Unfruitful Works of Darkness
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:8-13
Originally preached Nov. 23, 1958
Scripture
8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful …
Sermon Description
How does one know if they are a born-again Christian? What are some ways they can test their lives to see if they have been saved? What are the manifestations of darkness and why should one know them? In this sermon on Ephesians 5:8–13 titled “Unfruitful Works of Darkness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones walks through a standard against which Christians can measure their lives, teaching that it is important to know these so that they can see whether or not they are producing the fruit that stems from being a follower of Christ and being changed by the Holy Spirit. The first manifestation is the mind—those who are in darkness are ignorant of God and the truth about themselves and the state of their souls. They deny that their sin is grievous enough to separate them from God, and they don’t see the need to submit their lives to the authority of Jesus Christ. Another manifestation is the will. Many people today are trying to make the world a better place— they see all the crime in the world and think that it will be fixed with more money or success. However, dealing with unrighteousness without addressing the underlying ungodliness will avail nothing; the foundational issue must be fixed in order to see change. This is what needs to be repaired in order for the world to be a better place.
Sermon Breakdown
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The passage being discussed is Ephesians 5:8-13. The sermon focuses on living a life in conformity with one's Christian faith and profession.
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Paul argues that Christians are now "light in the Lord" and should "walk as children of light." They are fundamentally different from non-Christians who remain in darkness.
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There are three manifestations of darkness:
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In the mind: Non-Christians are ignorant of God, his laws, themselves, the meaning of life, death, and the afterlife. They are ignorant of Jesus Christ and the need for salvation.
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In the heart and emotions: Non-Christians do not want to hear or respond to the truth. They find the truth boring and irresponsive. Their hearts are hard.
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In the will: Non-Christians live an "evil life" and are described as "children of the night." They do "hidden works of darkness" and "unfruitful works of darkness" that are "shameful."
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The "unfruitful works of darkness" produce no value or contribution to the person or others. They lead to destruction. Examples are given of the fall of Rome due to internal moral rot and Jesus' words about the broad road leading to destruction.
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Christians should be concerned about those in darkness and pray for revival so the church can share the light and knowledge of God with this "apathetic, godless, dark, ignorant, shameful generation."
Sermon Q&A
How Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Describe the Difference Between Light and Darkness in Christians vs. Non-Christians?
What are the main differences between Christians and non-Christians according to Lloyd-Jones in this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there is a complete and entire difference between Christians and non-Christians. He states: "We have emphasized that there is a complete and an entire difference between those who are in the light and those who are in darkness, those who are Christians and those who are not Christians." Christians are "light in the Lord" while non-Christians are actually "darkness" - not merely in darkness but darkness itself. This transformation is radical - "Light enters and reradiates the very depths and vitals of our being."
How does darkness manifest in the mind according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones explains that darkness first manifests in the mind as ignorance. He states: "Darkness shows itself in the mind. In the matter of one's intellect and understanding." The non-Christian is ignorant of: - God and His holy character - The truth about themselves and their soul - The true meaning and purpose of life - Death and what happens beyond it - The Lord Jesus Christ and the need for salvation
Lloyd-Jones says: "They are completely ignorant. And it is because they're ignorant of all these things that they're equally ignorant about the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is, the eternal Son of God, why He ever came into this world."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe darkness in relation to the heart and emotions?
Darkness affects the heart and emotions by making people unresponsive to truth. Lloyd-Jones explains: "They're not only ignorant of the truth. They don't want to hear it. They're irresponsive to it. They're hard. When they do hear it, they see, think it's boring. They can't stand it."
He quotes Jesus saying: "This is the condemnation that light has come into the world. But men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Lloyd-Jones concludes: "It isn't only the mind that's dark. The heart is dark."
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by "unfruitful works of darkness"?
Lloyd-Jones contrasts the "fruit of the Spirit" with the "unfruitful works of darkness." He explains that works of darkness are:
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Artificial and mechanical - "There is something about that evil life of darkness which is artificial. It's a sort of artifact produced by men." It's not the kind of life humans were meant to live.
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Unfruitful - They have no value to the person who lives them or to others: "That life of sin, that unchristian life, does nothing for the man himself who lives it. It doesn't add to him in any respect... takes his money, takes his energy, leaves him as an exhausted hulk at the end of his life."
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Shameful - "It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret." They are "disgusting...foul...vile."
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between ungodliness and unrighteousness?
Lloyd-Jones states that wrong conduct flows from wrong thinking: "As a man thinks so, he is." He explains that ungodliness leads to unrighteousness, quoting Romans 1:18: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men."
He emphasizes: "It is ungodliness that leads to unrighteousness, and to try and deal with unrighteousness without dealing with the ungodliness is a sheer waste of time and energy and money." This is why he believes societal attempts to address crime and immorality without addressing people's relationship with God will always fail.
What does Lloyd-Jones suggest is the only solution to the darkness in society?
Lloyd-Jones states: "There is only one thing that can deal with this whole question of morality and behavior, and that is that men and women be brought out of darkness into God's marvelous light, that they cease to be darkness and become light in the Lord."
He concludes by calling Christians to pray for revival: "The way to test whether we really do take these things seriously is this: Are we praying God to send us such a revival, to pour out His Spirit upon us? That the church may be so filled with power that this apathetic, godless, dark, ignorant, shameful generation will be compelled to listen and compelled to think and compelled to face God and their own eternal destiny."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.