You Were Once
Every day, we are faced with a choice: to think and act according to what we once were and knew, to live according to our past, or to think and act according to who we are now.
Our actions and reactions flow out of one or the other of these foundations of thought. That is the whole reason that Paul, as an apostle to the Gentile churches, wrote what he did to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship (do not participate in, or partake of, do no share in company) with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which they do in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore, He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” 15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
You were once one thing, but now you are another! This is so important to know because we live out from the place of our identity.
I love the contrasts in this passage. Paul does not seem angry or harsh when he says these things. Instead, I see him as a father who simply speaks and explains to his kids the important realities of life.
I love that it explains the kind of fruit we are meant to have in our lives—the good fruits of the Spirit. The direction and rewards of that kind of fruit are goodness, righteousness, and truth. I liken this to how some will say I like citrus, and others have more of a melon preference or a less acidic fruit like apples or pears. This is speaking of the preferences of those who have the Spirit and are yielded to Him. Their preference is things that pertain to righteousness, goodness, and truth. They understand the benefits of such fruit.
I also like how Paul makes it clear that those who walk according to the Spirit desire to find out and will find out what is pleasing to the Lord. They do not dismiss it for a license to do as they please according to their flesh. Their reason for this decision is not one of legalism or fear of losing their salvation but rather a heart that loves the Lord and desires to please Him in every way they can.
This leads to making choices about what to participate in. The works of darkness are identified as unfruitful. In other words, they are not good for the soul, the body, or the spirit. They will be like poison to the believer. It’s akin to hiking a trail with a friend, and he’s ahead of you. He sees poison ivy and knows you’ve been touching the flowers and other plants along the way, admiring them. But now what is coming up is not good, so he turns and warns you not to touch it and to avoid it because he knows that if you do, you will be made miserable by it. He exposes the threat to you so you can make your own informed decision about it.
Those who walk in the light often expose those things that are of the darkness from a heart of love and motivation to help others avoid the pitfalls they will bring into their lives. Why? Because they, too, once were but now are no longer of the darkness, but rather they are now of the light. They call others into that light. That light is Christ Jesus and His way. His way does not exclude walking circumspectly. It does not encourage someone to be foolish, always choosing the wrong things in order to please the flesh. His life and light motivate an attitude of redeeming the time. Making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil, and we are children of light in a dark world that needs to be called into the light, not celebrated for their darkness. You see, you were once, but now you are!
