GodReflection: The Ultimate IN Sider.

Lately, I choose to do prison ministry. My visits are with a man who is a repeat offender. This is not his first arrest. He knows nothing of the Bail Bond system, so guarded he awaits.  The truth is he is no longer in jail but due to the modern wonder of the printed page I have visitation rights anytime I desire. He is always there. Since mid-August, I listen to him again through his quill as the ink returns to life from a record of his sunset years.

When I visit with the old apostle, he is in Rome confined to house arrest. This time rather than in a government jail cell, the authorities have allowed him to stay in a rented a house and assigned a Roman guard to assure his captivity. Thankfully, for two years the guard allows Paul to welcome all who comes to see him (Acts 28:30).  

In Ephesians Chapter Five, Paul does not merely offer advice or share his thoughts. Rather he overflows from within—from who he now is in Christ. Still aglow from his encounter with the living resurrected Jesus and in deep maturity from long hard years of experience learned from him over a lifetime walk, he makes it his goal to introduce Jesus, to everyone he meets. He wants to gift the dark walk of humankind with Jesus’ light.

So, the old prisoner begins to reflect on light. My guess is light was more of a treasure to Paul than it is to me. Unfortunately, I take light for granted. Born prior to Thomas Edison, the apostle must have experienced countless dark nights in towns and cities, on the road, in the ocean, and in jail cells. Perhaps his thoughts are provoked from the blessing of being in a guarded house rather than a dark jail cell of previous experience.

More than likely, I suspect his mind goes back to the brilliant light encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road that became an eternal light in his soul to luminate his daily walk. Paul knows the value of the light of day.

Much like we saw in the last post Paul continues to think about where each of us stands outside of Christ. Again, he repeats where we are far from Christ. The dark harbors sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscene language, silly talk, vulgar jokes, (5:3-5) stupid ideas, disobedience, darkness, (5:6-8) unfruitful actions (5:11) foolishness, evil, (5:15-16) ignorance, and drunkenness (5:17-18).

In a real sense on the Damascus Road, all those years ago prior to his letter, he knows everything exposed to the light is revealed by the light. Everything that is revealed by the light is light. Therefore, it is time to get out of the dark. In Christ we wake up . . . from the dead, and Christ shines on us (5:13-14).

I hear the confidence in the apostle’s voice. From accumulated trust he has learned over decades to walk close to Jesus. In Christ the light reveals we are filled by the Spirit to speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in our hearts always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (5:19-20). No, none of us live this to perfection, but the more we allow his light to shine to a greater degree recedes the darkness. In Christ is the light of day.

How about it? Let’s walk deeper into the light we find in Jesus. I like the light of day, don’t you?

I would love to hear from you as to how your vision has changed with the light of day found in Christ.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells

A GodReflection on I Like The Light of Day.

Gary@GreatCities.org  

WWW.GodReflectionblog.wordpress.com

www.MakeYourVisionGoViral.com