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Located on the west coast of what is now Turkey, Ephesus was a Greek seaport city that existed for hundreds of years before being swallowed up by the Roman Empire. Under the rule of the Emperor Augustus, it grew into a prominent, prosperous, and powerful city, expanding through the first century until it reached a population of more than 400,000 people. Paul took the gospel to Ephesus and “for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Later, he wrote his letter to the Ephesians to remind them that “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Eph 2:8). Although they were Gentiles, they had been changed by their faith into “citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19).
As Gentiles, the Christ-followers of Ephesus were like uncut diamonds with a value that was hard to determine. Today, rough diamonds are popular among wealthy trend-setters, people who crave whatever is new and different in the world of jewelry. The gems have a certain natural, earthy, organic appeal, and they are sometimes a bargain since they include stones which are not suitable for cutting. The biggest problem with these diamonds is that you cannot easily ascertain their worth. Faceted diamonds are priced based on cut, color, carat, and clarity — the “four c’s” of the Gemological Institute of America — but there are no industry standards for evaluating uncut diamonds.
In similar manner, the Ephesians were uncut, at least in terms of circumcision. They were considered to be aliens from Israel, strangers to the covenant, without hope or God. “But now,” Paul discovered, “in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us” (Eph 2:13-14). Although diamonds in the rough, the uncut Ephesians were able to come into relationship with God and with their Jewish brothers and sisters through Christ.
But since they were still natural, earthy, and organic, the Ephesians needed additional refining. So Paul laid out instructions for them: “Live as children of light” (Eph 5:8). He knew that in order to sparkle, shine, and transmit God’s light, some cutting would be involved: Putting away falsehood, giving up stealing, stripping away “all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,” turning away from fornication and greed, as well as “obscene, silly, and vulgar talk” (Eph 4:25 – 5:4). Paul wanted the Ephesians to remove the impurities that kept them from being brilliant and beautiful diamonds, able to receive and transmit the light of God. He wanted them to live “as children of light — for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Eph 5:8-9).
So what steps were involved? “Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord,” said Paul (Eph 5:10), try to discover the best Christian behavior in the face of challenging real-life situations. The Greek word for “try to find out” is dokimazo, which also means “discern” or “test.” It is an active verb, one which means to examine and put to the test, as you would test a team of oxen. In the parable of the great dinner, a guest says, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out” (Luke 14:19). Dokimazo. This is not theoretical speculation, but it is down and dirty hard work — the same kind of effort you would put into cutting, polishing and shaping a gem. As you cut away what Paul calls “the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph 5:11), you become ever more clear about what a Christian life looks like.
The goal of all this work is complete transparency to the light of God. In her book Night on the Flint River, Roberta Bondi sets out on a canoe trip near Atlanta, along with a colleague named Pam. They intend for the trip to last for the afternoon, but the outing quickly turns into a disaster — the water level is high, and the riverbed is littered with dead trees. They leave the river and begin to hike through a wilderness so dark that they cannot even see their own hands. Through this ordeal, Pam remains optimistic. Roberta writes that “Pam’s love carved out for me a space in the wilderness in which it was safe to breathe.” In Roberta’s eyes, Pam is “completely transparent to God,” so that for a little while she “can see God truly through that human being.”
In that dark night near the Flint River, the words of Paul to the Ephesians came true, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph 5:14). Pam became a brilliant gem, with the light of God shining through her beautifully polished compassion and patience. This is the goal of all our cutting and polishing — becoming transparent to the light of God. This passage from Ephesians is one of the Bible’s greatest hits, because it promises us that when we focus on what is good and right and true, we turn from dark, rough stones into clear, beautiful, brilliant gems. As we try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord, we become a diamond through which the light of God can shine.
Questions:
1. Where is refining most needed among followers of Christ today?
2. What behavior do you think is most pleasing to the Lord?
3. How can you become more transparent to the light of God?
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