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The Advent series continues with “The Light We Cannot Hide,” urging transformed hearts to walk worthy as children of light (Ephesians 5:8-11). Pastor Nate Roten explores exalting Jesus in every sphere, reflecting His purity amid a crooked generation, producing goodness and truth, and exposing fruitless deeds—equipping you with identity-grounded applications to illuminate the world with Christ’s unstoppable light as we await His return.
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Advent 2025 – WEEK 3 — THE LIGHT WE CANNOT HIDE
Nate Roten / Advent 2025 / 12.21.2025
Texts: Matthew 5:14–16; Philippians 2:15; Ephesians 5:8–11; Colossians 1:9-13
Main Idea: Now that we have the Light, we must walk as children of the Light, showing the transformative power of faith.
Main Question to Answer: How do we walk as children of light?
Series Intro: Darkness → Light
This is sermon 3 of 4 of our Advent season, through the perspective of darkness and light:
Sermon 1: The Darkness We Cannot Escape
Sermon 2: The Light We Cannot Ignore
Sermon 3: The Light We Cannot Hide
Sermon 4: The Light We Eagerly Await
Two weeks ago, we saw the darkness we were all born into and our hopeless state from which we could not escape until the Light pierced the darkness.
Last week, we discovered the identity of the Light that illuminates the darkness and what He exposes.
Today, we will explore our role in spreading the light we cannot hide… understanding our call to duty, motivations, and practical action steps.
Outline
I. Transferred – Colossians 1:9-13 / Ephesians 5:8
II. Exalt the Light – Matt 5:15
III. Reflect the Light – Matt 5:14;16 / Phil. 2:15
IV. Produce the Fruit of Light – Eph. 5:9-10
V. Push back Darkness – Eph 5:11 / Phil. 2:15
I. Transferred – Ephesians 5:8 / Colossians 1:10;13
We’ve received the Light… now what?
We have recognized Jesus as Lord and Savior. We have received the Good News of His triumph over sin at the cross and in the empty tomb, and we are now forever adopted as God’s children. The Light of the World has redeemed us, but now what? Just as we asked this question when we saw the light pierce the darkness, so now we ask what is supposed to happen now that the Light has made us new? What does that mean for you and me? What is expected of us now that we are out of darkness?
To answer these questions, we will begin with a change of address. We were once in darkness, but now we are in God’s kingdom of light, and we are commanded to represent this new kingdom:
Ephesians 5:8–11 CSB
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Colossians 1:9–13 CSB
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
New address… new identity
• We have been transplanted and transformed. We were dark-dwellers with evil hearts. Now we are children of light, citizens of the kingdom of light, ruled by the Light of the world.
• We are now somewhere and something completely new, and we must learn how to operate in both. Last week, we learned that we had to accept the need to operate in the light differently than we did in the darkness. Darkness was our dwelling and identity, but now (because the Light of lights has arrived), we have a new identity and responsibilities that come with it. We will unpack the responsibilities as we go along today, but for right now, I want you to embrace the shift in identity. You are a child of light. You are light in the Lord. Therefore, you have no further connection with the location or identity of darkness. YOU ARE NEW! Ground yourself in this new identity.
Grasp that first before trying to live out its practical applications.
Once you have that solidified in your heart and mind, we can move on to the steps we take as we walk in the light.
II. Exalt the Light – Matt 5:14-15
Matthew 5:14–16 CSB
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Lampstands
In small settings. We discussed this recently in the book of Mark… how absurd it would be to take the measuring basket used for grain (the unit of measure we hand to God, in which we expect Him to use as the measure of Himself He gives back to us) and hide the only source of light we have for our house. Here, Jesus is the light, and we are the lampstands. We are not the light; rather, we are to exalt the light… or to lift it up and place it in a prominent position in the center of the room so it can light all areas of it.
The application here is to make Jesus the center of our lives, so that His presence shines in all areas. ALL AREAS. To bring Him to a place of prominence means there are no places that are off-limits. There are no shut doors to rooms we’d rather keep dark, and there are no realms of our existence in which we hide Him or dim Him down.
• Family
• The Workplace
• On the court, field, or gallery
• Relationships
• On Vacation
• On the plane, train, or bus
City on a hill
In big settings. Have you ever seen a city on a hill in real life, particularly at night? [My experience in Toledo, Spain. Magnificent, unavoidable.]
The city itself isn’t the light, but rather the citizens within it.
Just as a city like this would be impossible to hide, so it must be with the light of Christ within us. One light could be overlooked, but corporately, as the full body of Christ and citizens of the kingdom of Light, we become an unavoidable landmark to those in darkness, being used by Jesus to illuminate the way out as we hold Him high, not bring Him down below eye level.
