AMERICANS SEEM TO BE FASICNATED WITH LAW AND JUSTICE. ONE ONLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF DETECTIVE AND COURT-ROOM PROGRAMS ON TELEVISION TO SEE WE ENJOY THE SUSPENSE OF SEEING THE TRUTH FINALLY REVEALED.
WE FOLLOW THE STORYLINES OF OUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS AS EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED, TESTIMONIES AND ARGUMENTS ARE HEARD AND THE JUDGE BANGING THE GAVEL TO RENDER THAT FINAL VERDICT: GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY!
IT ALWAYS MAKES FOR A GOOD ENDING WHEN ALL THE MOUNTING EVIDENCE IS PIECED-TOGETHER, TRUTH IS REVEALED FROM WITNESSES, AND THE PROPER SENTENCE CAN BE RENDERED SO THAT JUSTICE CAN BE SERVED.
EVEN IF IT IS THE GUN-SLINGING COWBOY MOVIES OF JOHN WAYNE OR AUDIE MURPHY, WE HAVE QUICKLY LEARNED THAT JUSTICE CANNOT BE TRULY SERVED UNLESS THE REAL WITNESSES COME FORWARD AND PROCLAIM THE TRUTH TO SILENCE THE “BAD GUYS” FROM LITERALLY “GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER.”
IT IS A GREAT INJUSTICE IF THOSE IN POSSESSION OF THE TRUTH REMAIN SILENT OR, PERHAPS, LIE OR MISLEAD THE JURY. WE HAVE LAWS AGAINST THAT….IT IS CALLED PURJURY, WHICH IS “THE OFFENSE OF WILLFULLY TELLING AN UNTRUTH IN A COURT AFTER HAVING TAKEN AN OATH OR AFFIRMATION.”
THERE IS FREEDOM IN KNOWING GOD’S TRUTH: JOHN 8:31-32, “JESUS SAID TO THE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVED IN HIM, “YOU ARE TRULY MY DISCIPLES IF YOU REMAIN FAITHFUL TO MY TEACHINGS. AND YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.”
LEARING THE TRUTH. ACCEPTING THE TRUTH. LIVING THE TRUTH. PROVERBS 30:5-6, “EVERY WORD OF GOD PROVES TRUE. HE IS A SHIELD TO ALL WHO COME TO HIM FOR PROTECTION. DO NOT ADD TO HIS WORDS, OR HE MAY REBUKE YOU AND EXPOSE YOU AS A LIAR.”
LEARNING AND GRASPING GOD’S WORD TO US IS CRUCIAL. CHRISTIANS MUST EDUCATE THEMSELVES BY DIGGING INTO SCRIPTURE, GLEANING ITS TEACHINGS, LEARNING ITS TRUTH, AND ADAPTING IT TO OUR LIVES TO LIVE IT OUT AND DO WHAT IT SAYS.
JOHN THE BAPTIST MADE THAT CLEAR IN JOHN 3:30, “HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE.” THE GREEK WORD FOR “DECREASE” STILL IMPLIES “DIGNITY” AND WORTH OF THE PERSON, BUT MEANS “TO MAKE LESS” IN AUTHORITY, POPULARITY, OR RANK.
WE MUST SURRENDER OURSELVES AND FALL UNDER THE AUTHORITY AND LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. WE MUST MAKE THE WILFUL CHOICE THAT IT IS NO LONGER ABOUT “US,” BUT ABOUT JESUS. THIS IS THE SAME ATTITUDE DESCRIBED OF JOHN THE BAPTIST IN JOHN 1:8, “HE WAS NOT THE LIGHT, BUT CAME TO BEAR WITNESS ABOUT THE LIGHT.”
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS FOR CHRISTIANS: IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS. PERIOD. WE DO HAVE JOBS, FAMILY, EDUCATION, GOALS AND MANY OTHER TASKS OF DAILY LIVING. HOWEVER, THESE VERY IMPORTANT DETAILS OF OUR LIVES SHOULD NOT BE LIVED OUT INDEPENDENTLY FROM OUR FAITH. RATHER, OUR FAITH SHOULD BE THE HUB WHERE THESE EVENTS EMANATE OUT FROM OUR LIFE.
IT HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT US ANYWAY! 2 CORINTHIANS 5:20, “SO WE ARE CHRIST’S AMBASSADORS; GOD IS MAKING HIS APPEAL THROUGH US. WE SPEAK FOR CHRIST WHEN WE PLEAD, “COME BACK TO GOD!” GOD’S PLAN. GOD’S WAY. GOD’S MESSAGE. GOD PERIOD!
