The Light of the World--The Church1/29/2024 Matthew 5:14 ~ "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden." Like the moon shines in its fullness upon the darkness of the earth, reflecting the light of the distant sun, so, Christian, you are to be the light upon which the world can see their way to God. No one who knows the make-up of the moon holds to the idea that it possesses its own light. It is a dark satellite that orbits the earth. And, without the sun to reflect upon it and shine down to the earth, the moon would remain dark. But the sun does shine upon it, and though the moon may wax and wane, it still reflects the light. Unlike the moon, however, the Christian life is more than a simple reflection of the light of Christ, for the light of Christ shines from within the believer and radiates outward to shine upon those who come in contact with them. But, how can the Christian be called the light of the world when we learned yesterday that Jesus is the light of the world. Does the Scripture help us to understand this? Yes... it does. Consider what Jesus said in John 9:5, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." This is a conditional statement, for Jesus did not stay in the world, but ascended into heaven and will return at the time appointed (see Acts 1:11). While Jesus walked upon this earth, he shone forth the light of the glory of God through His work of ministry and, ultimately, through His death and resurrection. But as God will not be without a witness, at the departure of Christ, the Holy Spirit inhabited the church and now we are the illumination for the world to know Him. But how does our light shine? Jesus gives us the means of illumination in Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." In the same way as what? The Lord gives us two illustrations: a city on a hill and a lamp on a stand. The city on the hill was easily understood by the disciples as they could not have missed the illuminating glow of the city of Jerusalem, perched atop the mount. And a lamp on a stand was a clear designation as no one actually intentionally lights a lamp and then proceeds to hide it. So, in the same way, your life in Christ is to be seen and not hidden. And that glowing expression of your faith is radiant in your good works, shining as natural as light--not that you seek to be noticed, but that it cannot help but be seen by others who will give glory to God. And that should be your motivation--that God is glorified through the light that shines from you. Consider what the Apostle told the church in Philippians 2:14-15, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." We live in a crooked and twisted generation, and those who live out the goodness of Christ shine like a full moon in a darkened sky. As Jesus was in the world, so He has left us in the world in order to continue the work of bringing His light to those who walk in darkness. Our Lord said as much in John 20:21, "Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.'" The question I want to ask is this--will you shine? It is certainly dark enough around us that the world needs to see Christ in us, that they might seek the Lord themselves and find their way out of darkness and into His marvelous light. In His Grace, Pastor Michael
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply.From the Mountains to the SeaEvery step we take on this journey called life ought to be used for greater understanding. I've lived from the mountains to the sea, and this blog is my personal thoughts and observations with a desire for Biblical understanding. Welcome. Featured BookArchives
October 2024
Categories
All
|
|
© COPYRIGHT 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|