I. GOD'S PEOPLE, HIS CHILDREN, ARE A REPROVING LIGHT. They are called out of darkness into marvellous light, that they might reflect the, light of Him who hath "called them out of darkness into His marvellous light." But, beloved, there is another quality in light, there are many others indeed, but this one especially here to be noted, which is, that there is a detective and a reproving quality in light. We know not the beauty of an object but as the light unfolds it; we know not its faultiness, we see not its defects, they are to us unknown without the light; but the light reveals them. The Lord's people are especially called to stand; not merely as a reflecting light, not merely as a diffusing light, but as a reproving light, reproving the "darkness " around them. Whatever there is in a believer peculiar to him as a believer, is a light that reproves the world. Is it the life that he has, the life of faith? It is a reproving light to the world. If we look to the love of the believer, or what he loves; he loves Christ. In this love of Christ we shall see that he is a reproving light to the world. But especially do we see this in the quality of a believer's happiness. When a child of God is enabled by the Spirit of God to realize clearly his adoption; when he can look up with humble hope and believing confidence, and say, "My Father!" when he knows something of the power of this truth, that communion with God, submission to God, and obedience in the ways of God is the very highest element of real enjoyment; when it speaks peace to him and quiets him in the midst of all his troubles, and dries up his tears — oh! what a reproving light is this oft to the world that lieth in darkness. He says, "I see the effects; I see a real principle, I know not whence it comes, but I see a positive amount of happiness, I have never seen anything like it before. I have seen a man in wealth, but his wealth did not make him happy; I have seen a man in poverty, but his poverty did not make him miserable; I have seen him in health, he saw no brightness in health save only as he was enabled to 'live to God'; I have seen him in sickness, and in sickness I have seen him peaceful, he knew that joy, that 'peace that passeth all understanding'; I have seen him in death, I have seen him when called to die, 'ready to depart' — 'to me to live,' he said, 'is Christ, to die is gain'; and I have seen him in the last article of death, but death had no sting, he was enabled to rise above it by faith in Christ Jesus, and say, 'O death! where is thy sting? O grave! where is thy victory?'"II. But, observe now, secondly, they are PLACED IN THE MIDST OF THESE UNFRUITFUL WORKS OF DARKNESS. Ah! dear hearers, we have but poor notions of sin. Every sin is that which deserves God's wrath; it has death for its wages, and eternal misery, if unrepented of, for its consummation. Therefore, confine not your minds to gross sins merely, since all sins are the works of darkness. Why are they called unfruitful? I have no doubt that it has especial reference to this darkness, as the very cause of barrenness. Yet, beloved, the saints of God are placed in the midst of these "unfruitful works of darkness"; why is it? Could not the Lord God have delivered them and translated them at once to their eternal home? Could He not in the case of Israel of old have taken them to Canaan at once without taking them through the waste howling desert? Who denies it? But should you ask wherefore He does it not, we see it typically unfolded in the eighth of Deuteronomy, at the fifteenth and sixteenth verses — "Who hath led thee through a great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end." See, then, wherefore they are placed in the midst of a dying world; see wherefore they are surrounded by these "unfruitful works of darkness"; see the great end and object, it is not the result of chance, it is the appointment of infinite wisdom, tenderness, goodness, and love.
III. But, beloved, observe now "THE EXHORTATION that is given — "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." Now, observe, it is not said, "have no fellowship with the unfruitful workers of darkness," never will you meet with a precept of that kind in God's Word, we must needs go out of the world if we try. But there is more than this in the precept — "but rather reprove them." Here we come to one of the most difficult paths in the believer's walk. There are many ways in which the believer is called upon from time to time to reprove the "works of darkness." By diffusing the truth.
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