Tag Archives: Walk

Children of Light – Sermon on Ephesians 5:1-9 for the Third Sunday of Lent

Ephesians 5:1-9

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

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),

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

You’ve probably all heard the phrase, “Nothing good happens after ___ o’clock.” If a news anchor said it, the time might have been midnight or 2 AM. If it was one of your parents, it was probably 10:00. Kids, if you ever hear that phrase from your parents or grandparents, they know what they’re talking about. When darkness falls, it is a lot more likely that evil things are going to happen.

Darkness is the favorite blanket of evil, and we know this instinctively. It’s why kids go into their parents’ room in the middle of the night and cry about monsters under the bed or whatever other impossible things kids imagine. Everyone has a keen sense of vulnerability in the dark. Even adults often have their bleakest thoughts when the world is dark. The thoughts that wake me up at 3 AM are never the best, brightest, or most hopeful ones.

In a wonderful way, Scripture repeatedly gives a picture of the Savior as the bright Morning Star (Is. 60:1-3; Mal. 4:2; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 2:28, 22:16). Or, in a similar vein, Scripture says that, when Jesus comes, a new day dawns (Ps. 84:11; Ro. 13:12). In the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, the coming of Jesus is described as the “sunrise from on high” that “give[s] light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,” and His coming, “guide[s] our feet into the way of peace” (Lk. 1:78-79).

Dear saints, the picture Scripture gives us is that all of creation has changed because Christ has come. The darkness has been dispelled, put to flight, and broken up. Jesus hints at this in our Gospel reading (Lk. 11:14-28). Christ says that He casts out demons by the finger of God, and His power to do that is proof that the kingdom of God has come upon us (Lk. 11:20).

Because of Jesus’ resurrection, there is a new day – the day that the Lord has made. Because He has made it, we rejoice and are glad in it (Ps. 118:24). And this new day will never end. Believer, this changes you, and it changes how you think about the world. The fact that today and every other day of your life is the day that the Lord has made, the things in front of you that are ominous, scary, and threatening are all less intimidating. Yes, they are still threats, but you know that they are all defeated threats.

All three of our readings today are about spiritual warfare, about the battle between the kingdom of darkness and Christ’s kingdom of light. It’s obvious in both the Old Testament (Ex. 8:16-24) and Gospel (Lk. 11:14-28). In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us know how the kingdom of Satan operates, and our Lord comforts us because He tells us how He, our Savior and Champion, has defeated sin, death, and the devil.

And in the Old Testament reading, we heard how Pharaoh’s magicians recognized that the finger of God was at work when they couldn’t replicate the gnats that swarmed throughout Egypt (Ex. 8:18-19). Those evil, demonic sorcerers were able to duplicate the sign God did through Moses of turning his staff into a serpent (Ex. 7:11-12), but they failed to do the smaller thing of reproducing gnats.

The last time these texts came up, I had fully intended to preach about the folly of the kingdom of darkness because that folly is on full display through Pharaoh and his magicians. Their whole country is completely overrun with gnats, but they still try to duplicate the sign done through Moses. That text shows how self-destructive the kingdom of Satan is. “Our whole nation is filled with these gnats.” “I know what we should do; let’s try to make more of them.”

But today, rather than seeing how the kingdom of darkness works or how self-destructive it is, I decided to preach on this Epistle reading because it gives us the strategy of how to fight back against the forces of darkness. Throughout Scripture you are given several ways to fight evil, but this text gives you one simple weapon – thankfulness and thanksgiving.

Notice that v. 3 gives us a list of things we are to not only avoid we aren’t even to name them. That list is sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness. Then in v. 5, that list is repeated when we’re told that the sexually immoral, the impure, and those who are covetous have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

To contrast that twice-repeated list, Paul mentions only one thing here – thanksgiving. The beloved children of God who walk in love as children of light have thanksgiving on their lips, not filthiness or foolish talk or crude joking.

Thanksgiving is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). And thanksgiving is one of your best weapons against the darkness from which you have been rescued. When thanksgiving is on your lips, the temptations and sins you face are much easier to fight because those things become revolting.