THE ROLE OF AN AMBASSADOR IS TO REPRESENT THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THEY ARE FROM. THIS KEY POSITION IN THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS, FOR THE PRESIDENT, THE HIGHEST RANKING RESPRESENTATIVE. THE AMBASSADOR REPRESENTS THE PRESIDENT’S INTERESTS WHEREVER HE IS SENT.
THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST, DOESN’T IT? JOHN 1:6-7, “THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD, WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. HE CAME AS A WITNESS….” GOD’S PLAN WAS TO SEND JOHN AHEAD OF JESUS TO BE HIS REPRESENTATIVE OR “AMBASSADOR” TO ANNOUNCE THE COMING LIGHT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NO DIFFERENT! WE TOO HAVE BEEN SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD AS GOD’S AMBASSADORS. WE HAVE BEEN “SENT OUT” TO BE ILLUMINED WITNESSES, LIKE JOHN, TO TELL AND SHOW OTHERS ABOUT THE LIGHT OF JESUS. WE ARE TO, AS STATED IN MATTHEW 28:19, TO “GO, MAKE, BAPTISE AND TEACH!”
THIS IS WHY JESUS SAID IN JOHN 8:12, "WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS." WHAT JESUS MEANT WAS THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES HE IS THE CHRIST AND CHOOSES TO OBEY HIM WILL BE SAVED. JESUS WAS SPEAKING OF SALVATION!
WHAT HE WAS ALSO TRYING TO EMPHASIZE WAS THAT THE LIGHT HE WAS OFFERING WAS NOT FOR THE WORLD, PHYSICALLY, BUT FOR THEM PERSONALLY. THE WHOLE WORLD, OF ITSELF, IS IN THE DARKNESS OF SIN AND SATAN. JESUS WAS THE LIGHT THEY NEEDED TO ESCAPE THE DARK. ONLY THOSE WHO WOULD CHOOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS WOULD BE DELIVERED FROM THE DARKNESS AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST.
JOHN 1:4-5, "LIFE ITSELF WAS IN [CHRIST] AND THIS LIFE GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE. THE LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THE DARKNESS, AND THE DARKNESS CAN NEVER EXTINGUISH IT."
IF WE ARE EVER TO HELP OTHERS OUT OF THE DARKNESS, TO HAVE VICTORY OVER SIN IN THEIR LIFE, AND TO LEAD THEM TO JESUS, WE HAVE TO BE READY AND CAPABLE OF OFFERING THEM THE LIGHT OF JESUS AT ANY MOMENT AND IN ANY PLACE.
2 TIMOTHY 4:2, “PREACH THE WORD OF GOD. BE PREPARED, WHETHER THE TIME IS FAVORABLE OR NOT. PATIENTLY CORRECT, REBUKE, AND ENCOURAGE YOUR PEOPLE WITH GOOD TEACHING.”
THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF ALL TRUE CHRISTIAN TESTIMONY IS TO LEAD OTHERS TO FAITH. BEARING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT PROVES THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY LIGHT CAPABLE OF PENETRATING THE DARKNESS OF THE ABYSS TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE. JESUS IS THE ONLY TRUE LIGHT FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD.
WE MUST INVADE THIS DARKNESS WITH THE JOY OF TELLING EVERYONE THIS GREAT NEWS! WE INVADE THE DARKNESS WITH CONFIDENCE, YET AWARENESS OF WHAT AND WHO WE ARE UP AGAINST SO AS TO BE PREPARED FOR SUCH A BATTLE!
EPHESIANS 6:12, “FOR WE ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST FLESH-AND-BLOOD ENEMIES, BUT AGAINST EVIL RULERS AND AUTHORITIES OF THE UNSEEN WORLD, AGAINST MIGHTY POWERS IN THIS DARK WORLD, AND AGAINST EVIL SPIRITS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.”
THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE IS NOT AGAINST EACH OTHER DESPITE EVIDENCE SEEMING TO MAKE IT APPEAR THAT WAY. THIS BATTLE EXIST BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, GOD AND SATAN. THE REALM OF DARKNESS WILL ALWAYS BE AT WAR WITH AND OPPOSED TO JESUS.
BATTLING THE DARKNESS IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! JESUS HAS ALREADY WON THAT VICTORY. WE MUST STAY ON COURSE WITH GIVING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT SO THAT THOSE WHO WE ILLUMINE WITH THE LIGHT OF CHRIST WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BELIEVE AND ACCEPT JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR!
THIS WAS THE SAME MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WE SEE IN JOHN 1:7, “TO TELL ABOUT THE LIGHT SO THAT EVERYONE MIGHT BELIEVE BECAUSE OF HIS TESTIMONY.” OUR TESTIMONY OF WHAT JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIVES CAN LEAD OTHERS TO BELIEVE!
