Pastor Mike Chat January 22 2026

Описание: Ephesians 5:7-14. Paul begins by saying, “Therefore do not be partakers with them.” In other words, because of who we are in Christ, there are certain things we no longer participate in. Why? Because of a complete change in our identity. Paul explains it this way: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (v.7).

That statement is very important. Paul does not say we were merely in darkness—he says “we were darkness” (v. 8). Before salvation, darkness defined us. It shaped our thinking, our desires, and our behavior. But when we trusted Christ, everything changed. We didn’t just step into the light—we became light in the Lord. Because of that, Paul asks a searching question, echoed elsewhere in Scripture: “What communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) Light and darkness are opposites. They do not blend. They do not cooperate. And it is impossible to live in both at the same time.

Paul then describes what the light produces. In verse 9 he writes, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth.” Darkness produces unfruitful works, but light always bears fruit. Goodness is love in action—it is a heart that reflects the kindness and compassion of Christ. Righteousness speaks of right character before God and right conduct before others. Truth means our lives are shaped and governed by God’s Word and God’s will.

As children of light, Paul says we are to be “finding out what is acceptable to the Lord”(v. 10). That means we live with a desire to please Him. We ask, “Lord, does this honor You? Does this reflect Your character? Does this bring You glory?” Walking as children of light also means living openly before God. We may hide things from other people, but we cannot hide anything from the Lord. Scripture reminds us that “all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” When we walk in the light, we live honestly, transparently, and humbly before God, with nothing we are unwilling to bring into His presence. But walking in the light is not only about personal holiness—it is also about public testimony. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” And He added, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16).

As believers, we carry God’s light into a dark world by the way we live, speak, and love. The unsaved person is blinded by sin and by Satan, as Scripture tells us. Only as we share Christ and live out the gospel can the light of God break through that darkness. Just as a healthy person can help the sick, a child of God can help lead the lost out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. Paul also reminds us that light exposes what is wrong. Light reveals reality. No surgeon would operate in the dark, and no artist could paint truthfully without light. In the same way, God’s light reveals the true character of sin. That’s one reason people often avoid the Bible or the church—light exposes what darkness would rather keep hidden.

As Christians, Paul tells us not to fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead to expose them. Sometimes that exposure happens simply by living godly lives. When Christ walked on this earth, His perfect life exposed the sin around Him, and that is one reason He was rejected. A believer living faithfully for Christ will often do the same, not intentionally, but naturally. However, Paul gives us an important caution in verse 12. He says it is shameful even to speak of certain things done in secret. There is a danger in exposing sin in the wrong way—by sensationalizing it or advertising it. We are not called to dwell on evil, but to shine the light. As Scripture reminds us, “I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil” (Romans 16:19). We do not need to study darkness in detail to expose it. All we need to do is turn on the light.

Paul then closes this section with a beautiful image in verse 14: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Salvation is pictured as waking up to a brand-new day. When Christ rose from the dead, the dawn of a new day broke for the world. And when we trusted Him, we were raised from spiritual death into the light of life. We are no longer sleeping in darkness—we are alive in Christ. That means the believer has no business living in the shadows. We are saints, partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. We have been delivered from the power of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. As Paul reminds us again, we are “light in the Lord.”

So let us live like who we are. Let us walk as children of light—bearing fruit, pleasing the Lord, and shining brightly for Christ in a dark world.

God bless you, and I pray you have a wonderful, wonderful day.