The first step in walking as a child of light is recognizing that we are prone to hiding it at certain times or in certain places. Perhaps we feel embarrassed about our faith, or we fear upsetting others, so our knee-jerk reaction is to dim it down or cover it up so we can fit in, blend in, and be socially acceptable.
But our job isn’t to blend in; it is to stand out! If we truly believe we have benefited from His presence… from His saving grace… from His transformative love… then we should never be ashamed of it and prioritize potential reactions over their potential for transformation. No, if He is the Light of the world who came to bring spiritual life, then we must lift Him high!
We love the God who redeemed us; therefore, we are not ashamed or embarrassed by Him. We don’t shrink back from telling others about Him, because He is the way, the truth, and the life, so we lift Him high.
We also…
III. Reflect the Light – Matt 5:14;16 / Phil. 2:15
Matthew 5:14–16 CSB
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Philippians 2:15 CSB
15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,
Beyond our role as the lampstand that exalts the light, Matthew adds that we are the light of the world. But how could that be if Jesus is the light? The short answer is that the Spirit of God is now in you. As Paul describes, life in the New Covenant can be illustrated as a human body, with Jesus as the head and each individual comprising the other component parts. Therefore, if Jesus is the light and we are part of the body, His light shines through us.
Our New Identity: In that sense, the phrase “You are the light of the world” is an identity we have been given. We don’t “try harder to be light”… but “we are light” because Christ’s light is now in us. And just as a city on a hill can never be concealed, neither can stars hide their light as they shine against the ink-black sky. These two verses speak to our call of duty to shine. It is our role, assigned to us by God… to walk as children of light.
To walk as a child of light, you must embrace the fact that you reflect God’s light, which means:
We reflect purposefully
If the previous verses spoke of our call to duty, which tells us what we ought to do, these speak to motivation. Now that we know we are supposed to do it, here is why we do it.
• “…so they may glorify your Father in heaven.” This should be the desired outcome of every act of obedience, every trial we face, and every deed we perform. We were in darkness, but Jesus gave us light. Not only did He give us light, but He also shines it in and through us, which means He receives all the glory from you and from everyone who sees Him in you.
• “so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless…” – As we walk in the light, we become brighter. Sin and ‘fault’ bring more darkness, so the more we walk as children of light, the more blameless and pure we become. Paul calls this being ‘made into the image of Christ.’ So, while God gets all the glory, we receive many of the benefits. We are already righteous because we have Christ’s righteousness, but this gives us assurance that as we continue to seek God and live for Him, guided by His life-giving light… we will become more like that light over time, and our witness will be all the more powerful and effective because of it.
Now, this might help us understand the reality of the call or the urgency of it, but it still doesn’t help us understand what to do. It doesn’t tell me HOW I walk as a child of light. That is what comes next.
We reflect by what we do
The core of how we walk as children of light is in our actions.
Matthew 5:14–16 CSB
14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Those around you will give glory to God as they see your good works… meaning, it is assumed that you are doing good works in full view of others… both believers and non-believers alike. In other words, your good works are the practical outworking of faith.
This doesn’t mean you do the work publicly so that you can be seen in a prideful way (and you will know if you are doing this when the attention is on you and about you), but you do it so that God is magnified, even though you are the one doing the action. Therefore, if your actions point people to Jesus, then you are reflecting His light properly.
This could look like:
• Showing Compassion When It’s Inconvenient.
• Serving Without Spotlight
• Advocating for the Vulnerable.
• Staying Faithful in Trials
• Welcoming the Stranger
• Living Generously and Sacrificially
The beauty of this truth is that Union with Christ = participation in His light.
IV. Produce the Fruit of Light – Eph. 5:9-10
Ephesians 5:8–11 CSB
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Fruit of light:
• goodness
• righteousness
• truth
• testing what is pleasing to God
Changed Character. What do all these have in common? They are tangible expressions of a changed heart, seen through the works of redeemed hands. These all represent the nature of a changed character revealed in daily actions. Just as we bear the fruit of the Spirit as we live our lives guided by Him, we also bear the fruit of light, which has a lot of crossover (goodness, for example).
So, let me ask you — where in your life could the fruit of light become more evident? Where is there room for more goodness… more righteousness… more truth?
Walking as children of light means we don’t just drift—we discern. We actively seek what is pleasing to the Lord in our daily choices. This is how we grow brighter… by filtering our daily decisions through what is or is not pleasing to the Lord. I challenge you to journal your decisions, actions, and conversations for one day and analyze what was pleasing and what was not. You may be surprised by what you discover as you look back!
