Is your light shining for God? How to know if you are in His will or your own. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” This particular statement from Jesus carries a lot of weight and clarifies some misguided ideas that some people may have. He was teaching His disciples some very important lessons and those lessons should be carried over to modern disciples and shared with those that seek to grow in Christ’s wisdom and the knowledge of God’s word. The light mentioned above is the light of the Holy Spirit that lives within each child of God. We are told that it should be visible to all men. The word light is used because it signifies so much. Lights were used on points of land that were dangerous as a warning to sailors and fishermen to avoid shipwreck. Inns used lights to guide weary travelers to a place of refuge and shelter. Fortified cities used them to signal anyone in need of a safe place to spend part of their journey, a place to resupply, rest and reevaluate their plans and route. The Holy Spirit should radiate from us in the same way. It should show in our attitude, behavior and works. People should distinguish us from the secular world through our vocabulary, our habits, our friends, our hobbies, and our dedication to the local church, etc. We should be a beacon of refuge, healing, friendship, rest, sound counsel, wisdom, and assistance. I think the use of the word YOUR in this statement is purposeful on Christ’s part. He was reminding them that they now belonged to God. They were no longer slave to their own whims and weaknesses but they were also accountable for their shortcomings and sin. Jesus was telling them that being Christians had meaning and responsibility. Something more than the norm was expected from them. Our society seems to have forgotten this. We no longer put God first in all that we do. Many who profess Christianity live as they please and refuse to cast aside their old behaviors, conversations and habits. They use every excuse they can to remain in a sinful state. If a person is truly a child of God would they not desire to live to please Him? Would they not want to live holy because He is holy? Wouldn’t a Christian want to live like one so they can bring honor to the one who supplies their freedom from sin? If a person is truly indwelled with the Holy Spirit wouldn’t their life naturally shed a spiritual light for the world to see? According to the verse above, Jesus didn’t beat about the bush. He told God’s children, then and now, that a legitimate son or daughter of God will not have a problem being a light. If you are in constant debate with yourself or others about how you live and act, you may want to examine your salvation according to what the bible says about salvation, rather than your own feelings or opinions.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:32:32 +0000
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