A Note from Michael Gossett
Imitating the Light in a Dim World
In a culture slowly losing its grip on truth and quickly redefining love, morality, and purpose, the church must recover the vision of what it truly means to live as the people of God. If you’re content with a faith that stays private, comfortable, and unchallenged, this passage in Ephesians 5 is most likely not for you…. But if you are longing to know how to walk faithfully in a world gone dim and you want to know how to reflect God’s glory in a culture bent toward self, then this is definitely one of the most important passages you will read today.
The apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 5:1-17 offer more than moral instruction. They confront us with a vision of Christian living that is both theologically weighty and practical. The call from Paul is to “Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.” That is the command. Not simply to believe, or even just to obey, but to imitate the God who has redeemed us.
This is certainly not the call of cultural Christianity. This is the call of cruciform discipleship. Paul is not describing how to be better behaved, but rather he is describing what it means to be born again.
Paul writes to a church surrounded by spiritual confusion, immersed in pluralism, and tempted toward compromise, which really sounds like our own culture today. And with the heart of a theologian and the urgency of a pastor, he lifts our eyes to a higher standard: to reflect the holiness, beauty, and brilliance of God in a world desperate for truth.
So, how do we imitate the Light of Christ in a dim world?
Walk in Love and Reject Selfishness
Paul begins with what might appear to be an impossible command. How are we to “be imitators of God”? How can finite, fallen people imitate the Holy, Infinite, and Righteous God of the universe? The key lies not in divine imitation by effort alone but in divine transformation through grace. Paul grounds the imperative not in human potential but in divine adoption as he says, “as dearly loved children.” That phrase changes everything. We are not mimicking God to gain His approval. Instead, we are reflecting Him because we already belong to Him.
The model Paul provides for us is Christ: “as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” This is not sentimental or passive love. This is a call to die to self. Christ’s love was sacrificial, voluntary, substitutionary, and pleasing to the Father. It wasn’t driven by convenience but rather by covenantal, deep, genuine love. Paul is now saying to the church, this is your pattern now.
Our world speaks often of love, but it is increasingly detached from any true and meaningful definition. Love is equated with affirmation, agreement, and emotional resonance. But Christian love is not rooted in what is popular or trendy of the time. It is anchored in the gospel. It is love that denies self, embraces the cross, and serves the undeserving. It is not love that tolerates sin, but love that seeks redemption and for those who are far from Christ to be near to Him.
This is a staggering challenge for every believer in Jesus. Walking in love means we must die to selfishness. It means we pursue the good of others, not just when it is convenient, but even when it is costly. It means offering ourselves, our time, our energy, and our resources as a fragrant offering to the Lord. It means forgiving as we have been forgiven, serving as we have been served, and laying down our lives in a thousand unseen ways for the glory of the Savior who laid down His life for ours.
Are you walking in that kind of love? Is the pattern of your life marked by self-giving, generosity toward others, or would others see you as more self-preserving? Are your relationships seasoned with sacrificial grace or by comfort and control?
Walking in love will always challenge your flesh, but it is the most powerful apologetic in a selfish world.
Walking in Purity and Rejecting Idolatry
After setting the positive tone of love, Paul confronts the corruptions that threaten it. “But sexual immorality and all impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” Paul names the idols of the old life which are still very much alive in the contemporary church today.
Sexual immorality (porneia) and impurity (akatharsia) are not just personal failures but are symptoms of misplaced worship. When a Christian indulges in sexual sin whether through pornography, adultery, or impure thoughts, they are not merely breaking rules, they are proclaiming with their bodies that Christ is not enough. Likewise, greed (pleonexia) is the hunger for more. It is the hunger for more possessions, more security, or more power because we doubt that God will satisfy.
These sins, Paul warns, are not just inconsistent with sainthood but are rooted in idolatry. “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous” are the ones who “has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (v. 5). That is a strong word, but it is the call to holiness. To persist in these sins without repentance is to reveal that one’s heart is still ruled by another god.
Notice the way Paul contrasts these ideas. He says instead of filthiness or crude speech, there should be thanksgiving. Why? Because a grateful heart is a heart that is satisfied in God. Gratitude dethrones idols. It reminds the soul that God is sufficient, and His gifts are good. Thankless hearts are always wandering hearts. But when our souls feast on the sufficiency of Christ, impurity loses its appeal.
The question we must ask is this: what false gods are competing for the affections of our hearts? What desires are demanding our loyalty over our Lord? Until those are named, confessed, and put to death, our worship will remain divided at best and our joy will be diminished for sure.
Walking in Light and Rejecting Darkness
Paul now intensifies his exhortation: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.” Deception always accompanies darkness. And in an age where truth is relative and morality is subjective, the church must be a people of light that is distinct and visible and bold!
Paul doesn’t simply say “don’t walk in darkness.” He says something far more impactful: “At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” That is true gospel transformation. You don’t merely act as light, but rather you are light. That is what union with Christ really means. You reflect His radiance because you participate in His resurrection.
Light, by its nature, exposes. Paul insists that when Christians walk in holiness, they will expose the fruitless works of darkness. This is not accomplished by shouting at the critics, but by shining for all to see the glory of Christ. The purity of your life will confront the impurity of the world. The clarity of your convictions will challenge the confusion around you. The joy of your obedience will testify against the misery of sin.
