Jesus, Light of the World (12-14-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Ephesians 5: 3-10

The greatest detriment to 'good works' is a life that doesn't reflect the Light of Jesus Christ.  The lost world recoils from us when our actions are different than our words.  Christians who are living a life of sin will likely never have their good works received by unbelievers.  In their eyes we are nothing more than hypocrites if they see that we are not doing what say.  How can we avoid blowing our witness before those who are walking in darkness?  Our Scripture reading today will hit us right between the eyes with on possible answer to this question.

We are called to deal with our weaknesses and sins through a daily time of fellowship with the Lord.  It is in our time of studying the Word and praying to God that we can recognize those things that still need to change in our hearts (inner thoughts) and lives (actions).  Consistently leaving God out of the equation by trying to 'will' ourselves into better behavior will only end in failure.  Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?  Have you ever kept one?  Our fleshly 'willpower' is faulty.  It will never lead us to eternal victories over the daily sins we commit.  Only the Spirit of God in us can do that, but He must be released to work in us by our surrender and submission to Him.  We must stop trying to clean up our lives in our own strength if we desire to bear the fruit of good works that leads others to salvation.  God says that when we claim to make broad-sweeping changes in our lives, they are nothing but empty words, they reveal that we are 'sons of disobedience,' and therefore we are walking in darkness.  Is it any wonder then that we are unable to reach those in darkness themselves.  They can see our darkness just as easily as we can see theirs.  The world looks for the Light, but they can't see it because we are still living so much of the time in the darkness of our own sin because we have never surrendered it to God.

Look closely at verses 7-10 again.  God is clearly telling us that if we want to change our sinful habits, then we will have to stop walking like those who are in darkness.  God does not desire our empty words.  He knows that we formerly, when we were still lost, tried to make all kinds of changes through our own power and strength.  But now that we are the light, He wants us to walk like children of the Light.  The way that we do that, in part, is to begin to discover what it is that truly pleases the Lord.  And just how do we do that?  By reading the only Book that will reveal His heart to us!  When we read and pray about what He discloses to us, then He will begin to make the changes necessary in us by His Spirit.  There is no magic fairy dust that can be sprinkled on us that will simply change us because God wants us transformed.  He requires our surrender first, then our obedience to all He says.  That is the recipe for His Light to shine out of us. 

When we become involved with God at that level, the fruit of out relationship with Him will become evident to all.  In verse 9 God clearly states what the 'fruit of the light' is.  It is all goodness, all righteousness, and all truth.  When we walk in God's light by our deep fellowship with Him, the fruit of good works will quite naturally spring up in us and out of us.  You won't have to look for ways to share your faith.  You won't have to muster up the courage to share.  It will simply be the by-product of your loving, intimate, relationship with THE Light!  His light will be reflected  in your good works that He has called you to.  Then those in the darkness who witness your good works will see a reflection of Jesus, the Light of the world.  Then, given a chance,  the Holy Spirit will move in their lives. And with the Spirit, there is always an opportunity for them to meet Jesus personally!  And isn't that the point?  Jesus the Light desires and calls us to be the light to the world for the sole purpose of pointing others to the Light!  That is preaching the gospel!

What will the world, those still lost in darkness of their sin, see in you this Christmas season?  Will they see that you are just as greedy, impatient, irritated, short-fused, grouchy, and self-centered as they are?  Or will they see something different, a light coming out of you that is loving and compassionate, a light surely not of this world?

Jesus, Light of the World (12-13-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Matthew 5:16

Continuing from yesterday's text we read today about God's further emphasis on the Light within us.  'Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.'  Her e is the answer as to how we can let our light, the light of Jesus in us, shine so that others can see Him and come to a saving knowledge of who He is.

We must always be careful when we talk about 'good works.'  It is important to remember that it is never our good works that will cover over our sinfulness or help us into heaven.  It is only our faith, our belief in Jesus as the Son o God, and our dependence on Him to cleanse us of the guilty stains of all the sins we have committed or will ever commit, that saves us.  But to look at good works without looking at faith, or vise versa, would be incomplete teaching.  In James 2: 26 we are told that 'faith without works is dead.'  Likewise, good works without faith is equally dead.

You see, it is not enough that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God alone.  When you accept Him as your personal Savior, and He washes your sins away, the Spirit enters you, and Jesus begins to live His life through you.  When that happens, you will begin to do more of the kind of things that Jesus would do.  These actions, done through the Spirit inside of you, are your good works.  Where real faith is, you will always find good works.

On the other hand, there are many people in this world who are kind, caring,  and compassionate, having done a great many good things for others.  But if they have no faith in Jesus, then their good works have no eternal value.  Works with our faith is dead.

There is only one way for men to 'see your good works and glorify the Father.'  The phrase, 'in such a way,' refers to your belief in Jesus as your Savior and it is coupled with the 'good works' that flow out of you as a result.  If we want to let the light shine out of us, there must first be Light inside of us.  Once we  have our salvation nailed down, then our good works will follow, men will see them, and God will use them to be glorified when others observe them.

Be we must zero in even more.  God is interested in His children spreading His light in dark places.  It is easy to share our light with our brothers and sisters in the faith.  We jump at chances to show love, kindness, mercy, and compassion to other believers.  But since they are already 'of the Light,' there is no need for salvation to come through those loving acts.  But what about those who do not yet know Jesus intimately?

As we continue to display our love to those in Christ, it is increasingly important that we begin to do good works for those outside of the faith.  These are the ones to whom we must carry the Light.  Look for ways to lovingly touch the lost this Christmas season.

Jesus, Light of the World (12-11-12)

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(Excerpt from Cheryl Gnagey's Advent Devotional, "Jesus, Light of the World," for preparing to light the third Advent Candle, the Good News candle.)

Luke 2: 36-38
"Today we will look at one more example, of a woman who shared the good news of the gospel of Christ with others.  Her name is Anna, and there is much we can learn from her in these three short verses.

Anna was the female counterpart of the prophets of her day.  There were future spiritual events that she knew in her spirit because of her gift of prophecy, which came from God.  The prophetic messages that God had given her always pointed to just one major event:  the redemption of her city, Jerusalem.

Her life had not been an easy one.  She had found the one true love of her life and married him, but she became a widow just seven years into her marriage.  Now she was a much older woman, eighty-four to be exact, and she had never remarried.  She was committed to the Lord her God alone, and she never stopped offering prayers and fasts over the things her God had told her.  Night and day she prayed.  Often she fasted as she waited on God.  Her eyes were not only fixed on God, her hope was in the good news that had been most assuredly promised to her people.  She waited and prayed and fasted for the Redemption of Jerusalem.

On this particular day she was where she had been every day since her husband had died.  She was in the temple offering her prayers again, that the Redemption might come to Jerusalem.  All of a sudden she heard the familiar voice of her kindred spirit, Simeon, praying aloud.  Anna looked up and saw him speaking to a woman she did not recognize.  The beautiful young woman was holding a tiny infant in her arms, but her eyes were locked on Simeon.

'Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise (resurrection) of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce even your own soul, to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'

Anna's spirit leapt within her, and she jumped up from her bowed position of prayer and ran up to Simeon and the woman with the Baby.  Through her tears, she began to give thanks to her God for showing her the Light, the Redemption of Israel.  Out of her mouth spilled the prophecies that had been her hope for so many years.  A crowd gathered quickly to hear the words of this faithful woman, for they too had been waiting and watching, wondering when and if the Redemption of Jerusalem might come.

Like Anna, we have experienced the presence of the Redeemer in our own lives and hearts.  Jesus, our Light, is our hope, the One in whom we trust.  There are those around us as well who are looking for the Redeemer.  They have no hope.  They have no one that they can fully trust and rely upon.  God is calling us all to bring the good news to the lost by speaking more about Him to those who are in our midst.  Will you be found to be faithful in sharing your Hope with this lost and dying world this Christmas?  If we would be bow ourselves to the Lord each morning, asking Him to put one hopeless person in our pathway, He will be faithful to do that according to His perfect plan.  If we prepare our hearts to minister, and God prepares a heart to receive the good news, then we can trust Him to accomplish all that He said He would.  Let's open our hearts to Him, through waiting, praying, and even fasting in His presence, so that He will open our eyes to see the need of Christ in the people we come in contact with.  They are all around us."