Let Our Light Shine Mat 5:16; 1 John 1:5; 1 peter 2:9

Light is one of the most prevailing themes throughout the Bible, a strand that starts man’s journey on the physical earth (ie from Genesis) and closes out man’s physical end (in Revelation). God’s light is a metaphor for our physical life as well – without light, nothing living can survive. One of the last pieces of God’s wrath that the world will endure is complete darkness, which will prevent anything from growing and will be a breeding ground for fear… (Rev 16:10-11).

‘God is light and in Him there is no darkness’ (1John 1:5) Darkness is not a thing in & of itself – it is the absence of light and even a tiny light helps refute absolute darkness. Ie darkness symbolizes the absence of God, which is why the very first thing that God did during the creation in Genesis is to bring light. Light symbolically combated the darkness, where Satan works and began to illuminate God’s creation. A similar thing happens to us when God begins to work in our minds & hearts. (It brings spiritual insight and understanding to us)

It is in the nature of light to illuminate, to give guidance in darkness; therefore since God is light believers then are not to have inherent light, rather we are to have reflective light. This means the world ought to see Christ light shine through believers. In other words believers, we must make sure that we allow nothing to come between us and Christ who is the source of our ‘Light’.

Being the light means Christ gave the mandate for His follows to bring illumination to the world through witnessing that points to & attracts people to the origin of the light (Jesus Christ). A city that is sitting on a hill can be seen from miles away because it’s light shines through; hence in Christ believers lights within shines through them enabling others to see Christ-like character, love, compassion etc.

From Genesis, John tells us that God is light and in the last few verses of the Bible, John explains that after God has set up His Kingdom and recreated a spiritual heaven and earth that “they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light” (Rev 22:5). This means that the physical light that God created for man in the current cosmos – sun, moon & stars are no longer necessary because we will have the Light with us; For God’s glory will be all that is needed to see. Hallelujah…

God consistently uses the theme of light & darkness as an analogy for His calling and the need to separate ourselves from this present world. That is why Peter tells us we are called from darkness to the marvellous light of God. Paul in his letter to the Romans said ‘let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light’ (Rom 13:12b).

Friends, because the light we shine is not ours but God; therefore we reflect like the sun or moon a spiritual light that brings brightness to the world from its darkness. We can brighten this world through honesty, graciousness, positivity, love for the other, hospitality etc.

All lights in our physical world needs a constant power source to keep working; no light is itself sustaining; no matter the type of light – lamp, flame, solar-power, even the sun itself;- if any of these lights is disconnected from their power source, it will eventually lose charge, weaken, fade and die or burn out. Likewise, we have to continuously recharge our connection by replenishing the oil in our lamps this oil is God’s Spirit & His word.

God gives us His people a measure of His Spirit to carry within us; which is our oil that should be feeding the light we reflect. But that little light is not yet infinite or eternal if we don’t trend to it. In Jesus’ parable of the virgins, the five foolish virgins didn’t trend to their lamp that is why the oil got finished, and they had to ran to get some but of course on their returned it was too late; the bridegroom has come and gone (Mat 25:1-13).

Let your light shine implies that God is giving a warning to those who ‘call evil good and good evil; who put darkness for light and light for darkness as shown in Isaiah (Isa 5:20). God here is talking to believers, and this doesn’t just mean literally substituting evil for God’s way; it can also include putting our traditions above God’s laws or intents or our priorities over God’s desires. In living this life; we are to be beacon of truth; so we must not shut our light from shining to the rest of the word.

Our lights can by hidden or dimmed by the following ways;

• Being quiet when we should speak

• Going along with the crowd

• Denying the light

• Letting sin dim our light

• Not explaining our light (Jesus Christ) to others

• Ignoring the needs of others;

When Christ light shines through us, others will see the reflection of God’s beauty in our life-style because God’s light open our spiritual eyes from darkness to light so that people may receive forgiveness of sins. Christ in us is the light and our bodies are the city on the hills; our character the lights of the city. Brothers and sisters, let the glory of our God in us shine through the darkness of this world

For God, who said, “let light shine out of darkness; made his light shine in our hearts….(2 Cor 4:6). God who is the only source of light, has been with us from the beginning and will be even so when He returns in His majesty and splendour; There He will be our light. Let the beauty of our God be seen in each one of us; as we glow in the mystery of His marvellous light in Jesus name Amen.