This last week, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday,
I had the opportunity to be with some very dear
people in Wisconsin at a family camp for the
conservative Baptists in that state. Among those
attending were a couple of families related to
the farm economy. Now, having come from a farm,
I always feel just a little close to those folks.
As they say, you can take the boy out of the
country, but you can't take the country out of
the boy. And so I enjoy talking with him, and
I was reminded that even though farm folks may
not say a whole lot, it's hard to get the last
word on them. I heard a story about that one
time. There was a fellow from the city who went
down to the farm, and he was talking to the farmer,
and he looked at the corn crop, and he said,
you know, this corn's kind of brown. The farmer
said, well, we like it that way here. He said,
it doesn't look like you've got too big a crop.
The farmer said, well, we're a little short -handed.
He says, we grew all we could handle. He says,
well, it looks to me like the corn's kind of
short. The farmer said, well, we've got a midget
in our family. If it was too high, he couldn't
reach up and pick it. And the city fellow looked
at him and said, you know, you're close to an
idiot. The farmer said, yep, there's just a fence
between us. It's hard to get the last word on
a farmer. And it's hard to get the last word
on the Apostle Paul, too. As we come to our text
today in Ephesians chapter 5, beginning in verse
3, he has said to us, walk in love, but he goes
on to say something more that rather balances
what he has just said. Walk in love, he says,
but do not let immorality or any impurity or
greed even be named among you, as is proper among
saints. And there must be no filthiness and silly
talk or coarse jesting which are not fitting,
but rather giving of thanks. For this you know
with certainty, that no immoral or impure person
or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance
in the kingdom of Christ and God. But 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 be partakers
with them. For you were formerly darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
of light, for the fruit of the light consists
in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds
of darkness, but instead even expose them, for
it is disgraceful even to speak of the things
which are done by them in secret. But all things
become visible when they are exposed by the light,
for everything that becomes visible is light.
For this reason it says, awake sleeper, and arise
from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
To walk in Christian love does not mean to compromise
with sin. One can be a lover of people for Christ's
sake and still live a holy life which is above
reproach. While walking in love, the true believer
must also walk in the light, which is the exhortation.
in our text this morning. There are two moral
systems that are present in our world today.
There is darkness and there is light. Darkness
is that system of thought, values, and worship
which rejects the light of God in Jesus Christ.
Darkness is that which dominates the unregenerate.
It is anti -God, and it loves to sin. Turn with
me for a moment to the Gospel of John, for John
in his writings often talks about darkness and
light. Look at chapter 1 and verse 5. Speaking
about the coming of the Word, in whom was life,
and the life was the light of men. It says in
verse 5, And the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not comprehend it. It says
here that when the Lord Jesus Christ came, he
came as light into a darkened world. This is
further explained to us in chapter 3 and verse
19. And this is the judgment, that the light
is come into the world. And men loved the darkness
rather than the light, for their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does evil hates the light and
does not come to the light, lest his deeds should
be exposed. A sinner will not naturally come
to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light. for
the same reason that a thief does not seek out
a policeman. A sinner sins. He does not want
that sin to be exposed, and the light exposes
sin. And so there is the moral system of darkness.
But in contrast to that, there is the system
of light. It is a system of morality, values,
understanding, and worship, which is based upon
God's revelation in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Just as there are two moral systems in the world,
so there are two families in the world. According
to our text, there are those who are the sons
of disobedience. Or we can say, based upon our
text, they are the sons of darkness. On the other
hand, there is the family of God, which is called
here the children of light, in verse 8. The child
of God has been brought into the kingdom of light.
He has been transferred out of the kingdom of
darkness and made a part of the kingdom of God's
dear Son, so that now the child of God is said
to be a child of light, and he conducts himself
in the light. God has designed that light in
the dark world should make a difference. You
think about that physically. Darkness cannot
overcome light. Have you ever thought about that?
But light can overcome darkness. The same is
true spiritually. The darkness will never overcome
the light of Jesus Christ, though it struggles
to do so. But one day the light of God in Jesus
Christ and in his people will overcome the darkness.
The importance of light in a dark world is illustrated
in what happened a few days ago when the crewman
of a shrimp trawler in the Gulf of Mexico was
rescued. He, along with several other men, were
thrown overboard when a large wave hit their
boat. And they were rescued because of a small
light that was on the life jacket of one of the
men. The seawater activated that small little
bulb, and from a distance away, another ship
caught a glimpse of the light in the darkness
there in the Gulf of Mexico, and they were rescued.
