Be Imitators of God - Live a Life of Light - part 1

Now if you would take your Bible and turn back to Ephesians chapter 5, we did read all of these verses that go together, verses 1 to 14. We're only going to divide verses 8 to 10, and I will reference some of what we have studied in verses 1 to 7. It all goes together. I think most of you know that. But I'm going to ask you to turn to two places in Scripture. I want you to put your eyes on a couple of phrases, a couple of words out of 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 9 and Galatians 5 verse 20. And I do encourage you to jot those verses down, make that a part of your study as you go back and study all that we are learning and studying together.

Now I think most of you know that for two weeks we have been in verses 1 to 7. We have been learning that Paul was calling these Ephesian Christians to be imitators of God, and he was fleshing out what that looked like for them, what that looked like for their time, and what that looked like for their circumstances. Actually the major theme from verses 1 to 7 is carried on to verse 14. The major theme from verse 1 to verse 14 is all about be imitators of God. Specifically in verses 1 to 2, we saw that Paul called these Ephesians to what I call the high calling, and he set before them a great example in this high calling.

He went on to explain to them that they would be a sweet aroma to God and to man in obeying this high calling. And for us, we are learning, and we have learned, and we are continuing to learn that as beloved children of God, God is calling us to this high calling of being imitators of God in our daily lives. With Christ set before us as our great example, we are giving up ourselves as Christ gave Himself up for us. We have seen that if we do imitate God and imitate Christ, we will be a sweet smelling aroma to God and even to men.

From verses 3 to 7, last week we saw that Paul gave these Ephesians some strong, very strong prohibitions against certain sins, and also he reminded them of a sure punishment that is reserved for those whose lives are characterized by those sins. And for us, we learn, and we are learning, that imitating God and Christ in our daily lives means that we are prohibited from following any form of sexual immorality, from allowing any form of immorality and greediness for those things in our lives. We saw that there is a sure, eternal punishment for those who habitually practice these sins. We learned that we can't be deceived here.

We can't partner with those who habitually practice such sins or promote a Christianity that says that these sins are permissible for the Christian life. Now remember something I've done all throughout these verses. I've asked us a question. What's got to be our motivation here? Why do we run to obey these commands? It's because we do all of these things out of love. We do these things as beloved children of God. Christ first loved us, and Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, and so we follow Christ's example by giving up ourselves as well.

Simply we obey all of these things out of a love for God, a love for God that is in us, that God has put in us. Now before we move on into our next verses, I want to give us a few very short lessons from what God has been teaching us here. And these lessons have been on my mind all week as I've been meditating on the verses and preparing for the new verses that are to come. And these lessons can be seen and remembered in four words. The first word, conversion. This word conversion. We must see that we can never be an imitator of God in Christ unless we have been converted to Christ.

Look, we cannot in any way imitate God as a beloved child of God if we're not a child of God. We can't walk in love and give ourselves up as Christ gave Himself up if we are not a new creation in Christ. No man, no woman, no young person can be an imitator of God if they are, Ephesians 2 verse 1, still in that death, that spiritual death. And after we come to saving faith in Christ, then we can start the life of imitating God and imitating Christ. And then second the word character. This word character. We must see that these prohibitions are not just a list of rules. Paul was aiming at character here.

He was and is aiming at a holy life which is proper for the saints of God. And here we must see that our character should be such that these sexual and verbal sins are never ever named among us. And then the third word, this word con, this word con. This is a call for us to be sober here, sober minded here because we cannot be conned by empty arguments that argue that these sins are somehow permissible for God's holy people. In the implication here is that this is a two-sided con. We can be conned into accepting that those who practice these sins habitually, their lives are characterized by sins that somehow they are truly Christian.

And we also can be conned into accepting those who teach that these types of sins are okay for the Christian life. But then fourth, this word capitulate. The word capitulate. We can't be a people in a church that capitulates and ends up partnering with those who practice such sins and those who promote a form of Christianity that accepts these things. We cannot capitulate and surrender God's standards here. Now as we turn our attention to the next verses, I want us to see that Paul is still explaining what it meant for these Ephesians to imitate God and Christ, being imitators of God is a major theme here.

