Are We Hiding our Lights?

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 11:33 ESV)

Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” (John 8:12). So, he is the Light. Jesus also said that we, as his followers, are “the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). This is because we reflect him, who is the Light. For those of us who have believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, we have the Spirit of God living within us, and living his life out through us, when we surrender our lives to him. 

Jesus said, “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 5:16). So, Jesus is the Light and we are the light when we have the Spirit of God living within us and living the life of Christ out through us, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

So, what is this light? We know it is the opposite of darkness. In the light we can see clearly. In the dark, we cannot. The light lights our way so that we know where to walk. In the dark we stumble around and run into things and fall down. Light is God (and of God). It is truth, righteousness, life and holiness. Darkness is anti-God, anti-Christ, and of the devil. It is wickedness, lies, death, and lawlessness. Light is the gospel of our salvation. Darkness is all that is opposed to God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our lamp is lit with the true Light when we accept God’s invitation to his great salvation by God’s grace, through God-given and God-persuaded faith in Christ, which is not of our own doing. We humble ourselves before God, admitting that we are sinners and that we need the Savior to save us from our sins. By God’s grace we, thus, turn away from living in sin and for self, we submit to the Spirit’s work of transformation in our hearts and minds, and we are given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived in his righteousness and holiness – all in the power and working of his Spirit within us. 

But it doesn’t end there. We don’t receive the Light and then hide it in the basement so that no one sees it. We allow the Light to shine through our lives by submitting to the Spirit of God and to his work of grace and transformation in our lives, throughout our lives. This means we walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh (Romans 8:1-14). And we no longer live our lives for sin and for self but for Jesus Christ, who gave himself up for us, for that is why he died (2 Corinthians 5:15). 

The Light is also not just in a small corner of our lives where it is barely noticed or effective, but it permeates our lives so that we walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, and so we live holy lives pleasing to God by his power at work within us, in obedience to his New Covenant commands. It also means that we share the gospel of Jesus Christ – the gospel that was taught by the apostles – so that others can come to know Jesus Christ, too.

And what is that gospel message? Well, it is first of all that Jesus died on that cross to take our sins upon himself so that when he died our sins died with him, so that we might now die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in his power. And he was resurrected from the dead to give us new life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24; Luke 9:23-26; Titus 2:11-14).

And the gospel message also includes warnings to us, that if we do not continue in Christ and in walks of obedience to him, but rather sin is our practice, and not righteousness, then regardless of what faith we profess in the Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father (Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 5:3-6).

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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