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Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? This will be part four and In this message today, I would like to conclude this Section of verses we have been looking at in the past for Lord's Day services and We will look briefly with some content from John chapter 1 verses 1 through 5 in which we have been looking at and Actually what I like to do in the remainder of the time we after I bring the content out and What the text is saying to us in which we have looked at the past Three Lords day in today's makes the fourth.
But I'd like to give some application to this and To this all this wonderful theology in which we've been looking at these first five verses and then we got Lord willing we're going to Travel on into the next section, which will be verse 6 through 13 Which speaks of John the Baptist witness to the true light Jesus Christ and first we've got John the Apostle.
John's the writer of course, but now he brings John the Baptist into it. And that's what I like the direction. We were going on into but in this application Of all the theology we have I Heard I believe it was brother Stephen Lawson that said this As good as preaching is and content and the meaning of the text He said but if we don't really give it application All that is gonna be meaningless we must have application and I like to really drive that home to us today as We look at the application and that application I'd like to look at would be we touched on it briefly last Lord's day will be Ephesians chapter 5 verses 8 through 14, which is very fitting to Everything that is said here of who Jesus Christ is now.
And saying that let us first bow To our Lord in prayer and ask his blessing as we continue to worship him and seek his face.
And.
As we hear from heaven from his holy word. Amen. Let's pray our father and our God How great you are? Help us to hallow your name as we come to your word help us Lord to Give great reverence to your word.
For your word is perfect Converts the soul. It has the power to transform us and as we come to you now father To hear from your word. We thank you for it. We thank you for the power that it holds and the glory that it gives.
It is sufficient it's all we need we don't need experiences we don't need Extra biblical revelations Lord all we have enough. We have everything in your word. So father we give honor to your word this morning.
We pray Lord for each we pray for each and every one of us this morning as we Come to it that the true teacher The Holy Spirit would help us Lord help me to rightly divide the word of truth Help us to Understand it by your spirit.
We thank you Lord for your word that gives us the true light the true light of life the truth. Thy word is a lamp unto our feet and the light into our path as the psalmist says. So we would ask Lord once again as Jesus prayed for his disciples.
May this be our prayer sanctifies Through that word that word is truth. That word is truth and Lord that entails a being like Your son the Lord Jesus Christ The Blessed Son Our Savior our Messiah the Son of the Living God.
And Lord, we know that this can only happen by the Spirit of truth. So Lord make this real to us And may we be all be changed From faith to faith to glory to glory more into the likeness of your dear son.
We would ask this in Jesus name Amen, and amen several years back I.
Recalled.
My dear grandmother on my mother's side at the hospital unconscious. And dying on her deathbed. She could not speak. The family was surrounding her and as she was gasping for her final breath my aunt on one side of the bed and I was on the other and there was had a few cousins there and she had her son and Her other daughter which was my mother and this particular aunt I'll leave unnamed for the moment.
Was directly next to her on the other side of the bed and she was actually telling my grandmother her mother, of course. She's kept repeating to her knowing that she could probably hear even though she was unconscious.
Mother go toward the light mother. Keep going toward the light. And honestly, I pauses as I was praying. I was doing a lot of praying silently Within myself and I couldn't help but think. As I was praying for my grandmother's poor soul.
When she was very Catholic growing up and not knew she really didn't know the Lord Jesus Christ. I was praying for God's mercy for her. Especially her being unconscious and her days were about to be ended.
And I was praying for a miracle. I could not help but think dear Lord I Prayed that she sees the true light from heaven and not the lights of hell because there's a light from hell, too and Satan can appear as an angel of light as we well know.
So my grandmother of course passed on and into eternity within the next hour there and. And I'll tell you just like my father as he died a horrible death of suicide. I personally we do not know. What happens in those last moments.
We leave it in God's hands, don't we?
But God knows all.
And I'm not for sure if they came to true belief and true repentance. But I do rest in this that the judge of all the earth will do right. We can rest in that we're not the judge. God's the final judge.
Yet the truth let me say this the clear truth that the Word of God gives to us is What's right to the answer in which I've already mentioned and what the name of this series is who is Jesus Christ? That is the most serious question That is put to anybody.
