SERMON: “Darkness and Light”
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 5:8-14
DATE: March 19, 2023

Today Pastor Carlson will preach using the “Textual Sermon” form, a common form used by preachers. Similar to the typical “Expository” form, the Textual sermon considers one or two verses of a passage, explains them theologically, and applies them. This form always includes a theme.

Theme: “As children of light, let us walk in His light which breaks all our darkness.”

1. Introduction from John 9
   • The blind man wasn’t blind because of his sins or his parents
   • Sin is bigger than human choices
   • “Sin is in the air!”
   • God has power over sin and can use sin to bring us light and faith
2. The blind man is a shining example of what it means to “walk as children of light.”
   • In theological terms, blindness equals unbelief
   • Blindness is living unforgiven because there is no faith
   • Blindness, theologically, is NOT merely about living in sin but fundamentally about living without faith, and we must keep this clear in our heads lest we start judging others’ faith by the types of sin they do.
   • We all sin, every day, but such does not mean we are living in the dark.
3. Walking as children of light means that we live by faith
   • We live in daily repentance, acknowledging our sins and penitent Christians
   • We live in God’s grace, trusting that He has forgiven us our sins for the sake of Christ
   • We live by the Holy Spirit who daily guides us away from the darkness of unbelief
   • We live by the Word which teaches us how to live holy, godly lives and helps us fend against the lures of our old selves
4. Thus, “as children of light, let us walk in His light which breaks all our darkness!”