14 day plan

Walking as I Am

Day 11 of 14

NIV

Ephesians 5:6-14

Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore, do not become their partners.  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light — for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth — testing what is pleasing to the Lord.  Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret.  Everything exposed by the light is made visible,  for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said:  Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Reflection:  There must have been an immense amount of pressure in Ephesus to tiptoe through life as a Christian. After all, this new identity ‘in Christ’ would have clashed with the temple of Diana on the hill, the Roman Emperor cult that flourished, and even the Jewish synagogue down the road. But God doesn’t call his mob to walk and leave a small footprint – we are to ‘walk as children of light’ (v.8). Light is hard to hide (v.9). Light exposes (v.11). Light is obviously NOT darkness (v.11). In fact, light makes clear (v.13). And so, Paul states clearly that God’s mob are not sleepwalkers through life – they leave a big footprint wherever they go, pointing to where their identity lies.

Question:  What is the difference between ‘walking’ as children of light, and being obnoxious? What is the point of the walk of the children of light?

Prayer:  Father, you have taken me from darkness into light, the light of forgiveness, grace, goodness and truth. This is all your work, from love, in Christ. Please help me to walk as a child of light, reveling in the goodness of the truth of grace, and graciously exposing darkness. Amen.