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| Vol. 15 No. 10 October 2013 | Page 14 |
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| Vol. 15 No. 10 October 2013 | Page 14 |
Editor's NoteChristians as Light in the World
Bonnie Rushmore
Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12 NKJV). When one obeys the Gospel, that person reflects the Light of Christ to others. “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” (Matthew 5:14-16). The apostle Paul admonished the Christians at Ephesus, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:9). As Christians, we do not create our own light, but we reflect the Light of Jesus Christ upon a sin-sick world – similar to the moon, which has no light, reflecting only the light of the sun.
In order for Christians to adequately reflect the light of Christ, they must know the Word of God. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). This requires one to dig into the Bible – not just read the Scriptures. This is accomplished by attending the Bible classes and other opportunities to hear God’s Word as set up by the leadership of the local congregation, worshipping God on the first day of the week and in daily, private Bible Study. The Berean’s “…searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11 NKJV). These Christians did not have a Bible – it was not completed at this time. They went to the priest, requested a scroll, sat there and studied it. Then, they returned the scroll to the priest. The Berean’s did this daily to make sure that they were being taught according to God’s Word. We need to follow their example!
In the physical world, light dispels darkness. In the Spiritual world, Christians disperse the darkness of sin. As we reflect the light of Christ, we change the world from the total darkness of sin to one of hope and compassion through our good works. Our benevolent acts toward others, compassion for others and the love we show toward the lost all reflect Christ and His love and compassion for the lost. Our light shines upon the world through our actions. Without Christians there is no light in the world and sin prevails.
The purpose of physical light is to enable one to see what is around or to direct one on a safe passage. The spiritual light is intended to light the world and benefit all mankind, not just we who are Christians. Our reflected light cannot be directed into the corners to be dimmed or hidden, but it must be displayed for the entire world to see.
During a lunar eclipse, the earth blocks the sunlight from fully reaching the moon. When this happens, the reflected light of the moon is totally blocked or dimmed depending on the position of the earth and its relationship to the moon. When Christians allow their selfish desires and wants – I call this the “I syndrome” – to block the Lord’s light, our reflection becomes blocked or dimmed to the world around us. Christ must always be first and foremost in our lives (Matthew 10:37-39). We cannot allow our desires to dim the light of Christ reflecting from us to a lost world.
Sometimes our Light is dimmed by sin in our lives. The light of Christ – the source of our light – is bright and pure. When one participates in sinful activities (Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 21:8), the light of Christ is dimmed or blotted out, similar to the moon with a cloud overshadowing it. “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain” (Philippians 2:14-16). We must live our lives in such a way that others will see the light of Jesus shining through us. When the world sees Christians fussing and fighting with each other, the light of Jesus is dimmed or blotted out! When this happens we become a hindrance to the cause of Christ instead of being the bright beacon guiding others to our heavenly home.
Each Christian is commanded to let his or her light shine. Our individual lights should shine brightly, illuminating the world around us. When our individual lights join the light of other Christians, we become a greater light shining even brighter upon the darkness of sin encompassing our world.