“Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:7-10 ESV
Reflection: why is evil always associated with darkness and secrecy?
Have you noticed that evil tries to stay hidden for as long as possible, with the cover of darkness? It does that through secrets, deceptions and lies. These are the characteristics, how we can recognize evil. As children, many learn how to keep secrets, perhaps from siblings and friends. How to not “tell”, but to be deceptive, to tell “half truths”, calling them truths when they really are not. And unless their parents correct them, telling them this is wrong, some children become good at it as teenagers and adults, even using their “skills” to manipulate others in order to get their way. As adults, this cover of darkness and secrets can even lead some to live “double lives”, a nice facade they want people to see, while at the same time being involved in all sorts of wickedness that only a few know about, that are clothed in secrets for others.
As followers of Christ, we know who teaches behavior of deception and secrets. It is the deceiver himself, the father of lies, the devil. Speaking falsehoods, lies and deception is clearly not from God, and must not be associated with God’s people. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, instructing them “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”Ephesians 4:22-25 ESV.
In our focus verse today, we instead see something very beautiful associated with light. Let’s read it again. “Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” Ephesians 5:7-10 ESV. The first thing Paul says that we should not “be partner” with those who still walk in darkness, who live a life in secrets and darkness, but to disassociate ourselves with them. Why? Because, as a new creation in Christ, we are children of the light. In fact, we are the light of the world, in Christ. And we are therefore to “walk in the light”. And then Paul says something very interesting, that
“the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true.” Ephesians 5:9 ESV
It is a bit of a mind bender to think this through, so you might have to read that sentence a few times. I certainly had to. Because we generally think that the fruit is what is good, right and true. But Paul puts this on its head, saying that fruit comes from, is in, is associated with what it good, right and true. It is a result of focusing on and doing what is good, right and true. It is completely counter to evil, to wrong, and to secrets, deceptions and lies. Which is why Paul continues “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.””Ephesians 5:11-14 ESV.
So what is the message here for us today? First, we cannot serve two masters. If we want to follow Christ, to be a child of God, we cannot dabble in falsehoods, secrecies and deceptions. We must come fully into the light of Christ even if that is painful. Then, secondly, we must live in the light with our lives, and “discern what is pleasing to the Lord”. Ephesians 5:10 ESV.
The fruit of light, of us doing what is good, right and true, will follow.