Ephesians 5.1-14 (6)
Pray Psalm 27.11-13.
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
Sing Psalm 27.11-13.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)
LORD, teach us; LORD, lead us because of our foes!
Hear, LORD, when we plead for release from their woes.
Had we not believed all Your goodness to see,
our heart sorely grieved and in turmoil would be.
Read Ephesians 5.1-14; meditate on verses 14.
How does this exhortation apply to you?
Preparation
1. What does Paul want us to do?
2. What will happen if we do it?
MeditationPaul combines a few Old Testament ideas into one new exhortation (NKJV cites Is. 26.19 and 60.1). He does this under the inspiration of the Spirit, and in doing so, he models for us how to think about the Scripture so that we can live it out obediently. We have the mind of Christ, and the Spirit Who dwells in us teaches us the things of the Lord by comparing “spiritual things with spiritual things”—Scripture with Scripture (1 Cor. 2.13). We should expect our progress in learning Jesus to be mapped and marked by many passages of both Testaments coming together, like treasures old and new, to guide us in our journey.
If we live in the light, we will be aware of any areas of darkness that may yet linger in us. This is why it is so important to bask daily in the light of God’s Word. The Scripture not only illumines our path, but it reveals any areas of sin that might still be burdening us, like Pilgrim’s backpack, either because we have not seen them before or we have, and we just haven’t dealt with them as we should.
But seeing darkness in our soul is not enough. We must wake up to the danger of dabbling in sin, holding on to grudges, resentments, pride, or any of the idols of our materialistic age. Wake up! Come into the light of Christ and cast off every vestige of the darkness! Get with the Lord first thing in the day and you’ll be more likely to stay with Him throughout it.
And this is not a one-and-done matter. We must do this every day and throughout the day as needed, confessing any sins the Spirit brings to light, repenting before the Lord, and getting back on the Jesus Path (1 Jn. 2.1-6). Don’t go to sleep at the switch where sin is concerned. Be vigilant. Be aggressive. Be decisive. And be a bearer of light, not darkness, to your world.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.God graciously gives His children the opportunity to step into the light. And doing so, to expose our own sins and shortcomings before Him, ask for forgiveness and guidance, and get directly back on the Jesus Path.
However, if we don’t do it ourselves, it will be done for us.
“But all things that are exposed
are made manifest by the light,
for whatever makes manifest is light.
Therefore He says:
‘Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead, and
Christ will give you light’” (Eph. 5.13, 14).
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption,
but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Gal. 6.7, 8).
“The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble” (Prov. 4.19).
“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 come to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (Jn. 3.19-21).
When we “awaken” to the truth, and when we “arise” from the stupor of our sin, we will find our gracious and merciful God ready to forgive us, and send us back out into the light and into the work that He has planned for us to do (Eph. 2.10).
The truth is: when we are repentant, when we rush away from the darkness, when we “submit to God” and “resist the devil” (Jms. 4.7) then He will forgive (1 Jn. 1.9) and restore us and give us His light.
“Arise for our help, and redeem us for Your mercies’ sake” (Ps. 44.26).
“The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, and
none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned” (Ps. 34.22).
We must only set the alarm and “Wake Up!”
Reflection
1. Why is the idea of “waking up” relevant for Christians as well as non-Christians?
2. What are the consequences, over time, of failing to “wake up” to the darkness that remains in us?
3. How can believers help one another in this matter?
He is not speaking only to unbelievers. For there are many believers, no less than unbelievers, who remain still trapped in various sins. There are indeed some who do so all the more. Therefore it was necessary to call these to “awake,” etc. John Chrysostom (344-407), Homily on Ephesians 18.5.14
Pray Psalm 27.14.
Pray that the Lord will keep you awake and alert to the opportunities to share His grace with others. Pray that His light will shine more brightly in your soul, and that you will be renewed throughout the day in Jesus.
Sing Psalm 27.14.
(St. Denio: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)
Wait, wait on the LORD; persevere in His grace.
Hold fast to His Word; seek His radiant face.
Be strong, set your heart to abide in His Word;
His grace He imparts; therefore, wait on the LORD.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” we are looking at the place of God’s Law in the life of the Church. Our Read Moore podcast continues working through The Gospel of the Kingdom, looking for the true Gospel of the Lord. The Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing the life of Brigit, a contemporary of Brendan. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
