The Child of Light and The Works of Darkness

Directions how to live while here below are very needful.

We constantly come into contact with ungodly men: this is unavoidable; but here we are taught to avoid such communion with them as would make us partakers in their evil deeds.

Three truths are incidentally mentioned: evil works are sterile, they are works of darkness, and they deserve reproof.

We must have no fellowship with them; neither at any time, nor in any manner, nor in any degree.

I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN? “Fellowship with works of darkness.”

This fellowship may be produced in several ways:

1. By personally committing the sins so described, or by joining with others in bringing them about.

2. By teaching wrong doing, either by plain word or by just inference.

3. By constraining, commanding, or tempting: by threat, request, persuasion, inducement, compulsion, bribery, or influence.

4. By provoking, through exciting anger, emulation, or discouragement.

5. By neglecting to rebuke: especially by parents and masters misusing their office and allowing known evils in the family.

6. By counseling, and advising, or by guiding by example.

7. By consenting, agreeing, and co-operating. By smiling at an evil attempt, and, in the end, partaking in the spoil. Those who join with churches in error come under this head.

8. By conniving at sin: tolerating, concealing, and making light of it.

9. By commending, countenancing, defending, and excusing the wrong already done; and contending against those who would expose, denounce, and punish it.

II. WHAT IS COMMANDED? “Reprove them.”

“Reprove” in the original is a word of large meaning.

1. Rebuke. Declare the wrong of it, and show your hatred thereof.

2. Convict. As the Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, so aim at proving the world guilty by your holy life and bold witness.

3. Convert. This is to be your continual aim with those about you. You are so to reprove as to win men from ways of evil.

   • Oh that we had more of honest and loving reproof of all evil!

III. WHY IT IS COMMANDED TO ME?

It is specially my duty to be clear of other men’s sins.

1. As an imitator of God and a dear child. Verse 1.

2. As one who is an inheritor of the kingdom of God. Verses 5, 6.

3. As one who has come out of darkness into marvelous light in the Lord. Verse 8

4. As one who bears fruit, even the fruit of the Spirit, which is in all goodness, righteousness and truth. Verse 9.

5. As one who would not be associated with that which is either shameful or foolish. Verses 12, 15.

   • If our fellowship is with God, we must quit the ways of darkness.

IV. WHAT MAY COME OF OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMAND.

Even if we could see no good result, yet our duty would be plain enough; but much benefit may result.

1. We shall be clear of complicity with deeds of darkness.

2. We shall be honored in the consciences of the ungodly.

3. We may thus win them to repentance and eternal life.

4. We shall glorify God by our separated walk and by the godly perseverance with which we adhere to it.

5. We may thus establish others in holy nonconformity to the world.

Let us use the text as a warning to worldly professors.

Let us take it as a directory in our conversation with the ungodly.

Examples

A member of his congregation was in the habit of going to the theater. Mr. Hill went to him and said, “This will never do—a member of my church in the habit of attending the theater!” Mr. So-and-so replied that it surely must be a mistake, as he was not in the habit of going there, although it was true he did go now and then for a treat. “Oh!” said Rowland Hill, “then you are a worse hypocrite than ever, sir. Suppose any one spread the report that I ate carrion, and I answered, ‘Well, there is no wrong in that; I don’t eat carrion every day in the week, but I have a dish now and then for a treat!’ Why, you would say, ‘What a nasty, foul, and filthy appetite Rowland Hill has, to have to go to carrion for a treat!’ Religion is the Christian’s truest treat, Christ is his enjoyment.”—Charlesworth’s Life of Rowland Hill.

On one occasion, travelling in the Portsmouth mail, Andrew Fuller was much annoyed by the profane conversation of two young men who sat opposite. After a time, one of them, observing his gravity, accosted him with an air of impertinence, inquiring, in rude and indelicate language, whether on his arrival at Portsmouth he should not indulge himself in a manner evidently corresponding with their own intentions. Mr. Fuller, lowering his ample brows, and looking the inquirer full in the face, replied in measured tones: “Sir, I am a man that fears God.” Scarcely a word was uttered during the remainder of the journey.

Memoir of Andrew Fuller.

Matthew Wilks once rode by coach with a young nobleman and a female passenger. The nobleman entered upon an improper conversation with the coachman and the woman. At a favorable opportunity Mr. Wilks attracted his attention, and said, “My lord, maintain your rank!” The reproof was felt and acted upon. Let the Christian ever maintain his rank.

A distinguished Christian lady was recently spending a few weeks in a hotel at Long Branch, and an attempt was made to induce her to attend a dance, in order that the affair might have the prestige bestowed by her presence, as she stood high in society. She declined all the importunities of her friends, and finally an honorable senator tried to persuade her to attend, saying, “Miss B., this is quite a harmless affair, and we want to have the exceptional honor of your presence.” “Senator,” said the lady, “I cannot do it, I am a Christian. I never do anything in my summer vacation, or wherever I go, that will injure the influence I have over the girls of my Sunday-school class.” The senator bowed, and said, “I honor you; if there were more Christians like you, more men like myself would become Christians.”—Dr. Pentecost.

Rebukes should always be dealt in love: never wash a man’s face in vitriol. Some persons would burn a house down to get rid of a mouse: the smallest fault is denounced as a great crime, and a good brother is cut off from fellowship, and bad feeling is raised, when a gentle hint would have done the work much more effectually.—C. H. S.