My friend, even a small light makes a big difference
in a dark world. And so our Lord commands us
that we should walk in the light. And as he says
in verse 8, we should walk as children of light.
In our text today, there are three reasons given
to us as to why we should do this. Three reasons
which should motivate us as the children of God
to walk in the light. The first is because of
the characteristics of darkness, verses 3 and
4. Now the list here is only suggestive. But
it is meaningful. What does darkness, moral darkness,
look like in everyday life? Paul tells us. He
uses the term immorality to describe it. It is
the Greek word porneia, and from that, obviously,
you can see the English word pornography. Paul
says that moral darkness... is evidenced by immorality,
which is any kind of sexual conduct apart from
God's plan and design for a monogamous man -woman
marriage. Any sexual relationship outside of
that design and plan of God falls into the category
of immorality. It is acceptable in a permissive
society, a pagan society like Paul's day, to
practice immorality. And indeed it was done openly
and was done as a part of their pagan worship.
Is it not a commentary on our times that this
similar kind of conduct, this kind of lewdness,
is approved and accepted by so many in our society?
I may not agree with it, but if that's the way
they want to live, then that's fine. That is
immorality, and God condemns it. He further mentions
any impurity. I want you to notice that phrase
because it's the same phrase as is found back
in verse 19. And by the way, there's quite a
parallel between what he says in verse 19 and
what he says in verse 3. Impurity is... the characteristic
of a secularized society which has left behind
any standards of purity. We are familiar with
the word catharsis. A catharsis is a cleansing.
This word here in the Greek is a catharsis. It
is the opposite of a cleansing. It is that which
is impure and unclean. The apostle says that
in everyday life, Darkness is made clear through
impurity. That's how it's recognized. And then
he talks about greed, which he says is the same
as idolatry. He says, don't even let this be
named among you. What is greed? Greed is lust.
It is a lust for more. It is idolatry because
it places something before God in one's life.
Greed worships that which it seeks to possess.
Therefore, it is called idolatry. And the greed
here takes on a definite moral connotation. But
tied together with these sexual ideas are the
words of the next verse, where he talks about
filthiness. Here he literally means shameless
talk. But conduct is associated with it. We would
use the word today obscenity. The apostle here
is talking about language which exposes an underdeveloped
vocabulary and an overdeveloped lust. It is the
kind of language that seems to be popular in
our world today to emphasize points. I am convinced
that there are some people who are so used to
hearing it and who so believe that it's necessary
to talk this way that when they use some filthy
words, they're not even really aware that they're
using them or in whose presence they're using
them. It's very sad. Often this kind of talk
involves bragging about sexual experiences, sexual
prowess, sexual desire. And the Word of God tells
us that it's a part of the system of darkness
which God cannot approve. Furthermore, he mentions
silly talk. Literally, he says, hear stupid words,
foolish talk, which cheapens both the speaker
and the listener, the kind of talk out of which
no good comes. And then he mentions coarse jesting.
That is vulgar and frivolous talk. It really
involves the idea of the twisting of words and
phrases toward unclean and sexual themes. There
are some people who are very clever at that,
and that is exactly what Paul is saying here.
There are some people who can take a phrase and
twist it, perhaps halfway, and make it something
dirty. And then there are those who redefine
the ordinary words that we use in life and give
them some kind of a sexual connotation. Now please
understand that wit is a gift of humor. There's
nothing wrong with a witty person. Indeed, a
witty person is a rather enjoyable kind of person
to be around. But what he's talking about here
is the gift of wit that is abused. It is the
gift of wit that is attached to a filthy mind
and to base motives. There are two tests of character,
someone has said. One is, what makes a person
weep? And the other is, what makes a person laugh?