Who is Jesus Christ and don't you love the Word of God the opening verses of John's glorious gospel introduces to us? The answer to that He gives us the answer and it's in the answer is in the incarnation of Christ the incarnation of God himself the second person of the Godhead and John the Apostle wants and desires his readers to know with a full assurance by the way that Jesus is fully God truly God and human form.
This is very serious this is why he begins this his gospel with this and John chapter 1 verse 1 and 2 in the beginning was the Word and The Word was with God and the Word was God and he was in the beginning with God and in verse 3.
And John gives a record through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ was God the Father's agent. That was involved in creating Everything that's matter everything that's light everything that exists in this entire universe every human being everything that exists in this entire universe is because of The eternal Word of God the agent Jesus Christ.
All things verse 3 all things were made through him and without him. Nothing was made that was made. Then John reveals the very purpose in the mission and this is notice the direction He's going into here.
He takes us to the purpose in the mission of God coming to earth as a human made flesh. Tabernacled among us verse 4 through 5 in him was life and the life was the light of man. Verse 5 and the light shines in darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The darkness did not overpowered or overcome it wonderful. Jesus Christ came into a very dark world. Did he not? Very dark to bring the light of God's life to dying men. And that is hat that has not changed people are still dying in darkness.
Blinded by the God of this world and the depravity which has been passed down by Adam. The coming of Jesus Christ in the incarnation the Messiah is synonymous with the coming of light to remove the darkness the scales of sin and captivity.
And Isaiah I. Like the way pastor MacArthur calls this the gospel of Isaiah in that wonderful Because more of the gospel of Jesus Christ is given in that one.
Major.
Prophetic book than any other. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 2 says this the people who walked in darkness have seen a.
Great light.
Any that wonderful. It's just not a lie, but a great light. And Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death I want you to remember those terms there the shadow of death is not this the shadow of death.
Upon them a light has shined. And then in Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1 and 2 It says this arise shine. For your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you and Behold the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people.
But.
Don't you love that transition, but the Lord? Will arise over you the sovereignty of God there just but will intervene Light just as Pearson through the darkness and it says. And his glory will be seen upon you verse 3.
It's a wonderful prophecy. Listen to this the Gentiles shall come to your light and the Kings to the brightness of your rising. What a wonderful fulfillment. And all this is fulfilled in one person the glorious person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now in Genesis as we looked at last Lord's Day the creation of light and brother Keith touched on that this morning on Psalm 104 the creation of light was the very First thing that God himself created.
But God is light so he creates light through the eternal Word of God Jesus Christ the second person of the Trinity. And as Genesis 1 3 says this. And I'm going to give this from Genesis the creation of the Account.
Genesis 1 3 says. Then God said let there be light and There was light. Let there be light and there was light.
Such power.
That.
God himself who is light speaks the light into existence and there was light piercing through the darkness. Now, this is the process of Generating life. I Was thinking about this and I said really the physical Sun.
If we did not have the physical sign It would be the Sun. We would have a cold lifeless planet. No, nothing could live on this planet unless we had the Sun right? We need Sun and rain the sunshine in the rain for things to grow and.
Gives life.
It's that's through the physical Sun the SU in but in the same way the SO in gives spiritual life so the process of generation and the process of regeneration here is given and in contrast Light was God's initial instrument in illuminating the dark and formless void in this world.
This was the first instance in creation now God who is like shining light in the darkness piercing the darkness. So when John spoke of the incarnation of the Son of God Becoming the Son of Man in his mission. He was actually echoing the creation account, right?
And that's important. There's a reason why John has this language here by the Holy Spirit. For us to understand by the Spirit of God What God is doing. The contrast is vivid light darkness. That this this no way that you can mix the two that and we'll see in just a few minutes God separates them.
Divides them.
That's his order.
Scripture tells us over and over again that God himself is the very source of that life and life. Life and light life and light. Psalm 36 9 says this for with you is the fountain of life and Your light we see light.
Notice that for with you God is that source is the fountain of life and in your light we see light. And as I quoted this morning in Psalm 27 1 the Lord is my light and My salvation. Notice they are together.
The light the salvation. God is our light. God is our salvation. Then he says whom shall I fear? That's the question if God is my salvation in my life. We should fear. No one only God The Lord is the strength of my life.
