Lesson 72 October 19, 2003
Review:
5:11 We are to separate from the deeds of darkness!
- Now in vs:11 Paul exhorts us to not to become involved, not to fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness.
- As believers we are to be continually engaged in the process of walking as children of light; which means that we are to avoid all things connected in any way with spiritual darkness.
- These works are called the unfruitful/barren works of darkness;
- Paul is not calling for believers to withdraw from the world but rather to refuse to adopt its standards or fall into its ways!
- "But instead even expose them"
evle,gcw [pres imp]- when the object is a person; the emphasis is to convince someone of something; to reprove them in some area.
- when the object is impersonal; it means to bring to light, to point out, to expose,
The idea here is that as the believer lives his life, keeps walking in the light, he or she is exposing the darkness and sin around them.
- It must be clear to those whose lives we touch that our standards are those of God's Word, not those of the world of darkness and it will have the intended impact!
- Rem: We as believers are to be God's lights in the kosmos that is characterized by darkness.
5:12 gives us a caution that is consistent with the impersonal use of evle,gcw;
While verse 13 gives us the reason for following this course Read!
- There is no conflict, I believe, between the previous verse where we are to expose these sins and here yet to not speak of them!
* The focus down through this context is on the impact of "light" on the darkness in the world,
- Through your life, and manner you live it, you are to be the light in the kosmos. Phil 2:15
** If we are to walk in the light, to be light in the kosmos, as the passage exhorts us to; we must be the ethical light then in the office, in the classroom, in the work place and in the home.
* In 5:13 we find that Paul bases his argument on the effect of light in the natural world. It penetrates where ever it shines, so that everything is illuminated by it!
Sin can no longer masquerade as anything but what it really is, its true nature is made visible.
As believers in Christ when we bring the light of Christ and the God's Word on the shameful deeds of wicked, their wickedness is clearly seen.
"for everything that becomes visible is light."
- The idea here is that when the light exposes the darkness for its true nature, and there is a resultant reproving, conviction then there should follow a correction; first in their thinking and then in their actions.
What is the difference between the one who does evil and remains in darkness in vs:20 and the one who is in the light who practices the truth in vs:21??