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The Fruit of Light: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians 5:9

Character That Flows from Divine Light

In his thought-provoking exposition of Ephesians 5:9, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explores the distinctive qualities that characterize Christians as "children of light." "For the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth," writes Paul, establishing a striking contrast between the Christian's life and the "unfruitful works of darkness" (Ephesians 5:11).

For the Doctor, this verse reveals not merely behavioral expectations but the natural outworking of spiritual transformation. "This is fruit," he emphasizes. "My friends, I say there is always the element of growth and of maturing and of development." Understanding this organic process is essential for grasping authentic Christian character.

The Contrast: Works vs. Fruit

Dr. Lloyd-Jones begins by highlighting the profound distinction between "the unfruitful works of darkness" and "the fruit of light." This contrast reveals fundamental differences in origin, development, and nature:

"The characteristic of darkness is works. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. But when you come to the light and look for the manifestations of light, you've no longer got works, but you've got fruit."

What makes this distinction so significant? The Doctor explains that works suggest human manufacture—something artificial, mechanical, or imposed from outside. Fruit, by contrast, emerges naturally from within, expressing the tree's essential nature.

"When a man becomes a Christian," he explains, "the first thing that's true about him is that he becomes natural and he begins to function as he was meant to do." Paradoxically, only the regenerate person approximates true humanity as originally designed by God.

The Characteristics of Spiritual Fruit

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several essential qualities that distinguish spiritual fruit from religious works:

1. Fruit grows naturally from within

Unlike artificial religious behaviors imposed from without, genuine Christian character flows from inner transformation. "The whole secret of fruit is this: that fruit is always something that comes from within outwards," explains the Doctor. "Fruit, in a sense, is the expression of the life of the tree that produces it."

This means Christian behavior should never appear mechanical or manufactured. "The Christian should never give the appearance of being mechanical or machine-like or machine-produced," Lloyd-Jones insists. "Christians can't be produced to order or by numbers. Neither can their life and their activities and their actions."

2. Fruit develops gradually

Christian character forms progressively, not instantaneously. The Doctor uses the analogy of fruit development: "You never get this, do you? You go to bed one night, you've looked at the tree just before you went in and before the light went out, and there it was, just the branches and the leaves, no more... Next morning... there you see the fruit tree crowded, teeming with fruit, fully developed. You don't get that."

This gradual development contradicts approaches that expect instant spiritual maturity. "I find far too many ready-made Christians as regards conduct," laments Lloyd-Jones. "First of all, you're taken to an evangelistic meeting and there you get saved. Well, then you're taken to some instruction and this is put upon you... and it's all perfect at once."

3. Fruit maintains individuality within unity

While all apples share essential characteristics, each displays unique variations. Similarly, authentic Christian character manifests both consistency and individuality. "It is characteristic of fruit that while essentially, of course, all of the fruit is the same, it is equally true to say that there are always individual differences," notes the Doctor.

This diversity-in-unity distinguishes genuine Christianity from cults that produce uniformity. "You see one, you see them all. They're like postage stamps... There is always this subtle difference in the Christian."

The Content of Christian Character

What specifically constitutes this "fruit of light"? Paul identifies three qualities: goodness, righteousness, and truth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these qualities emerge in the Christian's intellect, emotions, and will:

In the intellect, light produces knowledge of spiritual truth. The Christian "has a knowledge of God... a knowledge of spiritual truth and an understanding of spiritual truth that the other man lacks." This includes understanding the way of salvation, the person of Christ, and God's purposes in history.

In the heart, light creates new desires and affections. "A man who is light in the Lord, his heart is light. And he's a man who knows something about feeling the power of the truth... He desires holiness."

In the will, light manifests as goodness, righteousness, and truth in action. These qualities emerge not through external compulsion but as natural expressions of new life within.

Implications for Christian Living

This understanding of spiritual fruit carries significant implications for Christian life and ministry:

1. Beware of artificial religious production

Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against approaches that emphasize methods over transformation: "There are too many hothouses in the Christian church, too many forcing apparatuses." Such approaches may produce immediate results but fail to cultivate lasting spiritual fruitfulness.

