April 11, 2020 THE GREAT TRANSFER
John 8:12 “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all the house. 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.
These verses present a very clear an awesome truth; Jesus transferred a purpose He served in His earthly ministry to His followers-and that includes you and I. Jesus makes the bold proclamation that He was the light of the world. Before Jesus came into the world, the world was in darkness and without hope. Through His teaching and by His example, His light pierced the darkness and for the first time, those who trusted Him as Savior, who believed in Him, were able to walk in the light of truth. Those that do not know God personally continue to walk in darkness. That’s where we come in. In John 8:12, Jesus tells us that if we follow Him (hear and obey) we will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. It may sound strange, but by walking in the light, we will be able to see, or recognize the darkness. The good news, and the fact that cannot be denied is that light overcomes darkness-not the other way around. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, He appointed us as light bearers; His followers were given the ministry of being light in a dark world. We must not be surprised when we see the darkness; but we must push back against the darkness and let the light shine into the darkness, exposing it for what it is. We are not to let our light shine in a judgmental or condemning way, but doing it in a spirit of love and compassion-that is crucial. There is one problem in Christian circles that can hinder the process of letting our light shine. For some reason, many focus more on their ‘short comings’ and failures, and in fact, think that they have a better chance of gaining an audience by focusing on how they miss the mark. (This is not to say that we should not confess our faults and be honest about our failures-that’s another subject.) Perhaps we are afraid of being called a “holy Joe” or afraid that others may think we see ourselves as better than others. You can’t escape the importance of good works; there is a connection between good works and letting our light shine. We are called and we are designed to be engaged in good works because that is part of our new nature that God has put within us. We cannot brag on our good works because it is only by the grace of God that He enables us to do the works that please Him. We must learn of our true identity in Him-who we are in Him-and be about letting the light that He has put in us shine before men that they may glorify our Father who is in heaven. Let us not brag about our good works, but neither let us be ashamed of our good works; let us be focused on the light-not on the darkness, as light overcomes the darkness. May our thoughts, our mindset, and our actions flow out of the light that comes to us from our Father who is in heaven. When you bump into the darkness, let your light shine!
Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen people a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
Blessings, Buddy
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