The world is a dark place. And as society removes itself further and further away from Jesus Christ and the truth of God’s word, it’s getting even darker and darker. But God’s word brings light… and life. It’s time to turn on the light.
The World is a Dark Place
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light‘; and there was light.” Genesis 1:1-3 (NJKV)
In the very beginning, there was darkness on the earth. But once God spoke His word, light came into existence. Darkness exists only in the absence of God’s word. The word of God brings forth light.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
There is a clear connection between God’s Word and light. Without the word of God, the world is a dark place. And as society removes itself further and further away from the truth of God’s word, the world gets even darker and darker. Some places are further removed than others and are therefore much darker. Yet even our own society is quickly turning its back on God and slipping deeper and deeper into sin. And the further removed we get from God’s word, the darker everything becomes. The absence of God’s word causes darkness, and only the word of God is the remedy.
Even in the midst of a dark world, there have been times when God’s very own people would reject the light of His word. One such period of time took place toward the end of the Old Testament. God’s own people continually rejected Him over and over again. No matter how many times God would send His word and speak to His people, they refused to listen. Though God’s people continually abandoned His word, God did not abandon His people. In response, God sent His only begotten Son.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 (NKJV)
God sent His only begotten Son—who is the Word of God—to the earth in a very real and tangible way to personally shine the light and to restore life to mankind.
Jesus is the Light of the World
Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not walk in darkness.” John 12:46 (NKJV)
“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5 (NKJV)
Jesus is the light of the world, and He came to bring the light of God’s word back into our world. He came to restore both light and life. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” John 1:4. The absence of God’s word causes darkness and death. The presence of God’s word brings forth light and life. To bring the light into a dark world, Jesus spent the majority of His ministry preaching the word of God to the masses.
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23 (NKJV)
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matthew 9:35 (NKJV)
Jesus also said, “I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple…” Matthew 26:55 (NKJV)
Jesus spent the majority of His ministry preaching and teaching God’s word—the gospel. The gospel is the remedy—the antidote—to a dark and dying world. The word of God brings forth light. And when the gospel is received, light and life are also received. This is why Jesus went about preaching, teaching, and healing… in that order.
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NKJV)
Jesus is the light of the world… and He came to restore the light of life to a world that so desperately needs it. He did so by preaching the word.
You are the light of the world
We know that Jesus is the light of the world, but once we receive Jesus as our personal savior and the Lord of our life, He tells us that we are the light of the world as well.
“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 (NKJV)
Once we have accepted, received and believed the truth of God’s word, it is time for us to become the light of the world as well. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” We are to bring forth the light of God’s word to those around us the same way Jesus did: Teaching, preaching, and healing.
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord… for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5–6 (NKJV)
We are to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. This verse also reminds us why we should preach to others. Notice closely, “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” In other words, once we have received the light of salvation in our own life, it is time to pass on the good news of salvation to others. That’s called evangelism. In fact, Jesus gave us clear instructions when He passed the baton of evangelism to us.
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15–16 (NKJV)
It’s time to preach the gospel to those around us, and to let our light so shine before others so that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. You are the light of the world.
Turn on the light
You are the light of the world, but in order to give off light, you must be full of light. In order to let your light so shine before men, you must first be full of light, and not full of darkness. Jesus said…
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NKJV)
You will never be the light of the world and make a significant impact if you are still living a life of sin and darkness. This does not mean that we are disqualified when we make mistakes or stumble along the way, but we must intentionally choose to renounce the former things of wickedness and to live according to the standards of God’s word. Otherwise, we will be full of darkness. If we are full of darkness, we will never be able to shine the light. In order to give off light, we must be full of light. And Jesus tells us how.
“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness…” Matthew 6:22-23 (NKJV)
Jesus is telling us that our life can either be full of light or it can be full of darkness. If we are full of darkness, we will never be able to shine the light of the gospel to others, because we don’t have His light within us in the first place. But if we are full of light, only then will we be able to shine the light of the gospel to others. And Jesus tells us exactly how our life can be full of light or full of darkness: our eyes. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. If our eyes are watching, reading, and looking at the wrong things, our life will be full of darkness. But if our eyes are watching, reading and looking at godly things, our life will be full of light. The book of Proverbs confirms this principle and adds yet another gateway of light and darkness into our life: our ears.
“My son, give attention to my words: Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20–22 (NKJV)
What we allow to come into our eyes and into our ears enter our heart, and verse 23 says that out of our heart spring the issues of life, whether it’s darkness or light, life or death. To remove darkness from our life, we must pay attention to what we see and what we hear. We must remove from our midst anything ungodly and wicked that exposes our eyes and ears to the darkness of this world. On the other hand, if we want our lives to be filled with light, we must allow our eyes and ears to be exposed to the truth of God’s word. Only then your life will be full of light. Notice what Psalm 119 says…
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)
“The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130 (NKJV)
The word of God is light. If you want to be full of light, you must be full of God’s word. And when you allow the word of God to come into your eyes and ears and into your heart, your life will be filled with light. The entrance of God’s word gives light. But the absence of God’s word produces darkness. If there is an absence of God’s word in your life, the light that is within you is dim at best or nonexistent at worst. The Lord is not looking for us to merely glow with a dim light, but to be so filled with God’s word that we shine bright in the midst of a dark world. “Let your light so shine before men.” This is not a dim flashlight with a battery going dead, but a heart fully charged with the light of God’s word, willing also to give that light to others. This is what you and I are called to do. It’s time to turn on the light and let the light so shine!
Arise & Shine
The world is getting darker and darker, but Jesus is the light of the world, and YOU are the light of the world as well. Once you have received God’s word into your life, it’s time to pass it on the others. Only the word of God is the remedy to a dark and dying world. And many people so desperately need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
- Jesus is the light of the world
- You are the light of the world
- In order to give off light, you must be full of light
- Turn on the light (in your own life)
- Read the Bible every day
- Listen to faith-building, Bible believing messages
- Go to church every week
- Expel the darkness (in your own life)
- Remove ungodly television, music, and entertainment from your life
- Remove other forms of wickedness and temptations from your midst
- Let your light so shine before others
- Live a life that is pleasing to God, not walking in disobedience
- Walk wisely with others, being gracious and loving
- Preach the gospel and speak the truth of God’s word to others
When you are filled with God’s word and let your light so shine before men, you will not only have a direct impact on the lives of a few, but many more will be drawn to you.
“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1–3 (NKJV)
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Tristan Fenholt 