V. Push back Darkness – Eph 5:11 / Phil. 2:15
Ephesians 5:8–11 CSB
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light—9 for the fruit of the light consists of all goodness, righteousness, and truth—10 testing what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Philippians 2:15 CSB
15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,
Now that we are in the light, part of walking as children of light is to push back the kingdom we were once part of. We have been transferred to the light, we exalt the light, we reflect the light, and we produce the fruit of light, so that a primary action we take is to push away the darkness.
If we are to be in the world but not of the world, then “a crooked and twisted generation” is not something to avoid… it is exactly where light is needed. This is vital for us to understand: Darkness is not an obstacle to our mission; it is the context for our mission.
Now here’s where the rubber meets the road: walking in the light means we reject the darkness we once lived in.
Don’t just avoid it—stand against it. In our day and age, we must be willing to stand against cultural and societal norms that contradict our faith. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be bold… not combative, but courageous.
But hear me clearly—this isn’t about shouting others down or judging from a distance. This is about living differently. It’s about shining with such integrity and authenticity that darkness has nowhere to hide. We expose darkness by holding up the light of Christ in grace-filled, truth-grounded, Spirit-empowered living that invites the world to see something better.
IV. Application:
Jesus lights the world through His people. You carry the light of Christ into the places He has planted you. So, what does shining and walking as children of light look like today?
1. Lift Jesus High in Every Area of Life. Make Him central and visible in your decisions, relationships, and daily rhythms.
2. Live with Integrity in a Dark World. Walk in growing purity, increasing honesty, and emboldened, grace-filled courage — even when it costs you.
3. Discern What Pleases the Lord. Pursue what is good, right, and true — and reject what belongs to darkness.
4. Do Visible Good that Points to God. Serve, give, and speak in ways that direct attention to Christ, not yourself, bearing the fruit of light.
Jesus has come as the Light that transforms us. This is the reality we celebrate at Christmas. It is a light that penetrates darkness, a light that cannot be ignored, and a light that we cannot hide.
Where has God placed you to shine? Who needs your light?
FAQs
1. What does it mean that we have been “transferred” from darkness to light?
Believers have been rescued by God from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son He loves, adopting a new identity as children of light in the Lord (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 5:8). This shift demands walking worthy of the Lord, bearing fruit, and growing in knowledge of Him, grounding all obedience in this transformed reality before pursuing applications.
2. How are Christians like a lampstand or a city on a hill?
As a lampstand, believers exalt Jesus by placing Him at the center of every life area—family, work, sports, relationships, vacations—refusing to hide or dim Him under a basket (Matthew 5:14-15). Corporately, like a city on a hill visible at night, the church shines unavoidably as citizens of light, standing out rather than blending into darkness.
3. Are believers the light of the world, or is that only Jesus?
Jesus is the Light of the World, but believers are called “the light of the world” because His Spirit indwells us, making us reflectors of His light as part of His body (Matthew 5:14, 16; Philippians 2:15). We shine like stars in a crooked generation, not by self-effort, but by union with Christ.
4. Why should we let our light shine before others?
Our shining motivates glory to the Father in heaven through visible good works and proves us blameless, pure children of God amid perversion (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:15). It exalts God while transforming us more into Christ’s image, assuring our righteousness and amplifying our witness.
5. What are the “good works” that reflect Christ’s light?
Good works include showing compassion when inconvenient, serving without spotlight, advocating for the vulnerable, staying faithful in trials, welcoming strangers, and living generously—actions done in full view that point observers to Jesus, not self, magnifying God (Matthew 5:16).
6. What is the “fruit of the light,” and how do we produce it?
The fruit consists of all goodness, righteousness, truth, and testing what pleases the Lord, manifesting a changed heart in daily actions (Ephesians 5:9-10). Produce it by discerning choices through Scripture—journal one day’s decisions to identify and grow brighter in these traits.
7. How do we “push back” or expose darkness without being judgmental?
Reject fruitless works of darkness by not participating and exposing them through grace-filled, truth-grounded living that shines with integrity (Ephesians 5:11; Philippians 2:15). In a crooked generation, be bold yet courageous—not combative—inviting others to Christ’s better way by your authentic light.
8. What are practical steps to walk as children of light today?
(1) Lift Jesus high in every life area; (2) live with integrity, purity, honesty, and courage even at personal cost; (3) discern and pursue what pleases God, rejecting darkness; (4) do visible good that directs attention to Christ, bearing light’s fruit where God has placed you.