Ephesians 5:11-14 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Pastor Herk continues: When you become light in Christ, you are not part of darkness any longer and not to have intimate fellowship with their immoral works of sin. Associate but do not participate. Do not be involved with the dark unfruitful inequity of the flesh, the world or the devil being committed. May what pleases God please you, and what displeases God displease you. Love God and love others. Love the sinner, but hate the sin (the two are separate). It is not possible to be a true follower of Jesus and live the same immoral lifestyle that characterized our life in darkness prior to repentance and salvation’s light in Christ.
1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” If I am a true follower of Jesus Christ and He is the Lord of my life, then my thoughts, words and actions should be consistent with His light that transformed me into that light. May the change in us match the light which aligns with God. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in darkness.
It is not enough for the believing follower of Christ to avoid the deeds themselves, but as children of Light the shameful pleasures of sin are not to even be the subject of our conversation. It is inappropriate. You may not rationalize depraved sin, because sin is against God because by definition to sin means either to violate God's prohibitive commands or to omit practicing His positive commands (a reflection of His holy nature). The line is drawn between right and wrong. Depravity is a vitiated state of the heart; wickedness; corruption of moral principles; destitution of holiness or good principles. Isaiah 59:2-3 “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.” The light of God through holy Scripture which exposes what is in darkness is used for the purpose of correction and restoration.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The word “reproof” here is the Greek word “elegchos”, meaning a proof by which invisible things are proved (and we are convinced of their reality) for convicting one of his sinfulness, for the purpose of restoring that person to an upright position before God via the Gospel; not condemnation. Jesus explains in John 3:16-19, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” You cannot condemn the condemned already by God.
The Holy Spirit shines the light of God’s truth into the darkness and exposes sin for conviction, repentance and restoration through Jesus Christ, God’s gracious gift; the Savior of the world. That same Holy Spirit performs the transformation and regeneration work of Salvation in the repentant Believer. That is the Good News of converting darkness into light. God chooses to use His children of Light to go bring the Gospel message to the world for reconciliation, resurrection and restoration at the foot of the Cross, producing goodness, righteousness and truth. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr stated: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Wake up and turn on the light!
In Christ, Brian
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