Think back to the Garden of Eden and how the devil tempted our first parents to fall into sin. “Can’t you eat from any tree? If you eat from this one that God told you not to eat from, you will be like God. Don’t you want to be like Him?” (Gen. 3:1, 5). Instead of being thankful that God had given all the other trees for food, instead of being thankful that God had already made created them in His image (Gen. 1:27), Adam and Eve coveted (Gen. 3:6). The fruit of the forbidden tree looked good, and it was desirable. Because of that coveting, because of that wrong desire to be more than God had already made them to be, they took of the fruit and ate and plunged all of creation into the darkness of sin and death.

Coveting is a sin, but it is a sin that rarely registers in our conscience. We pass off coveting as nothing because we think it doesn’t hurt anyone else. That is so wrong. Here coveting is equated with idolatry (Eph. 5:5). Coveting is the first step into sin. To put it another way, every time you sin, you first covet and idolize yourself. Coveting is basically saying, “God, you got it wrong. You messed up. That thing over there,” whatever it is, “should be here. It should be mine.”

Whenever you sin, you break at least three commandments. Every time you sin, you first covet which is nothing less than idolizing yourself. Then you commit adultery, steal, lie, take the Lord’s name in vain, etc. The way to fight against this is to give thanks instead of coveting and having those false desires.

Imagine for just a minute if thankfulness had replaced Adam and Eve’s coveting. They would have realized, “We aren’t hungry; the entire world is our pantry! Thank you, God. We are already created in God’s image and are exactly what God wants us to be. Thank you, God, that we are created in Your image and that you have declared that we are ‘very good’” (Gen. 1:31).

Dear saints, Scripture gives you several ways to fight against the devil and the darkness. But today, you children of light, this text gives you one simple, specific weapon to fight back against the forces of evil, and that is thanksgiving.

You husbands, the next time you are tempted with lust, pause. Take a moment to give thanks to God for your wife. Thank God for uniting the two of you in the bond of holy marriage (Mt. 19:6). You wives, the next time you are tempted to complain to someone about your husband, take a moment to give thanks to God for him and all the ways he cares for you and your family. Children, the next time you are tempted to disobey your parents, take a moment to give thanks to God for all that your parents provide to you and how they protect you.

Dear saints, the light of Christ has shined upon you, and because of that you are now children of the light. You used to be darkness, and notice the way Eph. 5:8 says that. It isn’t just that you were in darkness. No. You were darkness itself. But now that you are God’s children, you are light in the Lord, so now you walk as children of the light. And as children of the light, you produce the fruit of light which is found in all that is good and right and true.

You give thanks to God for all the good He has given you. You give thanks to God, and it is right to do so because He has truly blessed you because He has given Himself up for you as a fragrant offering and sacrifice.

God has forgiven you (Eph 4:32). He has made this new day of light and has shined His light into you. So, rejoice, be glad in this day, and give thanks. And as you give thanks, the darkness flees. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Step with the Spirit – Sermon on Galatians 5:25-6:10 for the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Galatians 5:25–6:10

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load. 

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Imagine that you are offered a choice between two pieces of property. You don’t get to build a house or start a business on this property; it’s just a piece of land for you to enjoy. The first plot is total mess. It’s filled with trash that’s gotten piled up along the rusty chain-link fence and around the scraggily, overgrown bushes. There are several rusty machines strewn haphazardly across the lot. Thistles, thorns, and nettles are all over the place. You can see huge anthills. There are wasp nests in the diseased and rotting trees which look like they’re about to fall down at any moment.

The second plot could be on the cover of a magazine. It has a new, perfectly stained wooden fence all around it. There are mature cedar and maple trees that give the property the perfect balance of sun and shade. The grass is green, thick, and meticulously maintained. It has a large garden with rich soil producing all kinds of vegetables. Colorful flowers are blossoming in all the right places. This second property is a little slice of Eden.

Now, which of the two lots would you choose to own? Which would you prefer to have at your disposal on a beautiful afternoon to sit and read a book while sipping your favorite beverage?

Maybe you wouldn’t want either. If you start to think about everything that is required to fix up the first or to maintain the second, both would require a lot of work. Maybe you’d just prefer to be neutral. In reality, there is no neutral. You cannot serve two masters (Mt. 6:24), but you will serve one.

Here, in Gal. 6:8, Paul says there are only two options for the kind of life you will have, Christian. “The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” In other words, something is always being sown. It doesn’t matter if your life is currently dilapidated or flourishing – something is being sown and is contributing either to decay and disorder or to beauty and order. A harvest will come. Whatever is sown now will determine either the allure or the repulsiveness of what you harvest later.

