Contrasting Light And Darkness

Daily Bread

Daily Bread Devotions by Chuck Myer Daily Bread Archive | Sign up for our resources

May we awaken the dawn with praise, with hearts turned toward Him who is worthy to receive all honor, glory, and adoration. We who have been born again of the Spirit of God are vessels of praise, vessels that are meant to proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9).

Called from darkness into light . . . two stark contrasts that note where we were as opposed to where we are . . .

“for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8 – NASB)

You “were formerly darkness.” What does that mean? Well, “darkness,” in the intellectual sense, refers to ignorance. Yes, when we were without Christ, when we were lost in our sin, children of wrath, sons of disobedience, we were dead (Ephesians 2:1-3) . . . and when one is dead they are in a state of ignorance, in the deepest “darkness,” void of truth. In a moral sense, “darkness” refers to evil. When one is in a state of “darkness” they are ignorant of God’s will, of His truth, and such, in this ignorance, they do evil things.

I think of today’s youth often. I know that in our current so-called education system they are being taught that which keeps them in a state of ignorance, keeps them in “darkness.” Oh, they may be book smart, knowledgeable in the things of the world, know the evolutionary chain, know how to add and subtract, but in that which really matters, they are in “darkness.” And it shows in many of their deeds, as there are those who are choosing to commit terrible crimes against others, and after they’ve done their evil, they take their own life. Do you think that if they knew the will of God, if they knew His truth, if they were “children of light” they would be so readily inclined to take another life, to take their own life? “Darkness” is a terrible realm in which to “walk.”

In contrast to this “darkness,” what Christians “formerly” were, the Bible says of those who have been born again that they “are light in the Lord.” In the intellectual sense “light” symbolizes truth. In the moral sense it refers to holiness. As someone has noted, “Intellectual light represents knowledge of the truth and results in moral light.” It means one is knowledgeable of how to live the truth, how to do good things. “In the Lord” refers to positional truth, and those “in Christ” heed His calling to . . .

“. . . be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise.. . . do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness . . . do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is . . . (and thus) . . . walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:11, 15, 17, 8 – NASB)

“Walk as children of light,” and stop “participating in the unfruitful deeds of darkness!” Stop being “foolish!” Rather realize that you are “light” and no longer “darkness,” and those who are “light” are active in “understanding what the will of the Lord is” and doing it!

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you walk do so as children of light, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10).

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