Live Like Children Of The Light

“For you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live like children of light—  for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:8-10 NET

At times, it's difficult to fathom that our lives were once enveloped in darkness before the arrival of Christ into our lives, especially when many of us lead such descent lives. So, what does Paul mean by 'darkness' in the above verse? Another verse provides a clearer explanation, underscoring the significance of having the Spirit of Christ within us: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness.” Romans 8:9-10 NET

By reading this, one might assume that righteousness can be achieved through hard work and effort. However, that myth is quite different than the truth. Through baptism, we symbolically die with Jesus; as we rise from the water, we are reborn in His likeness. Our old, sinful nature is crucified with Jesus Christ, and we are transformed into a new person guided by the Holy Spirit.

Walking in the light, a central concept in our faith signifies that we have received Jesus as our savior. He has chosen to dwell within us through the Holy Spirit. In response to His call, we listen to and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God’s nature is one of grace, an unmerited favor. In simpler terms, God’s character towards us is always love, a love that was exemplified in the life of Jesus. We, in our natural state, are unable to be anything other than what we are, which is spiritually dead (crucified with Jesus). However, the righteousness of Jesus within us transforms us; our natural efforts or actions only emphasize our need for Jesus.

Notice how Paul doesn’t say we were in darkness but we were darkness. To be in something means we somehow had a choice and decided to join in, but that is not what Paul is saying; we were darkness because of the curse of sin passed down from Adam; all of us inherited darkness from sin. But you are now light in the Lord. Here, Paul uses the word in because we do have a choice to receive Jesus and His marvelous gift of Himself to become our salvation. The difference is believing loyalty to Jesus and receiving the gift He gave us, which is His body.

Paul’s description of the fruit of the light above refers to the very character of Jesus, a character that can be manifested or demonstrated through our lives. Galatians 5 lists what attributes the Holy Spirit imparts when we allow Him to form and change us. When you plant a tree, you cannot strain, push, or cajole that tree to produce fruit; fruit is a natural byproduct of the tree’s relationship to the earth. Similarly, fruit is a natural byproduct of a relationship with Jesus. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. Now, those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:22-25 NET

Jesus used the example of a grapevine and its connected branches to describe this in more detail: “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” John 15:5 NET. The fruit of the Spirit comes from Jesus working in and through our lives; we do not strive to produce fruit; it comes from Jesus and is evident when we interact with others.

Surrendering to Jesus has always been on the radar regarding life in the Spirit. Our minds, will, and emotions are on the table for Jesus to use so that we can become like Him in all we do. When the Heavenly Father looks at us, He wants to see Jesus in us fully formed. It has always been a matter of learning what pleases the Lord by our obedience to Him, even in the early church.

In the early days of the Church, both Rome and the Pharisees unleashed brutal persecution against Christians. They were subjected to horrifying acts such as crucifixion, being burned alive, stoning, and being mauled and killed by wild animals in Nero’s circus. Despite facing relentless ridicule and disdain, This hatred resulted from Christians living a life pleasing to God and following the lead of the Holy Spirit as He directed their lives. Many people of the day were darkness, with no physical or spiritual means of escape. Jesus offered the escape from darkness in His marvelous light. Despite the immense challenges, the early Church withstood the persecution and flourished, growing in numbers throughout Rome and its surrounding regions. Christians' unwavering dedication to their faith, even in the face of death, is a testament to their profound conviction that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. That is what it means to live like children of the light.

Their unwavering devotion to Jesus Christ will be rewarded with the opportunity to rule and reign alongside Him on the earth upon His return. Additionally, they will experience the joy of living with a loving Heavenly Father who listens and responds to them when they call upon His name.

Stephen Barnett