Explores our transformation from darkness to light through Christ, the exposure of sinful acts, and the blessings of living in God's light.
Good morning, family! It's another beautiful day that the Lord has made, and we're here to rejoice and be glad in it. Today, we're gonna get into a piece of Scripture that's gonna challenge us, encourage us, and hopefully, change us.
Before we get to that, I want to share a quote with you from Gary Rohrmayer. He once said, "God’s light not only exposes deep things in our souls, but it also can produce the assurance of warmth. It can illuminate our surroundings, bring clarity to our path, and instill confidence in God’s direction." Now, isn't that something? We're here to give our time to God, to truly know Him, and to let His light shape us.
Let's turn our Bibles to Ephesians 5:8-20. It says,
"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Wow, there's a lot to unpack there, isn't there? We're gonna do just that, but first, let's bow our heads and pray.
When we look at our lives before we knew Christ, we can often see a stark contrast. It's like we were living in a dark room, stumbling around, unable to see clearly. We were lost, confused, and often hurting. But when we came to know Christ, it's like someone turned on the light. Suddenly, we could see. We could understand. We could find our way. This is the transformation that Paul is talking about in Ephesians 5. We were once in darkness, but now we are in the light.
Not something we do on our own: We don't turn on the light. God does. He reaches into our darkness and shines His light into our lives. He reveals our sin, our need for Him, and His love for us. He shows us the way to life, to truth, to peace. This is the work of God's grace in our lives.
More than seeing the light: It's about living in the light. It's about letting that light permeate every part of our lives. It's about letting it shine in our thoughts, our words, our actions. It's about being transformed by the light, becoming more like Christ every day. This is the process of sanctification, of growing in our faith.
Shining the light for others to see: It means being a witness for Christ, showing others the way to Him. It means living in such a way that others can see Christ in us. It means being a light in a dark world, pointing others to the true Light, Jesus Christ.
Rejecting the darkness: It means turning away from sin, from the things that separate us from God. It means choosing to live in a way that pleases God, that aligns with His Word and His will. It means saying no to the things of this world and yes to the things of God.
As we continue to reflect on the words of Ephesians, we find ourselves confronted with a stark reality ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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