Time To Expose Evil

Believers are called to expose lies and darkness with truth and light:

Sadly many Christians today are quite hesitant about exposing stuff – be it that which is evil, false, ungodly or unrighteous. They will get in a huff if you dare to point out that which is wrong or harmful, and seem to think that we are called simply to be nice and never rock the boat.

Indeed, they can sometimes get more upset with the believers who point these things out than they do with what is being exposed. But we have full biblical warrant to let our light shine on the darkness, and to share truth in a world that lives on lies.

If we are standing up for biblical values and letting the light of Christ shine as we share truth and proclaim the gospel, then obviously those in darkness will react to the light – they will hate the light. Jesus had said this very thing in John 3:18-21:

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

And it is not hard to see how this of necessity will be the case for the true believer. Simply being salt and light will expose the darkness and evil that is out there. The life of the Christian will convict others. These folks will get mad at you because you do not go along with their wicked ways and do not condone their immoral lifestyles. Simply being true to Christ will get many non-believers – and carnal Christians – quite upset, even infuriated.

Consider another passage of Scripture which is so often ignored by believers or at least played down. I refer to Ephesians 5:11 which says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” The context (5:1-20) is about how believers should live in a dark and sinful world.

As to what the verb translated “expose” means, while the term can mean reprove, examine, rebuke, convince or convict, the idea of exposure is certainly included in all this. And again, a life committed to Christ and biblical commands will result in those who reject Christ to feel uncomfortable – even angry – being around such believers.

So simply to BE a Christian will offend and disturb some people. Our very lives – or more accurately, Christ living in us – will bring them conviction and discomfort. That cannot be avoided. People living in darkness do NOT like the light.

Both the Bible and church history offers countless examples of this occurring. I believe I have shared before just one example of this. When I and others were sharing the gospel in Amsterdam some decades ago while working with a missionary organisation, we saw this happen firsthand.

Some of the team members were on their knees praying near the red-light district. All of a sudden, one of them was hit over the head with a club. However, this was not done by a pimp or an angry customer of the prostitutes, but a policeman! Instead of protecting us, he flew into a rage and actually lashed out with a physical attack.

How do you explain something like that other than the fact that those in darkness hate the light, and there are such things as demons controlling people? Jesus and the disciples were routinely opposed, rejected, hated on and violently assaulted. They were even put to death.

The world hates the gospel, and the demons can’t stand Christ. So to be a follower of Jesus means we will also be hated and abused. Even if we do not directly speak out about the darkness, our lives will provoke a reaction in them. In this regard, I quite like what James Montgomery Boice said about the Ephesians 5 passage:

The bottom line of this discussion is that Christians are to be God’s light in the midst of this world’s darkness. They are to be an enlightening element, and this is to be so precisely because they have first been enlightened. Paul says in verse 8, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”

 

The most important thing about this statement is that Paul does not say merely that before their conversion Christians were in darkness and that now, since their conversion, they are in the light, though that is true. He says something more profound. Before they were darkness, now they are light. He is pointing to a change in them, not merely to a change in their surroundings. Before they were not only in darkness; darkness was in them. And now they not only are in light, they are light and therefore must shine out as lights to their benighted society. That makes all the difference. If it is only a question of seeking the light or living in the light, then Christianity is no different from any other religion or philosophy, and there is no more hope from it than from any of them. But if becoming a Christian involves a change from darkness to light, then the presence of Christians in the world is itself hope, as together we stand against the darkness.

And what William Hendriksen says in his commentary is also worth sharing here:

Note that Paul recognises no twilight zone. Although according to Scripture there are degrees of sinfulness and also degrees of holiness, nevertheless, there is no region of the shades. A person is either a believer or an unbeliever. Works belong either to the light or to darkness. Those who have sworn allegiance to the Ruler of the realm of light must take no part whatsoever in the empty, futile, thoroughly disappointing, works of darkness.

 

Does this mean now that the Ephesians should withdraw themselves from the men of the world; that they should become hermits and move as far as possible away from wicked men? Not at all! Though they are not of the world, yet, they are in the world and have a mission to fulfil. Says Paul: ‘but instead even expose them,’ that is these unfruitful works of darkness. Those who belong to the realm of light cannot be neutral with respect to the work of darkness. Compromise, too, is definitely ruled out. For example, when God says, “Worship me alone,” and another says, “Worship idols,” it will not do to try to worship Jehovah under the symbolism of images which are on the way to becoming idols. Ascent of Jeroboam was an abomination to Jehovah (1 Kings 12:25-33). Sin must be exposed. One is not being nice to a wicked man by endeavoring to make him feel what a fine fellow he is. The cancerous tumor must be removed, and not humored. It is not really an act of love to smooth things over, as if the terrible evil committed by those still living in the realm of darkness is not so bad after all. With respect to this, Paul continues: ‘for the things done by them in secret it is a shame even to the mention’.

While all Christians may not be called to particular public ministries, such as being involved in the culture wars and exposing and calling out various evils and dangers, all believers should be living such a life that the light of Christ shines through.

If so, then just like with Christ himself, some people will be drawn to that light, while some other folks will be repelled by it and react angrily against it. Either way, the real deal Christian will be provoking some sort of reaction. The light always exposes the darkness.

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