Paul Urges the Ephesian Believers to Prove their
Union with Christ by Walking in Light Part 4
Ephesians
5:13-14 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for
whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. KJVPaul concludes his exhortation to these Ephesian believers and we true believers in Christ today to walk or live in the light of Christ by declaring that His Light and the Light of His Word will bring the hidden things of darkness to light and Paul uses the English word manifest in verse 13 to show what he means and this word is translated by the Greek word phaneroo meaning to render apparent (literally or figuratively): - appear or show forth. In other words, it is the truthful proclamation of the Gospel of Christ and of Grace along with the rest of the Word of God that shines light into the darkness of our sins and the sins of mankind as the Proverb states using these words to turn a man away from committing adultery or fornication with a woman not his wife, “For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, to keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; Whoever touches her shall not be innocent.” (Proverbs 6:23-29). The darkness of having sex with a neighbor’s wife (adultery) is reproved, confuted, admonished, and rebuked as sin by the Light of the Word of God.
We find that the man whom our Lord Jesus Christ said was more than a Prophet John the Baptist (Luke 7:26) found himself making an enemy with Herodias who was Herod’s brother Phillip’s wife because John the Baptist had openly rebuked the King according to Jewish Law as recorded by the Gospel writer Mark with these words, “For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. Because John had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’” (Mark 6:17-18). We find that Herodias’s anger and hatred toward John the Baptist because his proclamation of the Word of God to her exposing her darkness with the Light of the Jewish Law never subsided and she convinced her daughter to have the King put John the Baptist in prison and behead him bringing John’s head to her (Mark 6:21-28). Paul then says consequently because of this truth that light makes darkness apparent, “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” (Ephesians 5:14). First, let us keep in mind that this letter is written to the converted people of Ephesus who are now Paul’s brothers and sisters in Christ and likewise ours also who belong to Christ today. With that said, what does Paul mean by telling these Ephesian believers to ‘Awake’?
Well the Greek word that translates awake is egeiro meaning (through the idea of collecting one’s faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), that is, rouse figuratively from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, or nonexistence). In other words, the idea Paul has in mind here is to rouse or excite these Ephesian believers and us today to vigilance or alertness to steering their/our lives down a path of darkness leading away from the Light of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. When we were born again, we were not born into spiritual maturity or adulthood just as a baby born into the natural world is not born full grown capable of taking care of himself or herself. In like manner, these Ephesian believers and we believers in Christ today do not shift to cruise control after accepting Christ as Savior, but instead we must be often aroused from apathy or indifference by the Light of the Word of God shining into the dark crevices of our souls. This is the Apostle’s point, purpose, and place for awakening them out of spiritual sleep and spiritual decay into a fresh filling of God the Holy Spirit so that He can burn away the dross or the worthless and dangerous things in our lives that keep us from the fullness in Christ that is ours by virtue of our redemption.
Our Lord Jesus Himself declared to the Laodicean Church the same desire with these words, “And to the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the Creation of God: ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ --- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked --- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.’” (Revelation 3:14-22).
My own Personal Note: We have no power within us to rouse ourselves from spiritual apathy, and God the Holy Spirit will not awaken us to new power by commandeering or hijacking our will, we must want to receive eye salve from our Lord Jesus Christ that we may again see clearly from Him perspective and walk or live in His Holy Light by following Him as He said would occur with these words, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” (John 8:12).
“Dr. Macknight paraphrases this verse as follows: ‘Now all these reprovable actions, which are practiced in celebrating these mysteries, are made manifest as sinful by the Gospel; and, seeing everything which discovers the true nature of actions is light, the Gospel, which discovers the evil nature of the actions performed in these mysteries, is light.’ The A*postle speaks against these mysteries as he speaks against fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness; but by no means either borrows expression or similitude from them to illustrate Divine truths; for, as it would be a shame even to speak of those things, surely it would be an abomination to allude to them in the illustration of the doctrines of the Gospel.” Adam Clarke
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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