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. In our verses today Paul tells us how we, as children of the light, should relate to a morally dark world – he is not giving specific directions but providing comprehensive guiding principles. As natural man we were in darkness, neither able or wanting to know God; living entirely for ourselves. Those who walk in darkness are said to be themselves darkness. Now in faith, we are children of the Light – the life of Christ is the light of man. If we are reborn of God we possess a new and divine nature to walk in goodness and righteousness and truth. Righteousness is simply doing what is right. Truth has to do with our own inner sincerity – we will be real, genuine in dealing with God and man.
The faithful are to have no sympathy of indulgence or excuse for the deeds of darkness. We are not to relate to the lost; to become so much like the world in it’s attitudes and behavior. We can minimize cultural differences but are warned to not compromise the gospel. Sin has no result but sin and the suffering of the lost. We are charged to expose evil by the light of Christ’s truth. To walk as children of the light we must BE children of the light – a profound change in our new birth in Christ in faith
Paul advises the his readers to wake up from lethargy and carelessness. Reprove the works of darkness by how we live in the light which is the very nature of God – in Him there is no darkness at all. Enjoy peace with God. Wake up. Put things right and then trust God for the rest.