Winsome in Christ: Ephesians 5:6-21
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness and yet the darkness will not overcome it. The true light that gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:4-5,9
“This is the judgement: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” John 3:19,21
Many scholars believe that Ephesians was written not only to the church at Ephesus, but was rather a general epistle written to all of the churches near the eastern coast of the Aegean Sea. These churches were probably the same seven churches referred to by John in the book of Revelations. John, in his last years, was exiled to the island of Patmos near that coast. These communities were heavily influenced by Greek and Roman philosophy, religion, and culture. Thus, in his works we see such dichotomies as light and darkness and good and evil, and less reference to the foreshadowing of the Old Testament as he presents the Gospel. So too, here with Paul.
In Ephesians 2, Paul has clearly shown that God is establishing a new people to be his own:
“But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ…so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body…” (Ephesians 2:13,15b-16a)
We are the children of light who have believed on Christ, a new creation, homo spiritus.
The children of Adam, homo sapiens, are those who are “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.” (Ephesians 4:18) Much of chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 delineate attitudes and actions that characterize them. In Galatians 5:19-21, the listed works of the flesh expand on these. But Ephesians 5:6 says to us: “Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath is coming on the disobedient because of these things. Therefore do not become their partners. For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—testing what is pleasing to the Lord.”
If you are like me, some remnants of darkness yet remain. When I try so hard to be good, righteous, and true, I am bound by my failures. Paul acknowledged similar struggles in Romans 7:14-24. Crying out there, he concludes: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God, through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 7:24-25a) In Philippians 2:12b-13, Paul adjures each of us to, “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you to will and to work according to his good purpose.” Friends, we are in Christ. We are the children of light. We are chosen and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the promise of eternity with the Father and the teacher of our lives today as we grow up in Christ. Trusting God, let us “sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord together, giving thanks always to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:19b-21)
“You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting on you. Trust in the Lord forever, because the Lord himself is an everlasting rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4