Live as Children of Light

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Eph 5:8-11)

Review
For the past two Sundays, we’ve talked about what it means to become new creations. When we become a new creation, it means that we are born again to become new beings, completely different from our past selves.
 
The word that best describes our old selves is sin. We were created in the image of God, but we lost it because of sin. Sin severed our relationship with God, and that broke all the other relationships we have. Moreover, as a result of our separation from God, who alone has eternity, we were headed for eternal death.
 
Paul described this fallen state of human beings in this way: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph 2:1)
 
But Jesus came to the world to save us from our sins. He bore our sins and died on the cross so that we can be freely justified in Him. In Jesus alone, can we experience the blessing of forgiveness and salvation. That’s why being in Christ is the only way for us to become new creations.
 
Jesus not only rescued us from our sins but also made it possible for us to recover the image of God that we had once lost. He did this by showing us God’s image through His life and by reconciling us with God.
 
Now, all those who believe in Jesus and decide to live in Him are set free from their past sins, failures, and mistakes as we “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4:24)
 
Last Sunday, we dug deeper into the meaning of new creations through the metaphor of light and darkness. In the Bible, light is often used to describe the nature of God. The apostle John said,
 
“…God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 Jn 1:5)
 
If God is light, then darkness refers to the absence of God. Even though God is everywhere, there are places where His existence and sovereignty are denied and ignored. Wherever God’s presence is disregarded, only darkness fills that place.
 
That’s who we were and where we lived before we believed in God. Paul said, “You were once darkness” (Eph 5:8). We lived without God under the reign of Satan, following our own evil desires and the ways of the world. We lived in the dominion of darkness without even realizing it. We were dead in our sins.
 
But God didn’t leave us alone in darkness. Rather, He chose to come to the world to shine His light on us and allow us to walk in the light.
 
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” (Jn 1:9)
 
“God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” (2 Co 4:6)
 
Now, all those who believe in Jesus and follow Him will never walk in darkness because they were delivered from the dominion of darkness to God’s kingdom of light. As Paul said,
 
“The Father… has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:12-14)
 
Before we met Jesus, we lived in the dominion of darkness because of our sin. But in Jesus, all our sins were forgiven, and we were delivered from darkness to the kingdom of light. We were once darkness, but we became children of light in Christ. That’s who we are in Jesus.
 
How to Live as Children of Light
So, as those who have received Jesus’ light and have become new creatures in Him, the task given to us is to reflect His wonderful light to those around us who don’t know about it yet.
 
When Paul encountered Jesus’ light, he heard Jesus’ voice telling him, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Ac 26:17-18)
 
The reason Jesus shone His light on Paul was to send him into the darkened world to deliver the good news of light and turn many people from darkness to light. That’s the mission given to all Christians. All those to whom the light of Jesus has been given must share His light with others, bringing His light to every corner of the world.
 
As Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:14-16)
 
Here, we find an important identity we have in Jesus—the light of the world. Just as Jesus came to the world as the light to drive out darkness in our hearts and make us His children of light, we’re called to be the light of the world and reflect His light to those around us.
 
Now, as the light of the world, we need to learn how to shine the light of Jesus to those around us.
 
In this passage, we find three aspects of light.
 
First, it’s not concealable. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Mt 5:14).
 
There is nothing clearer than light in the darkness. We can even see a little candlelight clearly if it is dark. Likewise, if we truly receive Jesus’ light, it can’t be hidden. If people around us don’t notice any light from us, we should check if we’re really in the light.
 
A town on a hill can’t be hidden even in the middle of the night because of its light. Likewise, if we become the light of the world, those around us should be able to notice the light. How we think, how we speak, how we spend our time and money, how we treat others, and how we behave must be different and distinguished.
 
This is possible only when we remain in Jesus and are filled with His light. And if we really live that kind of life, those around us will notice it and be drawn to it. That’s the first step to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ through our lives.
 
We must do our best to ensure that the light of Jesus Christ that the Lord has placed in us does not fade or disappear. In order to do so, we must continue to be in Christ, the true light.
 
Again, we can’t shine the light ourselves. We can only reflect the light. This means that if we ourselves lose the light of Jesus or are not filled with His light, we can’t serve as the light of the world. But if we remain in Him and He remains in us, His light will naturally shine through our lives wherever we are. That’s the life we’re called to live as children of light.
 
The second characteristic of the light Jesus taught is that it is for everyone. Jesus said, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Mt 5:15).
 