And I want us to make two general observations before we get into the verses. Notice that from verses 3 to 7, we covered these last week, Paul was describing sexual sins and verbal sins. And then from verses 8 to 12, notice that Paul starts using lots of language about spiritual darkness and light. It's all through the verses. And I want us to understand why Paul does this. It's because these Ephesians, those original recipients of this letter, they came out of a culture and a past that was very, very sexually immoral and very, very spiritually dark. Their society was saturated with any and all sorts of sexual immorality.

And it was saturated with all kinds of pagan darkness. Paul knew that these types of sins were still on their doorsteps. He knew that those temptations were very real for them. They were just right around the corner. Now think about it. Those of you who know what Ephesus as a city was like, these Ephesians literally walked right by the temple of Artemis. It was called the temple of Diana where they had worshiped in pagan darkness. And not only did they worship in pagan darkness, that worship of that pagan deity involved all kinds of gross sexual immorality. So it was right around the corner for them. But look at our culture today.

Look at the world in which we live. Although we are a little insulated in our small Bible belt town, our culture and our country is becoming increasingly sexually immoral, pagan, and even spiritually very dark. And the temptations here are very real for us to allow these things into our personal lives. And look, there is a great temptation for us to allow these things to be accepted as some type of true Christianity. But remember verses 6 and 7. Paul says don't be conned here. That word conned really fits. He says don't capitulate into partnering and accepting such things. So just like those first readers of the book, we can be tempted here.

We can even be conned here. And we cannot allow that to happen. So let's go back and let's look at our verses that we will look at and divide and study this morning. We are going to pick up right here at verse 8. Let's just read down to verse 10. Paul says for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light, for the fruit of light is found in all that is good, all that is right, and all that is true. That's literally how it can read. And try to discern that which is pleasing to the Lord. Now I want you to notice how we're going to divide these verses. We're going to look at two major truths.

These could be the major truths of our outline. We're going to look at the high calling. That's out of verse 8. And then we're going to look at the fruits of this high calling out of verses 9 to 10. So number one, I want us to see Paul gives the high calling. This is out of verse 8. This is what I'm calling the high calling. Now you see that I'm using the exact same language that I used back in verse 5. In verse 5 we had our high calling which was the imitators of God. And to me verse 8 is another high calling.

And notice, "walk as children of the light." But before Paul gives the high calling, I want us to see that he describes who these Ephesians once were and who they had become. That's right there in the beginning of the verse. First Paul says that they once were darkness. Now notice that Paul says that at one time they lived in darkness. But is that what the verse says? No. He says they were darkness. He does not say that they lived in darkness. Go back and look at the verse, "For at one time you were darkness." Now we need to think about and understand what Paul is saying here. Yes, of course, they did live in spiritual darkness.

But Paul is actually identifying who they truly were in their very spiritual being. Paul was aiming at the fact that their lives were characterized by darkness by cause, by their very nature they were spiritual darkness. They actually were the very personification of spiritual darkness. They were truly the embodiment of spiritual darkness. They were literally the incarnation of spiritual darkness. You know for us, this can be hard for us to believe and understand and accept the spiritual truth. We need to understand that even nice people are darkness. We need to understand that even good citizens are darkness.

Look, we can even have good church-going folks and by their very nature they are spiritual darkness. We have seen this in our study of the salvation parables on Wednesday nights. We have been seeing that those Jewish religious leaders were by their very nature the personification of spiritual darkness. And we need to see that this really gets at the heart of who lost people are, those who are unregenerate. It gets to the very heart of who they are in their being. Even though someone may be a model citizen, even though someone could be considered the finest person in their family if they've not been born again, they are spiritual darkness.

The scriptures tell us more of what this spiritual darkness is. John 844, that verse tells us that those who are spiritual darkness are also children of the devil. Those who are spiritual darkness are of their father the devil and they want the desires of their father the devil who was a murderer from the beginning. And also those who are spiritual darkness, they also live in the domain of the arena or the sphere of darkness. They are actual citizens of this particular domain and as citizens of this domain of darkness they are under the control of the power of darkness. We see that in Colossians 1.13.

