Ephesians 4-5; Fruit of Light ~ 20230108 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
01/08 The Fruit of Light ;Ephesians 4-5 Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20230108_advent-fruit-of-light.mp3
This advent we have been looking to Jesus, Jesus who is the light of the world, the true light who comes into our world, who opens blind eyes, who allows us to see the good news of the glory of God, because the glory of God is revealed, shining in the face of Jesus. Jesus is the great light who overcomes our darkness. Jesus is the light dawning in darkness and the shadow of death.
You Are The Light; New Identity (Matthew 5:14)
Jesus turns to us, his followers and says
Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
You are the light of the world. Jesus has given us a new identity.
Ephesians 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Our identity was darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. We are called, commissioned now to be the light of the world, to walk as children of light, to open blind eyes, to point people to Jesus, the light of the world.
We, together are the light, because Jesus says you plural, y’all are the light of the world. Y’all, together, as my followers, as the body of Christ, let y’alls light shine.
The question I want to ask today is ‘What does it mean, what does it look like for us to walk as children of light?’
Reflecting the Character of Jesus (Matthew 5:1-16)
We saw last time that the context of Matthew 5:14 is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount; the beatitudes. Maybe we should call it the Jesus-attitudes. We reflect Jesus’ character, and ultimately the character of the Father when we are humble, poor in spirit, when we grieve with those who grieve, when we are meek, when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, when we show mercy, when we are pure in heart, when we make peace, when we are persecuted and rejected. Jesus calls us salt and light in this world. He is calling us to follow him, to reflect his character, to shine his light, as he reflected the character of his Father.
We are to let our light shine so that it is not hidden but seen, observable by those around us, but we are to let it shine in such a way that our good works are not identified as ours, originating in us; but that they were wrought in God, fruit of the Spirit’s work in us.
Works Wrought in God (John 3:19-21)
In John 3, to the one who came to him by night, Jesus said:
John 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Understand, John 3 does not draw a contrast between good people and bad people, but between everyone and those who have been supernaturally transformed by a work of the Spirit of God. Everyone, all people love darkness because our deeds are evil. Everyone does wicked things and we do not want to be exposed. The context of John 3 draws a contrast between two groups of people; those who believe in Jesus and those who do not believe in Jesus. John 3 explains the necessity of the new birth, being born of the Spirit. Those who do the truth come to the light to put clearly on display that it is a supernatural work of God; any good that I do is done not in my own strength, but is wrought in God. It is evidence of the new birth; it is the work of the Spirit of God. The light exposes not only the deeds but their source.
Being children of light is a result of being born from above, born of God. Because we are children of light, because we have that new identity, we ought to walk in step with that new identity.
Walk Consistent with your New Identity (Ephesians 2:1-5)
Ephesians describes us (2:1-5) as the walking dead, walking in our trespasses and sins, children of wrath, until by God’s great mercy and grace he made us alive. Our identity is radically transformed. The second half of Ephesians grows out of this foundation.
Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Walk consistent with your new identity; who you are in Christ. Walk in step with the Lord. Be humble, be gentle, be patient, put up with others, love others, preserve unity, pursue peace.
Put Off the Old Self (Ephesians 4:17-24)
Ephesians 4:17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
You are no longer in the dark. Do not walk as if you were still darkened in your understanding, ignorant, hard hearted, calloused, feeding your lying desires. Your old identity is dead; put it off. Set it aside. You have a new identity in Christ; renewed minds, the new self; created to reflect the glory of God. Put it on. Walk in your new identity.
Put On the New Self (Ephesians 4:25-5:7)
Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Speak truth. Keep short accounts. Work hard and be generous. Let your words minister grace. Be kind. Forgive as you have been forgiven.
Ephesians 5 continues:
Ephesians 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
You are no longer sons of disobedience. Now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. As beloved children, imitate your Father in heaven. Walk in self-sacrificial love.
Exposing the Darkness (Ephesians 5:8-13)
Ephesians 5:8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. ...
