We'll Leave the Light On For You

1 John 1:7

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

“Never walk through a dark house after the furniture has recently been rearranged.”   That was the thought that ran through my mind as I jumped around holding my foot.  My little toe had jammed into the foot of a very heavy chair as I walk toward the kitchen in the dark.  I hadn’t wanted to turn the light on as I was tired and wanted to go back to sleep.  I thought leaving the light off would help maintain my sleepy state and I would fall back to sleep quickly. 

Nothing will wake you up faster than the pain of a stubbed toe in the dark!!  My plan had failed.  I was wide awake and would lie awake for quite a while nursing a bruised little toe.

Why do we try to make our way in the darkness?

John 1:4-5 says “In Him was life and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

Without Jesus humanity is in darkness.  The darkness is the sinful state of a fallen world.  A fallen humanity that is separated from God.  Praise the Lord that the world now has the opportunity to be reconciled to God through His Son Jesus Christ. He turned the light on for us! We no longer have to walk blindly through life.  We can know the truth of God through our relationship with Him and His Word.  If we are to be successful at this, we must “walk in the light as He is in the light”.  That means that we must follow the path of Jesus.  In doing so, the world will not understand or “comprehend” the path of light we are walking, why we are walking this path of light or how we are able to do it.  We walk this path by faith in the “blood of Jesus Christ His Son” that “cleanses us from all sin”.

This doesn’t just happen.  Each of us has to make a conscious decision to follow Jesus.  Without that decision you will remain in darkness.  Only “in Him was life and the life was the light of men” and each one of us has the opportunity to choose life (light) or death(darkness).

Just as it was in my own power to turn on the light and successfully navigate my way to the kitchen or make the choice to walk in the dark, thinking I knew the way.  We too each have the choice to walk in the light or in darkness.  In the darkness we fail, we struggle, we die without Christ.  In the light we succeed, we reach our destination, we live life eternal with God.

The choice is yours!

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, forgive my sin and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.  Turn the light of Jesus Christ on in my life today.  I accept Him as the sacrifice for my sin!  Help me walk in Your path of righteousness today.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

What Are We Thinking?

Why does it seem that life has become so confusing?  Ideals and values that we took for granted a few years ago are now being questioned by our society and culture.  These questions began in secular society and have made their way into the church world.  Now the church is being influenced by society and popular culture instead of being the influence.

Jesus said that we are to be “salt of the earth” and “light of the world” (Matt 5:13-14) instead we are giving in to popular culture and political correctness in order to remain “relevant” to this generation.  We can only truly be relevant by remaining true to the example of Jesus Christ…..to love the world but not be of the world.  Loving the world meaning, to love those who are in need of the truth of Jesus Christ to change their lives.  Our walk matters!!!!

Ephesians 4: 17 says “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,”

When we come into relationship with the Lord God through Jesus Christ it changes us.  First, it changes our relationship status from being “lost, alone, hopeless,” to being “accepted, loved, part of the family of God”.  We have been saved by grace!!!!  That moment of transformation must be followed by a change of direction in our daily life.  Our “walk” changes, not just our spirit but our mind (soul) and body(flesh) begins to change as well.  Some of these changes happen super naturally while others must be learned.

Paul tells us that we should “no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk” because they are being led by their own carnal mind and thoughts.  Verse 18 tells us that their understanding is darkened, that they are separated from the life of God because of ignorance and blindness of heart…..he then tells us in v.20 “But you have not so learned Christ”. 

Our walk should reflect who and what we are following.  If we are truly on the path of God, we will follow Jesus Christ, His life and Word in spite of the modern culture and society. 

This isn’t always easy.  We face pressures from society to conform, we face pressures from friends and sometimes family to accept that which the Word says is unacceptable and we face pressures from politicians and those who govern to be tolerant of lifestyles which is in opposition to the Word of God, with the threat of breaking the law.   We are not called to walk in conformity to the world and the things of the world.  We are called to conform to the ways and truth of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word regardless of what society thinks, says or does. 

It is not always an easy path, but it does offer great reward at the end of the road. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help me walk the path of Your Son, my savior, Jesus Christ so that my life will shine the Light of Jesus to a dark and hurting world.  Help my life be the salt that changes those around me thru the presence and power of Jesus Christ.  In His Name. Amen.