Darkness - Light

In Ephesians 5, the apostle writes to the believers about a significant change that had once taken place in their lives. In the life of a believer, there is a "once" and a "now," a "before," and an "after."

Then: Darkness

We read in verses 8 and 9: "For you once were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)."

Similarly, we read in 1 Peter 2:9 that we are to proclaim the praises of Him who "called us out of darkness into His marvelous light." Here, too, we have these two sides: Out of darkness - into His light.

In the Bible, darkness is an image of the moral remoteness from God and the lack of awareness of sin as well as ignorance of God. It is the natural state in which every human being has been from birth since the fall into sin. When Paul writes to the Ephesians, "For you were once darkness" (Eph 5:8), we learn that as unbelievers, we were not only in darkness, but we were darkness, i.e., completely characterized by this state. Thus, we were opposed to the nature of God, for He alone is "light, and there is no darkness in Him at all" (1 Jn 1:5). As those who are darkness, we deserved nothing but hell, the "outer darkness" (Mt 8:12). Since the fall into sin, man has been "darkened in his understanding" (Eph 4:18). He is dominated by the "power of darkness" and leads a life characterized by "darkness" and "worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of darkness" (Col 1:13; Eph 5:8, 11; Jn 3:19). A desolate and hopeless state in which we all found ourselves by nature.

When the Son of God was here on earth, He said of Himself: "As long as I am in the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, I am the light of the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More" (Jn 9:5). John already introduces the Lord Jesus in this character in the first chapter of John's Gospel: "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men ... This was the true light, which, coming into the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, enlightens every man" (Jn 1:4, 9) - i.e. places every man in the light of God. And people hated the Lord for this. They were in darkness; even complete darkness and their lives were characterized by the "unfruitful worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of darkness." Therefore, they hated the light and did not come to the light so that their works would not be exposed (cf. Jn 3:19). But it was precisely because we humans were in this state that the Son of God became man. The Lord says: "I have come as light into the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More, so that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness" (Jn 12:46).

When the Lord was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane He said: "This is your hour and the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53). The Lord was aware that He would be "delivered into the hands of sinners" (Mt 26:45). Under the guidance of SatanThe Bible introduces us to the great adversary of God in Rev 20:2 under four terms: • Dragon • Old Serpent • Devil • Satan Under the term 'Satan,' the... More, man would give free rein to all his hatred and do everything that was in his heart to hurt the Lord. This included all the physical suffering of the Lord but also the mental pain of mockery and contempt.

But then the three hours of darkness came upon the Lord (Mt 27:45), in which He was no longer to suffer at the "hands of sinners" but at the hands of God because of sin. In these three hours, the Lord was met with the merciless judgment of a holy and righteous God. During this time, God "made Him to be sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More" (2 Cor 5:21). He treated Him as if He were the source of all the sins that people have ever committed. God made the Lord Jesus, the righteous One, suffer for our sins (1 Pet 3:18).

If we have already seen that we were once darkness, then this describes our condition as sinners. This includes the "worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of darkness," i.e., the sinful deeds we committed back then. Because we were sinners and sinned, the Lord Jesus had to go to the cross and into the three hours of darkness so that there can be a "but now" in your life and mine.

Now: Light

"But now," Paul continues in his letter to the Ephesians, "you are light in the Lord." Through the work of the Lord Jesus, God has called us "out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Pet 2:9; cf. 1 Jn 2:9). Now for every believer, not just for the Ephesians, there is a "once" and a "now": "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord" (Eph 5:8). As such, we have been made fit for the presence of God. Today, we can and may already have fellowship with Him (cf. 1 Jn 1:3-5) and will enjoy this forever in the Father's house.

But if we have now become "light in the Lord," then this also places us under responsibility because Paul continues and writes: "Walk as children of light." When our "walk" is mentioned, it always refers to our way of life and our behavior. The fact that we are children of light is one thing. It is, as it were, the positionThe Christian position cannot be separated from Christian practice, but a distinction must be made. "Position" means how God sees us now. In the eyes of God, we are "in... More we have before God in the Lord Jesus. But this also includes appropriate behavior.

As "children of light," we should correspond to the nature of God in our practical lives. This requires us to "put off the worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of darkness and put on the weapons of light" (Rom 13:12). We are to remove everything in our lives that does not correspond to the nature of God. As "children of the light," there is also the "fruit of the light" (Eph 5:9), which consists of "all goodness and righteousness and truth." It is, as it were, opposed to the "unfruitful worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More of darkness" (Eph 5:11), which had characterized us as unbelievers.

What a vast difference between the "once" and the "now". Indeed, a difference like "day and night". Because we were darkness, we were far from God and deserved the "outer darkness," - hell. As "children of light," however, we have become close to God and are allowed to have fellowship with Him in His presence.

Let us never forget that the Lord Jesus had to come under the "power of darkness" and finally into the three hours of darkness on the cross.

This spurs us on but also makes us aware that we are now responsible for behaving as "children of light." May it be so that this "once" and "now" really characterizes us and that one can see in all our behavior that we are children of light.