December 2, 2001

WALK AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT

Ephesians 5:7-14

   Having been told to "walk in love," we were reminded of the love of Christ Who gave Himself for us as a sweet smelling offering to God. Love therefore leads to sacrifice and repudiates lust! The Impurities of the flesh and of words were not fitting for saints and should be replaced with the "giving of thanks." We are not to partake with them!

   We were in past times "darkness, but now are we light in the Lord: (therefore) walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:8). Light therefore leads to fruitfulness and reproves the unfruitful works of darkness" (5:11). "For the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord" (5:9-10). Just as the offering of Christ was "acceptable to God," so is the fruit of the light!

   Horticulture is keenly aware of the fruit of light. Photosynthesis is the process wherein carbon is converted by sunlight into much of our food chain. Carbohydrates or starchy foods such as grains, bread, potatoes, sugar, etc., are fruit of sunlight working with the green chlorophyll. Contrast this with mushrooms and toadstools whose growth is not dependant on light. Such have no power of using sunlight but are vegetable parasites living upon others or saprophytes living on decaying tissues of dead plants. Though varied in color, they are never green, and thrive in total darkness. What a picture of the "unfruitful works of darkness."

   In these verses death, darkness, and fruitlessness are contrasted with life, light, and its fruitfulness in the lives of believers. And as we were admonished to not be partakers with those (who were not walking in love), we are here to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (5:11). And as sexual immorality should "not be once named among you," who walk in love, "it is a shame to even speak of those things (unfruitful works) which are done by them in secret (darkness)" (5:12) as we walk in His light!.

   "But all things that are reproved are made manifest (shown what they really are) by the light: for whatsoever makes manifest is light. Wherefore He says, 'Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from [among] the dead, and Christ shall give thee light'" (5:13-14).

Ivan L. Burgener