Thank you, Bill, for those good
hymns that you chose out tonight. If you will, let's turn once
again to Ephesians chapter five. Four weeks ago, Tonight, we ended
our study here in this passage in verse number seven. And for
the last three Wednesdays, Jonathan has brought messages to us out
of the book of Ecclesiastes. This passage, of course, is dealing
with the child of God's walk. or way of living in this world. If you look back to chapter four,
this is where he began speaking concerning our walk in this world. Chapter four in verse one, he
said, I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that
you walk, walk worthy of the vocation, the calling wherewith
you are called. We speak of this calling, this
call, as God's effectual call, God's irresistible grace. And we know in the scripture
it is also spoken of as a high calling, a high calling of God
when God calls a sinner, a holy calling when God calls a sinner,
and yes, a heavenly calling Because one day, he will call us into
heaven itself. Now let me point three things,
three truths out to us from these verses tonight. And basically,
they are all found in verse eight, the first verse. Ephesians five and verse eight. For you were sometimes darkness,
but now are you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. First, notice there is a reminder
in verse 8, the first part. You were sometimes darkness. He's writing to God's children,
to believers, to those who have experienced the saving grace
of God. And he reminds them that you
were sometimes darkness. Consider these two truths with
me about that one statement. First of all, when he says, you
were sometimes darkness, there's no exceptions. He's writing to
all believers, and there are no exceptions. You were sometimes
darkness. He addresses the children of
God, and he doesn't need to qualify that statement in any way. There was no exceptions. It is
not some of you were darkness. It's not the majority of you
were darkness. It's not even a small minority
of you were darkness. No, without any qualification,
this is true of every child of God, you were sometimes darkness. What did Paul mean by that? You
know, I used this verse of scripture one time in a message and one
of the brothers told me later, he said, you know, that really
is something. We were darkness. He didn't just
say we were in darkness, that's true. But no, he said that we
ourselves, we were darkness. Yes, what did he mean by that? Well, if you look back into chapter
four and verse 18, he had used this before. In verse 18 of chapter
four, He said, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from
the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the
blindness of their heart. It simply means, you were sometimes
darkness, it simply means that every person, because of the
fall, because of Adam's disobedience, and our fall in him, he was our
representative, that we all come into this world and our understanding
is darkened and we are ignorant in spiritual matters. Now many
men are very educated and very learned, even geniuses, but their
mind is darkened in the things of God. It's true of all men. Men may be highly intelligent
and learned in many natural things, but not in spiritual things.
This truth, you know, this truth was immediately displayed to
us in what we are told about Adam. Our father Adam, who was
created in the image of God, who walked in light, And yet,
just as soon as he disobeyed God, just as soon as he sinned,
he fell, and we see his mind was darkened because the first
thing he tried to do was to hide from God. To hide from God, who
he knew. God is omnipresent, God is omniscient,
God is all powerful, all seeing, all knowing. before he would
have never thought it possible to hide from God. God is a spirit. And yet, just as soon as he sinned,
his mind was darkened, and he tried to hide from God. And not
only tried to hide from God, but he tried to cover his nakedness
with fig leaves. And you know what that is representative
of. It's man trying to make himself
acceptable unto God. It's man trying to produce a
righteousness which will allow him to come into the presence
of God and be accepted to be reconciled unto God. You were sometimes darkness. That's one thing that is included.
Man comes into this world And his mind is darkened, and because
of that darkness of mind, he is ignorant of the things of
God. A second thing to consider is
this. You were in a kingdom of darkness.
