Read: Ephesians 5:7-14

Do you know what darkness means in the Bible? It means things that are evil, bad or against God. And light means things that are good: truth, holiness, and righteousness. God himself is light.

Here God says to us, “once you were darkness, but now you are light.” How can God say that we are light? Does this mean that we do not sin anymore, but instead only show truth, holiness, and righteousness in our lives?

God calls us light because he lives with us. He has sent his Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. And because God himself is light, then we too are people of the light. God promises that he will help us to overcome darkness through his Spirit.

Because we are children of the light, we must live in a way that shows this. Then we will shine to the world around us, and they will be able to see that we belong to God.

But how can you know how God wants you to live? By reading the Bible. The Bible has been given to us as a light to guide our path. In the Bible we can learn how we can live as children of God, as children of the light. And then we must pray for the Holy Spirit to help us live as children of the light.

Sometimes there can be sins in our lives that no one knows about, or that we like doing. Sometimes we do not want to give up on our sins. But God tells us here that even our secret sins will be exposed. No sin is hidden from God. The Bible shows us our sins. And we should want to know our sins so that we can confess them to God and ask for forgiveness. So, if you are struggling with something, speak to a parent or another older person and ask them to help you fight against your sins. Then you can pray together and ask God to forgive you (and he certainly will) and help you to live as a child of the light.

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean that you are light in the Lord?

Source: Sermon by Rev. K. Dekker