As Children Of Light

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 

Ephesians 5:1-2, 8 

What does it mean to ‘walk as children of light?’ ‘God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.’ If we are ‘imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ has loved us and given Himself for us,’ then we begin to understand what walking as children of light is. Between the two portions of our text, Paul refers to some heinous behaviors. He refers to a number of activities in which none of us should participate. His overarching point is that these behaviors are not consistent with imitating Christ. All of them evidence the selfishness which is inextricably part of what we call sin. By contrast Christ, ‘the Light of the world,’ exhibits none of these behaviors. Therefore to imitate Him, to ‘walk as children of light,’ is to step away from these behaviors to ‘walk as He walked.’ This cannot be simply a matter of our own ability and self-discipline. Nor can it be simply a matter of making our life appear we have arrived at such a spiritual state that these things are never a problem for us. If we are to truly ‘walk as children of light,’ it will be a matter of looking to Christ, because, ‘without Me, you can do nothing.’ As Christ is the answer for our salvation, so Christ is the answer for our walk of life. It begins and ends with Him. 

Our Glorious, Living Christ, 
we rejoice that You are the Great Example we follow. 
We praise You that daily, You lead us by Your Spirit, 
to learn to imitate You more fully. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush in Burning