So it's important for us to understand that Paul was identifying that that is who they once were in their very being. They were by their very nature spiritual darkness, they were spiritual darkness. But notice that Paul was putting these things in the past tense. That is who they once were. And we see this very same thing taught in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. And this is where I want you to turn over to 1 Corinthians 6. I want you to see this. I want you to put your eyes on it. We see this specifically in verse 9. Notice what Paul says to the Corinthians. It's almost like Paul is reading this Ephesian letter. Well he did because he wrote it.

Comes out of the same heart and I think you'll see it. Notice what verse 9 says. I'm going to read on down to verse 10 and 11 as well. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" It's a question mark. Oh he's quoting what we see in verse 5 of Ephesians. "Do not be deceived here. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolatrous, nor adulterous, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. But such were some of you." Oh highlight that passage in your Bible. Maybe underline it.

"Such were some of you, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." Now how did these things become past tense? He's speaking to the Ephesians. We've jumped over into how he is speaking to the Corinthians. How did these things become past tense? They were spiritual darkness, but now in Ephesians and in Corinthians we see that they were washed. And we need to understand what this means here. Paul in Titus 3 verse 4 and 5 tells us more about this spiritual washing. This wasn't a physical washing. And I'm reading the verses in Titus 3, 4 and 5.

Paul says, "But when the goodness and the loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy by the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit." And that washing of regeneration, this renewal of the Holy Spirit is commonly called the new birth because Jesus called it the new birth back in John chapter 3. But then notice 2nd, Paul says they became light. Paul says they became light.

Not only does Paul point out that they were spiritual darkness and not only does he point out that spiritual darkness was their past life, now he points to who they had become. Now notice what Paul says. He says that they now lived in the light. Is that what the verse says? No. The verse says that they were light. Look back at the verse. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light. You are light in the Lord. Yes, of course, they did live in the light as that light was Christ. But here Paul was describing again who they were, who they had become in their very being. Now if we think about it, this can seem like a strange statement.

But we see the same thing in other places in the scripture. In Matthew chapter 5 verse 14, Jesus told his disciples that they were the light of the world. In John 12 verse 35 and 36, Jesus spoke to his disciples as having the light and also being children of the light. But we need to ask what Paul means here by this statement, you are light in the Lord. Paul was speaking of who they were and that is because he knew that who they were was determined and formed by the world in which they lived. Before they lived in darkness and they were darkness. But something had changed in them.

Because they had been regenerated of God through the new birth, they now lived in the light and they were the light. Of course, they themselves could never be the light in and of themselves. They were light only because they were in the light and the light was in them. Because they shared Christ's very own nature, they possessed his light and they shared his light before they were darkness because they were not in the light and the light was not in them. But now they are light. Seeing this contrast shows us a vital fact. Whether a person is in Christ in in light or they are in darkness and there are only two worlds.

Man is in one world or the other. There is no in between. So we see that Paul explains to them that they at one time were darkness. Yes, they were in darkness but they were the very personification of darkness but they had become light and light in the Lord. So, church, you might not know this. It's a short verse but verse 8 is one of the most important verses in the scripture all because of what it teaches. Verse 8 is one of the most important verses to study and understand. That's because of its very clear illustration and teaching concerning conversion and what it truly means to be a Christian.

And my question for you this morning is along the lines of that verse. Have you been washed by the renewal of the Holy Spirit? Have you been born again? Have you been regenerated with God? Have you become a new creation in Christ? If not, you desperately need to see that you are darkness. You may be very moral. You may be a good citizen. You can be a very good churchgoer but by your very nature you are darkness. You are living in darkness. You are the very personification of darkness. There is no in between. And get this.

Paul was explaining these things to the Ephesian Christians and he was explaining that their spiritual condition and their spiritual standing had changed. And because their condition and their standing had changed, their walk or their daily lives should correspond to their condition and to that standing. You see, I'll help you understand this with an illustration I've used for a couple of weeks. Speaking of married folks, husbands, wives, you know before we get married our condition, our standing is that we are single, right? We are not bound to someone in marriage but after we are married our condition and our standing changes.

