Ephesians 5:6-14: a reflection

6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. 7Therefore don’t be partakers with them. 8For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, 9for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, 10proving what is well pleasing to the Lord. 11Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. 12For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. 14Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Paul reminds the believers of the great change that has come over them, and calls them to live in keeping with it. You were once darkness, he says, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. He does not say merely that they were once in darkness and are now in light; he says they were darkness, and are now light in the Lord, so thorough is the change. And from this he draws a call: walk as children of light, living in goodness and righteousness and truth, having nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. Because we have been so changed, from darkness to light, we are to live as what we now are, children of light. Our conduct is to match our new identity; those who are light in the Lord are to walk as children of light. The call is not to become something foreign, but to live out what we already are in Christ. We are light in the Lord; therefore we are to walk as children of light.

Notice the ground of Paul's call: you are now light in the Lord, so walk as children of light. He does not call them to walk in the light as a way of earning a new identity; he tells them they are already light in the Lord, and calls them to live accordingly. The identity comes first, the conduct follows from it. Because they have been changed, from darkness to light, they are to walk as what they now are. This is how the Christian life works: not striving to become something we are not, but living out what God has made us in Christ. We are light in the Lord; therefore we walk as children of light, in goodness, righteousness, and truth. Our conduct flows from our identity, not the other way around. To walk as children of light is not to earn the status but to live out the reality that we are already light in the Lord. What we are shapes how we live; being light, we walk as light. The call is to be what we are.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are light in the Lord, and are called to live out that identity by walking as children of light. We can think of the Christian life as striving to become something we are not yet; but Paul says we are already light in the Lord, and calls us to walk as children of light, living out what God has made us. Our conduct is to flow from our new identity in Christ. We are light; therefore we are to walk as children of light. Do not think you must earn a new identity by your conduct; you are already light in the Lord, so walk as a child of light, living out what you are. Live out your identity as one who is now light in the Lord by walking as a child of light, in goodness and righteousness and truth, as Paul reminds us that we were once darkness but are now light in the Lord and calls us to walk as children of light; for the Christian life is not striving to become something we are not but living out what God has made us in Christ, and because we are light in the Lord our conduct is to flow from that identity, so that being light, we walk as children of light.

Lord, Paul reminds the believers of the great change that has come over them, and calls them to live in keeping with it. You were once darkness, he says, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. He does not say merely that they were once in darkness and are now in light; he says they were darkness, and are now light in the Lord, so thorough is the change. And from this he draws a call: walk as children of light, living in goodness and righteousness and truth. Because we have been so changed, we are to live as what we now are, children of light. Show me the ground of Paul's call: you are now light in the Lord, so walk as children of light. He does not call them to walk in the light as a way of earning a new identity; he tells them they are already light in the Lord, and calls them to live accordingly. The identity comes first, the conduct follows from it. This is how the Christian life works: not striving to become something we are not, but living out what you have made us in Christ. We are light in the Lord; therefore we walk as children of light, in goodness, righteousness, and truth. Our conduct flows from our identity, not the other way around. Take that to my heart, for I am light in the Lord, and am called to live out that identity by walking as a child of light. I can think of the Christian life as striving to become something I am not yet; but Paul says I am already light in the Lord, and calls me to walk as a child of light, living out what you have made me. Keep me from thinking I must earn a new identity by my conduct; help me live out what I am, Lord, walking as a child of light because I am now light in the Lord, in goodness and righteousness and truth.