“For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,” (NKJV).

The great thrust of all Paul’s teaching and conduct is this – be what you are. If we are children of light, we must live like children of light. To walk in the light is to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self, and to maintain a certain way of life. When a person encounters Christ, there must be a radical transformation and the lifestyle of the person must show it. The appetite for sin gives way and there is a hunger for righteousness. There is a radical change of lifestyle that will characterise and confirm that one is truly a Christian. The old garment of sin is taken away and a new garment of righteousness is put on. To walk as children of light, we must forsake every form of immorality.

Jesus commands: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven,” (Matthew 5:16). To shine is to purposeful reveal who you are! You are the light of the world. Your lifestyle should be a revelation of the word of God and a shining example for people around to emulate. To shine your light is to live the word! The force of your light is not your big car or your expensive clothing; it is your good works! Your kindness, love, humility, honesty and diligence. The glory of your light is not your material possessions, but what you do that makes people glorify your God! We must bear fruit as children of light, which consist in all goodness, all righteousness and all truth.

Only a good tree can bear good fruit. Our nature changed when we gave our lives to Christ. We became a new creature and the old man in us gave way. We received the supernatural ability to bear good fruits. Jesus taught us this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:17-20. He said: “By their fruit, you will recognise them. Every good tree bears good fruit. But a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. A tree is known by its fruits. For you to bear good fruits, the old man controlling your fleshly desires and actions must give way. You must accept Jesus into your life, so that, you can experience the inward transformation that makes all the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. You have no power to do that; you cannot make the tree good. You cannot make yourself become good, it is actually impossible.

Only the sovereign grace of God can make a previously bad tree to become good, so, it bears good fruit for God; something only God can do. Jeremiah puts it very plainly in Jeremiah 13:23. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing wickedness.” You cannot do it by your own power.

The great challenge by Apostle Paul to all believers is to live as children of light. In other words, if our whole lives have, indeed, been illuminated by God, the world has to see the difference. There will be all goodness and all righteousness and all truth. If the living God has come and miraculously given you light, then there is going to be a transformation of commensurate dimensions, like a deliverance from utter darkness into blinding light. Then there must be total abstinence from inappropriate sexual behaviour and then you go on to shine as light amid crooked and perverse nation.

• Today’s nugget: To shine your light is to live the word. Prayer: Lord help me to shine as light. Prayer lines: 08033299824. E-mail: amadiabelukachi@gmail.com, Rev. (Dr.) Abel Ukachi Amadi, General Superintendent Assemblies of God, Nigeria.