Point of Inspiration: Devotionals for Personal and Corporate Worship
Robert D. Pace
Jesus described Christians as the “light of the world,” and that is because light’s primary function is to illumine the surroundings and expose that which lies in darkness. Similarly, a Christian should reflect Christ’s light to others. The Apostle Paul revealed how this is done in Ephesians 5:9 when he said, “the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth.” This is a unique passage because each of the words “goodness, righteousness and truth,” possesses a dual meaning. Each word calls Christians to both contain its quality and then to furnish evidence of that quality. For example, the word goodness suggests that someone possesses goodness and then shares it with others. The word righteousness suggests someone has claimed Christ’s righteousness through the Cross and then exhibits that righteousness to others. And the word truth identifies one who is both acquainted with truth and practices truth. The Apostle’s message reveals that the light Christians shine must be personally experienced and then publicly exhibited.
But then, Ephesians 5:11 explains another function of light when it says, “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” The word expose means, “reveal and rebuke.” This can be a daunting and unpleasant task; nevertheless, Christians are commanded to lovingly expose wrongdoing. It is never pleasant for a physician to inform a patient that he/she has cancer; but that is how the process of healing begins. And God’s call for Christians to “expose the deeds of darkness” isn’t designed to feel good about the process; it’s designed to remedy the problem through the grace of Christ. Sin will not admit its vice; it must be exposed by light! As difficult as the task may be, the purpose of Christians is to shine as God’s light, so that men in darkness may find their way to God.