Light

Today, Paul reminds us that our past should impact our present.

Ephesians 5

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.

4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes - these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.

8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.

12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,

14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Light. If you have never seen the movie “Rudy”, you need to stop reading this and go rent it because the rest of this thought won’t make any sense. Go ahead ... I’ll wait. ... What did you think? Pretty good right? I almost cry every time he gets accepted to Notre Dame. Anyways, the scene I wanted to reference is when Roland tells the coach that he wants Rudy to take his place in the lineup for the game the next day. I love the two lines that follow. The coach says, “You're an aII-American and our captain. Act Iike it.” Roland responds by saying, “I believe I am.” I love that scene! In today’s passage, Paul is like the coach telling the Jesus followers in Ephesus, “You are children of God ... people of light. Act like it.” The question is, if someone said that to you could you respond the same way Roland did?