I LISTEN WITH INTEREST AT THOSE WHO DESCRIBE "ALL THE EVIL" THAT SEEMS TO BE INCREASING AROUND THE WORLD. SOME GASP IN AMAZEMENT AND ASK THE ENEVITABLE QUESTION: "WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?"
THEY ARE THE ONES WHO QUICKLY POINT OUT THE HORRIBLE DECLINE OF OUR SOCIETY CLAIMING EVERYTHING FROM THE DEMISE OF MORALITY TO MUSIC…HOLLYWOOD TO WASHINGTON.
THEY CONTINUALLY SEARCH FOR SOMEONE OR SOME “THING,” GROUP OR ORGANIZATION TO BLAME FOR WHAT THEY FEEL IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE RAPID DECLINE IN THE MORAL, ETHICAL, AND GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE OF OUR COUNTRY TODAY.
IN MY OPINION, THEY COULD BE LOOKING AT THE WRONG SOURCE. IN FACT, I WOULD GO ONE STEP FURTHER AND SAY THEY HAVE BEEN DECEIVED INTO THINKING THE FAULT LIES WITH SINFULNESS AND THE PRESENCE OF EVIL.
THE "CONDITION" OF OUR COUNTRY AND OUR WORLD CANNOT BE BLAMED TOTALLY ON SIN AND EVIL. AFTER ALL, SIN AND EVIL ARE ONLY DOING WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DO WHICH IS TO BE SINFUL AND EVIL.
A QUOTE ATTRIBUTED TO EDMUND BURKE IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST REVERED ON THIS VERY SUBJECT THAT SAID, “ALL THAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE TRIUMPH OF EVIL IS THAT GOOD MEN DO NOTHING.”
I THINK WE FOUND OUR “SOURCE” OF THE PROBLEM. THE BLAME CANNOT BE PLACED UPON THE IMPACT OF EVIL OR THE INFLUENCE OF SINFULNESS IN THE WORLD.
I BELIEVE MOST OF THE BLAME NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES UPON THOSE CALLED TO ILLUMINE THE WORLD WITH THE MESSAGE AND HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST.
AFTER ALL, JESUS CHRIST IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. HE SAID IN JOHN 8:12, “…I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. IF YOU FOLLOW ME, YOU WON’T HAVE TO WALK IN DARKNESS, BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE THE LIGHT THAT LEADS TO LIFE.” JESUS NOT ONLY PASSED THIS ROLE ON TO HIS DISCIPLES BUT HAS NOW EMPOWERED US TO CONTINUE ON WITH THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
AS PAUL AND BARNABAS PROCLAIMED, IN ACTS 13:47, WHILE MINISTERING IN ANTIOCH, REMINDING EVERYONE OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH’S WORDS FROM ISAIAH 49:6, “THIS IS WHAT THE LORD TOLD US TO DO, SAYING: 'I HAVE MADE YOU A LIGHT FOR THE NATIONS; YOU WILL SHOW PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THE WAY TO BE SAVED.' "
THIS IS THE POINT: LIGHT DISPELLS DARKNESS. THEREFORE, IF THE COMPLAINT IS “THERE IS TOO MUCH DARKNESS,” THEN WE MUST ASK A SECOND QUESTION: “WHERE’S THE LIGHT?”
IF THERE WAS ENOUGH LIGHT (OR MORE LIGHT) IN THE WORLD IT WOULD HAVE DISPELLED A LOT MORE OF THE DARKNESS THAN WHAT IS CURRENTLY PRESENT IN THE WORLD TODAY.
IF DARKNESS SEEMS TO BE OVERTAKING THE WORLD, WE HAVE TO STOP AND ASK, ONCE AGAIN, “WHERE IS THE LIGHT?” IN OTHER WORDS, WE ASK: “WHERE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS?” WE ARE THE LIGHT!!
