Roger's Postings

Friday, March 28, 2014


Ephesians 5:8-14.                             Live as children of light.                                                 30/3/14

“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.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.  But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Here in our reading this morning we are challenged to think through another important issue with regard to our Christian life. And it is no coincidence that we are called to look at this in the midst of Lent, as we all fall far short of what our Lord expects of us in this regard. Now we all, as Christians, know that we are saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and that Jesus has done everything necessary for our salvation. That through our baptism we are washed clean and made children of God, and all we need to do is to believe in Jesus and then we will be OK. And I could go on. And all that is vitally important for us, but here we are also reminded of another very important issue for us to think about in this regard.

Since we are children of God, then surely there is a need for us to live as such. To me it seems very strange indeed, to think in terms of being a Christian, and yet not attempting to live as one; or we will just do so when and where it pleases us. This is a big issue for many people today. How often don’t we hear; “I can be a Christian and not go to church, or I only need to do so when I feel that I need to.” “I believe in God or Jesus and that is all that matters.” “It doesn’t matter if I sin, for I am forgiven anyway, so I can live as I please.” And again I could go on. Now these are all views that are right up to a point, but they are seriously flawed.

Let me use a story to illustrate what I mean. There were some orphan children last century living in London; in absolute poverty – living on the streets, scrounging for food out of rubbish bins to stay alive, and getting thinner and thinner by the day. They started getting ill and it really looked as if life was over for them. Then out of the blue a couple came along and picked them up; fed them, clothed them, and gave them shelter. Then they went to great lengths in order to adopt them as their very own. They did everything they could possibly do to make those children happy and give them what they needed. They gave them a good home in every way; they did not mistreat them or do anything to harm them, and they were able to live with want for nothing.

But those children after a while walked out of that house and went back to the streets where they had been living. They went back to scrounging in bins and sleeping under newspaper. Yes, they told everyone that they belonged to this rich family, but they made no attempt to live in and with that family and the benefits that were available to them. They finished up dying of malnutrition and cold.

Why? I don’t know. There was no sensible or sane reason why they should have.

But then again, is that all that surprising. There are many who are doing exactly the same thing with God. On the one hand, they say they believe in God; they were baptized into his family; and yet they do not listen to him or seek to live as he requires of them. They turn their backs on being in a relationship with him, and in most ways they pretend that he doesn’t exist. In other words, they want the rights and privileges that go with being people of God – they want to go to heaven, but they don’t want God or what he has to say to us. In so doing they are actually denying that they are children of God. They are saying by their actions that they have no real interest or trust in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. They are walking away from God and his family and will end up dying in hell.

Now, we know that Jesus died on cross for all people; that all have access to God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. And so, it is possible for all to be children of light. We are reminded here that at one time we all were wandering around in darkness; caught up in the hopelessness of this worlds living, with nothing really to look forward to, except more doom and gloom. Yes, sure, they are running around with all sorts of philosophies, ideas and hopes, but they are all futile. They are like living in the darkest night that goes on and on, and are trying to pretend that there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

But through the Lord Jesus Christ we are brought into the light. We are assured of the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. We are given something sure to hope in and look forward to, and are able to see how life is to be lived. Yet so many, including ourselves to some degree, turn our backs on all of this and prefer to go on living in the dark. Often we don’t really want to know God. We don’t want to follow his way of living, but want to place store on what we do to make ourselves acceptable and good people. We want to live for ourselves and by our own rules.

There are so many who say they believe, yet their lives are not changed in any way and there is little or no sorrow about it. We seem to think that it doesn’t matter if we still live the old way of life, and in doing so we are denying what we claim to believe. Faith is allowing Jesus to not just save us, but also to fill us and change us; to lead us to live lives that are good for us, and for his kingdom. And if we are not prepared for that then there is a serious questions with regard to our trust in God – our faith. It is like those children turning their backs on all that they had been given and walking back into poverty and death.

Our text says; ‘Now you are light in the Lord,’ ‘Live as children of light’. So if we are light and are surrounded by the Light; this being the Light Jesus Christ, then we are able to live as God would have us live. His light will radiate out from Christ to us and then be reflected out to others by how we live and act so that others will be able to see what it is to be a Christian - one in whom Christ himself lives. We are light – we are children of God. So we will seek to live as such.

And our reading reminds us that, ‘the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.’

Because of Jesus death on the cross, and as a result of us being connected to him through baptism we are declared good; so let our lives produce the goodness that he has filled us with: Showing forth the good that has come our way in and through the Lord Jesus. Showing that in ourselves we are not good, but that through Jesus Christ and the forgiveness and help that he gives, we are. Letting it be seen that it is his goodness that is now displayed in our lives as we love him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and as we love our neighbour as we do ourselves. Letting the good that our gracious God has given us, flow out from us to produce a bountiful harvest.

And because of Jesus death on the cross we are declared righteous. That is we are credited as living in a right relationship with our God. So let us live in that right relationship so that others can know that it is because of Jesus and his death on the cross that we are Christians; letting the Holy Spirit lead and guide us in everything we do; taking every opportunity to spend time with God in prayer, meditation, and reading, hearing and studying what he has to say to us, so that we can be filled even more, and given all the support, encouragement and confidence that we need for this life and the next.

Truth will also be a vital part of our lives as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection. So then let us also allow that truth to be evident in our lives. Seeking to know and understand that truth. Standing up for it; and doing what is in accord with it. Recognising that there is only one truth, and that is what comes from God himself: not what we try to pretend is our own truth which we make up ourselves.

 So we will take all of what we have in the Bible as God’s Word: and as such, good and right for us and our lives today. We will subject everything we do, say and believe to this Word, understanding that it is the only source and norm for all matters of faith, doctrine and life.

In every way then, let us live as children of light - as children of God - as lost and condemned people who have been saved and restored by our Lord Jesus Christ back into his family. Because that is what we are! Let us therefore allow the fruit of this Christian life to come forth and be evident in our lives. God has filled us with all that we need to do this, so let us not turn our backs on him and what he has for us, and so walking back into spiritual poverty and death.

 Instead let us have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. Yes, let us remember – we are light in the Lord, therefore let us live as children of light. To him be all glory and honour, now and always.   AMEN.

 Pastor Roger Atze
Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish

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