You might say, "Yeah, pastor, I'm broke." But think about it. Because our condition and our standing changes, well, the way we live as married folk should correspond to that new condition, that new standing. Isn't that right? Well, with that foundation laid by Paul here, Paul then gives them the high calling. He calls them to walk as children of the light. Look back at verse 8. For at one time you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Notice walk as children of the light. Now there are a couple of words or details here that I want us to see. This law come together for this high calling for all of us. First this word walk.

Now we've seen this before. Paul uses this word often to describe the daily Christian life. But we need to remember that this word is used to describe daily Christian living and it's about a daily Christian living that is about progress. But notice it's a walk, not a ruin. It's not a sprint. Some of you who have just come to faith in Christ, you need to understand that. You can't approach a Christian life as a run or a sprint. It's a walk. And this speaks of steady progressive progress. And oh folks, sometimes that walk is uphill. Isn't that right? But it is a walk. This is all about daily Christian living. And then second this word children.

We've seen this language all throughout our study of Ephesians and especially back starting in verse 1 and 2. And we know that this speaks about a relationship. We as believers are God's children. We as believers are the beloved children of God. And in using this particular language, Paul was calling them to live in their daily Christian lives as beloved children of God, walking and living in the light. And those who were at one time darkness, they are now living in the light and in the light and they are light. Paul was calling them to the high calling of living a life that was characterized by light.

And that would be the light of Christ that was in them and had been made known to them. But a question here. What light did they have? Think with me here. What light did they have and what light had been made known to them? They had their own personal salvation right? Converted to Christ. They were darkness and now they're light. So they had the Holy Spirit of God in their lives. So they had that light in that right. They couldn't just look back to their moment when they were converted. They could also look to how God was working in their life as the Holy Spirit was real in their life.

They also had the light of this letter from the Apostle Paul. Oh this is light. They had the light of the letter. They also had a lot of other teaching from the Apostle Paul. Some of you will remember this but did you know that the Apostle Paul was their pastor for some three years? Think about all of the things that he could have taught them in three years. And then after Paul moved on, we know that he appointed Timothy to be their pastor. Think about all of the things that Timothy taught them. So all of that was light. But look at the contrast. Paul was calling them not to live in those sins that he mentioned earlier.

And he was calling them to live in the light that they had in their daily lives. Simply they were responsible for the light that they had before them. And for us, we need to see that as beloved children of God, we are to live as children of God in the light of our daily lives. We were once in darkness. And because we've been converted to Christ, we are now light. We live in the light. And the light of Christ lives in us and through us. And we should live in that light in our everyday lives. But what light has God given us? I mean, what light are we responsible for? First you have your salvation. First you have your salvation.

Sure, you can look back at when you were converted to Christ. But if you've truly been converted to Christ, you could look at how the Holy Spirit of God is working in you. He's been working in you all through these years since you were converted. But not only that, you have the light of God's Word. We have all of God's Word. These Ephesians did not have the totality of God's Word, but we do. This is light, folks, from Genesis all the way to the end, the Revelation. Oh, this is light. We're accountable to this light. But think about the light of the church. You have the church. We have the church. We have a church that is light.

Light is emanating through God's work here. We have the light that comes from this pulpit. We work hard to teach God's Word faithfully on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights and sometimes on Sunday nights. Oh, this is light because I'm not up here telling you what I think. I'm explaining to you God's Word. This is light. This evening you'll go to small groups, I pray. Of course you're going to fellowship together and share life with one another, but you're going to discuss God's Word. Oh, that's light. Then when you see a believer around you that you should imitate, that's light. The relationships that God is forming here.

You should have mentors in your life. You should find a mentor spiritually in this room. And you should even be mentoring others. Oh, that's light. But think about it. Think about all that God has taught you since you've been here in this church. That's light. And we are responsible for all of these things. Look at the great responsibility that we have to this light. But again, remember our motivation. It's all out of love. As beloved children of God, we should be imitators of God and Christ. That's our first high calling. And in love, we should walk as children of the light. That's our second high calling.

And those of us, we were once in darkness, but now we're in the light and we are the light. We are the light of the Lord in us and we should walk as what? Children of the light. So Paul gives us our second high calling. Walk as children of the light. And then number two, Paul gives us the fruits of this high calling. This is what I'm calling the fruits of this high calling. Let's look back at verses nine and ten. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good, all that is right, and all that is true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Now I think it's obvious. Here in verse nine, we see this word fruit.

