"3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”"
Ephesians 5:3-14
We come in these next verses of the chapter to the second of Paul's emphases: following the exhortation to 'walk in love' (1, 2) he next enjoins us to 'walk as children of light' (8). Just as the great empowerment and inspiration for walking in love, and living the life of love, is the offering and sacrifice of Christ for us as a sweet-smelling savour to God (2), so also this lays upon us the constraint and requirement to walk in light. The death of Christ lays upon us an inexorable demand that we should be holy. In this connection we should note how Paul puts it in 8: 'Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light' - that is to say, the summons to walk in the light is based upon our position as believers. 'This is what you are', says Paul, 'Now be that.' As ever, then, Paul bases his exhortation upon exposition, and his challenge upon affirmation. The great, tremendous fact, if we are believers, is that we have been brought out of darkness into His marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9). We have been translated from the kingdom of darkness, where the works of darkness were natural to us, into the kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1:13), where the fruits of light are now to become 'second nature' to us. This mighty transaction takes place in the power of the Cross. It is the Cross that speaks the word of power that sets men free from darkness and makes them 'light in the Lord'. Such is the doctrine, now comes the duty: walk as children of light. Walk in character with your new status. This is something quite fundamental to the Apostle's teaching on the Christian life.