Ephesians 5:12 Commentary and Bible Study

Now this is probably a little harder to grasp. Take it in its obvious sense, because it is true. ‘It is a shame’ – something so shameful – even to talk about the things that are done in secret by those who are still in sin; it applies to us. We don't like to talk about it; it is so shameful, polluting, offensive to God. We do not do those things, and we are not going to, in a sordid way, talk about those things either. So the surface sense of the passage is good but it is not actually the main sense of the passage. But if you take verse 12 and 13 together, you see that shame is meant in a deeper sense. You must reprove the things that sinners do, because by so doing you bring about shame in them if the Spirit is at work. ‘All things that are reproved are brought into the light and made manifest by the light. For whatsoever does make manifest is light.’ I wonder who it was, if it was a person, who was used as an instrument of God to speak to the apostle Paul, who said to him, ‘You are covetous, Saul – he was Saul then – because you are lusting after your ambitions, and your proud desire for position, and possessions, and the law says, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’ I wonder if it was God spoke directly, or if God used a human instrument to bring to light what Saul was doing. But the Spirit moved and all things were made manifest by Christ and his Spirit, who is the light, as that witness was mounted. We not only demonstrate the life of God, but we convey it. But surely you cannot go around reproving everyone; you cannot go around telling everybody the things they are doing are sinful. Well, yes, it's very difficult. That is why this first and foremost, no doubt, applies to the preaching of the word and the preaching of the gospel. If it is difficult to tell people, ‘You are a sinner and the things you do are awful. I did them once; they are offensive to God; it is a life of carnality and materialism and self; it's dreadful.’ You can't say that, so you need to bring them to a gospel preaching church; you must, bring them to hear the word of life, because it is easy sometimes when they hear it from the pulpit, as long as it isn't harsh; it is easier because the preacher is speaking to lots of people, not just them as individuals. And by the work of the Spirit it can be applied to their individual hearts. So this is first of all the responsibility of preaching, yes. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but through all your preaching bring them to the surface. There must be evangelistic preaching, gospel preaching, to persuade sinners and show them their need of mercy of God, so that things are brought to light, and shame is brought about in the heart by the light of Christ, and people bought therefore to repentance.