The Power of Light
Henry Omotayo
The Power of Light (Matthew 5:13-16)
Message No. 0492 | Twitter @GodandUs |
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It’s impossible to tell how many times I have entered a room and turned on the light via a switch on the wall. I can say, with confidence, that I have never observed a situation where darkness refused to disappear upon an encounter with the light. Right from the moment God commanded light into existence in Genesis chapter 1 verses 3 and 4, light became a terror to darkness. There isn’t, nor ever will be, any coexistence between the two.
God created light so it can rule the world and remove any ambiguity between truth and lie. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus Christ likened believers to light. In verses 14 to 16, He told His disciples:
“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.
Being the light of the world means that certain conditions must be taken for granted when a Christian is present: we must be able to drive darkness away without a doubt; we must be able to point to the truth whenever there is confusion between right and wrong; we must not, at any time, attempt to hide our identity.
Now, light can only drive darkness away, to the extent of its own power. If the light is weak, the darkness will stick around, and if the light is strong, darkness will run far away from the location. In other to drive darkness far away, our light must remain strong. The main factor affecting the strength of our light is the amount of the Word of God that we have in us. Without studying God’s Words, we will not grow, will not know right from wrong and will not be able to affect our world positively.
In order to be agents of the truth, we must first know the truth and be subjected to it. Without obeying the Word of God, our lights will be weak and ineffective and we will lack the foundation that is necessary to boldly point the truth out in the midst of confusion.
To serve as light to the world, we cannot hide our identities. Jesus told His disciples that a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. This doesn’t mean that we should go everywhere and start announcing to everyone that we are Christians. Our attitudes and behaviors should readily give us away. In Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians by the people of Antioch, after noticing the way they (disciples) behaved – like Christ. When we refuse to partake in corruption and other activities that do not glorify God, people around us will ask: are you a Christian?
Decades ago, in one of the places where I worked, my manager bought an item for his personal use but he brought the receipt and wanted me to debit an expense account in the company. I kept the receipt on my desk and started asking God for wisdom to handle the situation. The next day, I approached the manager and told him that I appreciated that he told me what the item was meant for, but that I would personally pay for it rather than debit the company for it. The man exclaimed, oh no, please don’t worry about it at all – forget that I asked. The man did not dislike me thereafter, he did not remove me from being head of accounts department and he did not deny me anything that I was entitled to. In fact, he always selected me to represent him whenever he could not attend an occasion, preferring me even to his deputy. He knew that I would not participate in manipulations and he never again asked me to do anything of such.
In a world that is degenerating at exponential rate and becoming increasingly challenging for God’s children, we need to brighten up our lights so we can overcome our challenges and serve as beacons for others to follow. These are times when we must study the Word of God more, pray more, and be more determined to not join the prevailing corruption in our societies. We must provide hope for the hopeless and show the Way to others to follow. We can do it, and we must; so help us God. Amen. Have a blessed week!
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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