Ephesians 5:8-10 Podcast
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10)
We were darkness. Darkness defined us. And, darkness is the absence of light. Due to the fact that there is no such thing as darkness, we were defined by that which is non-existent. From the beginning it was a lie.
We all drag around loads we were never intended to carry. Fear. Worry. Discontent. No wonder we get so weary. We’re worn out from carrying this excess baggage. While we were the darkness, hidden from us was the heart of God for us. We naturally concluded that He was out to get us, just like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. So we ran, thinking that we could find our way on our own to no avail.
Do you remember when you realized that you needed Him? I was in my shower, just three days before my dad died on October 29, 1981. I was so broken. My brokenness allowed His light to shine in. This is it, we must be willing to let Him shine in our darkness. This is Christianity, Christ shining through the cracks of our broken existence.
The light is in the Lord Jesus, the Light is the Lord Jesus. He drives out darkness. Darkness frightens us. Not being able to see is scary. But, God's way is to live by faith, to live looking with our hearts.
Paul reminds us in v.8, we "are now light in the Lord." The key is "in the Lord." Living out of this new place where God defines us is what it means for us to be the light now.
We lack this point of view because it is the product of two things: that we turn to the Lord in the midst of our trials and hearing His voice in that context. We avoid pain, pressure and problems. In so doing, we miss the opportunity to grow in faith or our heart's ability to see God.
Darkness is useful, though, it magnifies the light. The light is the Lord Himself. Without the darkness, we do not know the Lord, we do not know His presence, we do not know His life.
Paul, in v.8 tells us to "walk as children of the light." Children are helpless and dependent. We are most spiritual when we are children. Christianity is the preoccupation of our hearts with the Lord Jesus. As a result, when something of God comes out of our lives, He gets the credit. He is our pursuit. The fruit of curiosity is fueled pursuit. And, as we have pointed out before, faith is divine persuasion.
Paul mentions the fruit of the Spirit in v.9 because the light is God Himself and His presence is recognized by the fruit of the Spirit. And, the soil of this fruit "is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
Goodness here is the Greek noun "agathōsunē." This word denotes the excellence of the object being described. It includes the idea of "uprightness" and "generosity."
Righteousness here is the Greek word "dikaiosunē," which means what is right and just. It includes the act of doing what is in agreement with God's standards, the state of being in proper relationship with God.
Truth here is the Greek word "alitheia" which means genuine, reliable, trustworthy, and valid. Knowing the One who Himself is the truth, frees us from the shackles that have long held us in bondage from Him and His perfect ways.
It is out of this threefold soil (goodness, righteousness and truth) that the fruits of the Spirit are expressed in us, to us and through us.
Finally, this fueled pursuit is underscored in v.10 when Paul writes, "finding out what is acceptable to the Lord." It is in the context of relationship that we discover the expression of the Lord Himself, this one who is THE light.
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