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Your Light Will Shine IF You Let It

by Dr. Henderson Ward  
10/10/2014 / Christian Living

One of the great things about the Bible is that we can read it, say examine a verse, and although we read exactly the same words yet we come away with divergent opinions. This perhaps is one of the most beautiful things about the Bible; for it enables the Holy Spirit to meet individuals needs, which differ vastly, from the same single source. Even more splendid and uplifting, you can read the same verse and get different messages each time.

In truth this can be compared to the mercurial salesmen of the Old West who peddled a panacea for all ills, and often it was nothing more than coloured alcohol, and convinced people to buy it and use it for opposing ailments. For example, the contents of that one bottle was supposed to bring considerable warmth to frozen feet and at other times reduce your temperature and cure headaches. No wonder these Old West drummers were nomadic.

Jesus brought a cure for the world, a cure that was founded on the grace of God, but that was exemplified by the Sermon on the Mount.

As you may recall, the Sermon on the Mount is a collection and teachings of Jesus, early in his ministry, and has given rise to iconic and lasting mantras of morality. Expressions like "the golden rule", 'the Beatitudes", "the Lord's prayer" to name a few have, become central to our thinking and part of our daily life.

Even those who are unconverted, and therefore do not care for Christian values and norms, find themselves referring to, and at times practising, "the golden rule". And some even teach their children to live on a daily basis by that rule.

So there are numerous valuable lessons we can learn from the Sermon on the Mount. Each believer will take from the sermon what is his or her portion, and be blessed, encouraged, and strengthened, for having done so.

But the Sermon on the Mount, when properly considered, when a correct and sweeping analysis is made of the entire sermon, comes down to a simple but powerful thought. Jesus wants his disciples, all believers of today, to "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)

Some people misunderstand the word "perfect" and in the context of the Sermon on the Mount a better rendition of the above verse is this: "Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete." (Matthew 5:48 Common English Bible )

Some people interpret the word "perfect" to mean mature, and that is fine because all the elements of the sermon, if fully embraced, will lead to a mature and robust experience of God through Christ. Peter expressed it like this:

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:5-8)

One of the most important verses that we overlook in the Sermon on the Mount, or because we know it so well we tend not to give it full attention, is Matthew 5:16, and here is the verse:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Notice here some important things that are frequently overlooked.

1. Jesus did not ask that we create the light, we were not to be responsible for generating the light. No, that is something for which God is responsible.

Sometimes we do ourselves, and the world, a disservice when we attempt to do things that rightfully belong to God. For example it is wrong to say that we "save" somebody, rather we should say that we brought someone to Christ, or that someone was saved under our ministry. Saving souls is something that God alone does, and we should teach, preach, persuade and witness; and leave the rest to God.

2. Jesus tells us that shining the light is not to glorify us, but God. Although the good works are ours, and all believers are to produce an abundance of good works, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) they are to be displayed solely to bring credit, honour and glory to Almighty God: "Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:9)

There should be no room in the life of the Christian for boasting, for lauding ones achievements (even when those achievements are substantial), for demanding or expecting plaudits for attainment; for all such is nothing but vanity.

3. Jesus tells us that the light is for public display. There can be no such thing as a secret Christian as far as shining the light is concerned. The person who would hide the candle under a bowl has no good and honest intentions towards people. The light has benefits only if it can be seen, and be accessed into being useful.

The light is necessary to guide; as to prevent stumbles and falls.
The light is necessary to warn; as to warn seafarers of treacherous shoals and lurking danger.
The light is necessary to comfort; as for those afraid of the dark and all it portends.
The light is necessary to rescue those lost; both spiritually and naturally.

So how do we let our light shine? How do we honour and obey the directives of Jesus Christ our Lord?

By remembering that Jesus IS the light of the world (John 8:12). He is in us and by acting in ways consistent with his teachings and displaying the same ways and graces He has exemplified, we emanate clear and compelling light for all to see.

As believers we shine the light, for example when:

We forgive others willingly for their wrongs
We take risks for Jesus, and the Gospel's sake, when others dare not
We refuse to retaliate, and turn the other cheek
We keep our word, regardless of the cost
We refuse to take unfair advantage, even when we could
We demonstrate by our daily living that Jesus is preeminent in our life
We refuse to be intimidated in doing God's will
We go beyond and above the call of duty, when others wouldn't
We refuse to accord with popular, but wrong, opinions
We give as much love and thoughtfulness for the lowly and despised as we do others
We react with kindness to our adversaries
We give sacrificially to help others
We feel comfortable taking a lower seat than our position merits us

Water does not struggle to flow, neither does light fight to shine. In truth, all the darkness in the universe cannot extinguish the smallest light. Believers, who find it hard to live for Christ, and let the natural light of his wonderful person shine forth, are those whose commitment to God is halting; and they allow compromises to dim its brilliance.

Many a believer does more to please a partner, or a friend, than to fully please the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is always hard to go against our natural, carnal, instincts even after we are converted. Who among us do not have likes and dislikes, preferences, a comfort zone, biases and subjective opinions? Many of them, at times, are contrary to God's will. To grapple with them and bring them under subjection, or eliminate them, is a mighty task indeed. One time Paul cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24)

The plain truth is, that believers are in a process, the end product of which resides in eternity. We have not as yet been perfected, we are faulty humans beings and remain fallible, but the process we are in, a process of entire sanctification is only possible as we totally commit to it.

It is only as we, "...grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) and allow the Holy Spirit to have full sway in the process that the powerful, life-saving light of Jesus Christ (and the Gospel) does its magnificent work. We know the light will shine, all we have to do, by God's grace, is to let it.

Enough said.

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Dr. Henderson Ward received his Doctor of Divinity in theology, with distinction, from Masters International School of Divinity, USA, where he is currently a post-doctoral fellow. Dr. Ward's career involved pastoring, evangelism, and teaching. Copyright 2017

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