The reason a lamp should be put on its stand, not under a bowl, is to shine the light on as many things and people as possible. The light of Jesus isn’t for a specific group of people. It is for everyone. There’s no discrimination in His light. So, we must ensure that no one is left out of this light, which means, we should try to approach all kinds of people, including our enemies, not just those whom we want to get along with.
 
How can the love of Jesus reach everyone if we only seek to associate with those who are comfortable with us? As Christians, we need to look more to the marginalized. Marginalized people are everywhere. They go to school with you. They work with you. They're even in the church. They're the ones we should reach out to first as Christians.
 
Keep this in mind. Jesus doesn't want His light to shine only on people we like. The light of Jesus should shine on everyone we meet, and no one should be discriminated against or left out.
 
Third, the purpose of shining the light is only for the glory of God. Jesus said,
 
 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
 
This is the most important aspect of us being the light of the world. We’re called to let our light shine before others for the glory of God. That’s the new purpose we came to have as new creations in Christ.
 
Before we believed in Jesus, we used to live without purpose. We thought we had a purpose, but we were simply following the ways of the world.
 
Getting good grades, going to a good college, having a good job, and doing well in this world cannot be the true purpose of life because no matter how good they may seem, they are limited to this finite world.
 
But, when we believe in Jesus, our eyes are opened to eternity and we begin to seek what’s eternal. And we find the true purpose of life for which we were originally created—to glorify God. The prophet Isaiah said,
 
“The people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Is 43:21)
 
The reason God created us in His image and saved us is so that we may reveal His character and bring Him glory as His creations. Then, how can we glorify God?
 
Think about people who have a good reputation and how they got it. Most of us here have probably heard of Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Steve Jobs. Thomas Edison helped invent the first practical electric light bulb, Bell the telephone, and Jobs the iPhone. They are known for their significant inventions.
 
The same is true of the Christian life. God is most glorified when we, His creations, live beautifully according to His will. When we love those around us with God's love, God is glorified through us. When we live with integrity and in goodness, following God's example, He is glorified through us.
 
That’s the life we’re called to live as Christians. We’re called to do good deeds so that we can glorify our heavenly Father through them.  The ultimate purpose of us being the light of the world is to allow others to see God’s true light through our words and deeds, come to Him, and glorify Him as well.
 
Remember that people who don’t know God see Him through us. We can glorify God, but at the same time we can defile His name through our actions. How those around us see God depends on what we say and what we do as Christians. That’s what we should always keep in mind, especially when we are with non-believers.
 
I want us to be true Christians who reflect God’s light through our good deeds, so that we may make His name hallowed and glorified, not ignored or defiled.
 
If you ask non-Christians why they don't believe in Jesus, you'd likely get three main answers.
 
First, they don’t believe in Him for rational reasons. They say they don’t believe in God because they can’t understand the supernatural events written about in the Bible, such as the resurrection of Jesus.
 
Second, they might say they don’t believe in God because it’s hard for them to accept the fact that He exists when they see evil things happening in this world. They ask how such evil things can happen if there is an all-powerful and good God. They say if God can’t control evil Himself, He is not almighty. They also say if God allows evil in this world, He can’t be a good God.
 
Finally, they say they don't believe in Jesus because of their experiences with Christians. When they see that the lives of Christians around them are not much different from their own, and in fact are worse, they feel that the God they believe in is a false God. That’s what happens when we fail to reflect God’s light.
 
If we claim to believe in Jesus but don't try to follow His ways, those around us won’t want anything to do with the Jesus we believe in. If we say “I believe in Jesus,” but what we want is the same as what they want, the way we talk is the same as the way they talk, and the way we use our time and money is the same as the way they use theirs, they will not find a single reason to believe in the Jesus we believe in.
 
What saddens me most is that out of these three reasons that keep non-Christians from believing in God, the third reason carries the most weight.
 
There are ways to present Christianity rationally. In fact, if you study Christianity deeply, you would find that the Christian worldview best explains everything happening in this world from its beginning to its end. Christianity has a lot of rational and reliable sources.
 
There are also ways of explaining how evil can exist if there is a good and all-powerful God. So, the first two reasons are not the biggest obstacles. There are many sources we can use to answer these questions about Christianity.
 
But, we have nothing to say for the third reason. If we make it hard for non-believers to believe in Jesus because of our failure to reflect His light through our lives, there’s no remedy for that. It makes it very hard to turn their hearts. They won’t even want to know what we believe in because they hate Christianity.
 
I think that’s the biggest problem Christianity faces now. There are many people who say “I believe in God” or “I believe in Jesus,” but it’s becoming harder and harder to find true Christians who really try to follow Jesus’ way, loving and serving people the way He would.
 