English Standard Version, the New American, the King James. All three translations use the same word. Now this is the only time that this word is used in this book. Of course, Paul is using this word as a metaphor. But we know that he used this language in other places, specifically Galatians chapter five where he lists the fruit of the spirit. But I want to ask a question here. Why does Paul use this language about fruit? This word fruit can be used literally in scriptures and it can be used as a metaphor. And at times Paul used it in a bad way. He used it as a metaphor to communicate things that were bad.

We will see this in verse 11, that Paul describes unfruitful works of darkness. But here in verse nine, Paul is using this metaphor in a good way. He is speaking of a particular fruit and a good fruit. This reminds me of when I was growing up, many of you know that my grandfather owned a farm. He had cows and farmed a little bit, but ultimately it turned into nothing more than timberland. I grew up on my granddad's farm, you know, fishing and squirrel hunting and deer hunting. We still have that place in our family right now.

And I vividly remember as we came into the second gate right there in that first little pasture, there were two pear trees right there on the left. My granddad had a unique way of getting those pears out of that tree. He always kept a long cane pole and he would take a metal coffee can and he would wire it on the top of that cane pole. Sounds kind of funny, but he had a purpose. See if you knocked the pears out of the tree, you would bruise the pears. Oh, but if you took that cane pole and you put it right up under one of those pears, he used a word, he called it jug. You know, you jug the pear tree and here comes the pear.

I love those pears. I usually would eat so many that I would get sick. But you know, I knew in the end of June and July, there were going to be pears on that pear tree. Fruit. Well, here Paul is talking about fruit. Fruit of the light. He is talking about the characteristics of the Christian life that is lived in the light. He is saying that when any Christian lives or walks in their daily lives as children of the light, well, there are certain fruits of that light that are in their lives. There are certain characteristics of that life in their life. Paul goes on to list three fruits that come out of that life of walking in the light.

First, all that is good. Now this goodness or all that is good is a broad word. It has a broad meaning. It speaks of a goodness or being good in two ways. First it speaks of one's nature. It speaks of a goodness within. You know, we use language like this. We can describe someone as being a good man. We can describe someone as being a good person. We can describe a young person as being a good kid, but this also speaks of doing good. It speaks of a goodness within that manifests itself in good works. We can describe someone who is a good person and then we can go on and describe the good things that they do.

And that is what Paul is describing here. So Paul was saying that one of the fruits of walking in the light is the fruit of goodness. A goodness within that manifests itself in good deeds. But we need to say something here. This isn't a worldly goodness. This isn't a humanistic goodness. This is a goodness that comes from the Holy Spirit of God within a person and it is made known by goodness or good deeds as a result. This is where I want you to turn over to Galatians chapter 5. We know these verses. So list of the fruits of the spirit. I want you to put your eyes on a particular portion of the scripture. Notice what Paul says in verse 20.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness. You see that? The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness. And right here we need to see that there is a tremendous lesson. We need to see this great spiritual reality. As born again people, as we embrace this high calling and walk as children of the light, we should seek to do good out of a goodness that is a work of the Holy Spirit within us. You see, we should seek to do good and be good because there is a goodness within. It is the fruit of the spirit in the life. And look, you can fake this in the flesh but only for a little while.

But if you have gone from darkness to light, if you have the Spirit of God in you who enables you to be good and to do goodness, it's a whole different story. In Thessalonians 5, verse 15, Paul told those Christians there at the church at Thessalonica to always seek after that which is good to do good for one another and also to do good for all men. You know I'll think back to my years of ministry. I've seen countless people come into the church. They're not converted and they faked this goodness for a little while. Oh they'll come in, they'll be so excited about the church, they'll be so excited about preaching and teaching.

Oh they'll be excited about small groups and serving. And oh they'll serve in the nursery for a little while. Oh they'll volunteer for a little while. They'll stay after and take out the trash for a little while but then it fades. So they're doing it in the flesh. It won't last. You can fake it in the flesh for a little while. Oh but once someone is truly born again, they have a goodness that is planted within them. It's a fruit of the spirit. And oh they want to do good. Oh they strive to do good. You can't keep those people away from doing good. They're going to volunteer. They're going to bother you. They're going to make themselves known.