Of whom shall I be afraid. Then in the New Testament The same Apostle writes in 1st John chapter 1 verse 5 almost the same language. It's phrased differently, but notice what he says in verse 5. This is the message.
This is the message which we have heard from him talking about Jesus Christ. We have heard from him and declare to you That God is light and In him is no darkness at all. So Jesus Christ is God's light sent down To earth to pierce through the darkness.
It's almost as if he comes from the world of lights and To a dark world and enters into it to pierce through it. Now that light is God's life.
You can actually say it is physical and eternal.
Both.
John chapter 11 verse 25. Jesus says I am the resurrection and the life and he who believes in me Though he may die.
He shall live.
Death is not the end. Here our physical existence our physical death. But there is a we shall live. Shall a man continue to live. Eternity, I believe Joe put it in a question like that. I Like what Ravenhill said.
He put it this way. Jesus did not come into the world to make bad men good. He came into the world to make dead men live. Amen. That is his purpose folks to make dead men live. John 5 26 for as the father has life in himself, so he has granted the son to have life in himself.
So the life within Jesus Christ is the very life of God's The Zoe life in which we looked at last. Lord's Day Chapter and verse is one of my favorites here. And I'm sure one of your favorites too because Jesus makes a declaration that no one else ever made.
John 14 6. Jesus said to him I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me. Still remains true today With all the religions in this world. There's only one way to God the Father and that's through Jesus Christ not two ways.
Not a better way only one way Jesus Christ. John 10 9 and 10. Jesus says this. I am another I am. I am the door. Notice What he would say. I am the way the truth and the life. I am the resurrection of life.
Here's another I am. I am the door and If and we'll go and he says if any. Anyone enters by me. He will be saved and I will go in and out and find pain and when he will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Now only Jesus Christ is the true source of the knowledge of God and the one basis for spiritual security here.
And The Bible tells us time and time again that Jesus Christ is that light of life? The light of life. And that's actually.
What.
John is saying here in verse 4 and 5. In him was life and the life was the light of man. That life is the light of the truth and the message of Christ's salvation. And eternal life with God is found in John 17 3 one of my favorite verses.
I don't think we can hear this enough folks. And Jesus is praying and this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sinned. I'm telling you if we if I Were to preach on that verse every week Until Jesus comes that would be sufficient.
Because notice what he says, that's the purpose Jesus. This is eternal life that they may know you the only true God Jesus Christ whom you have sent first. John 5 11 through 13. Listen to this First John 5 11 through 13 you can turn there if you like.
I think it ties right in to what John is saying in his gospel. And this is the testimony. That God has given us eternal life and this life is. Is it in his Son and This life is in his Son. Verse 12 he who has the Son has life.
He who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have I have written to you Who believe in the name of the Son of God and that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may?
Continue to believe. Notice that don't stop believing. You continue to believe. You abide. You go forward in the name of the Son of God. He says. And then verse 20 and We know. Notice don't you love that time and time again throughout the first John you see that word.
We know we know. We know we know. We know that the Son of God has come.
He's come and.
Has given us an understanding that we may know him who is true and We are in him and who is true and in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God in eternal life and Basically, that is the truth in which he is echo and it almost sounds like what a he wrote down echoing from Jesus's prayer.
From John.
17 3. Keep in mind also that many false teachers was amongst the church that were Into Gnosticism. Gnosticism believed that all matter was evil. So in other words, they believed when God came in flesh that was evil not.
So Jesus was the perfect sinless Innocent son of the Living God without sin.
So.
Gnosticism taught all matter was evil. And so John had to combat that with the truth. So the great the greatest certainty of all is this in the incarnation of Jesus Christ which Guarantees everything else about who Jesus Christ is that is here in the text.
Now this is why John by the Spirit of God began his gospel with the truth. In the beginning was the word. And the word was with God the word was God. That's why he began that way. Jesus Christ be in that true life and that true light from heaven has come in his brilliance and his glory to shine his light in a dark world in creation.
God separated. Or you could say is the scriptures it depends on your translation divided the light from the darkness. Look at Genesis 1 4. Genesis 1 4 and the account God saw the light. That it was good the light was good and What did God do.
And God divided the light? From the darkness you notice it doesn't mix it it's there's a separation and That is God's perfect order folks.