Not only were you darkness, but you were in a kingdom. Now he's
writing to believers, right? He's writing to people who knew
the Lord had been saved. And this is a past tense, you
were darkness. You did have a mind that was
darkened. You were ignorant in the things
of God, the spiritual things about God. And not only that,
you were in a kingdom of darkness. Satan is called the prince of
darkness, isn't he? The prince of darkness. And it's
true that every person, every lost person, is under the dominion
and power and rule of Satan. Look back, look over to Colossians. Not only were you darkness, did
you have a mind that was darkened, but you were in a kingdom of
darkness. And Colossians 1. And verses
12 and 13, the apostle said, giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet, qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. We were in darkness who have
delivered us from the power of darkness, from the power, the
prince of the power of the air, that is Satan, the power of darkness
and thank God hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son. You were sometimes darkness. Second, so there is first a reminder
of what they were. Now, the apostle, there's a reminder
of what they are. Present tense, writing to these
believers. Now, notice our text, Ephesians
5 and verse 8. Present tense, are you light
in the Lord? Don't you love these passages
of scripture which speak to us of what we were, but now? What we were, but now. For instance, back in chapter
two, remember? Chapter two, when he said, And
you hath he quickened who were, past tense, dead in trespasses
and sins. But now, notice verse four, but
now, but God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ. By grace you are saved. But now, you were darkness, but
now are you light in the Lord. Look at another passage, 1 Corinthians
chapter six. 1 Corinthians chapter six and verse nine. Know you not that the unrighteous,
think about the unrighteous, know you not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, I list a number
of things, a number of sinful actions, neither fornicators
nor idolaters nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God. And such were, there it is past
it, such were some of you. Now, someone might say, well,
preacher, I've never been guilty of any of those things that are
listed there. Well, first of all, you'd probably
be lying. Maybe outwardly you would have never been guilty
of those things, but in your heart? But think about this. We were all unrighteous. The
scripture says there's none righteous, no, not one. That's what you
were, unrighteous and many guilty of some of these things, maybe
some of all of these things. But now, what are you now? What
are you now? Now you're washed. Now you're
justified. Now you're sanctified and all
in the name of Jesus Christ. All through his person and work. We are now Back in our text,
we are now light in the Lord. I wonder why, I thought about
this the last day or two, why the apostle dealt with this matter
of darkness and light as much as he did. Why wrote this in
so many of his epistles? And I thought possibly maybe
to help people to come to an assurance of salvation. How does a person know if he
is light in the Lord? You cannot see without light,
right? That's something you must have
to be able to see. People say, well, I'm not sure
if I've been born again, if I've really been converted. Let me
ask you something. Can you see your sinfulness? Remember the Lord said, except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. He cannot understand and perceive
the things of God, the kingdom of God, the gospel. Can you now
see your sinfulness? A lost person doesn't see his
sinfulness. A lost person will justify himself. Can you see Christ as the only
way? Can you see tonight that In Christ,
you are accepted in Him that His blood cleanses you. Yes,
His blood cleanses from sin. His righteousness justifies before
God. Are you now light in the Lord?
Can you see now what you couldn't see before? Are you able to say
with John Newton, I once was blind, but now I see? Are you? You are now light in
the Lord. You were darkness. Now you are
light. Number three, what's the result? Walk. Now walk. Walk as children of light. Now, as we go through these next
verses, I want to take one word out of each verse and deal with
that. Verse number 9. He says, You
were darkness, now you're light. Walk as children of light. Verse
9. For the fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness and righteousness and truth. The word I take out
of that verse is the word fruit. Fruit. And this should remind
us that the Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 15, I'm sure
you're familiar with the passage, he spoke of himself as the true
vine. I am the vine, you are the branches. And let me read that, John 15
in verse five. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you
can do nothing. So, think of Christ as the root,
the Holy Spirit as pictured by the sap in the vine, and believers,
united to Christ as branches, bring forth fruit. And the fruit
that is mentioned here is goodness, righteousness, and truth. Notice that in the text. For the fruit of the Spirit is
in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. The fruit of the Spirit produces this, as John Gill,
he made the comment, where the Spirit of God is, there will
be more or less appearance of these fruits. Goodness has to
do with our relationship to others. Goodness. Our relationship to
others. Righteousness, our relationship
to God. And truth against hypocrisy and
lying. So, walk as children of light. Without Christ, we can do nothing. But we can do all things through
Christ which strengthens us. That's what the apostle said.
