THE FRUIT OF LIFE IN THE LIGHT
Ephesians 5:6-14
By Lay Pastor Markus Budi Rahardjo
Lemah Putro, Sunday, October 28, 2018
Shalom,
Spiritually, it takes us a long way to follow the Lord before we get to our definite destination – the New Jerusalem. What did the Lord expect from the church at that time? Ephesians 5: 27 states, ”and that He might present to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
Right after the exodus from Egypt on their way to Canaan, the Promised Land, the Israelites were confronted with multiple problems, such as the crossing of the Red Sea, the battle against the Amalekites as well as the Philistines, the terrifying and disheartening reports of the ten spies and many more problems (Numbers 13: 28-33).
Similarly, we should stay on our guard against false teachings, false prophets and even an antichrist coming from our own circle (2 John 1:7). With this in mind, we need to be filled every time with the right Word of God that brings us sanctification. In this way, we will not easily be affected by evil deeds as we find our way to the New Jerusalem.
Psalm 119: 105 writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” In the time of Moses, it was not that easy to make a golden lampstand. It took a great deal of time to hammer, beat and put a talent of pure gold in a furnace to get the wanted item (Exodus 37: 17-24). Then they made seven lamps on top of snuff dishes each to give light to the area in front of it (Exodus 25: 37).
The true light is to be found in Jesus as explained in John 8: 12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” God is also light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5b).
Anyone living in the light must show his fruit (light), visible and beneficial to those arund them. To bear the fruit requires a process to follow:
One must not get misled by idle words that bring God’s wrath upon the disobedient (Ephesians 5: 6).
Watch out for the the news we often hear or receive on social media. Filter out the news to keep possible problems away.
The Apostle Paul’s advice reads, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer” (2 Timothy 2: 16-17). Instead, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4: 6).
One must not be partakers with the disobedient (Ephesians 5: 7).
This warns us to be extra careful when it comes to friendship. 1 Corinthians 15 emphasizes, “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.” Young people should be really selective when choosing friends because many of them fall into forbidden practices like drug abuse, free sex and many others.
One must live as a child of light despite his dark, past life (v.8).
Do not forget the past. Let it be a lesson for the present. The Javanese saying says, “Kacang ojo lali karo kulite,” meaning, “Do not forget where you are from.” Remember that we were once sinners, doing evil things. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23). Now we live as children of light. Like a candle put on a candlestick instead of under a basket, our lives give light to others who can witness and read our lives in detail (Matthew 5: 15).
What is the result of the time-consuming process? The fruit of light (Ephesians 5: 9), namely:
Goodness (Greek: agathosune, meaning, goodness, kindness)
According to the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language, the word ‘goodness’ means: 1. a good character, a good deed; 2. a good human character according to norm systems and prevalent, general views.
The Bible gives an example of a good deed done by a good-hearted Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37).
Justice or righteouness (Greek: dikaiosune, meaning, the state of a person as he ought to be)
According to the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language, the word ‘justice,’ drived from the word ‘just’ means: 1. to be impartial; 2. to take the right party’s side, to hold on to the truth; 3. not to act at will, every citizen has the same opportunity.
An example of justice mentioned in the Bible is the action of King Solomo when dealing with two prostitutes who were fighting for a baby. With the help of God’s wisdom, Salomo managed to manifest justice and handed the baby over to the biological mother of the baby (1 Kings 3: 16-28).
Truth (Greek: aletheia, meaning, what is true in any matter under consideration, truth as a personal excellence).
According to the Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language, the word ‘truth’ means: 1. conforming to reality; 2. something that really exists; 3. sincerity, honesty.
In the Bible, we see the truth in Jesus when he was testifying about the truth before Pilate (John 18: 37-38).
What is the evidence that we walk in the light, bearing the fruit of light?
We prove ourselves to please God (Ephesians 5: 10).
Through selctions and controls, we prove ourselves to live in the light and bear the fruit of goodness, justice, and truth that benefit others. Light drives darkness away and everything clearly comes to light, becoming a living testimony.
We do not takepart in the unfruitful practices of darkness. On the contrary, we expose these practices (v. 11). Keep in mind that works of darkness prevent anyone from entering the Kingdom of God (v. 5). For that reason, let the light of God’s Word freely expose / correct our mistakes and sanctify us. (cf. John 15: 3).
We do not speak of anything shameful done in secret (Ephesians 5: 12). In other words, we guard every word coming out of our mouths. In this way, we will never enjoy discrediting or gossiping about others. Be mindful that we will have to give account for every word we have spoken on the day of judgement (Matthew 12: 36).
Anything exposed by the light becomes visible (Ephesians 5: 13). Said another way, nothing remains hidden. This is a progress manifested by a person who has undergone the sanctification by the Word of God. The photos (light) of such a life is visible to others.
We are ‘awake’ and rise from ‘the dead’ because Christ shines on us. It is obvious that we need to make efforts to improve ourselves due to our shortcomings in the past. Let Christ restore and work in our lives.
Now we understand that the fruit of light is not an instant product. Rather, it takes a long process for which we are ready to be hammered, beaten, exposed to our faults, transformed and sanctified by the Word of God every time. That way, we experience life transformation from day to day until we are found without blemish before Him. Amen.