Living in Light (5:8-14)

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for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing the Lord. And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (5:8-14)

This passage continues the emphasis on believers’ being “imitators of God, as beloved children” (5:1). The first way we are to imitate God is in His love, which Paul shows both in its true and in its counterfeit forms, with Christ Himself being our divine pattern (vv. 2-7). In verses 8-14 the focus is on our imitating God in relation to light.

Scripture speaks of God as our “light and… salvation” (Ps. 27:1) and as “an everlasting light” (Isa. 60:19). His Word is called “a lamp to [our] feet, and a light to [our] path” (Ps. 119:105; cf. v. 130). Christ is called “a light of the nations” (Isa. 49:6), “the true light which … enlightens every man” (John 1:9), and “the light of the world” (John 8:12). For a believer to imitate God, therefore, he obviously must share in and reflect God’s light.

In Scripture the figurative use of light has two aspects, the intellectual and the moral. Intellectually it represents truth, whereas morally it represents holiness. To live in light therefore means to live in truth and in holiness. The figure of darkness has the same two aspects. Intellectually it represents ignorance and falsehood, whereas morally it connotes evil.

The intellectual aspect of both figures pertains to what a person knows and believes, and the moral aspect pertains to way he thinks and acts. In 2 Corinthians Paul speaks about the intellectual aspect when he says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (4:4; cf. Rom. 1:21; Eph. 4:18). In Isaiah 5 the prophet speaks of both the intellectual and the moral aspects when he says, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness” (v. 20). Both the teaching and the practice of those people were corrupt. Paul speaks of the moral aspect when he pleads with believers to “lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12), and in the following verse he specifies some of the deeds of darkness: carousing, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, sensuality, strife, and jealousy.

But everyone who belongs to God walks in light, both intellectually and morally. “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you,” John said unequivocally, “that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

In verses 8-14 Paul mentions five practical features we should recognize in order to faithfully walk in God’s light. He gives the contrasts, characteristics, command, commission, and call of Christians as God’s own children of light.

THE CONTRAST

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (5:8)

Paul here contrasts what every believer’s life was like before salvation with what God intends it to be like after salvation. Iii doing so he simply states what should be obvious: A person who has been saved from sin should be through with sin and should live as a redeemed and purified child of God. To illustrate that point the apostle uses the common biblical figures of darkness and light.

WHAT WE WERE

The verb form of were reveals two important realities. First, the past tense indicates a condition that no longer exists, and that truth is reinforced by formerly. Earlier in the letter, Paul says that we “were dead in [our] trespasses and sins,” that we “formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,” and that “we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (2:1-3, emphasis added). For Christians, both intellectual and moral darkness are a thing of the past (cf. 4:17-20).

Second, the verb is not modified by a pronoun, such as in or of. In other places Scripture speaks of a person’s being in or of darkness, but here it says we were… darkness. Before we came to Christ our total existence—our being as well as our behavior—was characterized by darkness. Their was no other aspect to our spiritual life than that of darkness. We were children of darkness and “sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6). We were not simply victims of Satan’s system but were contributors to it. We were not merely in sin; our very nature was characterized by sin.

Scripture gives four basic characteristics of that spiritual darkness. First, it is the work of Satan. Those who are not the children of God are the children of their “father the devil, and [they] want to do the desires of [their] father,” who “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44; cf. vv. 38, 41).

It is difficult even for Christians to imagine that the law-abiding, decent, and pleasant unbelievers we run into every day are children of Satan. Yet every person is either a child of the devil or a child of God. There are no other kinds of spiritual childhood, although there obviously are degrees in both kinds as far as life-style is concerned. But the unbelieving, well-dressed, sophisticated philanthropist will spend eternity apart from God in the same hell as the demon-serving witch doctor.

Second, spiritual darkness not only is the work but the domain of Satan. The unbeliever does Satan’s work because he is under Satan’s control (in Luke 22:53 he is called “the power of darkness”) as a citizen of his “dominion of darkness” (Col. 1:13; cf. Eph. 6:12; l John 5:19). That is why it is so foolish for people to reject the claims of the gospel because they imagine they would have to give up their freedom and come into a forced and unwanted obedience to God. One of Satan’s most deceptive and destructive lies is the idea that a person apart from God is free. The unbeliever is totally bound and imprisoned by Satan through sin. He cannot do anything but sin and he cannot obey anyone but Satan. Fallen man thinks he is free only because what he wants so closely agrees with what Satan wants. But the believer’s obedience is the deepest desire of his heart (cf. Rom. 6:17-18, 22; 7:22; Ps. 119).