We cannot bring forth any fruit that God will accept that He
does not produce in us by God the Holy Spirit. The second verse, verse number
10, is the word proving in this verse. Proving what is acceptable
unto the Lord. And this points us to the Word
of God, the written Word of God, proving what is acceptable. We are to prove all things by
the Word of God. If we're to walk in the light,
then we are to prove what is good and acceptable to God with
or through the written Word of God. As the psalmist said in
Psalm 119, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by
taking heed thereto according to thy word. Remember that first
psalm. Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor setteth in the seat of the scornful, but his delight is
in the law of the Lord. And in his law, death he meditate
day and night, proving, proving we must be in the Word of God.
If we're going to walk as children of light, we must be in the Word
of God, reading the Word of God, hearing the Word of God. Verse 11 is the word fellowship
I wanted to use. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And you must notice
that the apostle says have no fellowship with the works of
darkness. He didn't say with the workers
of darkness. You know, there was a time in
the history of the church when men evidently understood that
to be having no fellowship with the workers of darkness, and
so they headed for the hills. They moved out into caves and
places like that, thought that they could disassociate themselves
from workers of darkness. No, the Lord isn't saying here,
have no fellowship with the workers of darkness. We live in this
world and we live among workers of darkness, sinful men and women,
just like we were. Our Lord, our Lord, remember
one of the things the religious people accused him of was that
he eateth with publicans and sinners. Can you imagine that?
He eateth with publicans and sinners. They didn't recognize
that's the reason he came, to save sinners. No, it's not have
no fellowship with the workers of darkness, but the works of
darkness. It is the works of darkness.
What are the works of darkness? Sin, sin, that's what it is,
sin. With which we are to have no
fellowship. Well, how do we have fellowship
with the works of darkness? Well, first of all, we are engaged
in those works of darkness. We are sinning, have no fellowship
with the works of darkness, but rather reprove them. We have
fellowship with the works of darkness when we engage in the
works of darkness. And not only that, but when we
approve of them, when we approve of them. We are rather, according
to the Apostle's word, here to reprove the works of darkness. How do you do that? How do you
reprove the works of darkness? Well, first of all, by living
a life, a consistent life before the workers of darkness. By testifying
by your life, by your lifestyle, by walking in the light. And
when appropriate, then reprove them with words. But remember
this, it's the works of darkness that we are to reprove, not the
workers of darkness. I was speaking with someone here
just a week ago about this, sort of like this, about being angry
at things that we see. And I said, we're not to be angry
at the people. But at their actions, at their
sins, yes. Reprove the works of darkness. Reprove them by a lifestyle that
is different and when opportunity presents itself, yes, even with
your words. Now the fourth word is the word
speak in verse 12. For it is a shame even to speak
of those things which are done of them in secret. You notice the apostle doesn't
list the sins, the various sins, the works of darkness intended
here when he said have no fellowship with them because they're shameful
deeds. They're shameful deeds, so shameful
he says that it's even a shame to speak of them. They do these
things in darkness because they are shameful things. Some of
us, most of us, probably can remember when there were sins
that people were ashamed of, and now they have parades and
are proud of the sinful works, deeds of darkness. Paul says it's a shame even to
speak of those things. Over the years, you've heard
people give a testimony, they call it a Christian testimony,
and sometimes they just try to outdo one another on telling
how wicked and sinful they lived. No need to tell us all about
that stuff. We all live with a sinner. Every time we look in the mirror,
we see one looking back at us. We've all got thoughts that go
through our mind that we are so ashamed of that if they were
going to be exposed on this wall behind me, if mine were going
to be exposed, I'd be out of here pretty quick. I'd be so
ashamed. Wouldn't you? It's a shame. Even speak of those things, Paul
says. Don't speak of them. You know,
I think It's true about false religion, too. We've got the
