Shine Your Light

When you shine the light of Jesus your life can bring hope in the darkness. We are going to look at three ways God intends for you to be light in the darkness.  And the first way is this:

1. You shine your light by rejecting the darkness: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. Ephesians 5:6-7

False teachers had begun infiltrating the early church, teaching that “freedom in Christ” meant freedom “from” laws and rules, freedom to live as one pleased.  Their words carried no weight – they were empty because they were lies. Their teaching was not just deceptive, it was dangerous. If someone tells you that you can continue living an impure life, that you can continue indulging in sexual immorality and greed, you’re listening to someone who doesn’t want you to trust in God. You are listening to someone who is promoting idolatry. This is a very strong warning. Paul wants us to know that God’s wrath comes upon idolaters and says, “Therefore don’t be partners with them.”

Why is such a strong warning?  This “association” refers to joining them in their sinful activities or joining them in justifying their sin. To do so would be to mock the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross to take away your sin. Paul is not here threatening that God will abandon or destroy His children, but he is pointing to the wrath that will come upon those whose ultimate choice is idolatry and he speaks to their impending punishment as an object lesson to warn us of the dangers of associating with idolators.

What is God’s Word telling us to do here? We are to reject the deceit of darkness. The way we reject the deceit of darkness is with discernment. There are at least three ways we can develop discernment:

1) Walk closely with Jesus:  Abide in Christ. Be a disciple of His life and His teachings.  Jesus came as a teacher. A truth teller. When Jesus said, “If you abide in my Word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” He was telling us that we’ve been enslaved by lies. We’ve lived in bondage to false ideas about reality that hold us and our society in captivity to suffering and pain. But when we follow Jesus and abide in His Word, He will set us free.  So, walk closely with Jesus.  Remain in His word.

2) Be a student of the Truth:  Without the truth, you are left to figure out life on your own.  And you are susceptible to the lies of the evil one. So, the more you learn the truth, the easier it will be to recognize his lies. So be a student of God’s Word. And then make sure you apply God’s Word in your life.  This is key.  James says it this way: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:22-25

3) Stay connected with God’s people:  Especially, people who’ve walked closely with Jesus for a long time. There’s a good reason we need to stay connected. God’s Word says, See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.  Hebrews 3:12-13 The evil one wants you to go it alone. If he can keep you away from other believers, he’s got you where he can deceive you, and keep you enslaved to sin. And if he can do that, he can dim your light for Jesus.

2. You shine your light by living out your identity:  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.  Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10 Again, Paul is using a contrast.  He’s contrasting our past and present identity.You were Darkness.  You were deceived, disobedient, and on the road to destruction. This is who YOU ONCE WERE!

However, your identity CHANGED the moment you believed in Jesus.  As Paul declares: “but now you are light in the Lord” You are no longer what you were.  You are a new Creation in Christ. Jesus’ spiritual DNA now lives in you by His Spirit. Therefore, the light of Jesus lives in you.  Now, God wants you to live according to your new nature: as children of light.

How are we to do that? 1) Living as children of light will be reflected by what we do! “for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.”

The Fruit of Goodness: Goodness is the good heartedness toward others in contrast with malice.  Goodness is being gracious in our character and being kind in our actions. Goodness is the fruit of the Spirit that expresses itself in kindness to those in need.

The Fruit of Righteousness: Living righteously means living in a way that honors and embrace’s God’s ways as opposed to indulging the culture’s sensuality and selfishness. It’s treating someone right whether they deserve it or not.  For that’s how God treats us.

The Fruit of Truth: Truth is displaying integrity, dealing honestly, and speaking truthfully, as opposed to old habits of lying and deceit.  Being a person of truth is being someone you can count on. It’s being a person of your word.  It’s being authentic and reliable.

But living as children of light is not just defined by what we do, Living as children of light will be reflected in whom we please: “Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord.” Living as a child of light is a matter of your motives. The motive behind shining your light begins in your relationship with the Father.  If Christians don’t have this inner drive to find out what pleases the Lord, then others will be left thinking that the only thing that really matters in life is pleasing myself.  But when we are living to please the Father, we show the world something different, something better.

3. You shine your light by letting Jesus Shine on you: Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:11-14

Again, God’s Word commands us to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness. Instead, We are to expose the deeds of darkness Our exposing the darkness is not to be a witch hunt, where we are going around and telling ungodly people how sinful they are. That’s not the way of grace, that’s the way of a Pharisee, and it doesn’t shine the light of Jesus.

No, Being light means we are to live out our goodness, righteousness and truth in proximity to people who are living in darkness. Jesus said as much in the Sermon on the Mount when he said to us: “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.” Matthew 5:14-16 In other words: When we shine the light of Jesus in our dark world, we don’t just make Jesus visible to them, we make their own darkness visible. And when their darkness is exposed, they will come under a conviction of their own sin.  In other words, When you shine your light, Jesus will use your light to draw people to Himself.

This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Paul is giving us a wake-up call! Your light is needed! Our dark world needs your presence!  Our dark world needs to see the light of Jesus in you.

There’s one other phrase I often hear people say today, and that is this: “Why doesn’t God do something to change the direction of our world?”  And if I understand what God’s Word is teaching us today, it’s this: He is doing something.  He’s raising up a generation to shine the light of Jesus in a world of darkness.  So, may we wake up to our calling. May we rise from our slumber and shine our light. For when we do, Jesus will shine on us, and we will bring hope to our world.