Thursday, June 26, 2014

It is a Visible Light

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."  Matthew 5:14-16


It is a Visible Light
A lamp was lit to be used. It is crazy to presume that men would light lamps to hide their effectiveness.  The only reason a lamp would be hidden would be to preserve it from loss or waste.  But in such a position it would not be performing its functional duty.  Light is meant to be placed in the area where light is needed. 

Light will light whatever it shines on.  The inside of the bushel is still lighted.  The light is not put out because it is under the bushel.  Our light is not lost when hidden, merely limited in its influence.  There are many different things in everyone’s life that could serve as a “bushel”.  What is in your life that is causing you to hide your light for Christ rather than reflect it? The shining of our "light" is Christian example.  We can only cover our lives by failing to be the example that Christ has made us.  When we fail to express our Christian faith by standing against sin and the darkness it brings, we are "busheling our bulb".

It is a Revealing Light
Light displays whatever is present.  It reveals truth. That is why Jesus said in John 3:19 that men hate the light.  Sin in our life can only remain as long as we accept the lie that it will bring or is bringing peace, happiness or possibly fulfillment to us. Light does not create darkness, it dispels it. Light does not just reveal evil and sin, but good, honesty, beauty and wisdom. Darkness in our lives is the picture of the life without the light of Christ.  For wherever the light comes in there can be no more darkness. The more light that is allowed into our lives, the better we see the things of darkness that have ensnared us.

Sometimes we discover that it is the things that we have found so precious that are creating the greatest occasion of defeat. Revealing light creates the problem of whether or not we will "clean up" the exposed dirt.  We don't like those kinds of decisions.  The Christian who walks reflecting the light of Christ will find that persons do not really like to have him around because he is constantly revealing the dirt in the dark spots that the rest of the world does not reveal.

The life of a Christian is not cold-hearted and austere in its discipline, but warm in its loving example.  Even though we may expose the truth when we shed the light, we should not do so in a judgmental or condemning manor.  This is not the way Jesus would want us to represent Him.  There should always be an attractiveness to the Christian life that entices others to live it. This is not only in the everyday affairs of life, but in the special works that we perform out of His goodness and light in us.

Scripture to Claim:

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

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