“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:11-14, NIV, emphasis added)
We bought our house in the dead of Winter. Abandoned for a year, the inspection was done without electricity and water. There was a leak in the roof, filthy toilets, a bullseye target painted on the window, and remnants of someone who’d used it as shelter during the time it sat vacant. We hoped and prayed everything would work when we made an offer and called it our own a few days before Christmas.
But sheer angst was what we experienced several days later.
Winters in the Pacific Northwest are dark and dreary, so we were excited to see the sun finally peek through the clouds while unpacking. It was the light that unleashed what was hidden. Thousands upon thousands of beetles scurried out from under the cedar shakes on our south-facing home to bathe in the warm sun. Once gray in color, our new house looked black. It was absolutely covered in insects.
I took the window screens off and hundreds dropped out. Even the attic vents were full of the pesky bugs. More beetles tucked themselves under the shingles than I knew what to do with. Years of no one dealing with the pests made for a breeding haven and I was completely overwhelmed. There were times that I stayed inside on sunny days to pretend they weren’t there, and even thought about cancelling plans with friends so they wouldn’t see my infested home.
When ignoring the problem no longer worked, online tutorials and articles helped me decide how to overcome my new arch-enemy. The plan for victory meant keeping a pressure-washer always ready with a special soap and water mixture. Spraying them with the sudsy solution was tiresome and tedious, but it worked! The beetles dwindled in number and what began in anguish ended in anticipation. I rushed home on sunny days just to deal with my pests and get rid of them for good.
If you’re anything like me, you may not always want to expose things that are hidden. Like the beetles that lived under my shingles, It may seem easier to pretend they aren’t there than go through the hard work, exposure, and even embarrassment of dealing with them and admitting they’re a problem.
The same is true for sin. Only when it’s exposed and known can we truly surrender it to the Lord and be cleansed from it. The pesky, debilitating, and loathsome problem of sin can only be reconciled in the light.
I believe we are living in a time of sin-reckoning, Sisters. I believe this current pandemic, racial tension, and national discord is exposing both personal and corporate footholds. They are bringing to light weaknesses in our character and revealing values inconsistent with Gospel truth. They are uncovering idolatry and the darkest places of our heart. They are unveiling the filth that lurks under the surface.
And I believe the same is true for the Church at large. God’s bride has been hiding sin in the shadows. Covering it. Justifying it. Perhaps even unaware of it. The Light of God in all His radiant perfection and glory exposes things we may not have wanted to see – In ourselves, our neighbors, our systems, our communities, our leaders, and those we love.
But there is beauty in the revelation of sin – If we humbly acknowledge it and repent from it. The apostle Paul tells us that “everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”
Imagine for a moment what the world would look like if we, daughters of Christ, fully surrendered our sin and walked in the light of the Lord (Ephesians 5:11)? If we let Him refine and cleanse that which has been exposed? We would illuminate our homes, workplaces, and nation for His glory!
Oh Sisters, may we boldly ask the Lord to reveal our offences and humbly repent of them. May we bravely plea in the same manner as David: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). May we reflect His image “in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:11). May we be examples of confession and reconciliation for all the world to see and “live as children of the light” (v.11) for His pleasure. May we stop trying to hide our fear of being exposed (John 3:19-20) and fully surrender to our great God’s mercy. May we hold fast to the truth that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (John 1:9).
May we let Him consume us. Refine us. Cleanse us. Purify us. All for His glory and His Kingdom. Amen.
About Lisa: Lisa DaSilva is a wife, mom of two teenagers, teacher, and advocate for women to love God with their heart, soul and mind as they engage in responsible study of His Word. She is the Director of Arise Ministries Collective in the Pactific Northwest.
Loving Jesus and making Him known really is her everything.
