The Light of the World

Matthew 5

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

As Christians we are called to be like Christ. Sure, salvation is free, but we are expected to serve God from that point on. We have a duty to be the light of the world. We are to set the example for all others to live by. We are to allow the light of Christ to shine through us. This is not always easy. The cares and pleasures of this world can overtake us and drowned out our light. We must be vigilant in our lives and not let darkness overtake us. We must avoid worldly things and worldly people, so we are not lead astray and corrupted.

II Corinthians 6

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

When it comes to the unbelieving world, we are to not have fellowship with it. Like the above scripture says. We are however suppose to be a representation of Jesus Christ. Our attributes should be his attributes. What are these attributes.

Galatians 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The qualities listed above, should be the qualities that Christians strive towards in there life. People around you watch you to see what kind of person you are. If you talk about Jesus Christ and then 5 minutes later you are in a screaming match with somebody, what will people think? It will destroy your testimony for Christ. Likewise, if you claim to be a Christian and people see you out at the bar on Friday night cussing like a sailor, they will think you are a hypocrite. They may think, if this is what Christianity is I want no part of it. Your bad behavior can turn people away from Christ. However if people see you exhibiting the characteristics listed above they will be intrigued by it. Some people will come to Christ just from watching you. For example, a girl who was molested as a child, grows up thinking all men are evil. Later in life she goes to a church service and sees a man hug his wife and hold her hand. Then later on, out in the parking lot where no one is watching, he opens the car door for her. This has an affect on that girl and she no longer thinks all men are evil. She sees this man is a Christian and decides to get saved. Your life can have a profound impact on the world around you. You could spark a revival in your town, just by a change in your behavior. Imagine this, a wild out of control trouble maker always in trouble with the police, suddenly starts acting right. Not only that, but he starts behaving better than everyone else. To the point where even people at the bar who use to talk about him, start feeling guilty for drinking at the bar. This person starts going to church three days a week and volunteers two others days. He helps out with Sunday school, youth camps, bible studies, evangelism, etc.. People start to wonder what got into this guy? They realize he became a Christian. This begins to put a burden on their souls. They no longer look at him as the screw up, they start looking at themselves and many come to Christ.

We have the power to bring people to Christ through so many different avenues. The best way of them all is setting a Godly example. How does someone change their life? I have asked this question myself. The only way to change who you are is through Jesus Christ. Ask Jesus Christ to change you. Have an earnest desire to change your life and come to God in all humbleness and ask for his help. God will answer your prayer in time. You have to be patient and wait on God. A lifetime of sin doesn't always go away over night. If you are patient God will change you. It may take years, it may only take days. Either way keep coming back to him, ask him everyday. God wants us to be Christ like and to be ambassadors for him. We also have to do our part, and crucify our flesh. This means we must deny ourselves the sinful pleasures of this world. The harder we work at this, the faster God can work. Some people change over night, praise the Lord. Others have to wait. This is God developing that persons character and building their faith. If you find yourself unable to stop certain sins, keep bringing it to Jesus in faith. We have to fight the good fight and realize that our sin can cost people their salvation. We must be a light in this world of darkness.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you are not a Christian, I invite you to get saved now. Tomorrow may be to late. To get saved all you have to do, is admit that you are a sinner and that Jesus Christ died for your sins. The only way to take away sins is with the pure shed blood of Jesus Christ. Good works can not take away sins. If they could, then Jesus Christ died in vain. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead as payment for all sins. Once you believe that, you are saved forever. You did nothing to earn it and you can do nothing to lose it.

Ephesians 2

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

I Corinthians 15

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

John 3

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.