This we have to keep this in mind because you see you in creation and God's order. There is a division of light and darkness and we make no mistake about that. But why is it in the church that people want to somehow mix light and darkness?
That is not God's order. We're gonna look at that in a minute. The New Testament light and darkness are very clear. They're common symbols of good and evil. And we're going to look at this and I will look at from the scriptures.
It's clear that light in John 1 5 represents life and ultimately eternal life with God in his heavenly kingdom. Darkness is the absence of light. Darkness is darkness light is light and Also darkness can be the absence of God.
Just look on the cross in three hours. Jesus it with the whole earth became dark. God did that on purpose. God did that instinctively. He did that by miracle. It was a miracle, but God made it known to the world.
Jesus Christ his son went right into that darkness. He took the darkness in the absence of God for three hours the wrath of God Upon himself upon himself so that we may come to the light and to know God who is light.
And amazing the love that took Jesus through that. We will never understand that even in heaven. But what our what our blessed Savior went through on that cross. Now darkness light it represents.
Good and.
Which is light represents and darkness represents evil sin unbelief in this fallen world, which all leads to Eternal death. You notice that you see that you see. I don't have time to go through the scriptures, but it speaks about darkness utter darkness.
Now I heard pastor MacArthur touch on this he said doesn't mean that Hell doesn't have lights it does but we're talking about a separation from God and There's one side. There's a separation from God and and there's another side of it that God's there, okay?
But whatever the case there is eternal darkness. Forever and ever it's very serious in it because we have a world today. That's perishing in eternal darkness without God. Job 10 22, don't you love the book of Job?
Listen to this. I'm gonna give you some great verses here. Job 22 says a land as dark as darkness itself as the shadow of death without any order and it's not just the world we live in a land as dark as darkness itself as the shadow of death without any order.
Where even the light is like darkness. That comes from the book of Job 10 22. This verse basically describes to us how dark as Jesus said that darkness can be. We actually don't know how dark that darkness is in a sense until God shows us.
Though even through the light of the truth how dark our own hearts were. We'll see that in a minute.
It takes the Spirit of God the Spirit of light spirit of truth to show us this in The land of the darkness and the shadow of death. What does it make you think of Psalm 23? Verse 4. David said yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
I.
Will fear no evil.
Why? For you are with me. There's a promise we can take with us.
To death.
Because you are with me your rod and your staff they comfort me. That's what comforts us as God's presence God's rod God's staff. He's the great shepherd of the sheep. He loves us with that staff He disciplines us.
And he loves us and he secures us and a dark and the evil world threatening. David says how he will fear no evil as he walks through it that we can claim that ourselves as We walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
I will fear no evil because God is with us Emmanuel.
Jesus.
For the Lord is our light and our salvation. Jesus declares that those who believe and trust in the light become sons and daughters of light. John 12 36. I quoted it last week and we'll quote it again while you have the light.
Jesus says believe in the light that you may become sons of light and Then John 8 12 Jesus spoke to them again. I am the light of the world and he who follows me Shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.
Notice that he who follows me Follows me shall have the light of life. The great miracle of salvation is in the power of the gospel and Jesus Told this to the Apostle Paul as he was Given giving and appointed as Apostle to the Gentiles to give the gospel to Kings and To the Gentiles in Acts 26 18.
This is Jesus speaking He says to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light. This is Jesus speaking to turn them. That's repentance. To turn them to turn them. This is what this world needs to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.
That they may receive here's the benefits the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by Faith in me and that great benefits. That's the Lord Jesus Christ speaking. Now, let me give you application go with me to Ephesians chapter 5 and believe me, this is Some strong application.
We're going to jump to some other verses in the process here, but I believe Everything the Apostle Paul says in chapter 5 here in verse 8 Through 14 is marvelous now, I'm gonna tell you as I was studying this I couldn't help but Think about MacArthur's message.
He he revisited this not long ago and we preached it and he used the same outline and I could see why. It's a beautiful outline and I'm going to give you his outline on this and I'm going to preach it in my words and in verses in which God Gave me in the process of this but this section speaks of how to walk in light.
This is practical application for each and every one of us in our daily walk with Jesus Christ in a home and abroad and on our job and whatever we do in this world as we walk and Talk with the Lord as we're born-again children of God.
