This is an article I wrote in my series on Ephesians. It is about sin and darkness, and the extremes that are being celebrated in our socoety.

Ephesians 5:12-13

“It is shameful to mention what such people do secretly, but everything exposed by the Light becomes visible.”

We live in an age where it is no longer shameful to mention what those who are controlled by Satan do in secret.

Shame is a feeling of being less than normal, of being unworthy of society, because of what we have done, or sometimes because of what has been done to us.

western society has broadly lost all sense of shame or guilt when it comes to sexuality. Quite the reverse, in gact, when every form of potential sexual deviancy is celebrated. In a new form of tyranny, those who refuse to celebrate deviancy are shamed.

in 2020 one of the most popular songs in the USA was WAP. It would be shameful to mention what WAP stands for. I viewed the video of the song and I was overwhelmed by a feeling of being violated by some lurking evil that goes beyond the perverted sexuality of the song.

Paul says that shameful deeds are done in secret, in the dark, but the light of Christ will shine into the dark places and show up the deeds of darkness.

this is different to the current situation in which we live. There are many shameful deeds that are exposed, but rather than being transformed by the process of exposure, they are celebrated and become even more brazen. It is as if a beam of dark energy is at work rather than the light. This energy motivates and excites people to ever more wicked ways.

as Paul states earlier, we are children of the light, that is the true light of Christ. We are the light of the world.

when the true light shines on the deeds of wickedness, they are shown up for what they really are. The practitioners of such darkness then have an opportunity to repent of their actions.

the light then serves two purposes.

1. The light reveals the truth of what is really there. The false light tolerates and celebrates “diversity”, but it only reaches the most shallow levels. The true light penetrates to the heart of sin and exposes its true nature.

2. The light reveals the hearts of people so that God’s judgement is seen to be fair. Those who embrace the light repent of their sinful ways and turn to the Lord. Those who reject the light continue to pursue the ways of sin.

in John 3:19-26 we read: “ This is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For all who love evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. Those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” (New Revised Standard Version)

Some will be saved. Some of those who are in the darkness welcome the light, and they recognise the truth of sin and of salvation.

key points in these verses:

• the deeds of darkness are shameful

• our culture celebrates the deeds of darkness

• followers of Jesus carry the light that reveals the reality of sin

• the light reveals both the truth about sin, and the truth about those who are in the darkness.