Ephesians Study 12:

Living in the Light

Introduction

Hello again to everyone who is joining me today. My name is Sarah Bradbury, and this is Garden to Glory: The Mystery of God.

You are listening to the twelfth installment in the study on the book of Ephesians. In our last few studies, we have been looking at the application section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

The Apostle Paul spent several chapters explaining God’s redeeming work. He showed how God brought each individual believer near to Himself and each other, unifying us in Christ. 

Paul explained how this work brings life instead of death and sets the church on a path to build itself up. This unity and growth of the church is all in pursuit of accomplishing God’s ultimate plan for all of time (which was laid out for us in chapter one): the unity of all people and all things under Jesus.

The beginning of the unity we are all waiting for God to accomplish has already started. We can see it in the people of God. Because we have already been united with Jesus, the way we live and interact with each other is different than those who have not been united to Christ.

So, as we begin Ephesians 5 today, we read more descriptions from Paul about what the lives of believers should and should not look like because of what God has done and is doing in our own lives and in the world as a whole.

Ephesians 5:1-20 says:

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. 

This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. 

Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever heard a parent in a moment of frustration say to their son or daughter, “Just wait until you have a child who is just like you!”

Or have you been witness to an adult who has suddenly declared, “Oh no, I’ve become my mother!”

Obviously, these statements have a negative connotation to them. They can easily be used with abusive intentions, and they frequently paint others in a disparaging light that they often don’t deserve.

However, sometimes we go through childhood with the appropriate goal of being nothing like our parents. We also can enter parenthood hoping that our own children will make far better decisions than we did when we were young.

Yet some of us may be lucky enough to see the prospect of being like our parents – or having a child who is similar to ourselves – as a positive thing. We may refer to our son or daughter as a “mini-me” while we glow with pride. We might be inclined to post about our parents on social media with the #lifegoals.

Whichever end of this spectrum you land on (or anywhere in-between), the concept of children being like their parents is one we are all familiar with.

We’ve seen the close-knit families who all seem to look and act alike. We’ve seen the actors and CEOs who followed in their parent’s footsteps. Even in family members who have immense differences in their goals, values, and behaviors as adults, we see children who learn to walk, talk, and navigate the world initially by imitating their parents.

Being a Child of God

This is the imagery that Paul uses in this passage of Ephesians. We as beloved children of God should copy our Father in Heaven. Like a child mimicking their parents’ facial expressions, we should imitate what we see of God. This is how we learn to be like Him. It is evidence of the fact that we are family and that we are in training for the future we are to inherit.

For some of you, this picture may feel comfortable. You understand immediately the benefits involved in following the example of a loving Father because you have had the successful experience of following the example of parents who love you.

For others, your immediate reaction may be resistance. Maybe you’ve tried to follow your parents’ example but things did not go well for you. Maybe you learned early that the example your parents set was not a worthy example to follow. Perhaps your parents simply were not present or did not show you the love required for their example to be a real influence for good in your life.

Whatever the obstacles that may inhibit us from following in our earthy parents’ footsteps, these things do not exist in our relationship with God. He as our Heavenly Father has set an example infinitely worthy of following. He loves us as dear children, and because of that love, we love Him and desire to be like Him.

It may feel challenging to relate to the picture of God as a good and loving Father if you haven’t had a good earthly example of this concept. However, God does not require us to be from healthy, loving earthly families in order to interact with us as the loved children we are.

In Matthew 12:46-49, we read an example of how much our blood relations matter to our position as members of the family of God. It says:

As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, His mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to Him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”

Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”

We also read this description of God in Psalm 68:5-6:

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows – this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

God places the lonely in families; He sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But He makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

The illustration we are given in Ephesians of children imitating their Father does not require that we experienced that loving relationship here on Earth. Instead, we get to experience the loving connection of a child who wants to be like their Father in a way that no earthly relationship could ever equal.

Our desire to be like Him is rooted not in some inevitable outcome we imagine to be true like the false certainty that we will be just like our parents. Instead, it is rooted in God’s love for us that we see in Jesus.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says:

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Beloved child of God, you are dear to your Father in Heaven. So imitate Him and live a life filled with love like your brother Jesus.

Sexual Immorality

Paul goes on in Ephesians 5:3-5 to say:

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

To live a life that pursues excess in physical pleasure, money or power is not consistent with being a child of God. God is holy, which simply means He is set apart or different than us. He is not controlled by physical urges like the sinful people of Earth. He does what is right and loving, always.