This is our practical application of how to walk in light. And he gives a wonderful Wonderful outline and I'm giving credits to pastor John MacArthur on this a verse 8 first of all Says this for you were once darkness.
But now you are light in the Lord.
Walk as.
Children of light. Now first of all, I'm going to bring this out. Verse 8 gives us the contrast. That's what we're looking at here the contrast the C's here contrast. Paul the Apostle here is contrast what every Believers life was like before salvation before he knew Christ.
Before salvation with what God intends it to be like after salvation in Doing so he simply states. What should be obvious and what is that a Person who has been saved from sin should through and it should be done with sin.
He should be through with sin. In other words, he's repented of it now. It doesn't mean our repentance is perfect folks because We you and I know our walk with the Lord is not perfect, right. Can you raise a hand or two hands?
I'm right there but what counts is it's not your past experiences, but what is your. It's not the perfection. It's the direction of your life. It's your desire. So a person who has been saved from sin should be through with sin as he's lived and Live as a redeemed child of God and he's sanctified in Jesus.
And to illustrate that point the Apostle Paul uses common biblical figures as we've seen in John 1 in chapter 1 of darkness and light. Darkness and light the Apostle Paul goes there. This is what he wrote to the Church of Ephesus.
Darkness and light verse 8 tells us What we were and.
What we are.
What we were first of all we were once darkness. The verb form of were reveals two important realities here. First of all it it speaks about the past tense indicates the condition that no longer exist.
That we are redeemed you were darkness. And that truth also that is reinforced by our former life.
Now.
Notice what he says for you were past tense once darkness. You were once darkness. Notice that Paul doesn't say you were once in darkness. And and that would not be a wrong statement would it. But the Holy Spirit?
Told him you were once darkness. Told him to write it just like that and there's a reason why it emphasizes you were once darkness that as We were once darkness We were part of the condition of darkness in this world.
That that's that is tremendous isn't it. It's almost like a difference. Yeah, we were in darkness, but it's more than just in darkness. You are the darkness or were the darkness. You see dead and trespasses of sins.
No light whatsoever. And people think they have light, but they don't have light. Just like My dear poor aunt was talking about grandma. Go toward the light go to the light look. She she didn't have a clue what the light was.
The light is Jesus Christ the person of Christ. Spiritual darkness spiritual darkness under the control of who. The power of darkness the God of this world. That's evident isn't it. People don't realize that their father is the devil.
But that's who they are really serving. Their father is of the devil.
The.
God of this age.
They are literally in the servants of sin, but they're servant to the God of this age the power of darkness. That's very evident what scripture says and Jesus said this to Nicodemus in John 3 19 21 19 and 21 through 21.
This is the condemnation that light has come into the world. Who's who's the light now Jesus Christ? He's refers to himself and men love darkness that Jesus is making a strong statement here to Nicodemus men love darkness rather than light.
Because he tells the reason their deeds were evil. They loved the evil. They loved the darkness. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.
But he who does the truth comes to the light. That his deeds may be clearly seen and that they have been wrought or done in God. Manifest exposed. This is what the light does and have you noticed when you give the gospel in love?
People do not like it because they love the darkness rather than the light. They do not want to let go of their pet sins that they love their idols. Their self. Amen.
The darkness.
Notice a lot of sinning goes on in darkness. More, I mean it's in the daylight now. It's no shame, but more don't more. Sinning is done in darkness. People feel secure in their darkness and hidden.
They're hidden.
But God sees them. God sees them. Why you think the fool has said in their heart, there's no God. They don't want no God. They don't want no judgment. They want to love their sin. And as far as they concerned in at the last breath, they want to somehow believe in the heaven.
Does it work that way? This glove I'm telling you this what happens here from darkness to light this happens. When man is converted to Jesus Christ and true repentance comes and God grants them repentance and they use that repentance as an instrument to Turn from that darkness.
For then Paul says for you were once darkness. Don't you love that you and I children of God? He's talking to God's children. You were once darkness. Not just in darkness you were darkness. You were evil you in darkness.
That's past tense.
Don't you love that?
But now what does he say you are light in the Lord in?
The Lord.