There is a battle raging between darkness and light. We are to be light in the world, and the darkness will not overcome. Even shameful secret things, when they are exposed, brought to light, lose their power. When dark deeds are rebuked by the light, they are exposed for what they are, and that which was dark becomes light.
Ephesians 5:14 ...Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
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Isaiah 51:17 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering.
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
Awake O sleeper, you who were dead in trespasses and sins; God has made you alive by his grace. The light of Christ will shine one you. Now you are light in the Lord.
Contrasts
Ephesians 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Paul gives graphic descriptions contrasting darkness and light, life in the flesh and life in the Spirit, the old self and the new self. He lists concrete practical tangible daily life examples that paint a picture for us of what these two radically divergent paths look like.
The old self is characterized by futility, alienation, ignorance, a hard and calloused heart. Our old identity was darkness, sons of disobedience and children of wrath, we were unfruitful, our deeds were shameful and hidden. We were are asleep, dead, drunk, debauched.
In contrast, the new self is characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love, pursuing unity and peace. Our new identity is created after likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. We are beloved children, we are light in the Lord, bearing the fruit of light, we can walk pleasing to the Lord. We are awake, alive, wise, understanding, filled with the Spirit.
Our old self was driven by sensuality, pursuing impurity, tainted by desires that lie to us, promising more than they can deliver. The shameful secret deeds of darkness include sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness (which is idolatry), filthiness, corrupting foolish talk, crude joking, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice.
Our new self seeks to imitate God, pursuing God’s pleasure, living life sacrificially as a fragrant aroma to God. The fruit of light looks like lay-down-your-life self-sacrificial love for others, submitting to one another under God, pursuing that which is good, right and true, forgiving those who wrong us as we have been forgiven by Jesus.
Our words are to give grace, to be characterized by thanksgiving, giving thanks always and for everything. Our hearts overflow with song to the Lord and to one another.
Assessing Our Reflection
Jesus calls us to be the light of the world. It can be valuable to assess how accurately we are reflecting his light to the world around us.
What desires drive you? What do you most long for that you don’t have? Is your primary passion to pursue your own pleasure? Or to seek to please the Lord? Has your heart become calloused or numb?
How is your thought life? Who are you when no one is looking?
How do you respond to difficult people? People who disagree with you? Humility, gentleness, patience, pursuing unity and peace? Or are you proud, rough, short, irritable, quick to condemn, to distance? Do you allow bitterness to grow? Slander? Malice? How are you at bearing with one another in love?
What shape do you words take? Are they good and right and true? Do they give grace? Or are they foolish, shameful, impure, corrosive? Do they build up or tear down? Complaining or giving thanks always for everything? Does your heart overflow with a song to the Lord?
Are you drained, exhausted, tired of trying to be something you know you are supposed to be, but don’t really want to be? Or that you desperately want to be but are consistently coming up short?
What is it that you are putting on display to the people around you? Do they see the character of Jesus? Do they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven?
Transformation Rooted in the New Birth
Remember, the new birth is where this comes from; it is rooted in your identity. You must be born again! Jesus offers hope! Jesus can transform your desires. This is the fruit of light that the Holy Spirit produces in us, as a result of our new identity in Christ. Don’t be a dog that returns to your vomit. Live and walk according to your new identity; Jesus has called us to be the light of the world; by God’s grace we are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
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2023.01.08 Sermon Notes
Ephesians 4-5 – The Fruit of Light
You are the light of the world
Matthew 5:14-16; Ephesians 5:8
Light exposes not only our deeds, but their source
John 3:19-21
Walk consistent with your new identity
Ephesians 2:1-5; 4:1-3
Put off the old self
Ephesians 4:17-24
Put on the new self
Ephesians 4:25-5:7
Let light overcome the darkness
Ephesians 5:8-14
Awake, Arise, Christ will Shine on you
Isaiah 51:17; 60:1; 26:19
Contrasting Light and Darkness
Ephesians 5:15-21
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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org