Sometimes they'll just start doing good when no one asked them to do good. You know I didn't have the ability to understand it when I first came to faith in Christ. But did you know that's something that God put in me when I first came to faith in Christ? Look I say this is a joke but it's true. If my pastor would have called me and said, "Chris I need you to come up to the church. We're going to herd cats." I would have been there. There was a goodness that was put within me.

And as I have opportunities to start to serve people and love people and minister to people to do good in the church, I couldn't believe that I got asked to do those things. And that is a goodness that God has put within my life and in my wife's life. And we do good in the church. I've had people. I've had some of you say, "Pastor, y'all can't do that anymore." You don't need to do that anymore. And in my mind I think I'm just going to do it. It's a goodness put within me. And I want to do that good. But then second, all that is right. We see that in verse 9. Now just like this goodness, this right or righteousness, it is seen in two ways.

First of all, this relates to one's relationship with God. When one goes from darkness to light in the Lord, they are justified. Are they in a right standing before God? In Romans 1, 16 and 17, those verses tell us that they have this righteousness that is imputed by God to the believer. But this righteousness also speaks to how one lives. This speaks of living righteously. Romans 6, 13 says that those who walk as children of the light are to be instruments of righteousness.

Paul says, "Present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life and your members to God as instruments for righteousness." So Paul was saying that one of the fruits of walking in the light is righteousness, a righteousness that manifests itself in righteous living and righteous deeds. And this is all possible because the believer is in a right standing with God. And look, scholars even tell us that this right and righteousness and good and goodness is closely related. You can see it. And then third, all that is true. And I hear this word for true in verse 9 simply speaks of what is true. It is genuine. It is right.

It's true. It is trustworthy. This speaks of something that is honest. And this pertains to what is said and done in the life. And these things come out of a truthfulness that is within because it's come from Christ. So Paul was saying that one of the fruits of walking in the light is all that is true. That is a genuine truth and truthfulness that is within. It is made known through deeds that are true, that are honest, that are genuine, that are right. So we see that Paul gives the fruit of the life that is lived in the light. This is a life lived out in all that is good, all that is right, in all that is true, in all.

This all comes from the Spirit of God within. This is a goodness within and without. This is a righteousness before God and even before men and even seen in action. And this is a truth and a truthfulness within and it's lived out. Remember the story of my grandfather's pear tree? It died years ago. I still bush hog around where it used to be. And I think every time I bush hog right through there, I think about where that pear tree was and all of the memories of my grandfather getting those pears down and even the memories of eating too much and I had a stomach ache the rest of the day.

But you know it should be the same thing in our lives, your life, my life. People should see the fruit of a life lived in the light in our lives. You know I could walk up to that pear tree and I could look at all the pears in the tree. There never were any pears on the bottom limbs. The deer always ate them. But you know at the right time of the year you just see all the pears and see it should be the same thing in our lives. People should see fruit, this fruit. And my question for you is this, do people see the fruit of goodness within you? And you doing good out of that goodness.

Do people see the fruit of righteousness, a right standing before God and right and righteous living coming out of your life? Do people see the fruit of truth and truthfulness in your life? Or when they look at your life, do they see all of the prohibitions that Paul dealt with in verse 3 and verse 4? Do they? All those sexual sins? All those sins of sinful talking? Is that what's in your life? Look folks, these fruits are really tests of genuine faith. These are true tests to see if someone has a saving relationship with Christ, you see? But we need to understand that in our world and in our church culture we can have a decision for Christ.

Oh we can be baptized. We can be a member of a church. We can be involved in the church. We can serve. We can give money to church. We can teach Sunday school for 35 years. And many people look at those external things in their lives and they see those things as evidence of having a saving relationship to Christ. Now is there anything wrong with the decision for Christ? Is there anything wrong with being a member of a church? Is there anything wrong with giving and serving? No. But look, all of those things and more can be done all while being darkness. You can do all of those things while being darkness. Look at Judas.