What many self-proclaimed Christians seek is no different from what unbelievers seek. What they love is no different from what unbelievers love. Christianity has lost its salt and light because Christians have failed to live out their faith by their good deeds.
 
Non-Christians do not distinguish between true and false Christians; to them, false Christians are Christians too, which means that the more false Christians there are, the more non-believers will misunderstand Christianity and Jesus because of them.
 
Then, how do you live out your faith in Jesus? Are the people around you being drawn closer to Jesus or pushed further away from Him because of you?
 
I don’t want us to be false Christians who fail to reflect the light of Jesus and thus make those around them misunderstand Him and drift away from Him.
 
Rather, I want us to be true Christians who shine His light on those around us, showing them who Jesus is and turning them from darkness to light. That's how we glorify our Heavenly Father through our good deeds. That's the light we should shine as Christians.
 
The apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” (Php 2:14-15)
 
Here, Paul explains what it means to become children of God. It is to live a blameless and pure life. These two words show the kinds of relationships we are to have with God and with others.
 
To live blamelessly means that we have healthy and proper relationships with others. When we fail to live out our faith as Christians but rather act worse than non-believers, we make a laughingstock of Jesus and His gospel.
 
To live a pure life means that there’s nothing blocking our relationship with God. When we remain in Jesus, His love drives out all the impure things from our lives. And when there’s nothing that keeps us from Him, we’ll naturally bear good fruits, just like a branch that remains in the vine.
 
That’s the kind of life Paul encourages us to live as Christians. We’re to become blameless and pure children of God who are able to show who He truly is—good, faithful, kind, and full of love—to those around us.  Then, we’ll be able to shine among them like stars in the sky.
 
Here, Paul quotes a passage from the book of Daniel chapter 12, which says, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” (Dn 12:3)
 
To live as children of light is to shine the light of Jesus on those around us so that they may see the true light and come to Him. It is a very glorious calling we receive from God. When we live righteous lives in accordance with God’s will, conforming to His image, many will be led to God, and He will be glorified.
 
So, to shine light as Christians is not an abstract concept. Rather, it is a very practical one that must affect everything we think, say, and do. Shining the light means doing good for the glory of God. That’s the life I want us to decide to live as Christians today.
 
Let’s take time to pray now.
________
 
For the past few weeks, we’ve talked about how we become new creations and how we should live as children of light.
 
We were once in darkness, but God allowed us to walk in the light by shining the light of Jesus on us. Then, with the new identity we came to have in Christ, we are to make every effort to live as children of light.
 
This essentially depends on our relationship with God. If we remain in Him, He will renew our minds and His power will change us so that His love will naturally overflow from our lives into others’. In other words, living a pure life in our relationship with God is the key to living a blameless life in our relationships with others.
 
God wants us to shine the light of Jesus. As He said through the prophet Isaiah, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Is 60:1)
 
It is time for us to rise up like stars in a dark sky. Today, let’s choose to live as children of light. We can trust that His light is always with us. Whenever we ask Jesus to give us His light, He will do so.
 
So, let’s give thanks to the Lord who gives us true light in Jesus and pray that He continues to help us remember that we became children of light in Christ. Let’s pray that we can continue to renew our minds and walk in the light, shining the light of Jesus on others through our lives for the glory of our heavenly Father.
 
I will give you time to pray in your own words.
 
Let’s pray.
 
<Closing prayer>
Dear God, we thank You for delivering us from darkness into the light and entrusting us with the great mission to shine Your light on those around us.
 
But Lord, we confess that we’ve failed many times to reflect Your light in our words and actions. We’re sorry that we’ve treated Your name so carelessly.
 
Now Lord, we want to return to You. We want to truly live as Your people of light who shine brightly in the world and glorify You through our good deeds. We want to be used as Your vessels who reflect who You are to those around us and help them turn back to You. Please fill us with Your love so that we may live as children of light.
 
We want to live pure, blameless lives in our relationships with You and others. Please allow us to be conformed to the image of Your Son and give us power to do good according to Your will, so that Your goodness, faithfulness, and love can be revealed through our lives to those around us.
 
We pray that only Your name be glorified through our lives.
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the light of the world, Amen.
 
[Reflection Questions]
1. What do you think is the main reason non-believers don't believe in Jesus today? What efforts are you making to bring them to Him?
 
2. What are three characteristics of light according to Jesus? How can you apply them to your life?
 
3. Do you help the people around you draw closer to God or push them further away from Him? What are some practical ways for you to live as a child of light this week?