However, there is a caveat. It is impossible to expose what you are still participating in. Paul calls believers not only to reject darkness but to detach themselves from it. “Do not become partners with them.” If you are more comfortable participating in worldly things than you are in participating in the church, then something is off in your relationship with Christ. This should serve as a red flag for you. If you are quicker to believe and to quote the narratives of the world than you are God’s Word, this too should be a red flag. This means, in essence, that you are being formed by the world rather than being transformed in the renewing of your mind.
The quotation in verse 14 which says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” is likely a baptismal hymn or an early Christian confession. Either way, it calls the sleeping Christian to wakefulness. It is a call to true resurrection living. If you have been made alive in Christ, then live as though the night has passed and the day has come. Let your life be a protest against the darkness and a preview of the kingdom.
Walking in Wisdom and Rejecting Foolishness
Paul closes this section with a final call to wisdom. “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise but as wise.” Christian living requires vigilance. The days are evil, Paul says. Understanding that the days are evil should serve as a baseline for how we are to walk in wisdom
To walk wisely is to live with theological awareness, moral clarity, and missional urgency. It is to steward time, relationships, and our finances not for fleeting comfort, but for kingdom purpose. It is to make decisions not merely on the basis of what is permissible, but what is profitable for holiness.
“Making the most of the time,” Paul writes, “because the days are evil.” The Greek word here is exagorazō, which means to redeem or buy back. Paul is saying to us today, “Do not waste your days.” Rescue them from the trivial things of the world. Use them to glorify God and advance the gospel. The sands in the hourglass are slipping. You don’t get to rewind this life.
So, how do we walk in wisdom? “Understand what the will of the Lord is.” God’s will isnot an enigma. He has made it known. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” To be holy. To be Christlike. To be faithful in the ordinary, radiant in the dark, and urgent in the mission.
The foolish man lives as though eternity is fiction. The wise man lives with heaven in his eyes and holiness in his steps.
You don’t need to wait for a better time. You don’t need to clean yourself up before starting. If you are in Christ, the light already dwells within you. So make today count. The world may be dim, but the Light has come, and the darkness will not overcome it.
How Then Should We Pray?
As we saw in last week’s sermon, this cannot be done apart from prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He gave them what we now call The Lord’s Prayer. It remains one of the most profound blueprints for prayer that you and I should continue to follow today.
Adoration: “Father, hallowed be Your name”
Submission: “Your kingdom come”
Petition: “Give us each day our daily bread”
Confession: “Forgive us our sins…”
Supplication: “Lead us not into temptation”
The prayer life of Jesus wasn’t a formula, but it was intentional, ordered, and Godward. This is the pattern we must follow. (More to come when we get to this section in Luke)
How can you become better at prayer? Remember that you are not bad at praying, you are just being kept from prayer. We must recognize this together. The enemy does not want you to pray. Here are some practical tips on prayer:
- Set a time and location that you are going to commit to prayer. Maybe it begins with 5 minutes, 30 minutes, or more!
- Build a daily prayer list (If you want to be on my daily prayer list, please email me your prayer requests to pastor@gabc.org
- Pray Scripture. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, the 10 Commandments, or a Psalm a day, or all three! Scripture gives language and structure to our prayers especially when we simply don’t know what to pray. Today, try praying Psalm 23 slowly, one verse at a time. Let the Word guide your prayer.
Do you want to read more about prayer? Here are some resources that are not infallible or inerrant, but I have found to be helpful:
- Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney
- A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther (also a kids book)
- The Valley of Vision (collection of Puritan prayers)
- With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray
- Rejoice and Tremble by Michael Reeves (helps you see the fear of God as the beginning of intimate communion)
Need an app to help?
- PrayerMate – Organizes lists and sends reminders
- The Bless App – Gives you a list of your neighbors to pray for
- Echo Prayer – Keeps tracks of lists and reminders
When should you start? Right now. Don’t wait for the perfect plan, because there isn’t one. Just stick with it and watch God move in your heart and life.
“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work. Prayer is the greater work.” – Oswald Chambers
With this in mind, I want to invite every person in our church to join a new weekly rhythm we are beginning at ALL CAMPUSES this fall.
Starting August 20, we will gather every Wednesday from 6-7pm in the Worship Center to seek the Lord together in prayer. This is not just another program. It is a call to prioritize prayer together as a people hungry for revival and divine intervention, desperate for the Spirit, and aligned with the mission of Christ.
This will be a time to pray Scripture, to intercede for the lost, to cry out for renewal in our church and city, and to encourage one another in our weariness. Bring your Bible. Bring your burdens. Bring your faith even when it feels weak. Come and seek the Lord with us.
The goal is very simple: to become a praying church, not just a church that prays, but one that breathes prayer as its lifeblood.
This Sunday at Green Acres:
Come to worship at Tyler or Flint at 9:30am or 11:00am and Español at 11:00 as we continue our study in the Gospel of Luke. We also have Connect Groups, which are essential for your growth in Christ, that meet at 8:00am, 9:30am, and 11:00am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett