If you take 10 people and ask how many of them are Christians, you are probably going to get at least 6 out of 10. Make that 9 out of 10 if you consider other religions. So the number of people who claim to be Christians these days or profess faith in God are on the increase. Just check Social media profile of people and you will see many people professing the Christian faith. Interestingly, crime and corruption are on the increase and moral decadence is getting worse each passing day.

I wonder how many Christians are aware of this commandment of Jesus, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”, (Matthew 5:16).

The root of the problem is that many people who profess to be Christians are not born again. This is why you will find someone claiming to be a Christian defending indefensible acts such as fornication, homosexuality, etc. Until you are born again, you cannot have the desire to please God. Because, it is in pleasing God that your light will shine before men and glory given to our Father in Heaven.

When Nicodemus, the Pharisee, came by night to see Jesus, Jesus told him that “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God“, (John 3:3). You can only be born again by admitting and confessing your sins, asking for forgiveness and accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, (Romans 3:23; 10:10; John 3:16). By so doing, you become filled with the Holy Spirit of God. So if you do not understand that you are born into sin by virtue of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12, 14) and you need saving from sin and eternal damnation by confessing and accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour, your profession of being a Christian is in vain.

You see, when you become a true Christian, all you want to do is to become more and more like Jesus Christ by renewing your mind through the scriptures, (Romans 12:2). This renewal of mind will lead to a transformation of mind with the Spirit of God working through you. God begin to work in you to please Him, (Philippians 2:13).  This transformation of mind will lead to changes in attitude because every act originates from the mind.

True Christians want to please God by obeying and following His Word instead of pleasing the world and following the things of the world, which are contrary to scripture. And you can only let your light shine by doing everything to please God. And if you fall into sin, you will confess it, repent and ask God to empower you not to commit same act again. For His word says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness“, (1 John 1:9).

Let me conclude by reminding us of the following scripture, which should guide everything we do.

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him“, (Colossians 3:17)

It is my prayer that you will realise your position in God and live to please Him. And if you are not born again, you will do it now by acknowledging your sins, asking for forgiveness from God and asking Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord and Saviour.