Third, spiritual darkness brings God’s penalty. As Paul has just declared, “the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6), who are “by nature children of wrath” (2:3). In the book of Romans he says, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (1:18).

Fourth, spiritual darkness leads to the ultimate destiny of eternal darkness. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, whether they are Jew or Gentile, “shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12; cf. 1 Sam. 2:9; 2 Pet. 2:17). Those who reject Christ do so because they are content with darkness. And because they choose darkness rather than light, they will forever have darkness rather than light. Eternity simply crystallizes the choice into permanence.

That the world is confused, unjust, wicked, corrupt, and hopeless is testified to by every sensible observer, believer and unbeliever alike. There is constant compulsion to deceive, lie, steal, commit immorality, kill, and to do every other kind of evil. Just as obvious as the world’s propensity to sin is the inescapable reality that reality cannot be found where men keep looking for it. Yet when God’s supreme reality is offered in Jesus Christ, men turn away because the reality of His righteousness and goodness also reveals the reality of their own sin and wickedness. Jesus said, “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought by God” (John 3:19-21).

It is as if a person were lost in an abandoned mine. The more he tries to find his way out, the farther he goes into the mine. Every tunnel he takes leads either to a dead end or to another tunnel. He has no idea where he is or which way to go. His eyes are wide open but all he can see is oppressive blackness. After a week of groping about the cold, dirty tunnels and shafts he notices a faint light. With all his remaining energy he makes his way toward that light and eventually finds his way to the outside. But because the light is so bright and hurts his eyes, he begins to wonder if he is really better off. He remembers a few things in the mine that gave him temporary enjoyment by distracting his attention from his plight. And he goes back into the mine to live.

That story, strange and unlikely as it is, is repeated countless times every day in an infinitely more tragic way—as people see the gospel of light and life and turn back to the old way of darkness and death.

WHAT WE ARE

The second verb in verse 8 (are) also tells us two important things. The present tense indicates our new spiritual condition, in contrast to what we were before trusting Christ. Now [we] are light in the Lord. Christ “delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13), and He has “called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Like were, the verb are is not modified. Scripture sometimes speaks of believers being in and of the light, but here we are said to be light. “You are the light of the world,” Jesus said (Matt. 5:14). Because we now share Christ’s own nature, we share in His light. Just as He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), His people are also “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). Because we are in the Lord, we who were once children of darkness are now children of light, and it is as such children that we should walk.

THE CHARACTERISTICS

(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing the Lord. (5:9-10)

In what appears to be a parenthetical statement, the manifest characteristics of the children of light are given in what Paul here calls the fruit of the light. (The better Greek manuscripts have “the fruit of the light,” as here, rather than “the fruit of the Spirit,” as in the Authorized Version.) The three supreme characteristics, or fruit, of our walk as children of light are all goodness and righteousness and truth.

These are the tests of true faith, of a true saving relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. A “decision” for Christ, church membership, faithful attendance at worship services, being baptized, financial support of the Lord’s work, and many other such things are often used as evidence of salvation. The faithful Christian should do all of those things, but they are behaviors that are easily done in the flesh and are therefore unreliable in themselves as evidence. On the other hand, the three characteristics Paul mentions here are spiritual works that cannot be achieved in the flesh. The all reflects the perfection of the divine standard.

The first characteristic is all goodness (cf. “all malice” in 4:31). A number of Greek words are translated “good” or “goodness” in the New Testament. Kalos denotes that which is intrinsically right, free from defects, beautiful, and honorable. Both John the Baptist and Jesus used the term for the “good fruit” without which a tree “is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matt. 3:10; 7:19). Paul uses the term when he tells Timothy that “everything created by God is good” (1 Tim. 4:4). It is also used of that which is morally good (see Gal. 4:18; 1 Tim. 5:10, 25; Titus 2:7, 14). Chrēstos, also often translated “good,” refers to that which is pleasant, useful, suitable, or worthy. Paul uses this word when he declares that “bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33).

But in the present passage Paul uses agathōsunē, which refers to moral excellence, to being good in both nature and effectiveness. Like agapē love, agathōsunē goodness finds its fullest and highest expression in that which is willingly and sacrificially done for others. “Always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men,” Paul told the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 5:15). In his next letter to that church the apostle prays “that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power” (2 Thess. 1:11, emphasis added). This goodness that is a fruit of light is also a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).

The second result, or fruit, of our walk as children of light is righteousness and has to do first of all with our relationship to God. “To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness” (Rom. 4:5; cf. Eph. 4:24; Phil. 3:9). But righteousness also has to do with how we live. Those who are made righteous are commanded to live righteously, to present themselves “to God as those alive from the dead, and [their] members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). Because Christ has given us His own righteous nature, we are to “pursue righteousness” (1 Tim. 6:11). Because we know that Christ is righteous, John says, we also “know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (l John 2:29).

The third fruit of the light is truth. Truth has to do with honesty, reliability, trustworthiness, and integrity—in contrast to the hypocritical, deceptive, and false ways of the old life of darkness.

We see therefore that goodness pertains primarily to our relationship with others, righteousness primarily to our relationship to God, and truth primarily to personal integrity. In those three things and in those three ways the fruit of the light consists.

Without that fruit there is no evidence of the life of God. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing,” Jesus warned, “but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?” (Matt. 7:15-16). Every person bears fruit of some kind. Those who are darkness bear bad fruit, and those who are light bear good fruit. The person, therefore, who does not bear some fruit of righteousness in his life has no claim on Christ. There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. Where there is life, there is evidence of life, just as where there is death, there will be evidence of death. The child of light produces the fruit of the light and is called to increase in that production (Col. 1:10).

A Christian can fall into sin, and when he does the fruitfulness of his life suffers. Righteous fruit cannot flourish from sin. But the complete absence of any fruit of goodness and righteousness and truth proves the complete absence of salvation (cf. 2:10).

The Christian life, just as every other kind of life, is only healthy when it is growing. As far as the walk of the believer is concerned, the primary focus is to be a concern about continually trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. As we are obedient to what we know, our knowledge of the Lord and of His will increases and deepens. As we are faithful to the light, we are given more of this light.

Dokimazō (from which comes trying to learn) also carries the idea of proving or testing. As Christians learn and grow in goodness and righteousness and truth, they will give verification or evidence that they are who they claim to be, children of God and of light. The child of God will bear resemblance to the heavenly Father, who is his “light and … salvation” (Ps. 27:1).

Assurance of salvation cannot be reliably determined by what has happened in the past, no matter how dramatic or meaningful at the time. It can only be based with certainty on the evidence of present fruit being produced by a spiritual life (see 2 Pet. 1:5-11).

Because they are not carrying weapons, hand grenades, explosives, or other illegal items, most people have no fear of sending their luggage through an X-ray machine at the airport. In the same way, as Christians we should not be afraid to be scrutinized either under the light of God’s Word or under the critical eye of a world that is constantly looking for inconsistencies between our profession and our life-style. We should have nothing to hide.

THE COMMAND

And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, (5:11a)

Sunkoinōneō (to participate in) may also be translated “to become a partaker together with others.” The child of light should not become involved in evil even by association. We cannot witness to the world if we do not go out into the world; and we cannot go far into the world before coming in contact with all sorts of wickedness. But we are never to identify with that wickedness or give it opportunity to take hold in our own life. To compromise God’s standards is to weaken our witness as well as our character. No act of unrighteousness is permissible.

We are not even to have contact at all with a fellow believer who is openly sinning. “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people,” Paul said to the Corinthians. “I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Cor. 5:9-11; cf. 2Thess. 3:6, 14).

Paul’s command is direct and simple: Christians who are to produce the righteous fruit of light are to have nothing at all to do with the unfruitful deeds of darkness. These unspecified deeds of darkness are typified by the specific sins he has already mentioned in chapters 4 and 5—lusts of deceit, falsehood, stealing, unwholesome speech, bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice, immorality, impurity, greed, filthiness, silly talk, coarse jesting, covetousness, and idolatry. Those and every other kind and degree of sin are to be avoided by the believer, because they bring no benefit to man or glory to God.

THE COMMISSION

but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. (5:11b-13)

The Christian’s responsibility goes further than not participating in the sinful ways of the world; he is instead even to expose them. To ignore evil is to encourage it; to keep quiet about it is to help promote it. The verb here translated expose (from elegchō) can also carry the idea of reproof, correction, punishment, or discipline. We are to confront sin with intolerance.

Sometimes such exposure and reproof will be direct and at other times indirect, but it should always be immediate in the face of anything that is sinful. When we are living in obedience to God, that fact in itself will be a testimony against wrong. When those around us see us helping rather than exploiting, hear us talking with purity instead of profanity, and observe us speaking truthfully rather than deceitfully, our example will itself be a rebuke of selfishness, unwholesome talk, and falsehood. Simply refusing to participate in a dishonest business or social practice will sometimes be such a strong rebuke that it costs us our job or a friendship. Dishonesty is terribly uncomfortable in the presence of honesty, even when there is no verbal or other direct opposition.