Judas looked really good folks. Do you really think the disciples would have let him carry the money bag if they thought he was a thief? I've said this before. I use my imagination here. Think about how bold Peter was. I mean he's quick to pull out a sword. Oh if he thought Judas was a thief I don't think Judas would have made it very long with Peter. Judas did all of these things. He preached. He did all the things that those disciples did and the whole time he was darkness. That even happens today. God through Paul says right here that these are the fruits of the life that is walking in the light. But oh there's one more fruit. Verse 10.

I want us to read verse 8, 9 and 10 again and then I'm going to explain how I'm sneaking verse 10 in here. Let's read the verses one more time. Paul says, "For at one time you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light." There's the high calling. And here's the evidence of the high calling.

"For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good, all that is right, and all that is true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." Now most scholars that I read, most commentators that I study, they do not place this discernment as a fruit but I sneak it in there and I think you'll see what I'm aiming at. So forth this discernment. Here we see that one of the fruits of walking and living this daily life in the light is spiritual discernment.

Now the English Standard reads, "Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." Now the New American says, "Trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." The King James says, "Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord." But we need to see what Paul was aiming at here. In the original it says, "Put to the test." There in their day this language, it came from a particular work in that day where they would test metals, they would prove metals, they would examine metals, they would examine a metal, they would prove it, they would verify what it was.

Paul was not saying or insinuating that they were attempting this work of proving or of testing and that they may not be successful. Oh, that's not what he is saying. He was saying that they did indeed test. He was saying that they did indeed examine. They proved teaching and teachers and they held on to what was right. He was saying that they discerned teaching. They discerned teachers and they stayed with the truth. He is saying they weren't deceived, they weren't conned. So Paul was saying that one of the fruits in my eyes of the high calling of walking in the light was discernment.

Literally, this is the ability to test and prove what is false and the ability to hold on to what is true. And the verse says what's right and pleasing unto the Lord. And look, church, listen to your pastor. What is one of the things that so many in the professing church do not have. So many that profess Christ do not have any ability to test teaching and to test teachers up against the truth of God's Word and to prove it for what it is. Folks, we've got God's Word. This will sift out any teacher, any teaching. And for us, we must be a discerning people. This is a fruit of the life that is lived in the light.

And this is an ability that God gives us. And look, this ability must be sharpened and it must be cultivated. Now how do we sharpen it? How do we cultivate it? By knowing God's Word. You can't compare error up against the truth that you don't know. In my earlier years, there were false teachers and false teaching that I might have tipped my hat to because I didn't know what God's Word said. Oh, but I had pastors and preachers and teachers to help me there. That's why you have the church. That's part of my job. And we must study God's Word. And we must know God's Word. And we must pray over God's Word.

Yes, there is a spiritual education that we need here, but there is this spiritual ability that God gives us where we can compare God's Word up against teachers and false teachers and the latest teaching. And we desperately need that. So in verse 9 and 10, Paul gives the fruits of walking in the light or this high calling. A goodness within and a goodness that is lived out. A righteousness before God that comes out in right living. And that which is true. This truthfulness that is within and it comes out in true and truthful and honest and genuine living.

This discernment, this ability to test between that which is true and that which is false. Choosing truth. I'm out of the cost. And look, folks, remember the pear tree? We must be a fruit bearing people. One more illustration. In my yard, I have a crabapple tree. It's real sick. It's broken off about three or four times. I don't eat crabapples, but I don't want that crabapple tree to die. But you know the last couple of years, I haven't seen it yield any crabapples. It's sick. It doesn't produce fruit. We can't be a people that are sick and leaning and we're not bearing this fruit.

So Paul gives us the fruits of living this high calling and the high calling is this, walking as children of the light. Now as I close, I want you to notice something that I talked about a lot in verses one to seven. Here's another positive command. Isn't that right? It's a positive command. Verses eight, nine and ten is positive. Paul started with a positive in verse one. Then he moved to pick up the negative in verse three. He was calling those Ephesians and he is calling us to be imitators of God and to live a life of love. We are imitators of God out of love. And here he is giving them another positive command starting in verse eight.

And then he moved to the negative in verse eleven and here Paul was calling these Ephesians and he is calling us to be imitators of God, yes, but to live a light of life. So what's the title of the message? Be imitators of God because that's the major theme all the way down, but it's all about living a life of light. And with God's help, we can do these things.