John 1:9-14 “That was
the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He
was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did
not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive
Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
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.
The other week, Pastor Kyle
continued in our Sunday Sermon series in the book of John. He stated that when
darkness comes in, light needs to come back in to reclaim and restore what was
darkened. Remember when you used to spiritually wonder. All it takes is a tiny
light lit in a dark room to illuminate the whole area. Luke 11:36 says, “If then your whole
body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will
be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
John 3:19-20 “And this
is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not
come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
Hope and light in this dark
world come when we remind ourselves of what we already have in Christ. John
8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to
them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not
walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." This side of
Heaven, we are not free of life’s troubles. Rejection and hurt are a part of
life. So we need healthy outlets to deal with them; not unhealthy outlets of
lusts and addictions.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God,
who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has
shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Christ.
But, rejection and hurt are most easily overcome by
giving grace upon grace. We have
God’s grace and hope in the Holy Spirit. We need to find and do healthy, godly
ways to life and light or else we shall drift towards the unhealthy and ungodly
ways of darkness. We may be rejected, overlooked and, sometimes hated for God’s
plan of redemption through Christ because darkness cannot co-exist with light. 1
Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a
chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own
possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Jesus Christ is the incarnation
of God among us.
Ephesians 5:8 explains, “for
you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children
of Light.”
Always remember to welcome
the responsibilities and requirements of the Kingdom along with the perks. A
title infers trust. There is a weight in the role of citizen of Heaven that
reflects the Kings of kings. Belief is more than just intellectual assent of
the tenants of God. Acts 26:18 “to open their
eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of
Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” Focus on practicing
and reflecting truth and grace of Jesus rather than pointing out where others
don’t measure up to it. The goal is to restore a sinner to an upright position
before God. The church is a place of growth, help and belonging, led by the
Holy Spirit. Proper practice makes progress. The Bible is a mirror to examine
our hearts. Look inward; not outward for maturity in sanctification.
The professing Believer
repents of sin and is justified by Christ the Redeemer and Lord, so is going to
Heaven. Shine your light and look more like Heaven.
In Christ, Brian
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