Live Like Christ for Christ

Ephesians 5:1-21 - "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.    But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.  Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.  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.  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  Therefore do not become partners with them;  for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light  (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),  and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.  Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.  But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,  for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,   “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”      Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,  submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Christians are to walk worthy of the calling that God has given them. We are to be a shining light for the dark world around us to see. If we do not behave any differently after professing faith in Jesus Christ, we are not only a bad witness to the world. but we are also still walking around in darkness. Building off the end of Ephesians 4, when we place our faith in Christ, we receive a new nature. With that new nature comes new desires and a new life that is lived in submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. In that new life, we are imitating Christ as we are continually sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Part of walking in this newness of life is crucifying past behaviors that belong in the darkness of ungodly living. Among those that Paul lists are sexual immorality, covetousness, and filthy language. Paul reminds us that all who practice such things have no part in the kingdom of God. They will face a judgment. He says something similar to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."

This is a warning we must heed as Christians. We must put our old self to death, being crucified with Christ, is we are to partake in the rich blessing of eternal life. Paul's sobering reminder that we once walked in that darkness should humble us and prevent us from having a judgmental and pious attitude toward those still walking in the darkness. We should have compassion for them and a love for them despite their unbelief, praying to the Lord for them to be brought into the light. Perhaps the best way to evangelize to the lost is to live out the fullness of a Christian life in total sincerity. Yes, we must share the gospel in word, but living out the principles of faith will speak volumes to a people who want nothing to do with Christ or His Word. So, how do we do that?

We start by not partaking in evil and fruitless deeds with those in the darkness. We must be holy as God is holy. We should not purposely place ourselves in places or in groups that are actively rejecting God with the goal of being the light. Too often, we can be dissuaded from being the light in those dark places and can actually fall into the temptation around us. Rather than joining the darkness, expose it. In some cases, this requires us to do the difficult task of calling out unrighteousness within the ranks of the Church. False teachers, spiritual "leaders" who are actually no more than wolves masquerading as shepherds, and others who are in the darkness and influencing the flock of God in a negative way must be called out audibly, denounced, called to repentance, and treated as unbelievers. Calling them out may come at a cost. Doing the hard work of exposing darkness within the Church can have serious repercussions. But fear not. We are not called to stand idly by and allow unrighteousness to prevail. We are called to expose it.

Outside the Church, exposing darkness looks a little different. The Bible tells us that we are to use righteous discernment in judging the fruit of professing believers, but we should leave the judgment of outsiders to God. This is where living as light comes into play. Being the light in a dark world makes Christians noticeably different from every other group of people. Christianity is often rejected because people feel that followers of Jesus Christ are hypocritical, selfish, and judgmental. Counter these claims by surrendering to Christ. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Love others sacrificially, laying down your earthly life that others may benefit eternally because you are mirroring Christ as you walk in purity and holiness. Avoid worshipping the vices of this world, such as wealth, drunkenness, and empty idols. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and walk by the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God and keep His commands.

Reflect on these this week and pray for God to use you to do His will.

What areas of your life need crucified with Christ that you may know the power of His resurrection?

Where in your sphere of influence can you be a light in the darkness, exposing the fruitless deeds of those walking in the dark, and calling them into repentance and abundant life?

Am I spending enough time in communion with God through His Word and prayer? Where can I add more time with God into my daily routine?

I pray that you have a blessed week. I pray that God reveals to you His plans and opportunities for you to be a light in the darkness. I pray for you to have courage to stand firm in the truth and to stand firm against the wicked deeds of the evil one.