Because of what darkness is like, because of
its characteristics, which God cannot approve,
you and I who are children of light are told,
walk in the light. We are to have nothing to
do with immorality or any uncleanness. We are
to avoid greed, selfishness. We are to stay away
from shameless talk, from stupid words. and from
suggestive phrases and the twisting of words
toward that which is unclean. Again, I want to
say that he is not here condemning humor, but
he is condemning the kind of humor which attacks
and destroys the morality and the pure thoughts
of other people. Warren Worsby tells about a
Christian woman who attended an anniversary dinner
in honor of a friend. She did not know that there
was going to be a program of what he called low
comedy before the meal. The so -called comedian
tried to entertain the crowd with coarse humor
that degraded everything that the Christian guest
held to be sacred and honorable. At one point
in the program, the comedian's throat became
dry, and so he asked the waiter, please bring
me a glass of water. The Christian woman at that
point spoke up and said, and bring a toothbrush
and a bar of soap with it. I'm sure he must have
gotten the point. I read recently a story about
a man who some years ago waited until the women
exited the room. He was with other men and then
was going to start telling a dirty story. He
said, since the women are gone, let me share
this with you. And a Christian man was in the
room. He said, sir, it is true that the women
are gone, but the Holy Ghost is not. And I ask
you to refrain from telling that story. The man
said, sir, I thank you for that reminder, and
I accept your rebuke. That took a lot of courage
for him to do that. What he names here in these
verses, are called later in verse 11, the unfruitful
deeds of darkness. What he means is that there
is no lasting benefit in these things. There
is no satisfying result from them. They only
lead to more sin. Have you ever talked to anyone
who has been an immoral person who said, I am
satisfied? I've had enough immorality to last
me now for the rest of my life? Not at all. It's
unfruitful. What about the person who is noted
for his uncleanness? Or the one who uses obscene
language and filthy talk? Does he ever get to
a point of saying, well, I've said that enough
now, let me stop using it? No, not at all. It
becomes a deeply ingrained habit in his life.
That's why it is called unfruitful deeds of darkness.
And because these things are what they are, because
they do not satisfy and they do not lead to benefit,
those of us who are children of God are to walk
in the light and stay away from this kind of
darkness. These kinds of activities are not fitting
for us, he says. He says they are not proper
for saints, that is, for those who have been
set apart for God. Indeed, he says, don't even
let these things be named among you. But rather,
he says, give thanks. There is something that
is fitting for saints, gratitude and appreciation
for others and treating others with respect,
being content with what one has, what God has
provided, with God's ways in our lives and with
God's times, being content and grateful. That
indeed is good employment for the one who is
to walk in light. We ought to walk in the light
in the first place because of the character of
darkness, but secondly because of the condemnation
of darkness. While moral darkness may predominate
in our present order, it will not always be so.
God is one day going to bring an end to the reign
of darkness. He will do so with judgment and
will establish His kingdom, a kingdom of righteousness
and truth. And in that kingdom there will be
no place found for things like we have named
as a part of darkness. To see that that is true,
go back with me to the end of the New Testament,
to the book of the Revelation. Let's look in
chapter 21. Describing here the capital city
of God's new heaven and new earth. He says in
part, and we break into the middle here of his
sentence, but we must do so for time's sake.
In verse 27 of Revelation 21, And nothing unclean,
and no one who practices abomination and lying.
shall ever come into it, into that new Jerusalem,
but only those whose names are written in the
Lamb's book of life. Then in chapter 22, verse
14, Blessed are those who wash their robes, that
they may have the right to the tree of life and
may enter by the gates into the city. Outside,
he says, are the dogs. Now, that doesn't mean
canine animals. but it is an expression common
in that day to refer to people of immoral character,
people who live like animals, sexually particularly.
He says, Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers
and the immoral persons and the murderers and
the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices
lying. Outside. Where outside? Well, he tells
us in chapter 20 that they are confined forever
to a place of suffering called the lake of fire.
Why should you and I walk in the light? Because
of the condemnation that is coming upon darkness.
As he says in Ephesians chapter 5, those who
practice these things have no inheritance in
the kingdom of Christ and God. Please understand
that when he says those who do these things or
who practice these things, refers to those who
do these things as a habit of life. That is,
those whose character leads them to do these
things without interruption. It is sadly possible
for a Christian to step into the darkness and
to commit even the sins that are mentioned here.
That's why he warns us in Galatians chapter 5
about the deeds of the flesh. And he instructs
us there, walk in the spirit and you, Christians,
will not do the deeds of the flesh. But I'll
tell you this, it's impossible for a Christian
to live this way as a habit of life. For God's
word tells us if anyone lives this way, unendingly,
As a habit of life, he is proving that he is
none of God's. A friend of mine here in the church
shared with me a story about a friend of his
that he was counseling. This friend of his claimed
to be a born -again Christian, but he fell into
a life of living with a woman without marrying
her, had no intention of marrying her. And when
my friend here in the church confronted his friend
about it, His friend not only felt that it was
right that he should live that way, but felt
that a Christian should be able to live that
way. I want you to know that there is a sadly
deceived individual. There is a man who has gone
through some kind of motion claiming Jesus Christ
as Savior, but who by his walk and his perpetual
habitual conduct of life seems to be saying that
he is deceived. and is no child of God in truth.
