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I. THEIR FORMER STATE. "Darkness" — the darkness of heathendom. Such was the state of all men by nature. The state of nature is a state of "darkness"; and I may say of every unregenerate man, "thou art darkness." And if this is true of our view of nature in its best form, what shall we say of the life of sin? Utter darkness! everything darkness! Our Lord says, "he that walketh in darkness, knoweth not whither he goeth;" and the apostle describes them as "wandering stars"; going from bad to worse, and from worse to worse, from one sin to another, from one error to another. But there is another description of this state of darkness, besides this: we say, that a state of unbelief is a state of darkness.

II. THEIR PRESENT CONDITION. "Light." A very strong expression. It is not said, "ye have some light"; it is not said, "there is some light in you"; but it is positively declared, "ye are light." Of course, this can only be taken in a modified sense; because how little is the light that any of the saints of God have! We see only through the "unveiled face." "We see as in a glass darkly"; "we know in part." Alas! how little do we know of the glory of the Saviour in His person! how little do we know of the perfection of the Saviour! how little do we enter into the glory of the atoning blood! how little do our souls enter into the "sweet savour" of that sacrifice! and how little we realize the perfection of that Perfect righteousness, which is "unto all and upon all them that believe"! How little do our spirits enter into the deep and unutterable fulness that there is in Jesus! And yet, though our light be so feeble, still it is "light." He never despises that light that comes from the work of the Holy Ghost in the soul of man; however feeble, however faint, He never despises it. Oh! for a word of tender caution; do you never despise it either.

III. THE EXHORTATION. "Walk as children of light." If you ask for a simple view of their "walking as children of light" — I would say first of all it is to walk in the brightness of that light: to walk in the light of God's precious gospel, to walk in the light of God's perfections, to walk in the realizing view of His pardoning mercy, to walk in the light of His adoption, to walk as righteous ones, righteous in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Surely the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is to behold the sun."

2. He "walks as a child of light," beloved, as he walks in the purity of that light. Observe, this is an essential part of the subject — it is the very subject for which the apostle introduced it; "ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth): proving what is acceptable unto the Lord." My dear hearers, we are to "walk as children of light" — only be you thankful and grateful for being thus brought into the light. To be brought into the light, to one that once was blind, would be one of the first things that would fill his heart with joy. What were ye once? I am persuaded too, beloved, that if we are "children of light," we shall rejoice that others be made to "walk in the light" of that same gospel; we shall rejoice to diffuse, as far as in us lies, that gospel around us.

(J. H. Evans, M. A.)

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KJV: For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

WEB: For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,