Ephesians 5:8-14 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. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

John 1:1-9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

The true testimony of every Christian is that Jesus is the light of the world and the power of God. All things were created through him and in him. Without him nothing was made that has been made. IN CHRIST, we are his new creation, born to a new life. Jesus said, You must be born again. (John 3:7) Peter tells us, For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. Because we are now hidden with CHRIST, THE LIVING WORD, in God, we are the light of the world, BUT to be completely light, we must possess an obedient servant's heart. Our allegiance and service reflect his goodness, righteousness and truth to the world. Without a love slave's total devotion to Christ, we reflect our own spirits of death. Our carnal works will portray darkness rather than light. The works of the flesh eventually lead to total separation from God. To prevent the consequences of such sinful behavior, God disciplines his own out of love to bring them back to dependence on THE LIGHT, CHRIST JESUS, the only way to everlasting life. Without faith in Jesus and his salvation work, there is no light, no pathway to God.

Paul says each of us were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; therefore, live as children of the light, find out what pleases the Lord. The word of God clearly teaches what pleases the Lord: to love God with your whole being and to love your neighbor as yourself. In Galatians 5, Paul bases his teaching on the assumption that every Christian desires to love God wholeheartedly. He reminds us of Christ's instruction: The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Verse 14) When we fulfill this commandment, we walk in the Spirit and portray spiritual fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Verses 22-23) Otherwise, we are blameless before God when we walk in the Spirit in Christ and reflect him completely to the world. The Spirit's attributes lead to eternal life, not death.

Believers should not dabble with the works of death: sexual sins and impurity destroy our testimony and lead us away from God. The attitudinal sins of hatred, gloominess, discord, impatience, rudeness, faithlessness, brutality, and like spread until they control our minds and deeds. Fleshly spirits destroy unity within and outside of the church. As Paul also reminded the Galatians, A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. (Verse 9) Spirits of evil are atomic bombs in the midst of human relationships: wreckage and carnage follow such willful destruction. These deeds of the flesh bear no good fruit; they must be exposed to the light. If we are overwhelmed and tormented by negative feelings and actions, we should confess our sins to God and ask other Christians to pray for us. James exhorted his readers to repent: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16 KJV) Scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory; consequently, we need to confess our sins to God and allow the body of Christ to support us as we heal and grow in faith. Only when we line up with the Spirit of God and his works will we work together in unity as the light and power of God in this dark and fallen world.