When you walk as children of light, you:
Walk with Jesus – 1 Jn 1:3-7. You are drawn to his light and the light of his words. Prov 4:18 and 2 Pet 1:19. The brighter the light that is in you, the closer to him you’re going to be. Christians get in trouble in this dark world when they stumble through the darkness without the light of Jesus Christ and his word to guide them. Light dispels the darkness and reveals the terrain around you.
Amazing response to preaching. The people who need it most, respond the least. And the people who are already walking close to the Lord, respond the most. That’s because the more you walk in the light, the more you are drawn to the light.
Attract Saints – 1 Jn 1:7, 2:9-10. When a Christian is filled with the light of the Lord, it is evident to other like-minded Christians. It draws them to each other. We are like the light of a camp fire. John Wesley said, “I want the whole Christ for my Savior, the whole Bible for my book, the whole Church for my fellowship, and the whole world for my mission field.”
Reprove Sinners – Eph 5:11-13. When a man prefers to live in darkness, he doesn’t like the children of light, because the light that is in us illuminates the darkness that is in him. He wants to be as far away from that light as possible so that his sin doesn’t stand out, Jn 3:19-20. The Lord wants him to turn, so you have to shine. But just like a red light can’t stop the driver, neither can your light stop the sinner. It can only show him what he ought to do. Some people turn when they see the light; others only after they feel the heat. And, by the way, don’t be a strobe light – on again, off again. That’s the kind that sinners call “hypocrites in the church.”
Magnify Jesus – Jn 3:18-21. The lost, who desire to be saved, are drawn to the light of the Lord that is in us. When they desire to leave the wickedness of this dark world, they need light to show them Jesus. If you want to be a truly effective soul winner, then just get as full of the light of Jesus and his word as you can and then shine. There should be a heavenly light in us that causes people to realize that there is something different and divine about us. When you preach the gospel, they will see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ in you.
Graffiti found on the wall of the Washington Monument during a renovation 2 decades ago said, “Whoever is the human instrument under God in the conversion of one soul, erects a monument to his own memory more lofty and enduing (sic) than this.” Graffiti has changed a lot since that inscription from the 1800’s but the truth of that statement has not!!
Conclusion: Walk as children of light, close to the Lord, attracting saints, reproving sinners, and magnifying Jesus. If you’re not already a child of light, then believe in Jesus the light and become a child of light today, Jn 12:35-36, Jn 1:9-12.