Living as Children of Light

“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. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” –Ephesians 5:8-11. NIV. [Read Ephesians 5:1-14].

In Chapter 5 of Ephesians, Paul continued his practical advice for Christian living. In this passage, He began in 5:1 by setting the stage: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just a Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” How can we be “imitators of God” and “live as children of light”? Do these happen instantaneously when we become a Christian and identify our lives with the Lord of life? Unfortunately, it takes learning, development, growing into the person we ought to become. It comes first with the salvation experience when we change directions and place our life in the hands of the Lord. Then the life-long learning experience begins. Jesus was with his disciples for about three years before His death. Those years were spent in intensive learning as Jesus taught them the principles of right and wrong, of Christian living and selfless service. Fortunately, we have His teachings in the gospels. These we ought to know and follow. Paul gave in his epistles to the churches a practical application of what it means to live as kingdom people. Study and application are at the heart of living in the light of Christ and being imitators of God. We learn the Word. We make its precepts a part of our life practice. We do much rejecting of wrong and choosing the right way. We “practice the presence of Christ” so that He becomes our Light. This takes a deliberate will on the Christian’s part to “study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth” as Paul urged in II Timothy 2:15.

In The Message version of the Bible by Eugene H. Peterson, Ephesians 5 is very clear. This passage is summed up with some plain words and advice: “It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!” (Ephesians 5:12-15). Our help for living the victorious Christian life is found in the Word and with the direction of the Holy Spirit. The choices and the practice are ours to live as children of light. For some practical advice on living a Christian life that is above-board and a light in a dark world, may we read carefully and apply Paul’s teachings in Ephesians chapters 4 and 5.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, June 21, 2010