PHILIPPIANS 2:15, SAYS, “LIVE CLEAN, INNOCENT LIVES AS CHILDREN OF GOD, SHINING LIKE BRIGHT LIGHTS IN A WORLD FULL OF CROOKED AND PERVERSE PEOPLE.” IF IT SEEMS THAT THE WORLD IS GETTING WORSE AND SEEMS TO BE IN MORAL AND ETHICAL SHAMBLES, WE HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME, BUT OURSELVES.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS OUR DUTY TO ILLUMINE THE DARKNESS AND DISPELL IT WITH THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST. EPHESIANS 5:8-10, “FOR ONCE YOU WERE FULL OF DARKNESS, BUT NOW YOU HAVE LIGHT FROM THE LORD. SO LIVE AS PEOPLE OF LIGHT! FOR THIS LIGHT WITHIN YOU PRODUCES ONLY WHAT IS GOOD AND RIGHT AND TRUE. CAREFULLY DETERMINE WHAT PLEASES THE LORD. TAKE NO PART IN THE WORTHLESS DEEDS OF EVIL AND DARKNESS; INSTEAD, EXPOSE THEM”.
IT IS CRITICAL THAT EACH OF US, AS CHRISTIANS, MAINTAIN OUR SOURCE OF LIGHT TO ILLUMINE THE DARKNESS AROUND US. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO RISK THE LIVES OF NON-BELIEVERS BY LIVING OUR LIVES LIKE A FLASHLIGHT WITH ITS BATTERIES ABOUT DEAD GIVING OUT A VERY DIM, FLICKERING GLOW.
THIS IS WHY VERSE 15 SAYS, “NO ONE LIGHTS A LAMP AND THEN PUTS IT UNDER A BASKET.” THE IMPLICATION IS NOT WITH HIDING THE LIGHT AFTER IT HAS BEEN LIT, BUT EXTINGUISHING THE LIGHT COMPLETELY. I THINK WHAT IT IS SAYING IS THAT ONCE YOU GET THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN YOU, DON’T LET THAT LIGHT GO OUT.
WE ALLOW THE LIGHT OF JESUS CHRIST TO BEAM BRIGHLY FROM US TO ILLUMINE THE WORLD TO THE PURITY AS OPPOSED TO FILTH, TRUTH AS OPPOSED TO ERROR, KNOWLEDGE AS OPPOSED TO IGNORANCE, AND TO SHOW THE DIVINE PRESENCE OF GOD AS OPPOSED TO ABSENCE AND ABANDONMENT.
WE CANNOT BE “SECRET CHRISTIANS” NOR SPIRITUAL “LONE RANGERS.” WE LEAVE THE CAMOUFLAGE TECHNIQUES TO THE MILITARY AND STAND OUT. AS IT HAS BEEN SAID, “THE DISCIPLE WHO IS VISIBLY DIFFERENT FROM THE WORLD WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE WORLD.”
AS THE ILLUSTRATION SAID IN OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE TODAY IN VERSE 15, WE TAKE OUR LIGHT AND “PUT IT ON ITS STAND TO GIVE LIGHT TO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE.” WE LIVE A DISTINCTIVE CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT SPREADS THE LIGHT OF CHRIST TO EVERYONE WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH ON A DAILY BASIS.
BY DOING THIS AND LIVING AS THE LIGHT HELPS SHOW PEOPLE WHAT TO DO AND WHERE TO GO TO HAVE A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH SALVATION FOUND ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST.
BY DOING THIS AND LIVING AS THE LIGHT WILL GLORIFY GOD AND LEAD OTHERS TO HIM. WE SHOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING IN ATTEMPT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO OURSELVES SO THAT WE CAN RECEIVE THE RECOGNITION AND ACCOLADES. AS IT
HAS BEEN WRITTEN, “TO PRAISE THE LORD WITH ONE’S LIFE IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN PRAISING HIM WITH THE LIPS.” WITNESS INCLUDES NOT JUST WORDS BUT DEEDS AS WELL!
GOOD WORKS ARE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY AS A WITNESS TO OTHERS, BUT AS A CONTINUATION OF THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST BEGAN ON EARTH. THE FOCUS OF OUR WITNESS SHOULD ALWAYS POINT BEYOND US TO THE ONE WE REPRESENT!
SO, THE NEXT TIME THE CONVERSATION GETS STARTED ON "HOW BAD THE WORLD IS GETTING," INSTEAD OF POINTING THE FINGER AT OUR SOCIETY AS THE EXCUSE AND “BLAME THE DARKNESS” ON SIN AND EVIL IN THE WORLD TODAY.
INSTEAD, LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK WITHIN THE CHURCH AND AT OURSELVES AND SEE IF THE REAL PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF LIGHT COMING FROM US...AND THEN FIND WAYS TO WORK ON BEING MORE LUMINARY.
