EMMDEV 2011-12-01 [Ephesians] Godly Living #3: Live in light

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians5:8-14

When we become children of God we move from darkness to light (John 8:12)

Paul calls us to live out this truth.
Living as people of the light means that we try to live as people who cannot hide anything (you need darkness to hide things) If we live as people for whom everything is public, it helps us to avoid the doing things that need hiding...

Paul qualifies light-living in these three ways:
- Goodness
- Righteousness
- Truth

These are useful tests to apply to any action we are considering: "Is it good for all involved? Is it right? Is it honest and does it have integrity?"

Living in the light means we live knowing that God sees it all.

But we don't have to do it all alone!
Paul reminds us that the power of the Risen Christ is the power that raises us from our dark, dead slumber into life in the light.

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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/