Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:6–14, ESV).

A recent post shared how we are called to be the light of the world, by reflecting the true Light, Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to reflect His light, saying, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16).

How do we reflect that light? Is it enough to wear t-shirts with religious sayings, post Bible verses on Facebook, talk about Jesus and church wherever you go, and slap a Christian bumper sticker on your car? Several years ago, my friend confessed that although he had several Christian bumper stickers on his car, his driving was definitely not glorifying God. Therefore, he did what he thought was reasonable: he removed the stickers. That misses the point, though. All of these forms of “Christian advertising” are great ways to begin a conversation about the Gospel and what Jesus has done in one’s life. However, when there is a conflict between our bumper stickers or Facebook statuses and our lifestyles, the answer is not to hide the light. The answer is to tap more deeply into the light of Christ.

Paul begins Ephesians 5 by writing, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1–2). Thus begins a chapter where he frequently refers to light: that word appears five times in Ephesians 5:6-14 in the ESV. Some translations have an additional occurrence, in verse 14, saying something like “Christ shall give you light” (RSV) instead of “Christ will shine on you.” The light of Christ is intimately intertwined with the love of God. It does not blend well with sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness (which, Paul says, is a form of idolatry), filthiness, foolish talk, or crude joking (Ephesians 5:3–5). He refers to these as “unfruitful works of darkness,” which should be exposed.

Why do we expose the deeds of darkness? Not to judge the world, nor to act like we are better than them, nor to act “holier than thou.” We expose the deeds of darkness because the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience (verse 6). If we are walking in the light and love of Christ, we realize that our friends and neighbors are in danger of eternal judgment if they continue on that path. We expose the deeds of darkness to reveal their need for a Saviour and invite them to join us as we follow Christ.

How do we expose the deeds of darkness? Declaring the Word of God is one way. Speaking out against different forms of sin is another. However, perhaps the most important way is through our lifestyle. We expose the deeds of darkness by walking in the light of Christ. The Christian’s lifestyle should expose the darkness of sin.

Take a stand to live a life separate from sin. “Do not become partners with them.” If others are heading into a sinful situation, do not join them. For example, if a conversation deviates in dirty jokes or gossip, walk away; do not sit around listening and laughing. We do not shine God’s light by being part of the darkness; we do more to shine the light by saying, “I’m sorry, folks, but as a follower of Christ I cannot be part of this.”

Always seek to discern the will of God and live by it. One important effect of regular prayer and Bible study is the ability to recognize God’s will for our daily lives. We spend too much time trying to figure out when Christ will return or how free will and divine sovereignty can be balanced, and far too little time trying to figure out what God wants us to do throughout the day.

It is not merely enough to avoid sin, though. Our lives should be positive. Seek to bless others. James 2:15–16 gives an example of a person who thinks it is enough to pray for a needy person. In Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus tells a parable contrasting the sheep (those who took sacrificial action to care for those in need and crisis) and the goats (who did nothing to help the needy—I wonder if they just prayed for them like the person in James 2). The life that reflect Christ’s light is not merely one that avoids doing bad things; it is the life that proactively seeks to do good, to glorify Christ by revealing His love in action to those who need to see it.

Too often, we try to witness for Christ by acting like the world. Instead, we should live in such a way that people can clearly see Christ in us and recognize that there is something different about Him and His people. Let us live as though we truly believe that the life He offers is abundant (John 10:10) and surpasses all that the world offers. This is an important place to begin drawing people to Him.

Copyright © 2018 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.