Ephesians 5:8 – Children of Light

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

For you were sometimes. Sometimes is probably better read as ‘previously’, thus, For you were previously darkness. In case you should think highly of yourself, don’t forget where you were in the past: darkness. There was a time when you were a child of disbelief.

It echoes what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. After giving an even longer list than in Ephesians 5 of actors who will not inherit the kingdom of God, he than says, ‘And such were some of you! But you are washed! But you are sanctified! But you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Paul says the same thing here: But now are you light in the Lord! You were darkness! Now you are light! Don’t forget where you came from. And don’t forget how you got to where you are. It wasn’t through your own merit. There was nothing you could do to wipe away your sin. It’s only through the blood of Jesus Christ. Notice that when Paul tells the church that they are light, he doesn’t stop there, he keeps going with a very important descriptor: ‘in the Lord‘. It’s only through the righteousness of Christ that we are made righteous. Only through the light of Jesus Christ that we are made light! As the Scripture declares, ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27)’ and again, ‘God hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ’ (2 Co 4:6). It’s Christ in us that gives us the ability to be light.

It is worthwhile to note, that Paul describes the believer as being light! Not simply carrying light. That’s because we’re not simply ‘sharing the gospel message’. We’re meant to become Christ-like. We’re meant to be imitators of Him. If He was light, then we are called to be light. Not in and of ourselves, but our involvement is still required. That’s why Paul is going to such lengths to point out the actions that do not belong in children of light and actions that do! All that Paul is speaking to the church of in this passage is to do with things under their jurisdiction.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6, notice that the light God shines forth into the hearts of men is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Simply put, it’s the recognition of the God-man. What was before an infinite God that we struggled to comprehend and understand, now spelled Himself out in human terms. Now we had a person we could look to and imitate, not an invisible Spirit who we could not see. That is for a discussion for another time. The key element I wish to focus on is ‘the knowledge’. The light shining in our hearts is ‘knowledge’. For the light to actually manifest itself in us requires us to act on that knowledge by imitating Christ.

We have been made light in the Lord, but there is a second step to that, for the light we have been given, is now in our hands for us to do with as we will! For us to benefit from the incredible mercy and grace that we have received, we must walk as children of light!

If we could but grasp the goodness and greatness of God, that while we were in sin, God, through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, gave light to you and me. He gave us righteousness and holiness that was not ours. And now you have a decision to make – which way are you going to live? Are you going to live as a saint? as a holy one? as one sanctified and justified? as a child of light? Or are you going to continue living as a child of disbelief? of darkness? of sin? The choice you make will have eternal consequences.

If Paul could speak from the grave, it would be to say, ‘Walk as a child of light!’