December 9, 2014 WE ARE OF THE DAY
Thessalonians 5: 4-6,9: “But you brethren, are not of the darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a blessing, what a privilege to live in the light and not in darkness. We live in a world of darkness; a world of war, terrorism, greed, crime, disease, addictions, immorality, lies, disillusionment and selfishness. We should not be surprised by the darkness around us because we know that when man chooses his own way and does not seek God; he lives in darkness. A non- believer may be well educated, gainfully employed, likeable, etc., but nonetheless he is in darkness because light is found only in God. We must keep alert to the fact that we are surrounded by darkness and that we “bump” into some aspect of darkness daily. The danger for us is that we can become insensitive, or become use to the darkness around us. In Thessalonians, Paul is reminding the believers that they were indeed not in darkness any longer but were “sons of light.” In the midst of darkness, we can walk in the light because we are light! In Ephesians 5:8-10 we read: “..for you were formally in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Because we are light, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility of being light in a dark world. Jesus is referred to as the “light of the world” and His coming to earth was all about bringing light to a world of darkness. It is true that some prefer the darkness and they may reject the light, but some will be drawn to the light. We, as children of light, can put on the “breastplate of faith” and our faith in God is a bulwark; knowing that God is reigning and ruling and that God is faithful is our weapon against the darkness . Another integral part of our weapon is love. God is love, so we are people of love. Love is more powerful than any weapon the enemy has in his arsenal-nothing can defeat love. In addition to faith and love; we have hope. Hope sustains us in the battle-hope gives us the ability and the energy to persevere in what is right and what is true even in difficult times. Because we are light, when we are walking or living in our identity in Christ, we do not have to “try” to be light because being light is just part of the package of our living as God designed. It’s for sure that some believers do not understand just how great their salvation is and this misunderstanding can “dim” the light. Let it be our hearts desire, our commitment, to understand in a greater way what it means to be a new creation in Christ and may we live our lives in such a way that we reflect the light of God in a world that desperately needs to see light.
Matthew 5:14-16: “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.”
Blessings,
Buddy
Thessalonians 5: 4-6,9: “But you brethren, are not of the darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a blessing, what a privilege to live in the light and not in darkness. We live in a world of darkness; a world of war, terrorism, greed, crime, disease, addictions, immorality, lies, disillusionment and selfishness. We should not be surprised by the darkness around us because we know that when man chooses his own way and does not seek God; he lives in darkness. A non- believer may be well educated, gainfully employed, likeable, etc., but nonetheless he is in darkness because light is found only in God. We must keep alert to the fact that we are surrounded by darkness and that we “bump” into some aspect of darkness daily. The danger for us is that we can become insensitive, or become use to the darkness around us. In Thessalonians, Paul is reminding the believers that they were indeed not in darkness any longer but were “sons of light.” In the midst of darkness, we can walk in the light because we are light! In Ephesians 5:8-10 we read: “..for you were formally in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consist in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Because we are light, we have both the opportunity and the responsibility of being light in a dark world. Jesus is referred to as the “light of the world” and His coming to earth was all about bringing light to a world of darkness. It is true that some prefer the darkness and they may reject the light, but some will be drawn to the light. We, as children of light, can put on the “breastplate of faith” and our faith in God is a bulwark; knowing that God is reigning and ruling and that God is faithful is our weapon against the darkness . Another integral part of our weapon is love. God is love, so we are people of love. Love is more powerful than any weapon the enemy has in his arsenal-nothing can defeat love. In addition to faith and love; we have hope. Hope sustains us in the battle-hope gives us the ability and the energy to persevere in what is right and what is true even in difficult times. Because we are light, when we are walking or living in our identity in Christ, we do not have to “try” to be light because being light is just part of the package of our living as God designed. It’s for sure that some believers do not understand just how great their salvation is and this misunderstanding can “dim” the light. Let it be our hearts desire, our commitment, to understand in a greater way what it means to be a new creation in Christ and may we live our lives in such a way that we reflect the light of God in a world that desperately needs to see light.
Matthew 5:14-16: “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.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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