#1466. Live as children of light (5/3/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

From Ephesians 5:8-10 let’s reflect on what it means to be and live as ‘children of light’. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

1. Live as children of light

Previously, Paul warned against sexual immorality and corrupt speech. Now he reminds believers that such behaviour is inconsistent with who they are. They were “once darkness” — this belonged to their old life — but now they “are light in the Lord.” Therefore, they are to “live as children of light.”

Notice the strength of Paul’s language. He does not say they were in darkness; he says they were darkness. Nor does he say they merely walk in the light; he says they are light in the Lord. This speaks of a profound inner transformation.

All Christians are “light in the Lord.” This points to the reality of new birth. Our spirits, once dead, have been made alive by the Holy Spirit. We have been enlightened; we have seen and come to know Jesus, who said:

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

As Paul writes elsewhere:

To be “light in the Lord” is to have been born again by the Spirit. This new life is evidenced by faith in Christ and a growing desire to please Him.

However, this transformation does not make righteous living automatic or render us immune to sin. We must live out what we already are. We “live as children of light” — not in order to become light, but because we are light in the Lord.

2. The fruit of the light

Paul adds that those who are truly alive in Christ will bear the fruit of the light: ‘goodness, righteousness and truth.’

• Goodness (agathōsýnē) — moral excellence, generosity, active kindness.

• Righteousness (dikaiosýnē) — doing what is right and just before God and others.

• Truth (alḗtheia) — integrity, sincerity, truthfulness, and conformity to God’s revealed truth.

As children of light - children of the God who is light - we increasingly reflect His character. The fruit does not produce the light; the light produces the fruit.

Response - Find out what pleases the Lord

Paul concludes with a call to intentional discernment: ‘Find out what pleases the Lord.’

This is very similar to what we read in Romans 12. The word translated “find out” (dokimázō) is the same word used for “test and approve”:

As children of light, we are not passive. We actively seek to understand God’s will. We examine our thoughts, decisions and habits in the light of Scripture. We ask: Does this please the Lord?

Let us never be tempted to return to the deception of darkness.

Let us remember who we are — ‘light in the Lord’ and ‘children of light.’

And let us diligently, joyfully, prayerfully seek to find out what pleases Him.

Community Group Notes - This week is 'SIV Week'

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.

Please ensure that everyone is aware and is signed up to our 50-hours of prayer that is starting on 11th March. Here’s the link to get the app:

https://my.jovoapp.com/invitation/?t=aW52aXRhdGlvbjoxMzA1ODpzX2tGTnN4eVNHcnZnZlJ1ZjN6WEhRTHVsVHc%3D

2. Icebreaker

Something that builds relationships and confidence to share; it’s good to regularly use this moment to ask the group: How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together 

This week is SIV (Serve, Invest, and InVite) Week, so we’ll focus more on the reaching our community aspects in our study. 

What is SIV? 

SIV stands for Serve, Invest, and Invite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’.  We can effectively bring people to Jesus by: 

• 'Serving' them - demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; 

• 'Investing' in the ‘people of peace’ (See note below) those whom we feel the Spirit is leading us. 

• 'Inviting' them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel. 

On Sunday, we continued our new series entitled: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Our message was, Wake Up Sleeper. We saw, from Ephesians 5:1-14, that: 

Those who have been woken up and have Christ shining on them - Seek light, refuse darkness and shine light

Please read Ephesians 5:1-14 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?

• SIV - Why are godly sexual ethics, and godly language, essential for a healthy life, healthy church, and why do these things make us shine like a light in this dark world?

• SIV - V.14 ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’, is considered an early Christian hymn. What does this phrase say about how one becomes a Christian, and how does this inform how we are to pray for our non-believing friends? 

• SIV - Share Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• General prayer: From our study, or from personal needs, how do people want prayer?