Dark & Light Walkers

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light. Eph 5:8

Dark-walkers do not like the light. That is, they do not like to be reminded of their sin. Anything that diminishes how they and others see them hurts them. But light-walkers love to look back on what they were so that they may give new praise to the Lord for who they have become.  

Here we read “Ye were.” Were what? 

Darkness, with some fractal rays of light? 

No... darkness itself. 

As if totally deprived of sight. 

By nature, we all walk in darkness. Being blind, we don’t know that we are on the road to hell. But oh, that blessed “now are ye.” Something marvelous has happened. Something transformative. The child of God has not only the light of life but is in Christ, the Sun of Righteousness Himself, “but now are ye light in the Lord.” Peter says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Pet. 2:9)

Here we see our Father’s glory shining in the face of Christ. Feeling His love, beholding grace and truth which came by Jesus, enjoying precious promises in Him, and knowing the glorious doctrines taught by Him. All which leads to, and centers around, the Savior of Sinners.

So, the believer looks at the world with contempt, 

on sin with loathing, 

upon Satan with defiance, 

upon fallen men with pity, 

and up to the Lord with love. 

All of this is encompassed in one text, “Walk as children of the light.” But how can I know that I am a child of light? A strange question indeed. Just as strange as someone with wide-open eyes asking in the midday sun, “How do I know that I can see”? Here’s the real question, do you enjoy the comfort of the Gospel? That’s the light. Would you dwell in it for eternity even now? Do you desire to walk in His ways? If you do, it is because you are a child of the light; if not, it’s because you walk in darkness.

There are many very religious dark walkers. Don’t let it surprise you that they are uncomfortable around Gospel light. Paul wept because of them when he said, “They mind earthly things” (Phil. 3:18,19). They have a tongue for Christ, but the world has their heart. Beware of such people, and of being such. For “If we say we have fellowship with Christ, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin.’ 1 John 1: 6, 7.