Ephesians 5:8-11 “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.   And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”  Darkness is evilness or unrighteousness or falsehood.  Before you were a Christian, you were in darkness.  When you became a Christian, you should no longer have fellowship or share in darkness.

There is an excellent list of the works of darkness in Romans 1:28-32  “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”  If you participate in any of these activities, then you have fellowship with darkness.  But you also have fellowship with darkness if you approve or enjoy works of darkness.  Do you enjoy certain forms of violence such as violent sport activities or war games or violent movies or television shows?  Do you enjoy seeing or reading about sexual immorality in pornography or romance novels or movies or television?  If you enjoy or approve of any form of darkness, you have a form of fellowship with that darkness.

 The world if filled with much darkness.  As a Christian, you are in the world but you are not of the world.  You should not love the world or the things of the world because that leads to works of darkness.  1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”  Instead, you should desire to be transformed – very different from the world.  Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  The way of the world is darkness but the way of God is light.

 Back to Ephesians 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”  You may be convinced that you should not have fellowship with darkness, but how do you go about exposing such works?  You could expose works of darkness by reporting to others when you find such works.  But I believe the scripture teaches us another way of exposing darkness.  Ephesians 5:12-13 “For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.  But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.”  You can expose darkness by being light.  By practicing goodness and righteousness and by speaking God’s truth, your light will expose the darkness for what it is.  Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

 My encouragement is for you to have no fellowship with the darkness of the world.  Instead, be sure you are light by practicing goodness and righteousness and speaking God’s truth which will expose the darkness of the world.