Often, of course, open rebuke is necessary. Silent testimony will only go so far. Failure to speak out against and to practically oppose evil things is a failure to obey God. Believers are to expose them in whatever legitimate, biblical ways are necessary. Love that does not openly expose and oppose sin is not biblical love. Love not only “does not act unbecomingly” itself but it “does not rejoice in unrighteousness” wherever it might be found (1 Cor. 13:5-6). Our Lord said, “If your brother sins, go and reprove him in private. … If he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you. … If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church” (Matt. 18:15-17). This is the responsibility of every Christian (cf. 1 Tim. 5:1, 20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:13; 2:15).

Unfortunately, many Christians are so barely able to keep their own spiritual and moral houses in order that they do not have the discernment, inclination, or power to confront evil in the church or in society at large. We should be so mature in biblical truth, and in obedience, holiness, and love that part of the natural course of our life is to expose, rebuke, and offer the remedy for every kind of evil.

Many Christians do not expose and rebuke evil because they do not take it seriously. They laugh and joke about things that are unadulterated wickedness, that are immoral and ungodly in the extreme. They recognize the sinfulness of those things and would likely never participate in them; but they enjoy them vicariously from a distance. In so doing, they not only fail be an influence against the evil but are instead influenced by it—contaminated by it to the full extent that they think and talk about it without exposing and rebuking it.

Paul goes on to say that it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Some things are so vile that they should be discussed in as little detail as possible, because even describing them is morally and spiritually dangerous.

Some diseases, chemicals, and nuclear by-products are so extremely deadly that even the most highly trained and best-protected technicians and scientists who work with them are in constant danger. No sensible person would work around such things carelessly or haphazardly.

In the same way, some things are so spiritually disgraceful and dangerous that they should be sealed off not only from direct contact but even from conversation. They should be exposed only to the extent necessary to be rid of them.

Some books and articles written by Christians on various moral issues are so explicit that they almost do as much to spread as to cure the problem. We can give God’s diagnosis and solution for sins without portraying every sordid detail.

Our resource for exposing evil is Scripture, which is the light (Ps. 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23; Heb. 4:13-13) and is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). All things become visible when they are exposed by the light of God’s Word. Our commission as children of light is to hold everything up to the light of Scripture, to expose and seek to remedy whatever is evil.

Because they have no windows and are built side-by-side on narrow streets, most shops in Middle Eastern cities are quite dark inside. To get a good look at what he is buying a customer must take the merchandise out into the sunshine. In that bright light the article can be seen for what it really is, and any flaws and imperfections will be obvious.

The phrase for everything that becomes visible is light is a part of verse 14 in the best Greek manuscripts, and is better translated, “for it is light that makes everything visible” (NIV). Light is that which makes things manifest, that which shows them to be as they actually are. When sin is revealed, it loses its “hiddenness” and is seen for the ugliness it is.

THE CALL

For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (5:14)

Paul here offers an invitation, a call for those who are not children of light to come to the light and be saved.

The words are adapted from Isaiah 60:1, which reads, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Paul shows the prophetic meaning of those texts by declaring that “the glory of the Lord [that] has risen” is none other than Jesus Christ, the Messiah for whom and in whom Isaiah and every other godly Jew had so longed hoped.

Many commentators believe verse 14 is taken from an Easter hymn sung by the early church and used as an invitation to unbelievers who might have been in the congregation. The words are a capsule summary of the gospel. Awake, sleeper describes the sinner who is asleep in the darkness of sin and unaware of his lost condition and tragic destiny. Like a spiritual Rip Van Winkle, he will sleep through God’s time of grace unless someone awakens him to his predicament and need.

Arise from the dead is a summons to repentance, an appeal to turn away from the dead ways of sin. Christ will shine on you is the good news that God has provided a remedy for every sinful person who will come to Him through His blessed Son, the Savior of mankind. (See Isa. 55:6-7 for a similar Old Testament invitation.)

The story is told of a great fire in Edinburgh, Scotland, in which people hurried to exit the building through a passage that led to the street. They were almost safe when a rush of smoke met them, blowing into the passage from the outside. Instead of running through the smoke, they entered a door into a room that seemed safe. But soon all the oxygen was exhausted and they all suffocated. If only they had seen the light they might have lived.

Horatius Bonar wrote:

Proverbs 4:18 sums up the words of the apostle: “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.”