THE GREEK WORD USED HERE FOR “BELIEVE” MEANS “TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN” OR “BE FULLY PERSUADED ABOUT.” THAT IS ENCOURAGING NEWS THAT MY WORDS OF TESTIMONY AND LIFE OF WITNESS COULD PERSUADE SOMEONE TO SURRENDER TO JESUS!
WE NEED TO FULLY GRASP AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE FORCE BEHIND DISMANTLING AND THWARTING GOD’S WORK IS OUR SILENCE AND/OR REFUSAL TO ENGAGE OTHERS TO SPEAK THE WORDS OF LIFE TO THEM.
JUST AS THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES CONFRONTED JOHN THE BAPTIST ABOUT HIS IDENTITY, WE TOO, MUST FIELD THAT SAME QUESTION AND ANSWER THE QUESTION HONESTLY: WHO ARE YOU?
THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES WEREN’T SURE IF JOHN WAS THE MESSIAH, PERHAPS ELIJAH, AND POSSIBLY A PROPHET. JOHN WAS PREPARED TO ANSWER AND CLARIFY, VERY CLEARLY, THAT HE WAS THE ONE PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE COMING OF JESUS.
JOHN MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE WAS CALLING PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE AND TO HELP THEM PREPARE THEIR HEARTS TO BLIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND TO RECEIVE HIM BY FAITH. ACTS 19:4, TESTIFIES TO THAT, “PAUL SAID, “JOHN’S BAPTISM WAS A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE. HE TOLD THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN THE ONE COMING AFTER HIM, THAT IS, IN JESUS.”
SO, WE MUST ASK, “WHO ARE WE?” “WHO ARE YOU?” LIKE JOHN, ARE YOU BEARING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT OF CHRIST BY ILLUMINATING THE DARKNESS SO THAT OTHERS CAN BE RESCUED FROM SIN AND COME TO FAITH IN JESUS? DOES THAT DESCRIBE YOU?
CAN WE ASK A MUCH DEEPER QUESTION: IS THERE NO MISTAKING YOUR IDENTITY OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHOSE YOU ARE? DOES YOUR LIFE EXHIBIT THE FRUIT OF WINTESS WITHOUT THE INTERFERENCE OF CONFUSION AND UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHO YOU REALLY ARE BECAUSE YOUR MOTIVES, ACTIONS, INTENTIONS, DEMEANOR, KNOWLEDGE AND EVEN YOUR FAITH ARE BEING CALLED INTO QUESTION?
NOTHING COULD BE MORE ALARMING THAN FOR OTHERS TO SCOFF AT OUR HYPOCRISY OR ASSUME, BY OUR ACTIONS, WE ARE NOT EVEN CHRISTIAN AT ALL.
GOD HELP US, IF WE ARE GUILTY OF PROFESSING CHRIST WITH OUR LIPS, BUT DENYING HIM WITH OUR LIFESTYLE. THE UNBELIEVING WORLD FINDS THIS UNBELIEVABLE!
THE WORLD IS BECOMING EVEN MORE DARK AND SICKENED BY THE LURE OF SIN. WE CAN’T HELP BUT CONCLUDE THAT WE COULD BE IN THE LAST HOUR OF THE LAST DAY OF THE SECOND ADVENT OF WITNESSING THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST AS THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
IF THERE EVER WAS A TIME THAT THE WORLD NEEDED THE ILLUMINATING BRILLIANCE OF THE LIGHT OF CHRIST, IT IS NOW. THE SOBERING REALITY IS: WE ARE THE SOURCE OF REFLECTING AND GIVING TESTIMONY OF THAT LIGHT!
WE MUST BE ABLE TO GET TO THE POINT OF SURRENDER. WE MUST BE ABLE TO PRAY THAT GOD WOULD GIVE US GRACE TO FORGET OURSELVES AND TO REMEMBER ONLY CHRIST. WE MUST BE SO ILLUMINED THAT WHEN PEOPLE MEET US, THEY ARE GREETED AND ENVELOPED WITH THE PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST FIRST!
WE ALL SHARE THE SAME PURPOSE IN LIFE: LIKE JOHN, WE ARE TO BE ACTIVE, LOVING VOICES TELLING EVERYONE TO GET READY FOR THE COMING OF THE KING, JESUS THE PRINCE OF PEACE, FOR HE IS ON THE WAY! MARANATHA!
IN CLOSING, ARE YOU BEARING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT? I LEAVE YOU WITH MATTHEW 5:14-16, “YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A TOWN BUILT ON A HILL CANNOT BE HIDDEN. NEITHER DO PEOPLE LIGHT A LAMP AND PUT IT UNDER A BOWL. INSTEAD THEY PUT IT ON ITS STAND, AND IT GIVES LIGHT TO EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE. IN THE SAME WAY, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.”
