Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. – Ephesian 5:11
Recently, the people of France rioted in the streets. Were they angry that they had no food? Did they need medical provisions that were taken from them? No. They rioted because the government was anticipating a need to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Maybe some protestors wanted more time to begin community service, helping others in different ways.
However, the perception was that they wanted to enjoy the “good life.”
Often, what is considered the “good life” involves living in darkness. While the “nightlife” may be a draw for some, it is not just a time of day. Darkness is a way of life that may involve deception, immorality, sins of the flesh, and crimes against others. Paul calls them the “unfruitful works of darkness” (Ephesians 5:11). He gives a long list of works of the flesh in
Galatians 5:19-21.
Unfruitful works come from people who do not know the Lord, who have rejected God, and whose lives are encompassed by the darkness of unbelief. As a minister and medical doctor, Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote: “Charles Darwin… maintained that man was no special creation of God! – if there is a God at all – man stands at the end of a process! So the view of man becomes degraded, and men forget God.” This life of unbelief leads to destruction.
There is a reason Paul speaks of the unfruitful works of darkness versus the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is a matter of worth. Believer, you are light in the darkness to bear fruit as God’s witness. Be bold to testify of His truth, exposing the lies of evil.
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