We should be like Him. As children of God, sex should not be the defining motive for our actions. Having excess money, power, or any earthly good should not be our desire. Our desire should be for God and the good of everyone else. 

Sex is a good gift given to us by God for our enjoyment and for the purpose of having children. But sex outside of the context for which it was made becomes destructive. Sex was made to be experienced in a loving, committed, and safe relationship. It ties two people together in a way that no other physical act does. 

Sadly, sex is too often twisted from its intent as an expression of love into a weapon. We recognize this most clearly when rape is involved, but that is not the only situation in which sex results in damage instead of love. 

One example of this is that having sex before marriage greatly increases the likelihood of divorce. This is true even if the only sexual partner you had prior to marriage was the person who wound up becoming your spouse. Interestingly enough, this holds true even when religious beliefs and views on the permanency of marriage are accounted for. 

Studies have also shown that couples who have only had one sexual partner report greater satisfaction with their love life than those who have had more. 

Additionally, about 20% of the U.S. population has a sexually-transmitted infection on any particular day. Watching porn has similar effects on the brain that addictive substances do and also leads to higher instances of divorce. The sex industry fuels untold damage in the lives of so many people on a regular basis. 

This constant obsession with obtaining sexual gratification or wanting to feel desired for it causes many to feel unsafe, unloved, unworthy, or perpetually unsatisfied. All of this damage is done in the name of self-gratification. 

We rightly think of sexual sin as evil, but I’m not sure that we always understand why. I think that – like all sin – it’s a distortion of something God gave us for good and loving purposes that we have twisted into a dangerous, damaging thing.

We do this primarily when we allow our desire for anything to overcome our desire to love God and others. This is always damaging, not only to the people directly impacted by our actions, but also to our own selves.

The Power of Greed

Greed is also on this list of things that have no place among God’s people. Like sexual sin, greed is the overwhelming desire for some type of gain that puts one’s own personal experience above the good of others.

If we love our fellow humans, why would we want to hoard the treasures of the world rather than share them with everyone?

Google tells me that we have over 900 billionaires in our country today. Most of us struggle to truly fathom how much a billion dollars actually is.

To help put it in perspective, if you spent $1 every second, it would take you over 31years to spend a billion dollars. With a billion dollars, you could buy 2,000 houses valued at $500,000 each. A billionaire could give 99 million dollars to charity and still be a millionaire, and that is assuming the billionaire has only one billion dollars. 

However, the top 10 richest people in the world have net worths ranging from 118 to 342 billion dollars. The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, could give away over 125 billion dollars and still be the wealthiest person in the world.

This level of wealth is insane! It is more money than any one person could ever have a legitimate need for in his or her life. So much good could be done with the enormous amounts of wealth that people hoard.

The Apostle Paul tells us that a greedy person is an idolater. They are not trusting in God; rather, they are worshipping the things of this world. 

It may be money, power, or sex that they care about, but whatever thing they are greedy for, it holds their love, joy, and adoration. 

People captured by greed do not rejoice in the love of a God who died for sinners, and they have no desire to be like Him. Instead, they prize their own selfish success and comfort over the flourishing of any and everyone else. This is the root of all sin: the prizing of oneself over God and others.

In 1 Timothy 6:9-10, we read this about the desire for wealth:

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil because the desire for wealth shows a desire to please your own self instead of caring for others.

Sins that have No Place

If the sign of the Holy Spirit in our lives is love for God and people, pursuing any kind of selfish desire that is harmful to others is incompatible with being a child of God. 

This is why when Paul lists sexual immorality, impurity, and greed as things Christians shouldn’t do, he says such sins have no place among God’s people. These things are at odds with what it means to be a Christian.

Let’s read Ephesians 5:1-9 again:

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey Him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

When we read the statement that obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes are not for us, we may be tempted to feel like the Apostle Paul is being a bit nit-picky here. Making crude jokes doesn’t seem to be all that dangerous, but as the Dowager Countess said in the British T.V. series Downton Abbey, “Vulgarity is no substitute for wit.”

Obscene stories and coarse jokes focus our attention on things that are not worthwhile. They encourage the sinful tendency to make everything in life serve our lustful desires. These stories are not life-giving; they point us to things that destroy. 

Thankfulness to God, on the other hand, encourages, uplifts, and focuses our attention on things that bring life and fullness. We are not to worship the things of this world. We are to love, honor, and worship God.

Don’t be fooled by people who want you to be satisfied with temporary pleasures of this time. The darkness of sin and death does not belong in you. God has filled us with light in this present darkness, and we must live as people of light. 

So, what does it mean to live as people of light? Ephesians 5:10-14 says:

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. 

This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

The first thing this passage tells us about living as people of light is to avoid participating in darkness. Darkness and light cannot co-exist. We all know this from experience.

Exposing the Darkness

If you light a candle in a dark room, the immediate effect will be a lessening of darkness in that room. The brighter the light, the more the darkness flees from it. 

The same is true for people of light. We cannot shine with the light of God while generating dark deeds. So, we need to avoid evil and darkness in favor of righteousness and light.

But there is another effect of turning on the light in a dark room. Not only does light chase away darkness; it also exposes the things that are in the room. 

I’m sure we have all had the unfortunate experience of walking through the house at night – certain that we know the layout well enough to avoid stubbing our toe – only to discover that someone must have moved that chair. Our memories may have been correct, but darkness hid our paths. We could not see the things that had changed around us.

Like a flashlight that could save our toes, Paul tells us that the light shining from God’s people reveals the evil intentions of those around them. People of light are meant not only to avoid evil themselves, but also to expose the evil of others.

There are a number of ways that Christians can expose evil. 

For example, if you are the victim of a crime, you can be brave in reporting this crime by being a witness in a trial. You can do this knowing full well that doing this is consistent with the Christian duty of exposing evil.

Maybe you feel called to share news on social media to keep people aware of what is happening in the world. This can highlight both the present darkness and the opportunity for shining light into that darkness. 

All of these things can feel difficult to address directly. Like the Apostle Paul said, “It is shameful to even talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.” For example, after all the details we have recently learned about Jeffery Epstein and his associates, I think we can all relate to this statement.

It’s hard to even read these stories. In fact, I don’t read them all, but I’m immensely thankful for all those who have been brave enough to expose these dark deeds.

Thankfully, however, these are not the only ways that people can expose evil in the world. 

Expose Evil by Doing Good

I had a conversation once with a friend about the reputation she wanted to have at work. She told me she wanted to have an attitude and work ethic that would make the people at her job recognize there is something different about her. She wanted them to know that she is a Christian and that being a Christian means something. 

It was not too long after this conversation that she shared some work frustrations with me. Her coworkers were constantly relying on her to be dependable and fill in for them while they frequently flaked out on their responsibilities. 

This situation, of course, gave me the opportunity to point out that her goal of showing a difference at work had succeeded. The result of this was two-fold. Her work ethic and attitude had made clear that she was a person who could be trusted and depended on, but it also highlighted the fact that her coworkers were unworthy of that trust.

As opposed to people of darkness committing evil deeds, people of light show forth that light by the good deeds they do. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16:

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Our passage in Ephesians tells us that this light that we get from Jesus – the same light that shines out because of our good deeds – will expose the evil intentions of those around us.

We do not need to verbally call out every sin of the people who are near to us. Instead, they and others will recognize the sinful intents of their own dark actions when those actions are held up next to the light of the good works we do in love.

When I was a kid, my mom worked as a pizza delivery driver. As she drove around the city of Rochester, Minn., she would regularly keep an eye out for places in the city that had a good view of the downtown city lights. When she found a good spot, she noted the address. Then on an evening when she wasn’t working, she would take me there to enjoy the view.

I’ve always loved lights shining in the dark, but those same lights aren’t particularly noticeable in the light of day. It is precisely because of the contrast between light and dark that we can see and appreciate Christmas lights, evening cityscapes, and candles in dimly-lit rooms.

Darkness and light can’t occupy the exact same space at the same time. However, darkness surrounding light shows just how bright the light is.

In this same way, when selfish people encounter radical love in others, it makes their selfishness all the more obvious. Our light of love exposes the darkness of their sin.

This is why Paul goes on to give these instructions to the children of light in Ephesians 5:15-20:

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. 

Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a summary statement of the instructions Paul has been giving in this chapter. We ought to be careful how we live. We are choosing whether to act like fools who waste our opportunities to expose evil and point others to God or like wise  children of light who shine brightly in the present darkness. Paul points out that the time these believers are living in is characterized by evil, which is precisely when the light shines brightest. 

