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.  (11) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  (12) For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  (13) But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.  (14) Therefore He says:  “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in  Ephesus which existed in that ancient pagan cultural world.  The guiding principles of our verses today addresses real life difficult situations – how Christians should live as people of light. Paul says that the faithful are not in the light but ARE light.

Paul’s argument is that believers have undergone a dramatic change of heart. Salvation has come to them and it has transformed them already – not just improved but TRANSFORMED them from death to life; from darkness to the light.  Jesus was God’s provision for salvation; He is the light of the world.  And this contrast between light and darkness is throughout the Bible; we are to be in this world but not of this world. We are not to be tainted by worldly things – to wear the world lightly.

The caution is believers are not to be so removed from the world as to withdraw and have no impact. In faith we are to behave as we believe. People do notice and hopefully will want what we have. The light exposes what the dark conceals.  In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis writes of choices between light and dark – death or salvation – where the night is almost gone and the day is at hand.   We are running out of time to choose the light.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  (3) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produces perserverance; (4) and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (5) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  (6) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  (7) For scarcely for a righteous man one will die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.  (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul and our verses today tell us about the blessings that flow from the doctrine of justification by faith – we are at peace with God on His terms.  The caveat here is we have this peace by faith in Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross. His resurrection is the sign that His was the perfect and acceptable sacrifice to God and we are given standing in Christ – our sins are covered.  Believers have a certain future.

God demonstrated His love for us by giving His Son to die for us and He gives the Holy Spirit to the reborn as a continuation of the blessings of justification by faith in Christ.  Human love will always disappoint because of our imperfect nature but God’s love is perfect. We live in a shadow world of what is to come.  We had no hope and we were doomed until Christ came as our substitute. Alone we have no merit, no righteousness and can do no works worthy of forgiveness.  Salvation through faith in Christ is true and Jesus alone gave us this gift. We can’t comprehend the enormity of this but the faithful know that salvation is certain if we are called.

Paul urges us to exult in our trials.  This is not an automatic response and the faithful have to consciously live this way.  Exulting in trials does not mean denying the pain but to know everything in this world passes and only God alone remains.  Humans are frail, faulty but God does not forget His promises  and our future hope is certain.  We don’t develop endurance unless we have trials.  The result of perseverance in trials is character – acceptance and peserverance result in joyful living not for this world but the next.  The faithful have a certain future and Paul calls it hope only  because we aren’t home yet.  So rejoice; it’s all true

• Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, (9) who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,  (10) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned – (13) (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  (14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam who is a type of Him who was to come.  (15) But the free gift is not like the offense.  For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of one Man, Jesus Christ, abounds to many.  (16) And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned.  For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification.  (17) For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who received abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.)  (18) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.  (19) For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul and our verses today are written for our assurance of the good news of the gospel.  The point of our verses is that in Christ through faith we are made right with God and are saved for eternal life.  Outside of Christ man is still under the reign of spiritual and physical death.

All men are in Adam so all men sinned when Adam disobeyed God – his sin was imputed to all.   Because of this sin of the first man all are born into this world with a sinful nature.  In Genesis God judges Adam – and us – but also announces His plan for salvation through another. Our old identity was with Adam but through faith (also a gift) we are reborn and have a new identity in Christ Jesus. The identification with either Christ or Adam is the key to understanding these verses.  We will either be condemned through Adam or saved through Christ, the perfect man and sacrifice, acceptable to God.  God’s gift of free saving grace through Christ is far greater than the result of Adams sin.

Paul is writing of the reign of death through Adam versus the reign of life in Christ.  We will not just be judged but will be judged in the deeds of our representative, Christ Jesus.   This gift of righteousness to all who believe and now stand in Him means not that the faithful are morally upright but all their sins are covered.  Paul is clear that  it is not by by our deeds but by one man’s act we are no longer separated from God –  Not just good news but the only news we need to know.