March 2 - "Wake up, sleeper"

Ephesians 5:8-14
“you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”
Are you stuck in your life? Despite all your hard work, do you always end up in the same place? Do you want to get better? Do you want your life to matter? Your actions to count? Your memory to be blessed?
Live as children of light—in holiness, in the light, not in the dark. Paul is telling his saints to be like Jesus, to walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.
Living in the light will make our lives not just healthy but fruitful—with all goodness, righteousness and truth.
Goodness has to do with being. As we live in the light we will become more good, more the way we were created to be—fully alive. More like God—God is good. All creation reflects his goodness and glory. For you to become good is to reflect his character.
Righteousness has to do with doing. As we live in the light, our action will become righteous, more in line with God’s law. This has to do with action. Our actions affect our relationships. To be righteous is to be in right relationship with God and with each other. Jesus makes us righteous, in right relationship with God and each other, but we work this out with our daily actions.
Truthfulness has to do with integrity. As we live in the light, our wholes selves will become more integrated. What we do will become more in line with who we are. In our speech, our actions, at home, at work, and all of this in line with Jesus Christ who is the truth.
Great theory, but how do we make this real? How so do we grow in integrity, in truth, in righteousness, in goodness? The key is called “Rebuke”.
Verse 11 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them.” The Greek word translated here as "expose" is often translated as “rebuke” also meaning "bring to light” Rebuking someone is not pleasant. It is never easy. To expose someone’s actions with a rebuke takes courage. But remember Jesus. Why do you think Jesus was killed? He rebuked the authorities for their evil ways. He exposed their deeds of darkness. It is hard to read half a page of a gospel without Jesus rebuking someone. He rebuked Satan in the wilderness. He called the religious authorities snakes and white washed tombs. He told the crowds that they followed him not to find God but to get free bread. He even called his chief disciple “Satan” at one point.
Get ready. If you follow Jesus, you will get rebuked. This will usually come from a brother or sister in the Lord, another Christian. Rebukes almost always come from other people. This is really counter cultural.
But the stakes couldn’t be higher. Deeds of darkness are fruitless. Fruitless means you might be having a really good time, but nothing much is moving forward in your life. All your activity is basically pointless. Words of truth restore fruitfulness. Fruit here means lives that have a point, that are going somewhere, you are growing, maturing, your life is making more and more sense. You are overcoming challenges dealing with struggles.
Are you stuck in your life? Perhaps you have an area of darkness that is holding you back. Do you really want to grow? Do you really desire to grow up? Then, pray for God to send you someone to rebuke you. Pray for God to reveal that darkness. Your life can matter. It’s up to you.
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Grace and peace,
James