Jesus said in Matthew 5: 16, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. The purpose of our light is to show our good works by grace to glorify God. God has also sanctioned our lights for other biblical purposes.
Our light is God’s character in us for good works. We will individually account to God for how we have used our light on the inevitable judgment day. This is because the light is for God’s purpose. Jesus said in Matthew 5: 14-15, you are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. See also Luke 8: 16; 11: 33. If our light cannot be seen, then it is not fit for God’s purpose.
What is the purpose of our light?
The purpose for our light is to overwhelm or disperse the darkness of this world so people may see their way clear without stumbling or groping or missing their way to God. Not all lights are true lights from God. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11: 14, and no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Some of us do not have the true light but camouflaged light. All who identify with disguised or fake light will be exposed or revealed. Jesus said in Mark 4:22 for there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.
Jesus said in Luke 11: 35-36, therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays. The above reference means that even though we may claim to have God’s light, we could possibly have some aspects of our lives in darkness. We in sincerity audit our lives by the Holy Spirit and submit to Jesus Christ who wants our lives to be full of his light and not shared with darkness.
Why light must not partner darkness
Jesus is light and Satan is darkness and the two are opposite of each other. God stands for holiness but Satan stands for evil. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6: 14 do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship is there between light and darkness? The light in us is Christ Jesus himself. John said in John 1: 4-5 that in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. Jesus’ light overwhelms darkness and his light is life for us. Anyone who has Jesus’ light has life.
It is this light that Jesus wants to shine so that those without life may see the way from darkness and return to God. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5: 5, for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. Light and darkness are never complementary. 1 Peter 2: 9 said you have been chosen in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So the light is to enable us to proclaim the mighty works of Christ Jesus. Anyone who rejects Jesus rejects the light and such cannot be a shining light.
Qualities of the shining light
It is the true light of God. It must shine and cannot be hidden. John 1: 9 said, the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming to the world. This supposes that only the light of Christ Jesus enlightens everyone. We therefore need Christ Jesus in order to enlighten our lives as lights of the world if we want to give glory to God our Father in heaven.
Sadly, not everyone wants to beam as a shining light to the world. In explaining why, John 3: 19-21 said people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. The only way to keep our light shining is to allow Jesus to take full control of every aspect of our lives.
Jesus said in John 12: 36 while you have light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light. Our light will shine when we believe in Christ Jesus by the Spirit. Paul was also worried when the light of the Corinthians was not shining as it should be so he said in 2 Corinthians 4: 6, let light shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. Are we the shining light of Christ Jesus for the world to see?
What are the fruits of the light?
Paul mentioned the fruits of the light in Ephesians 5: 8-9: For the fruit of the light is found in that is good and right and true. The light bears fruit when we are good, right and true to God. Let our light means walk in the light of Christ Jesus enabled by his Holy Spirit. 1 John 1: 7 say but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of his Son cleanses us from all sin. Fellowship means we must lend support to one another and that is a good fruit of the light.
This is further explained in 1 John 2: 9, whoever says, I am in the light, while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. To shine means to show God’s unfailing and unconditional love to all. If Jesus as well as his servant Paul in accord say the shining light is good works that glorify the Father in heaven, then we must let our lights shine to glorify God in good works. By so doing, we shall be counted worthy of the Lamb by his blood. Jesus is wailing to see our shining light. Amen!!
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, our sins have blocked our lights from shining to the glory of the Father in heaven. We need you to remove the blockage of sin. Lead us to fellowship in love and to walk in your light. Lead us by your blood so we may not miss our way to eternity. Give us your grace to overcome darkness with your light blessed Jesus. Wash us in your blood so our lights may shine for you. In your precious holy name we pray, Amen!!