These are strong words, especially to people
who live in our generation. When we are being
told that to live this way is a right, is simply
a lifestyle, it's what one chooses to do, and
there are some who are saying that one can even
be a Christian and live this way. That is not
so. A child of God may stumble into these sins,
but God will get him out. A child of God will
no longer walk in darkness habitually, though
he may step into it. But he will come back to
the light, and by that prove that he is a genuine
child of God. Now the fact that many deny what
I'm talking about does not change anything. The
darkness of this world could not be expected
to acknowledge its own doom and judgment. That's
why the apostle says to us here, let no one deceive
you with empty words. Verse 6. He says, because
of these things the wrath of God is coming upon
the sons of disobedience. He doesn't just say
that it will come someday. He says even at this
moment it is in the process of falling out upon
the sons of disobedience. If you are listening
to some person or some teacher that is telling
you that you can live in darkness and still be
a child of God, I warn you, do not be deceived
by hollow arguments without substance. Though
someone may call it freedom of choice or right
to your own lifestyle or personal preference,
don't you believe it. If you're a child of God,
it's a matter of light and walking in it. There
are those who say that Christian standards are
too restrictive, too oppressive for the day in
which we live. The day in which you and I live
is not at all unlike the pagan society of Rome.
The same commands that are given through Paul
to the church in that day apply to us in 1987.
You and I are to walk as children of light because
of the condemnation of darkness. No Christian
should live in that which God... is going to
judge and condemn. There's a third reason to
motivate us to walk as children of light, and
that is because of the commands given to us as
children of light. Verses 7 through 14 encompass
basically three commands. He says in the first
place, do not be partakers with them. Verse 7.
Do not be fellow sharers with those whose lives
are characterized by darkness. Do not be fellow
companions with the sons of disobedience. It
does not mean that we cannot befriend them for
the sake of Christ. It surely does not mean that
we should not build bridges into their lives
to try to win them to the Savior. We must do
those things. But we are not to share with them
in their sin. For there is no longer any basis,
you see, for us to share in those things. For
we are now light. They are sadly still darkness.
What fellowship, writes Paul in Corinthians,
has light with darkness? So he says, do not go
on being partakers with them. But, he says, secondly,
walk as children of light, proving... or trying
to learn or discerning what is pleasing to the
Lord. How does one determine as a child of light
what pleases God? By examining the fruit of the
conduct. That's the answer. Does what we are
doing or what we are contemplating doing, does
that exemplify God's character? In verse 9, he
explains to us, in broad strokes, what that means.
He says, the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, first of all. Is the conduct that I'm
considering beneficial? Is it something that
is helpful? Not harmful, but constructive for
another person? Will it edify? Is there generosity
and benevolence? Is there kindness here? Am I
being considerate of another person? Those are
all questions that fall under goodness. We are
to walk as children of the light, and that means
walking in goodness, and secondly, walking in
righteousness. Righteousness is that which is
morally correct in the eyes of God. To do this,
we must abstain from the works of darkness and
do what passes God's test. It means living according
to the standards of God's word. It means being
fair as opposed to being unjust. It means being
righteous as God counts what is righteous. And
then thirdly, he tells us if we're to walk as
children of light, it means discerning our actions
by truth. That is sincerity in the hidden man.
Am I involved in some compromise or some secret
alliance that I'm truly ashamed of? He is saying
here that for the child of God there is no twilight
zone of ambiguity, but rather we are to be always
up front, honest, filled with integrity. He's
saying here that our lives should desire reality
and even welcome scrutiny. Walk as children of
light in goodness and righteousness and truth.
As you take those standards, put them up against
your life, how do you measure up today? There's
a third command given to us as the children of
light. It kind of recaps what he said, but it
goes on to another step, and it's found in verse
11, where he says, Do not participate in the
unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even
expose them. So not only are we not to fellowship
with the sons of disobedience, we are not to
participate in those kinds of things. Indeed,
we are to expose the deeds of darkness. Now,
why? Well, because he says in verse 12, these
things are shameful. They're disgraceful. How
are we to expose them? Well, rather than by doing
it by our words, although that may on occasion
be the best way to do it, he seems to indicate
that we are to expose the shameful deeds of darkness
by the light of our pure, and holy conduct. In
other words, our lifestyle, our conduct as the
children of God should so be filled with light
that wherever we go, those who are walking in
darkness are caught up short. There are some
believers who've gone to sleep with regard to
these commands that he gives to us here, and
that's why he says, wake up, get up. What's happened?