I'm so thankful. He put that and that's the Spirit of God in the Lord. No one else. Who's our light the Lord? Hey, I hear an echo. He's he's listening. Second verb in verse 8 Not only were but are are also tells us two important things.
What does it tell us? The present tense indicates our new spiritual condition and in contrast to what we were before trusting Jesus Christ. So in other words notice now you are light in the Lord. Colossians 1 13 Jesus Christ has delivered us from the domain of what darkness and has Transferred us or translated us and us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
And he has called us and first Peter 2 9 out of darkness into his Marvelous light. You see there's no question about it about the contrast here that When we are born again children of God when God's people they are children of light.
They come out of darkness. They were once darkness now. They are light. You cannot mix the two. We will see that in a minute. Again, like the were the verb are is not modified here. Scripture sometimes speaks of believers being in darkness in like I said or in light which is true, but here it's not modified.
It basically says here You are you were darkness and you are light. What did Jesus say? Jesus says you are Circle that you are what the light of the world. You are the light of the world. We must keep that in mind and don't take that for granted when we go out into that world.
You are the only Bible that this wicked world will ever read. You and I are the only beacon light that will ever shine in their dark world. And it's all because of Jesus. We share his light because he's the light of the world right.
Jesus said it in a John 8 12 To the people I am the light of the world. Now Paul Through verse 9 and 10 tells us how we should walk. He gives us the contrast walk as children of light right walk. That's our daily walk.
That's our daily living. I Don't know about you all this theology is wonderful, and I I need this theology. I need sound theology, but if I don't take it with me, and I have my everyday personal life.
What good is it I?
Need it in my life.
Verse 8. You were you for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light. Now as he has already given us the contrast now he gives the characteristics. The characteristics.
What are the characteristics? Verse 9. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness here. They are three supreme fruits the The the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness.
Righteousness and.
Truth. Now let us not forget those three great Fruits. Now what one translation says the fruit of the Spirit.
But in more.
That is more accurate to the original Greek translation. It should say the fruit of light the fruit of light. What's the old King James say brother Keith?
Fruit of the Spirit.
Okay, but the original I went. I was wondering about that. The original is the fruit of light. The fruit of light now. That is goodness righteousness and truth. What is the fruit again? This is the fruit?
That is the obedience. That is what follows us right? Three supreme characteristics. You could take this Into our everyday walk folks. And this is convicting. I'm telling this convicts me because I think about all goodness.
All goodness.
Righteousness and truth. Let's look at that. I.
Like what pastor MacArthur says here. I couldn't help but skip this. I couldn't skip this over in his commentary. He says like agape. Love Goodness finds its fullest and highest expression in that which is willingly and sacrificially.
Done for others.
Always.
Seek after that which is good for one another and on for all been first. Thessalonians 515. He goes on to say and in his next letter to that church the Apostle prays That our God may count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power this goodness.
That is a fruit of light is also a fruit of the Spirit in quote. These are the characteristics. Are these not and were not these two characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what makes it so convicting because we so fall short of Christ's likeness.
We desire it don't we but this is what we need. This is what the church needs. This is what I need. This is what you need. We need to take Christ's likeness to our job. To our home. To the lost in this dark world.
This is our walk. So the first is all goodness all goodness. The second one is. The second result of fruit of our walk is the children of light is righteousness righteousness. What is that? Well righteousness is first does what I would say that would have to do with first of all our personal relationship with God.
I Believe it begins there. Romans 4 or 5 says to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly his faith is Accounted or reckoned another translation says reckoned as righteousness same thing.
It's accounted. It's put in our account. The righteousness of Christ think of that his perfect righteousness. This is the gospel folks, this is the only thing that will get us into heaven. Excuse me His perfect righteousness.
But let me say this Righteousness also has to do with how we live his righteousness is Put into our account and When God looks at us, he doesn't see our righteousness our righteousness is what filthy rags.
It's not going to do. I don't care how. Morally upright people think the righteousness of God and man's righteousness are two different things. Completely, but the righteousness also has to do with how we live how we live how we live.
Because we know Jesus Christ is our righteousness. So he is the righteous one and he gives us his righteousness. But here in the text Paul is talking about how to live, right? How to live right. John says and First John 2 29.
