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HAT thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:14-16)
When ministering upon this darkly-lit world as both man and God, our Lord Jesus Christ bore His Light that all could see and know who sought Him; but in the Presence of His Father and the Holy Angels, His resplendent Light is blinding. I will quote two text of the Words of our Lord that seem to cause a contradiction in meaning:
First
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid." (Matthew 5:14)
Second
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12)
So, which is it?
Are WE the light of the world, or is Christ?
Jesus clarifies the meaning of the second text above in John 9:5: 5 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
Just as John the Baptist bore the light of the promised Lord Jesus’ coming until He came, so are WE the light of Christ in this world until His Second Coming. John did not hide his light but boldly proclaimed it even to the detriment of his life. In fact, John was beheaded for his courageous condemnation of sin. Just as John’s torch was fueled by the never-setting Sun of Righteousness, so may our lights be fueled by that same great Light of Heaven which is Christ. Until He returns to gather His jewels, we are the Light of the World who proclaim His Coming. In our worldly struggles, the sun gives light from one sunrise until the following dusk. So do our daily prayers and Bible studies bring daily light to those who are awakened to that unapproachable Light of Heaven. He gives us rest from our labors during the hours of darkness, but the day comes when we must labor in the light. “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only Begotten Son of the Father, and God is the Father of Lights, too. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 The Light of Christ is also the Light of His Father. We, too, must reflect that same Light in our daily walks and ministry. We must not be the ‘Light that Failed’ of labor and vision, but the steady burning lights of truth and faith. On earth, there is a ‘shadow of turning’ as the world rotates from day to night to day again; but with God, there is no night – no darkness at all, and no “shadow of turning.”
That wonderful preacher of the Word (Charles Spurgeon) was once asked by a reporter, “Sir, do you have the grace to die for your Lord?” to which Spurgeon responded, “No, young man, I do not!” The reporter was shocked at this response of Spurgeon. “Do you mean, Dr. Spurgeon, that you, who are known as the greatest minister in England, do not have the grace to die for Christ?” Spurgeon answered, “That is correct, but I trust that should the time come that such a grace is required of me to die for the Lord, He will give me that grace at that moment” That is the kind of light we must bear ourselves daily.
Let us use care not to bear a false light which is truly darkness. “"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23) Remember from whence our light comes: “For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.” A candle should not be used half up and then discarded, but burned fully to the end of its wick. Our candle as Christians must be consumed in burning until our tallow (life) is expended in the burning.
Are you a seeker and bearer of Light, or is your soul smothered in the darkness of false social passions and fashions, perversions, greed, careless consideration of the pain of others, and loveless homage to the Father of Lights and His only Begotten Son, Jesus? We do have an approachable Light of Christ in this world even if we cannot presently abide that great Light of Heaven – the Word of God to show us the path called the Narrow Way. That Light will not only reveal the hazards of the by-ways filled with treacherous rocks, wild beasts and vipers, but the straight and narrow way of security in Christ alone.
