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), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:8-11).
The apostle begins these thoughts with, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8). These Ephesian believers’ sphere had completely changed because of their new relationship with Jesus Christ. Their sphere of operation was now different because they were different, for “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). They were taken from the sphere and power of the old – darkness to the new – light where their understanding and knowledge were in Jesus Christ. They no longer needed everything around them to be perfect because they were now something new – light in the Lord! Their circumstances were no longer what controlled them because the Lord was now their sphere. You also being a new creation in Christ Jesus have divine resources available to you. Christ’s light (understanding, knowledge, wisdom) has brought you into all things new! Jesus has made all that He is available to you. Therefore, your responsibility before God is to walk as children of light in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out as we walk out this new place, what is acceptable to the Lord (Ephesians 5:8-10). Your journey is one of “finding out what is acceptable to the Lord,” thus bearing, expressing the fruit of righteousness.
In the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life,” we find much understanding in Jesus’ answer (Matthew 19:16). He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17). We further know from Jesus’ answer that the Fruit of the Spirit is God within us, the Life of Christ within, resulting in a new found ability to operate, live life in goodness, righteousness, and truth. Our lives are now characterized by our good God! “No one is good but One, that is, God.”
Pastor Don