truth. The Lord's entrusted us and given
us the truth. These are the things we should
speak. Speak the truth. Speak the gospel of Jesus Christ. And those other things, you know,
leave that for someone else. All right, here's the fifth word
in verse 13. It's the word manifest. But all
things that are reproved are made manifest by the light, for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light. It's a property of
light to make things known. This is true in things natural,
and it's true in things spiritual. Believers are the light of the
world. I know the Lord Jesus Christ
said, I am, it's one of those great I am passages, where the
Lord confesses himself to be Jehovah, the self-existent, eternal
God. I am the light of the world. But he also said this in the
Sermon on the Mount. You are the light of the world
to his disciples, to believers. Believers are the light of the
world and we are to walk as children of light. And as we do so, we
make manifest By our conversation, by our walk, we reprove, without
ever opening our mouth, we reprove the deeds of darkness. All right, number 14. The sixth
word is the word awake, in verse 14. Wherefore he saith, Awake
thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall
give thee life. You know, I was reading, as I
do normally, various writers, and John Calvin, he applied this
to the ongoing preaching of the gospel, by which he said, men
who are dead in trespasses and sins, hear the voice of the Son
of God and live. Now, that's true what he said
there, but it's difficult for me to see how Paul is going through
this speaking to believers, to Christians, to Christians, and
then all of a sudden he veers off there talking to lost people.
No, I believe that he's still speaking to believers, even when
he says, awake. Awake, thou that sleepest. and arise from the dead and Christ
shall give thee light. It's best to believe that he's
speaking of believers who through sloth, through negligence, through
unconcern, whatever it is, we go to sleep. We go to sleep. And I know this, that in In the
Lord's parable of the ten virgins, you remember five of them had
oil in their lamp, five of them had the Spirit of God living
in them, but five didn't. But all went to sleep. All went
to sleep, didn't they? No, I think this is just like
that verse in Romans 13 and verse 11, which also is spoken to God's
children when he wrote, and that knowing the time, it is high
time to wake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. You say, what does that mean?
Well, now, tonight, my salvation, your salvation is nearer than
when you first believed. Right? Your salvation, when the
Lord calls you home. It's nearer tonight than it was
back whenever. You remember in Pilgrim's Progress,
John Bunyan, he had Christian go to sleep at one point, didn't
he? He was going up that hill, difficulty, and it was difficult. And then he came to that place
that was at Arbor, that the prince had prepared there for pilgrims
to find repose and rest because the journey was so difficult.
But when he went in there, he went to sleep. And you remember
when he was awakened, he left there, but he left something
very critical. He left that role there. He made
it on up the hill, but he had to come back. And I believe Just
recently, in one of Spurgeon's morning and evenings, he mentioned
the fact that for most of us believers, when things are more
difficult in our life, when we're having trials and problems, we're
less likely to go to sleep spiritually than when everything seems to
be going along smooth. Because when we're in difficulties,
Usually we're more engaged in seeking the Lord, seeking his
help. I know that's true in my life.
I do. All right, here's the next to
the last. Here's the seventh, the word
circumspectly in verse 15. See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise. One of the teachers, that we
had in Bible school. I think Walter, you had already
graduated when he came there to teach, but he explained this
verse like this one time. He said, just picture a cat walking
on a clothesline and there's a Doberman Pinscher dog on this
side and a German Shepherd dog on this side. And that cat is
putting his paws down very circumspectly. He's walking very carefully. Walk circumspectly. Be careful
where you walk, where you step, in other words, where you go.
And then the eighth, the last word is the word redeeming in
verse 16. Redeeming the time for the days
of evil. That is, using the time that
God gives us, using it wisely in serving Him. I pray that the
Lord would bless these thoughts and words to each one of us here
tonight, and God help us to walk as children of light. All right,
Bill, if you will, let us sing a hymn, please. We'll be dismissed
with the singing of the hymn.