As Paul continues to share and encourage the people of Ephesus on how to live out a healthy, wholesome life, we can also directly relate to our daily lives.  Paul opens chapter 5 with well-known directive of living in the light.

A fact we can each relate to is that we cannot add darkness to anything.  When me are in need of darkness for rest the best we can do is turn off lights, close window blinds, wear some eye covering, but realistically we are not adding darkness, but merely blocking out the light.

When we are in the light, we rarely seek and desire a moment of darkness. We may want a cloud to  pass by to give us some shade, but desiring darkness is not natural. But when we are in the dark, there is a hope and a desire for light, even if it is a little light. There is some security provided by light. When children are little they want to have a night light, when one is out lost the sight of a search light is breath-taking. A wayward ship longs for a lighthouse.

What are some of your personal examples of light and darkness as it relates to life and people?

Throughout the bible there are numerous references to an encouraging light…

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? – Psalm 27-1

⁶ “I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. ⁷ You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons. – Isaiah 42-6-7

In this reference, God is now indicating we can be a light. We can provide hope, inspiration and impact those in the dark.  Paul uses the term light to also refer to salvation, as we now see in Romans

¹¹ This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. ¹³ Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. – Romans 13:11-14

Also in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5

⁴ But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. ⁵ For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. ⁶ So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. ⁷ Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. ⁸ But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

In our daily activities, we use light as many examples of what we read. Things such as, “let’s shed some light on it…”, “let’s expose the truth”, “in light of that…”. Which all mean where we can see. To be able to see, we need light.  Now to have light and hope, Paul spurs on the Ephesians. He also makes it very clear, that God has nothing to do with darkness or those that dwell in the darkness.  We were in the darkness (without salvation), but now we are chosen and called out to be light…

¹Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. ² Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

³ Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. ⁴ Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. ⁵ You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

⁶ Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. ⁷ Don’t participate in the things these people do. ⁸ For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! ⁹ For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. ¹³ But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, ¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,
“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

We are encouraged to escape darkness and be the light, how can we be light? Where does our energy to illuminate come from?

A fact that is a good reminder to us is the visual appearance of the moon.  We periodically get glimpses of the moon as the sun sets. Depending on the position, there are a variety of shapes the moon exhibits, but when we pause and acknowledge what we are seeing, it is astounding.  The truth is that the moon does not generate any light, it is actually just a big dirt clod in orbit around the earth. But yet there are times when the moon seems so bright, it just lights up the whole night.  When we pause and think about the concept that the sun is out of sight, but is so powerful that it is reflecting off of a dirt clod and illuminating our life can give us hope. God can shine off of us in the same fashion but bringing light into the darkness. We, like the moon, do not produce any light without the SON, in the same fashion the moon does not produce any light without the SUN.

Living by the Spirit’s Power
¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. ¹⁸ Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁹ singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. ²⁰ And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:15-20

When we acknowledge where our strength comes from, and how powerful he can be through us, we are inspired to pay attention to how we live.

From time to time there have been moments when someone has admired or been inspired by our lives. What was the relationship like in the moment? Was it encouraging, was it uneasy? Was it avoidable? What were your experiences?

When we follow God’s direction he will create a sense of relationshp or togetherness that is inviting, that is encouraging.  With this put into context now, we read about special relationships.

Spirit-Guided Relationships: Wives and Husbands
²¹ And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

²⁵ For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her ²⁶ to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. ²⁷ He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. ²⁹ No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. ³⁰ And we are members of his body.

³¹ As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” ³² This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. ³³ So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. – Ephesians 5:25-33

Now knowing about the light, the source of light, and how it can create healthy relationships, we see where Paul can state that we need to submit to others out of reverence for Christ. Not out of selfish control and power.  One will submit to another out of love and we know that love is a gift and cannot be produced or forced but only manifested from the heart.

How is the marriage relationship described and how does it relate to Paul’s definition and calling of living a life in the light?

This week, embrace the challenge to live in the light. Be aware of how God’s power in you does produce light where you work, live and breath.  Come back next week with some examples of how the light of your life made an impact in this dark world. Keep focused on the source of the power of your light.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.