Light of the World
Thousands of years before a holy child was born in a manger one cold Christmas morning, the prophet Isaiah told of it:
Isa_9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Isa_60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Joh_5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
Joh_8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
God came to earth, Jesus, God the Son:
Joh_17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
He Came, He Lived, He, as the Lamb of God laid down His life upon the alter of the cross, He died. He Rose from the Dead, and now, He reigns!
Rev_21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Joh_9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Jesus is the light of the world, and while He walked the earth, His light was glorious. Teaching, preaching, healing, working miracles, establishing the kingdom of God in the earth!
Yet, when He rose from the dead, those of us who believe, were given that same glorious light. Christ, by the Holy Spirit, has literally come to live inside of our hearts…
Joh_12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
2Co_4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Eph_5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
We have been adopted into His family, we have a new identity, nature, purpose…
Mat_5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat_5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat_5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
We are to experience His love, and from that love, we love a hurting world, offering them the life, light, and hope we have found in Him.
Col_1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
We do this humbly, partaking of eternity!
1Th_5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Pe_2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Chosen by God, Royalty, Holy citizens of the heavenly nation, set apart, that we might glorify His name for His great majestic mercy granted to us. We are forgiven, blessed, adopted, and for this we can only humbly thank, praise, and worship the greatness of the One who has done this!
He has also restored to us, not only our dignity, but has granted us, His authority to change the world:
Job_22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
Psa_119:130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
2Co_4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
When we believe, we speak, and God backs up His Word by His Spirit, and the light of heaven shines upon our ways:
Rev_22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Joh_12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
Mat_10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Pro_4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
See how our growing in faith, and utterance in the Word of God, changes the way we walk, and creates a path, filled with God’s glory!
And so, through us, He changes the world!
Joh_17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Joh_1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh_1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Joh_1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Joh_1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
As we share the word of God, God backs up His Word with His power and reveals His love. When He does, His light will light any person that would believe!
And yet, some refuse Him…
Joh_3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh_3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh_3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
When they do, we have great problems in the earth, and this is what causes all the wars, bloodshed, and wickedness in the world…
Isa_8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
2Pe_1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Pro_6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
We shore ourselves up, and are strengthened by the word of God, so that when we are faced with any situation in life, we can look to the Word of God, to discover what we must do about it. We only get ourselves in trouble relationally, when we move ahead of Jesus. He leads, we follow:
1Co_4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
There is a mad dog loose in the system though, and he is our adversary. He works through spiritual blindness and deception:
2Co_4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
He will burn in hell forever, and so will those who
Job_18:5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.
Job_18:6 The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.
Nothing is worse, than when a person dies, having rejected Jesus, and His love. Not only does all of their life’s work fade into oblivion, but their spirit, apart from Jesus, is not only separated from their body upon death, but is eternally separated from God, in a place called hell.
Mat_25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
God, thousands of years before we were born, purposed that every person might experience His light:
Isa_60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
The fulfillment of this, was the commission given to the apostle Paul, where God sent him to all the world, no longer just to the Jews…
Act_26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
This, is our mission, the great commission, of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, show me my part today, in letting Your light, the light of Your Word, and love shine bright against the lies, wickedness, and pain, of a people, that in many ways, has left You, and Your Word. Please reveal Your love, Your live, Your Holiness, and restore again Your fear in this nation, that we might turn from our lies, wickedness, selfishness, and the pride of thinking we might build our lives, apart from You. In Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen!”