Well, it seems as though he is suggesting that
there are some believers who have gone back to
sleep in the cemetery, who've gone back to where
the corpses are in the world. He is saying here,
don't make the cemetery of this dark world your
headquarters, Christian. Wake up to who you are.
God has put you into this world as a child of
light to make a difference. And even if you feel
your light is but small, a small light makes
a great difference. Wake up to what God has called
you to be and get up. Be about the job God has
given you to do. Don't go into spiritual sleep.
The issues confronting you, Christian, are important.
It means heaven and hell for some of those people
out there who are still in darkness. The issues
confronting you are eternal. These are the things
that are going to last forever. And so he says,
walk as a child of light. Because of these commands,
they're eternally important. Because of the condemnation
that's coming upon the darkness, and because
of the characteristics of it, do not condone
what God condemns. I began by saying that light
cannot be overcome by darkness. Perhaps like
me, you have been at some point in a deep cave
or cavern in the earth, and they've shut out
the lights. Several years ago, our family went
through a mammoth cave in Kentucky. And once
we got down to the bowels of the earth there
in southern Kentucky, Our guide shut off the
lights so that we could be exposed to total darkness.
Some of you have had that experience. I mean,
it is dark. And then the guard lights a match.
And it's amazing the amount of illumination from
that match. And however dark the cave may be,
it cannot overcome that light. It still shines.
Jesus said, you are the light of the world. But
then he said, don't put a bushel over your light.
You see, darkness cannot overcome light, but
you can hide the light inside of a bushel so
that it has no effect. How sad it is to be a
child of light. How tragic it is to be a child
of God, called into lightness from the darkness
out there, and then to live with a bushel over
your light. Like the little child's chorus sings,
hide it under a bushel. No! I'm going to let
it shine. I call upon you as a child of God,
if your light is hidden today under a bushel
of compromise, of disobedience, of carelessness,
of lethargy and sleepiness. Awaken from the dead.
Rise up. Christ will shine upon you afresh and
use you to reflect his glory to the darkened
world. Hide your light under a bushel no more.
Let's pray. Father, I pray that we who know the
Lord Jesus Christ truly will be done with darkness,
wherein some of us have compromised with it,
wherein some of us have taken steps backward
into the darkness, wherein some of us are closet
Christians who are hiding the light for Guinness.
Lord, today, because you have made us light in
Jesus Christ, we want to be all that you've called
us to be in this dark world. Oh, God, make us
a difference in that society where you have placed
us. I run you with our heads bowed, our eyes
closed. And as the Spirit of God brings home
pointed applications to each of us, if right
where you're seated, you would respond to what
the Spirit of God is saying in a very simple
way. First, talk to Him. Talk to the Lord. And
own up to where you may be. If there's darkness
in your life, confess it. For if we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And then ask him to give you fresh, glowing light,
to reflect upon you in a new way, a new beginning,
and determined by his grace to be a child of
light where he's called you to be. Tell him about
that, will you? And then by the uplifted hand,
will you say, Pastor Cole, that is my decision.
And before we go, I want you to pray for me.
I want to walk in the light freshly. I want to
be a child of light who's obedient to God. Would
you lift your hand? Praise God. So many of us.
being very honest about it, very transparent,
and that's the way God wants us to be. That's
how God blesses us. Anyone else? God bless you.
Yes, it is a shame that we walk in darkness,
but the greater shame is that we might continue
to do so. And indeed, that is even a danger,
my friend, for if you're walking in darkness
habitually, without a sense of guilt and shame,
You need to be sure you're a child of God in
all. Examine yourself, whether you be in faith.
Indeed, there may be someone here today who does
not know the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are dominated
by darkness. There is no light in you, and you
know it, and you're empty and unfulfilled. Would
you trust the Savior in the closing moments of
this service? Would you say to him, Lord Jesus,
you are the light of the world. Come into my
darkened heart and save me and make me a child
of light. God will hear that prayer of faith,
my friend, that invitation that's sincere and
will answer it. Now, Father, I pray that however
you have spoken to us this morning, you will
give us grace to follow through, that we might
be like our Lord Jesus, who is the light of the
world, and who has called us to be illuminaries
to this crooked and perverse generation. In his
name we pray. Amen.