Tuesday, November 17, 2015

EXPLORE IT - Ephesians 5:1-20; John 8:12

Ephesians 5:1-20

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

This time of year is always a challenge for me.  I love the approaching holiday season, making plans to spend time with family, seeing the decorations being put up throughout Bloomington Normal, but the cold and the darkness take their toll.  I enjoy the sunshine!  I enjoy basking in the light, enjoying the warmth of the sun; it makes me feel happy and content.  The cold and darkness of these short fall days depress me and make me sad.  The contrast of light and darkness do more for us than effect our moods.  This contrast also effects who we are.

Sometimes we talk about things “coming to light,” meaning that the truth has been revealed.  We also speak of keeping someone “in the dark,” meaning we aren’t sharing the truth with them.  The light is where integrity and truth live and the darkness is where lies and sin live.

In our passage this week, we see that Paul is continuing his ethical instructions.  He too utilizes this contrast of light and darkness:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible” (Ephesians 5:8-14).

Paul encourages us to live in the light; this is where goodness, righteousness, and truthfulness take place.  He encourages us to stay far from the darkness where shamefulness and sin are.  Paul doesn’t want us to sometimes live in the light and sometimes live in darkness, he desires us to completely abandon living in the dark, secret, sinful lives we used to live.  He desires us to live holy lives in the light.

In John 8:12 Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  Living with Jesus is living in the light.  When we abandon the light for a moment in the darkness, we abandon Jesus.  Paul doesn’t want that for us.

Are you living in the light every moment of every day or are there times you step out of the light into the darkness?  Seek to live a life constantly in the light with the Son!

Blessings,
Pastor Amy

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments!