or other organic matter
on earth. Most organisms would disappear, and the earth’s atmosphere would
become nearly devoid of gaseous oxygen in time.[2]
Photographers know the value of light, so they carry
their own light to take breathtaking photos. When and who created such a
critical source of energy called light upon which our existence depends? What
would the earth look like, void of light? Who in the world claimed to be the
Light of the World? What does it mean to live as Children of Light? Ephesians
5:8-14.
We are picking up our series, “A Pathway To Christian
Living,” again from the book of Ephesians. The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians
is one of Paul’s five “Prison Epistles.” A quick overview. Watchman Nee divided
the Epistle into three parts by highlighting three key action words for us to
remember. 1 Our position in Christ—“SIT (1:1-3:21). 2. Our Life in the World—“Walk”
(4:1-6:9) 3. Our Attitude to the Enemy—“Stand” (6:10-24). Today, we will
examine what it means for Christ’s followers to live as Children of Light. Ephesians
5:8-14
I. God Is The Creator Of
Light
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. On day one, God said, “Let
there be light, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he
separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the
darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the
first day. (Gen 1:1-5).
After creating the light first, God created everything
else, including the Man and the Woman. He put them in the Garden of Eden to take
care of it. The ecological, biological, and animal worlds thrived and were in
perfect harmony until man sinned by disobeying God’s commands. Everything was
disrupted, including man’s joyful relationship with his creator.
The light that gives life was gone from man’s spirit due
to sin. In its place, darkness filled his heart, making him wicked. He began to
grope in spiritual darkness. He became fearful, confused, filled with rage and
violence, not knowing where He was going. However, deep down in his heart, he
yearned for that peaceful relationship he once enjoyed with God. Who will
deliver humanity from Spiritual Darkness and bring forth Spiritual
Enlightenment?
II. From Spiritual
Darkness to Spiritual Enlightenment
The
prophet Isaiah foresaw how humanity can move from Spiritual Darkness to
Spiritual enlightenment. Isaiah 9:2, “The people walking in darkness have seen
a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
This is what Zachariah prophesied about the role of his son John. Luke 1:76-79,
“because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to
us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Jesus, the rising sun, the true light,
came into the world. Many didn’t recognize Him, but the lives of those who
recognized Him were changed.
The apostle Paul, also known as Saul, was one of those
who radically changed upon encountering the true light from heaven. Paul was an
educated Pharisee who fiercely defended the Judaic faith. He was breathing out
murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples and obtained letters from the
high priest to imprison anyone who followed the way.
See how dramatically his life was changed on his way to
Damascus. Acts 9:3-4, “As he neared Damascus on his journey,
suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He
fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” That encounter with the
true light changed his entire life. (Acts 9:1-19).
Once spiritually enlightened, Paul went around preaching
the Good News and establishing churches, including the one in Ephesus. While writing
to Titus, one of his sons of faith, Paul explains how people living in
spiritual darkness behave. “It wasn’t so
long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, easy marks for sin,
ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our
shoulder, hated and hating back.
But when God, our kind and loving Savior God,
stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to
do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed
inside and out by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:3-8, The Message).
In
Ephesians 5:8,10-14, Paul reminds the Ephesian believers how they were
spiritually enlightened in the Lord. Because now they belonged to that light,
they were to put away shameful and fruitless deeds of darkness. Paul listed
some acts of darkness in Ephesians 5:3. Like
the Ephesian believers, we once lived in spiritual darkness, satisfying our
fleshly desires contrary to the Holy Spirit. Because of His love, God has
rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of the
Son he loves.” Col 1:13. Jesus claimed to be the light of the world, and now,
as his children, we are called to live in the light.
III. Living In The Light
As The Children of Light.
Natural light is essential for physical life, and Jesus,
the divine light, is critical for spiritual life. Living in the light as the
children of light begins by acknowledging that we are now in the sight of God,
and out of Love for Him, we will try to do what pleases the Lord. How do we
know what pleases the Lord? By daily praying and reading God’s Word.
As God’s children, the Holy Spirit will enlighten our
Spirits on how to live in the Light through God’s word. Here are a few
essential habits we can develop as we determine to live in the light. First,
living in the light means living a Holy life as it is God’s will for us. I Thes
4:3-5. “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid
sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a
way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do
not know God.”
Second, living in the light means living in the right
relationship with God and our fellow brothers and sisters in God’s family. (I
John 1:5-7). How we get along with our brethren tells much about whether we
live in the light. To an extent, John says, “Anyone who loves their brother or
sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in
the darkness. They do not know where they are going because the darkness has
blinded them.” (I John 2:9-11). As God’s children, we must take this warning
seriously. How are your relationships in the Church?
Once we work on these vertical and horizontal
relationships within the family of God, we can reflect God’s light to others.
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built
on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a
lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives
light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let
your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your Father in heaven.” Matt 5:14-16.
