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Commercial glamorization of an esoteric world ruled by angles of
the New Age religion may distort our initial perception of the phrase:
Walk as children of light. The phrase is not steeped in mysticism
but it is a simple Biblical metaphor of light verses darkness.
Paul said: "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in
the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit
is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), proving what is acceptable
to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak
of those things which are done by them in secret" (Eph. 5:8-12).
The children of light are the people who are in the Lord. They
are in Christ and are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph.
1:3). Their life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) awaiting
the time of eternal manifestation with Christ (Col. 3:4). Thus those
in the Lord walk in the light and are children of light.
Paul reminds us that we were once darkness - without Christ, the
Lord. It is good for us to remember our past life of sin and damnation
- not to revel in the good ol' days of licentiousness, but to remember
our lost and hopeless condition without Christ. Occasionally thinking
upon our lost condition in sin helps us remain thankful toward God
and helps keep us humble while walking among those in darkness.
The children of light bear the fruit of the Spirit (some translations
fruit of the light) thus proving what is acceptable to the Lord.
The fruit of the Spirit is the sum of all goodness, righteousness,
and truth as opposed to the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19f). By
bearing the fruit of the Spirit the children of light live a life
continuously proving (testing, proving by testing hence learning)
the things which are pleasing to God and are a light to the world
(Matt. 5:13f) exposing the evil works of darkness.
So Paul says that we are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather expose them. As Paul continues the
metaphor of light verses darkness this principle is easy to understand:
light cannot participate with darkness else it is not light. Therefore
our fellowship with those living in darkness is limited to the things
associated with the light (all goodness, righteousness, truth).
Hence, we cannot have fellowship with those living in darkness while
they are engaging in the deeds of darkness nor should we speak of
those shameful things.
Now the difficulty with walking as children of light is that the
people walking in darkness do not like it when we refuse to participate
in the deeds of darkness because we expose their actions for what
they are - darkness. Jesus said: "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. For everyone practicing
evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds
should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light,
that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in
God" (Jn. 3:19-21).
Each person is either a child of light or a child of darkness.
We are known by our deeds - light or darkness. The children of light
expose darkness while the children of darkness revel in darkness.
The children of light point the way to heaven while the children
of darkness point the way to destruction. Which is the path of love?
Of which are you a child?
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