The Light
That is Within You
Did you know that there is a light within you? Perhaps not, but there is.
It is a light that reveals that which is inside. It is a light that distinguishes
a certain moral compass, a certain sense of where we are in the spiritual
sense. This may sound very foreign to you, but in the Word of God Jesus
speaks about this light.
In Matthew 6:22 and 23 He said, "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore
your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye
is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light
that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" What is it that
determines whether our eye is good or whether it is bad? One commentator
wrote, "The person with the good ("healthy") eye is one whose intent is
to serve God and not mammon (the money-god, used here to indicate the whole
system of materialism). The person with the bad eye is selfish, covetous,
and miserly. The one's life is full of light, meaning, and purpose; the
other's life is plunged into darkness, deprived of meaning." I suppose
we could say that the good eye is indicative of a person's living to please
God, while the bad eye is indicative of a person's living to please self,
and there is much that can occur as a result of either one. One produces
righteousness, the other unrighteousness. One leads to life, while the
other leads to destruction.
In this age of moral relativism it is difficult many times for us to discern
what the nature of the light that is within us is. So many times we find
ourselves seeking to justify ourselves in the things we do, or we simply
choose to turn our thoughts aside so as not to trouble ourselves with whether
what we do is right before the Lord or not. I consider this to be especially
true when it comes to what we place in front of our eyes in the form of
entertainment. If the things we view promote that which is contrary to
the Law of Christ, we are inviting spiritual darkness into our lives. We
must determine to live for Christ if we are going to shine forth the light
of God's presence in our lives, for it is that light that demonstrates
that we have truly passed from death to life. What light is reflected in
your life? Is it the light of Jesus Christ or is it the light of this world
and its values?
The word of God helps us in determining the nature of the light that is
within us, for it is the moral compass of life in that it has revealed
God's standards of righteousness, the standards that we will one day be
measured up against when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Perhaps
you are familiar with what the apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 5:19-22.
What he wrote in this passage of scripture helps in understanding the distinction
between the works of light and the works of darkness. Let's take a look.
Galatians
5:19-22
19.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness,
20.
idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath,
selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21.
envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you
beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice
such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
23.
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
You
see, the works of the flesh are synonomous with spiritual darkness, and
the fruit of the Spirit is synonomous with spiritual light. The presence
of these characteristics, whether they be flesh or Spirit, will be manifested
in a person's life, and it's their presence which determines the light
that is within each and every one of us. It is also significant that that
light is manifested outward to all those who see us on a daily basis.
Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, said, "Let your light so shine before
men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven"
(Matthew 5:16). Does your works, your light, bring glory to God? Men see
that light every day. Does that light reflect the presence of Christ in
your life such that men take notice that you are a child of God, or do
they see the same light in you that they see in themselves?
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:23, if the light that is in you is darkness,
how great is that darkness? Is it great enough that you are unable to see
its effects? As we grow in the Lord we need to put off the works of darkness.
We must seek to reflect the light of the Spirit in our lives which produces
the fruit that was mentioned above. It is then that we can bring glory
to God. What is the nature of the light within you? May it be the light
that produces the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord bless.
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