Although it is rather easy to understand the difference between love and grace, it is more difficult to understand the distinction between light and truth. Perhaps it will help if I illustrate from my own experience in married life. My wife and I have been married for a good many years. During this time, I cannot recall ever dealing with her according to what I thought was right. On the contrary, by the Lord’s enabling, I have behaved toward her always in light. When we are in the light, we are outside the realm of right and wrong. There is no need to discern what is right and what is wrong, what we should do and what we should not do. If we are in the light, we simply act and behave spontaneously in a certain way. However, when we are in darkness, we need to discern, to guess, and to grope for a way to do things. But when we are in the light, there is no need for groping, guessing, or discerning.
Suppose I am about to lose my temper with my wife. There is no need for me at such a time to ask if this is according to truth. I do not need to wonder what my children or the elders of the church will think about it. To ask such questions with respect to husband or wife is to descend from the realm of light to the realm of truth. It is to consider what is according to the standard of the pattern of the life of Jesus. If we remain on the mountaintop in the realm of light, there will be no need for such considerations. As those in the light, we shall not try to discern whether or not it is right to lose our temper at that particular time.
In a foregoing message I referred to the cases of the immoral women in John 4 and 8. In both cases the word truth is used. In John 4:24 the Lord Jesus speaks of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. In John 8:32 He says that we shall know the truth and that the truth will set us free. The women in these two chapters were not yet saved. When the Lord was dealing with them, they were candidates for salvation. As such, they were in darkness and in falsehood. However, they were about to be delivered out of darkness and falsehood into the realm of truth and righteousness. I believe that both these women were saved and brought into the realm of truth. However, having entered into this realm, they were to go on to contact the Father and enter into the presence of God where all is light. Here in the realm of light we no longer consider what is right and what is wrong, what is false and what is real. Instead of such considerations, there is simply the shining of light.
If our married life is proper, we shall not consider whether our behavior with our spouse is according to truth or up to the standard. If we think in this way in relation to our husband or wife, we are quite far from the realm of light. In fact we are not even fully according to truth. If our married life is in the sphere of light, we shall not consider how to behave. Rather, we shall simply and spontaneously live in light. We shall do certain things and behave in certain ways simply because we are in the light, not because we regard such things or such behavior as according to the truth as it is in Jesus.
In the early years of my Christian life, I lived in the sphere of truth. I tried to be right in everything I did. I was afraid to do certain things because of what others might say. Therefore, I behaved in a way that others would regard as praiseworthy. This means that my behavior was according to truth. Later, by the Lord’s mercy, I was brought more into His presence. I learned how to abide in His presence and to live in intimacy with Him in a relationship full of love and light. As a result, I was kept from doing things not because I had reasoned they were wrong, but simply because I was in the light. As one in the light, I acted, behaved, and spoke in certain ways without considering what was according to truth or what was right. No longer was I concerned about what others might say. I no longer thought about what kind of behavior would be appreciated or what would be criticized. I was in the light, and I no longer reasoned about what actions were according to truth.
To be the church as the new man it is necessary and appropriate to live according to truth and by grace. But this is not adequate for the aspect of the church as the Bride. As the Bride, the church must have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus in love and in light. In everything and in every way the church as the Bride must be bright. Therefore, in chapter five love and light are the basic elements.
In every chapter of Ephesians different aspects of the church are revealed. Each of these aspects is related to various basic elements. For example, in chapter six we see the church as the warrior. What a warrior requires is neither grace and truth nor love and light, but strength and armor for fighting. As the warrior, the church must be strong to stand and must have the armor with which to fight.