4th Sunday in Lent (A)
Ephesians 5:8-14
March 15, 2025
Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The text I have chosen for this morning’s sermon is the Epistle from the book of Ephesians.
It was once said: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Is this true? Sure, it is. If you witness something bad happening and you remain silent, you’re complicit in the event. The average German during World War II didn’t speak out against the slaughter of the so-called undesirables. Did that mean they agreed with the Final Solution? Not necessarily. But remaining silent or not acting out of fear or indecisiveness made them as guilty as Hitler and the rest.
While I’m condemning the German people for their silence, I’m also confessing that I’m guilty of remaining silent. You’re guilty too. We keep our opinions to ourselves and let others do what they want to do. We don’t want to be viewed as intolerant or hypocritical, so we bite our tongues. Worse yet, we remain silent because we agree with the sin we see. Paul tells us that being a Christian means not ignoring sin rather exposing it to the Light so that others will be brought to repentance and salvation in Christ Jesus.
Before we can speak out against the works of the darkness we must first and foremost understand where we’ve come from. Paul says, “For at one time you were darkness.” While that’s pretty heavy, it’s also the truth. You’re conceived and born sinful. By your very human nature you fight God at every turn. You’re sinful in thoughts, words, and deeds, and in this life, you’ll always be sinners. But not just as sinners!
Paul says, “Now you are light in the Lord.” By God’s grace alone, through the death of Jesus at the hand of sinful men, we were enlightened while we sat in darkness. Peter describes us this way: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). Jesus shattered the darkness of sin and penetrated deep into our souls to shine on us with His grace and mercy. We’re no longer who we used to be. Yes, we sin. Yes, sometimes we think the darkness looks pretty good. And yes, sometimes we slide back into the darkness. It’s when we find ourselves in the dark that Jesus comes and leads us out. That’s what forgiveness is! It’s Jesus shining on you and in you, so that you once again live by His light.
Paul says that as children of the Light, we’re supposed to “try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.” The Christian life requires continual proving, testing, examining of what is good, right and true. Your relationship with Jesus should be your chief concern. What pleases God is simple: love Him with our whole heart, mind, and soul and love your neighbor as yourself. This is challenging, however, by the power of the Holy Spirit we can fight sin and the temptations of the sin-filled darkness. When we do that, we’re walking in the light as He is the light and we’re also pointing others to Jesus as their rescuer from the oppressive darkness.
Just before the verses we read for the Epistle, Paul lists some of the works of the darkness: sexual immorality and impurity, dirty or crude language, idolatry and covetousness. In other places he lists drunkenness, fighting, cursing, violence, evil thoughts, murder, and even more of those sins we’re all aware of. The world, whether it’s the political, public, or private sphere, wants bad declared good, guilty pronounced innocent, wickedness called harmless, and sin considered permissible, if not good.
I’m not going to argue that all was good in the good ol’ days but it’s frightening how far we’ve fallen! Paul says that some sins are done secretly because they’re so shameful. This is no longer the case. There is no shame! The widespread acceptance of drag queen story hours, inappropriate books in libraries, or pride parades where children’s minds are polluted. Why is protecting the safe spaces of children, youth, and adults from the opposite sex so controversial? Why is the United States the largest supplier and user of child pornography in the world? Darkness reigns supreme and the light is stifled by sin and inaction.
Christians are told mind our own business because the behavior doesn’t affect us or because it’s not bothering anyone. Perhaps you feel this way yourself. I remember having an argument in high school with my mom about pornography. She thought it should be illegal. I argued that you can’t legislate morality. I’ve come to see she was right. Do you see porn as harmless? Do you view transgenderism as okay? Have you ever found yourself thinking: “I would never have an abortion, but I can’t tell others what to do.” Paul says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness” and when we fail to denounce that which God declares to be wicked and deadly, we’re taking part in the works of darkness. We are! You need to condemn the sins of this world. If we don’t fight the degradation of those being trafficked and abused, if we fail to decry the overt sexualization of our society and our children, if we don’t protect the vulnerable and the unborn, if we don’t honor the marriage bed, we’re taking part in the sin. To not take a stand for what is God-pleasing is taking a stand for evil. We must speak the truth with love and boldness. It means speaking when silence is the easier option. It means acting in the face of opposition. It means arguing when the world tells you to shut up.
You need to use your voices, your votes, and your influence to help those afflicted by the sins of others. We must use our hands and feet in service to those caught up in wickedness. We need to show others what godly marriages look like. We need to show the joy and benefits that come from godly living. The darkness is deep, and only by shining the light of Jesus will people be rescued from the dark.
It’s a fact that more godly living and the rejection of evil is beneficial to society, to families, to believers and unbelievers alike. But what’s most important in all this is bringing people to repentance and faith. Paul quotes what is probably an early Christian hymn: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” This is a promise to all those who shake off the gloom of sin and emerge into the light will find life! Christ will shine on all who repent of their sins and seek His mercy! He died for them too! We don’t just raise our voices in condemnation of wickedness, we also raise them so people will know there is hope and there is deliverance in Christ and His Church.
We want people to know what we know! We want people to be freed from the chains of their sin. We want people to be freed from the chains placed on them by others. We want wickedness to be thwarted and sin to once again be considered evil. This won’t happen if we keep silent from fear or agreement or indecision. God calls us to teach and witness in love and trust that He will work through His Word. Let us find our voices, hands, and feet and use them to free people from the darkness of sin and death so they can live with us in the marvelous light of Jesus.
Amen
Now the peace which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen