Paul has reminded his readers that they should be like their Father who is kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. The way for them to do this is to live as Jesus did when he offered himself as an acceptable sacrifice to God on the cross, revealing the extent of his life of devotion. What will such a life look like for a Christian?
Ephesus was well-known for the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its architectural features revealed great human skill, but it was basically a location of immorality and greed. Sadly, its practices influenced the outlook of the citizens (as did every location with a pagan temple), and the outlook was revealed in the contents of everyday conversation. People who speak in such a way do not belong to the kingdom of God; instead they are facing the prospect of the wrath of God. Such a lifestyle is evidence that they belong to the realm of darkness, where all the members are marked as disobedient to God (vv. 3-6).
Christians are no longer in the realm of darkness. Through believing in Jesus, they became united to him and are now in the kingdom of light. Membership of this kingdom demands an opposite way of life to those in the kingdom of darkness. Evidence of belonging to this kingdom will be seen in behaviour and in speech, in what they do and in what they say. This evidence is obvious because light cannot be hidden (vv. 7-14).
Such righteous behaviour and pure conversation are effective features of Christian witness. It is impossible for those in the kingdom of darkness not to observe the difference between them and those in the light. They may not realise initially that it is Jesus who makes the difference by shining in and through his people, but when they have been told by those who have experienced his grace, they also can discover that he is the Light of the world. It is really important and crucial for us to walk as children of light because there is no other way to witness for Jesus.
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