As we discussed in a previous study, this time period was unique in that the reputation of the church – the very understanding of what it meant to be a Christian – was still being developed.

These early believers had an opportunity that those of us who live in a country well-acquainted with Christianity do not have. They were defining what it looks like to be a Christian.

Whether or not the days of our time and place are more or less evil than the days of Paul is something we can debate, but as long as there is sin in the world, there is darkness. As Christians, we shine the light. Make use of the opportunities you are given to shine, and show the difference God makes in you.

Specifically Vague

If you are a person who enjoys specific guidelines for what you are supposed to do in life, you probably won’t like this next part. 

In explaining that we are supposed to make the most of the opportunities we are given, be careful how we live, and live wisely instead of foolishly, Paul doesn’t give us a lot of definition about what exactly that means in every circumstance. 

In our next study, we will read some specifics for how the people of his day were to function within the Greco-Roman society of their time. However, Paul does not lay out a specific list of all the good actions of light that Christians ought to participate in for all places and all times.

In this passage, Paul does tell us not to act thoughtlessly and to understand what the Lord wants us to do. Yet the instruction “avoid darkness and pursue light” leaves a whole lot of room for interpretation. I mean… Can’t you just spell it out for us, Paul? Isn’t that the whole point of the Bible?

But over the last 2,000 years, Christianity has spread to a wide variety of cultures and times. The details of what it looks like to be a faithful family member and contributor to society has changed drastically. This is also something that varies from one life circumstance to another even in the same culture and time period.

This is why Paul acknowledges here that we need wisdom to determine what God wants us specifically to do in our own personal lives. He highlighted some major sins to avoid, but the specifics for each person requires wisdom and thoughtfulness to determine. 

The Characteristics of Communities

Finally, Paul moves on to one last aspect of societal conduct to highlight another key difference between the secular and Christian communities. He says, “Don’t be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life.”

Having lived in small, rural towns for most of my life, I know that even if there are no stores in a small town, there is almost certainly a bar. With a few exceptions, most every town has a place for people to drink. Getting drunk is most definitely still a common part of secular culture.

However, before you start to think that the Bible is against any and all drinking of alcohol, it’s good to note that several Old Testament passages talk about wine being a good thing that gladdens the hearts of people. Jesus also drank wine during His life on earth, and in a different letter from Paul, he recommends the use of some wine to Timothy.

This passage is not telling you to never have a drink, but it is advising you to not drink to excess. Christians should not be characterized by stumbling wildly out of a bar or passing out drunk. The picture here is more about a lifestyle of alcoholism than about not enjoying a couple drinks from time to time. 

Like I said, the Old Testament depicts the purpose of alcohol as a tool to gladden the hearts of people, but we all know that too much alcohol will indeed destroy your life.

When the sorrows of life become overwhelming, it can be a temptation for some to turn to alcohol for their source of joy and comfort. However, Paul here gives us an alternative. He says in Ephesians 5:18b-20:

Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Personally, I love to sing. I sing loud and often. Sometimes I sing songs from my kids’ favorite TV shows. Sometimes I sing popular songs intended for older audiences. Occasionally I make one up by changing the lyrics to another song I know. Yet no style of music touches my heart more than songs about God and the Bible.

I find these songs especially helpful when life feels heavy and sorrowful. There is no deeper way for me to express both my sorrow and my hope than to sing about God.

We don’t need to become drunk in order to find joy in life. Instead, we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Like a bunch of drunk guys singing a bar song at the top of their lungs, we can use music to gladden our hearts and remind ourselves of the goodness of God. One of the ways we do this is singing in community with other believers, at times leaning on the voices of others to encourage us when we ourselves can’t sing.

We can experience joy in community by making a conscious choice to be merry in light of everything God has done and is doing. We can express that joy in music that lifts our hearts and encourages our spirits to trust in God. We can also sing songs of lament and prayer to God that help us process our sorrows and disappointments with life. These songs also move us toward hope in God’s love and deliverance for us, which ultimately leads us to thankfulness for where God is moving us.

So friends, as I leave you today, I won’t give you explicit details about how you personally should shine your light in the world. Instead, I will say:

Child of God, may God shine His great light in you. May He help you to reject sin and darkness and to cling to His glorious light. May God shine brightly enough through you to expose the evil intentions of anyone who comes near you and give you full assurance that you are His beloved child.

To help you meditate on the principles we have discussed today, I have made a short Spotify playlist that you can find here.