2. Focus on spiritual formation over religious activity

"Our business is to see that we are vessels that are meat and fit for the master's use," explains the Doctor. Rather than fixating on productivity and output, Christians should prioritize spiritual health and vitality.

3. Cultivate the inner life that produces outer fruit

"What you and I are called upon to do is to cultivate the soul. And if we cultivate the soul truly well, then the fruit will appear." This inside-out approach reverses common temptations to focus primarily on external religious performance.

Contemporary Application

For today's Christians, Ephesians 5:9 provides a powerful corrective to both religious legalism and secular productivity obsessions. Dr. Lloyd-Jones' exposition challenges believers to:

Evaluate whether their character flows naturally from inner transformation or represents imposed religious conformity
Exercise patience with spiritual growth—both their own and others'—recognizing that genuine fruit develops gradually
Appreciate diversity among believers while maintaining unity in essential character qualities
Focus on cultivating spiritual health rather than merely performing religious activities

In an age of instant results and image management, the Doctor's emphasis on authentic spiritual fruit offers a refreshing alternative: "You and I are not to have our eye primarily upon production or upon the quantity produced. We must ever be concerned about our capacity to produce and about the quality of what we produce."

The tragedy of contemporary Christianity, Lloyd-Jones suggests, is that "she is full of works and activity and activism, but that there is such little fruit, this glorious fruit of the light and of the spirit, to be seen amongst us." Ephesians 5:9 calls believers back to authentic spiritual life that naturally produces the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Q and A

What is the meaning of Ephesians 5:9?

Ephesians 5:9 reads: "For the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth." (Note: Some translations say "fruit of the Spirit" rather than "fruit of light," but Dr. Lloyd-Jones follows the manuscript evidence supporting "fruit of light.")

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, this verse reveals:

The natural outcome of spiritual transformation - The phrase "fruit of light" indicates that Christian character grows organically from our new nature as "children of light" (Ephesians 5:8). Lloyd-Jones explains: "Fruit is always something that comes from within outwards. Fruit, in a sense, is the expression of the life of the tree that produces it."
The contrast with "works of darkness" - The word "fruit" stands in deliberate contrast to the "unfruitful works of darkness" mentioned in Ephesians 5:11. While darkness produces "works" (mechanical, artificial efforts), light produces "fruit" (natural, organic expressions of inner life).
The components of Christian character - The fruit of light manifests in three essential qualities:
―Goodness: moral excellence and benevolence toward others
―Righteousness: right conduct in relation to God's standards
―Truth: honesty, integrity, and commitment to reality as God defines it

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that these qualities shouldn't be artificially imposed but should grow naturally as expressions of the Holy Spirit's work within: "We don't make ourselves what we are by what we do. We do what we do because we are what we are."

What are the fruits of the Spirit in Ephesians?

While Galatians 5:22-23 explicitly lists nine "fruits of the Spirit" (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), Ephesians uses different terminology.

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Ephesians 5:9, the "fruit of light" in Ephesians consists of:

Goodness - Moral excellence and kindness toward others
Righteousness - Right behavior according to God's standards
Truth - Honesty, authenticity, and adherence to reality as God defines it

The Doctor observes that these qualities manifest in every aspect of the Christian's being:

In the intellect - Light produces spiritual knowledge and understanding - "The Christian is a man who has a knowledge which he lacked before... a knowledge of God... a knowledge of spiritual truth."
In the emotions - Light creates new desires and affections - "A man who is light in the Lord, his heart is light. And he's a man who knows something about feeling... He desires holiness."
In the will - Light results in new actions and behaviors that express goodness, righteousness, and truth.

Lloyd-Jones notes that while Ephesians uses "fruit of light" terminology, the concept remains connected to the Holy Spirit's work: "Of course, it's the same thing. It's the Spirit that gives the light." The qualities in Ephesians 5:9 align with and complement the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians.

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