So, what are you sowing now? Is it weeds or flowers? Thistles or produce? Chaos or beauty? Trash or nourishment? Disgust or delight? Whatever you sow, you will reap.

The good news is you are not alone in this sowing. You have help. Jesus says that He has come that you may have life and have it abundantly (Jn. 10:10). And Christ has given you the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who works the fruit of the Spirit within you. Jesus didn’t come to put you in neutral. Again, neutral isn’t possible. You aren’t given the Holy Spirit just so you grow. You are given the Holy Spirit so you can bear a bumper crop of the fruit of the Spirit – the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

So, keep in step with the Spirit. Paul uses a military term there that refers to a line of soldiers marching in a row and following their commander. Paul lists several things that keep you in step with the Spirit: Restore those caught in transgression with gentleness. Keep watch on yourself. Bear the burdens of others. Share your blessings with the one who teaches God’s Word. Do not growing weary of doing good but persist. As you are given opportunity, strive to do good to everyone – especially to those who are of the household of faith (Gal. 6:1-10).

Yup, that is a lot of work. Keeping in step with the Spirit isn’t a cake-walk. But remember, you are always sowing something. Are you sowing to the flesh, which means you reap corruption? Or are you sowing to the Spirit, which will result in a harvest of limitless blessings now and eternal life in the age to come (Mk. 10:29-30)?

Now, I want to focus on one aspect of keeping in step with the Spirit because there are a couple phrases in this text that have always been a little confusing to me. In Gal. 6:2, Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens,” but then just after in Gal. 6:5, he says, “Each will have to bear his own load.” It sounds like a contradiction.

When Paul says, “bear one another’s burdens,” he isn’t just saying that you need to just tolerate others. He’s calling you to do something that is inconvenient for you and requires a lot of effort. Bearing burdens was the task of a slave. You, believer, are to be a servant of others. Depending on the situation, that might mean bearing the financial burden of someone by giving them money or bringing them a meal while they are healing from a procedure. It might mean helping them do some work on their house. Bearing someone’s burden might simply mean listening to them as they talk about their worries and anxieties. Each situation will be different, but God has and will continue to give you the wisdom you need so you know how to go about bearing the burdens of others. So then, what do we do with Gal. 6:5, “Each will have to bear his own load”?

Paul uses two different words for ‘burden’ and ‘load.’ You can assist someone with their burden, but ultimately, they are responsible for their own load. Imagine you’re in a group hiking up a mountain. Everyone has their own pack filled with gear and supplies. But certain spots on that hike pose greater difficulty for some than others. A steep slope is easier for tall people like me, but the portions of the hike with low hanging branches are easier for short people like some of you. I’ll let you imagine other scenarios.

When others are injured or exhausted by their burden and come to places that are difficult for them, God calls you to help them get through that portion of the hike. And when you are struggling in other times and at other places, your brothers and sisters are there to assist you. Christians need each other. Yes, every Christian is ultimately responsible for his or her own load, but every Christian is also called to assist one another when the burden of that load is heavy.

Dear saints, you do this for others because you remember what Jesus has, continues, and will do for you forever. Jesus’ way with you could have been harsh. Because of your sin, because of the things you have done and left undone, Jesus could have given up on you. But He hasn’t and won’t. Jesus never wearied of doing good to and for you. He never asked, “Do I really have to heal another leper; expel another demon; forgive and save another from damnation?” He never did that. He never grew weary of you and your burdens. Not once. Not even possible. Instead, He has borne your burdens and carried your sorrows (Is. 53:4).

Christ’s way with you is always to give you His love, His peace. He always extends His patience, kindness, and gentleness. He loves to crown you with honor and glory you didn’t deserve. He loves to give you mercy and forgiveness you didn’t earn. He continually grants you peace that surpasses understanding.

So, keep in step with the Spirit because that keeps you in step with Jesus. He calls to you, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light”(Mt. 11:29-30).

Christ doesn’t ever promise that you will have an easy life, but He does promise to be with you through all the difficulties of this life and to bring you through (Jn. 16:33). He is with you, and He has blessed you with others to help and assist you.

Dear saints, as we sow to the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit who will see us safely through. Yes, the march is hard, and the path is difficult. But keep in step with the Spirit because the harvest is coming. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.