We also know that everyone who practices Righteousness is born of God is born of him. Righteousness goodness all goodness righteousness third. The third fruit is what truth truth. Folks, we're all about truth.
Truth in the Word of God truth in Jesus Christ. Truth has to do with our honesty reliability our trustworthiness and and and most importantly I would say integrity. Our integrity the contrast there and and by the way the contrast of these are hypocrisy and deception and falsehood.
Which are the ways of the old life in darkness?
When we see this therefore the goodness pertains to our relationship with others righteousness. Our relationship with God and our truth our personal integrity.
To sum it up.
Now those three things are. The results the fruit of light that's what they consist. Verse 8 the contrast. Verse 9 and 10 the characteristics now in verse 11 a.
There's a command.
Look at verse 10. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. Sandwich that in between verse 9 and 11. Now he's going to tell us what is acceptable to the Lord. And then he says this because God abhors evil folks, right in verse 11 He says and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
That's the command. It's a strong command the NASB says it like this and do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness. Do not participate in may also be translated don't. To become a partaker together with these evil wicked people in darkness.
We are not to participate. We're not to have fellowship with them. So the child of God is a child of light. You can't mix darkness and light should not become involved in evil and by even by association.
Go with me very quickly to First Corinthians chapter 5. Let's look at this ties right into what Paul's saying here. This is so in this is a whole sermon folks and I'm telling this so important. I'm gonna just go touch on it.
Notice what he says in first Corinthians 5. And by the way, he's a Paul begins by speaking to the church at Corinth about immorality how it defiles the church. And he talks about purging out the old leaven to get the old leaven out the little leaven leavens the whole lump and and He said that you may be a new lump.
And he talks about what he's talking about. He's talking about like Christ is our Passover. It's sacrifice for us, but. And he's referring to sin within the church like in verse 7 he says you since you are truly unleavened.
Like leaven leaven is like sin. Notice what he says in verse 9. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. That's straight up. But he clears something up here, you know, first of all you think now what is he talking about because He's talking about people they're saying they're Christians within the church.
He's not talking about the immoral in the world, how would it how could they be reached? And verse 10 says yes, yet. I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world. Yeah, the world is you know people was talking about what happened at the Grammy Awards.
About these demon worshipers and stuff and I thought what is wrong with these people the world's being the world. What bothers me is when you see this in the church? They're in darkness, they are darkness and you got Christians.
Quote-unquote. Christians posting this like they're appalled about us a good night. They're in darkness that they acted the way they they're acting natural the what they are but Paul's talking about I Didn't mean with the sexually immoral people of this world or with the covetous or the startlers or the idolaters since.
Then he says this since then you would need to go out into the world. Our purpose is to read that they're the mission field, right? But what he refers to is this in verse 11, but now I've written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother.
Who is sexually immoral covetous or an idolater or a Reviler. A reviler can mean someone that blasphemes their mother and father a Drunkard or even a drunkard or an exhorter a sort of stortner. I'm sorry not even to eat with such a person.
We don't have to have fellowship nor sit down at a table and eat with them. Why you can't mix darkness and light.
Why why. Because God's name is?
Upon them and if they're living in darkness, they're mocking God and that's serious. Folks, it was so serious that God struck down Ananias and Sapphira about it. We need to hear this. We need these kind of warnings.
It would purge the church wouldn't it and Jesus would have a clean church. Verse 12 for what have I to do with judging those who are outside. Do you not judge those are on the inside? But those who are on the outside God judges.
Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person. What he's basically saying is you deal with the ones within the church. That's your business. God judges the ones in the world. Go with me one more.
Lot a lot here look at jump to 2nd Corinthians. I got to hurry up here because my time is just almost gone. Verse 11. 2nd Corinthians chapter 6. Oh Corinthians, we have spoken open to you. Our heart is wide open.
You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections now in return for the same. I speak as to children. Listen to that. You also be open. And then he says this gives a strong language of rebuke.
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial or what part has a believer with an unbeliever and.
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? There's a separation here. For you are the temple of the Living God as God has said I would dwell in them and walk among them. And I will be their God and they shall be my people therefore.
Come out from among them and be separate says the Lord do not touch. What is unclean. And I will receive you and I will be a father to you and you shall be my sons and daughters. Says the Lord Almighty and I love he continues therefore having these promises.
Beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Now we have the contrast the characteristics the command. That's the command last we see the Commission the Commission the Commission.
Verse 11 B through 13 of chapter 5 of Ephesians back to that have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness. But rather expose them reprove them. People say well pastor. That's gonna bring on persecution.
Hey, yeah, it will. But so be it. Amen, it's a blessing. And any wonder why there's hardly any persecution in the American churches. Amen they look just like the world. They're part of the world. I pass some of these churches and I tell you what you think.
You're going to a theater folks of the world.
Say.
Verse 12 for it is a shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light. Whatever makes manifest is light. So the Christians responsibility goes even further than not participating, right?
We are to expose them. We are to tell them that this is wrong. This is evil, this is wicked. Jesus said in Matthew 10 27 listen to Jesus What I tell you in the darkness speak in the light and What you hear whispered in your ear.
Proclaim upon the house. Thomas mark 422 again. Jesus says for nothing is hidden Except to be revealed. Nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. It's going to be brought out. One way or another God will expose.
It's better to expose it now and for people to repent of it and come clean with God. Verse 12. Paul says for his shameful or disgraceful even to speak of those things which are done by them in Secret, you know, it's sad to say in the church is now and in MacArthur.
I heard MacArthur in Phil Johnson talking about the x-rated Church and this character. Driscoll. Mark Driscoll. I'm glad he's out of the ministry because he needs to be out and out of the ministry. He was up speaking foul sexually immoral content in the name of God and He was saying things folks.
That should be shameful. Paul says don't even.
Speak of it.
He took things in the scriptures that were holy and twisted it to be unholy. God was being mocked. God will not be mocked. I'm glad he's gone. He needs to repent doesn't mean we don't care about the man's soul, but he needs he's as far as I'm concerned.
He's disqualified himself mocking God. Well that I want you to think about this. Paul says it's shameful disgraceful one example some diseases chemicals nuclear products. I Got this from MacArthur this example.
Are so extremely deadly that even the most highly trained and best protected technicians and scientists who work with them are in Constant danger of being exposed. No sensible person would work around such things carelessly or haphazardly.
Likewise in the same way some things are so spiritually disgraceful and shameful. Dangerous, this is MacArthur here that they should be sealed off. Not only from direct contact but even from conversation in quote Amen.
Let me close. He closes it. We've got a contrast. We've got a characteristic. We've got a command. We've got a commission. The last is the call. The call verse 14 He says awake you who sleep arise from the dead and Christ will give you light.
So what does Paul do. And he's given a gospel verse from Isaiah chapter 60 verse 1 Arise shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Christ will give you light. He's given the gospel and does not this need to be done today in churches give the gospel call arise.
Shine.
Arise from the dead.
This is a summons to repentance.
Christ will shine on you. Christ is that light?
That's the good news of the gospel. Amen. Praise God. The story Is told of a great fire and Edinburgh Scotland in which people hurried to exit the building through a Passage that led to the street. Don't you listen?
This is a true story. They were almost safe when a Rush of smoke met them and blowing into the passage from the outside and instead of running through the smoke They entered a door into a room. That was seemed safe.
But soon all the oxygen was exhausted and they all suffered and died. If only they had seen the light they might have lived to be safe tomorrow to the story Jesus Christ is that light in the dark world?
We need to give the light of the glorious gospel and.
Face.
Jesus Christ Proverbs 418 sums it up. The path of the righteous is like the light of Dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Gracious Bonner said this. I heard the voice of Jesus say I am that I am this dark world's light.
Look unto me. They more they mourn that I mourn shall rise and all that day be bright. I Looked unto Jesus and I found in him my star my son and in that light of life. I'll walk Till traveling days are done.
Amen. Let's pray.
Our father.
We do thank you Lord Jesus for you being the light of the world coming into a dark dark world.
So dark.
We don't know what that darkness is until the light shines upon it and we need the light of the truth. And was so thankful for that truth That gives us light that sanctifies us to be more like your. Like you father like your dear son That has shown in our hearts by the Spirit in which you've given and.
Through your word.
May the light of your glorious gospel shine through us To others in a perishing world. And we ask this for the praise and the glory of your grace in Jesus name.