We are Light
Speaker: Paul Stoaks
Date: October 19th, 2025
We Are Light
Pastor Steve asked me to continue his series on amazing statements made about us in
Scripture. His first was Jesus’ statement that rivers of living water will flow out of us from
John 7. The second, last week, is Jesus’ statement that He is the vine and we are the
branches, from John 15, and that we can do nothing without Him. This week, we are
looking at Jesus’ statement in the Sermon on the Mount, that we are the light of the
world from Matthew 5:14-16,
You know that I love object lessons. Today, I want to share something that I learned
about light. My question was, where does physical light come from? According to
physics, light has two, simultaneous forms, a particle (called a photon) and an
electromagnetic wave. There are, correspondingly, two ways light is created.
● Photons are created when an electron falls from a higher energy level to a lower
energy level in its orbit around an atom’s nucleus. These energy levels are
“quantized”, (the origin of the term “quantum mechanics”) meaning that they have
specific, predictable energy values. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) put this principle
to use. In an LED, a semiconductor material is carefully designed to have a very
specific energy transition that produces the desired color of light.
○ A red LED will be made from gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) and will
produce photons with an energy of about 1.97 electron volts (eV) and a
wavelength of 630 nanometers (nm).
○ A blue LED is made from indium gallium nitride (InGaN) and will produce
photons with an energy of about 2.7 eV and a wavelength of 460 nm.
○ Red LEDs are easy, blue LEDs are difficult and in 2014 the Nobel Prize in
Physics was awarded to the team that discovered the magic material
formulation.
In an incandescent bulb, electrical power generates a lot of heat energy which
causes electrons in the filament material to move to higher energy levels. When
they fall back to lower energy levels, they emit photons. Because these
transitions are random, they produce photons with many different wavelengths,
or colors, which combine to provide a whiter light.
● Light waves are created when charged particles are accelerated or decelerated.
Just like waves are created when you push a toy boat through water, some of the
energy that goes into accelerating the particle becomes electromagnetic waves.
In stars, both kinds of light production are occurring due to the huge amounts of energy
being produced by the fusion reaction. The elements in the star can be determined
based on the light’s spectrum.
The first physical thing God created in Genesis chapter 1 is light or, more generally,
energy! If you destroy matter, you get energy. Matter can be created from energy. Stars
do it, and particle accelerators can do it. Isn’t it interesting that Genesis would record
that God started with energy, the most fundamental physical thing that exists.
As I’ve discussed with the children over the past couple of weeks, the Bible uses light
as a metaphor for holiness, truth, and direction. Light exposes and illuminates. It shows
what is true. It can be a beacon or a flashlight, helping us to find the way to go.
· God Is Light
So, where does our spiritual light come from?
1 John 1:5-7 (NKJV)
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is
light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and
walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is
in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son
cleanses us from all sin.
There is no dark or hidden motive in God. He can be trusted without reservation.
God is light, and we, humans, have a choice; whether we will walk and abide in His light
or whether we will try to find our own way. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with
Him and with each other.
· Jesus Is Light
John 8:12 (NKJV)
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows
Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 9:4-5 (NKJV)
I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no
one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Jesus, the only Son of God, is not only light but the light of the world. In God’s perfect
redemption plan for humanity, Jesus is God’s light sent to guide us to Him and purchase
our freedom.
Evil and darkness could not overcome the light by dimming it or extinguishing it. Where
there is light, darkness has to leave.
· We Are Light
And this brings us to our theme verse today.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they
light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who
are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven.
This is a pretty amazing statement, particularly knowing ourselves, isn’t it? If light
means holiness, truth, and direction, we can’t help but question whether it applies to us.
So, how is it that we can be the light of the world?
Ephesians 5:8-13 (NKJV)
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is
acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by
them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for
whatever makes manifest is light.
The Second Corinthians 5:17 transformation from old creature to new creature takes us
from being darkness to being light. Our nature has changed fundamentally with our
adoption into God’s family.
Our new nature, however, isn’t self-producing light like Jesus’ light, but rather reflecting
and transmitting His light as we walk in it. Just like bearing fruit, we can’t do it without
Him, and it is a natural outcome of His Holy Spirit at work in us.
Application
Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your
Father in heaven.
Be the new you! Just as we’ve studied the last two weeks, the Holy Spirit is at work in
you to glorify Jesus and minister to the people around you. Don’t stress over it, but look
and pray for evidence of these things from 1 John 1:5-7 and Ephesians 5:8-13 in your
life and interaction with others:
● Cleansing from sin and fellowship with God
● Fellowship and unity with other believers (light bearers)
● The fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness,
Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
● Shedding the light of Jesus’ truth in our interactions with others
