There seems to be a lot of confusion in our world these days. When most of us experience confusion, we tend to do everything we can to reduce that confusion because we don’t like the way it feels. We seek out solid ground to stand on – anything that might create a sense of certainty. Over the past several decades, the amount of information at our disposal has exponentially increased with greater accessibility to the internet. If we want to know the answer to something, all we have to do is reach into our pocket, pull out our phone and look it up. One big problem though is that not all the information that is believed is true. This has led to much confusion. At the same time, much that was once considered wrong (and was) is now considered okay (but still isn’t!)
In Ephesians 4:17, the apostle Paul says, “With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.” As the people of God who are called to holiness, we are to live differently than the rest of the world. Paul goes on in Ephesians 4:18 to say about those who were living in the world surrounding the church in Ephesus, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart.” Until a person is living the life of God, they will remain hopelessly confused. Paul says in Ephesians 4:19 that those living in confusion have “abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.” Today, people outside the church and sadly, in the church, are embracing untruth; exchanging the truth for a lie. We are witnessing the normalization of things which only a few decades ago would have been considered abhorrent.
Paul says in Ephesians 4:20, “That is not the way you learned Christ! For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus.” If we are confused about this life all we need to do is turn to Jesus who is the truth. Further into the book of Ephesians in 5:8, Paul says, “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.” When we receive the justifying grace of God in Jesus, we are considered righteous. We are light! We are no longer darkness but are now children of light. God desires us to be unconfused about who we are and to whom we belong. God has made our purpose clear. Therefore we must, “live as children of light.” We find our solid ground in God’s Word and in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We live as children of light by remaining under the authority of God’s word and availing ourselves of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide us. Praise be to God that He loves us so much that He refuses to let us remain in the dark, alienated and confused. We can be certain of that! May we embrace our true identity as children of light and live in that identity today and every day!
