In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus identifies Christians with two essential items.  He says, “Ye are the salt of the earth” and “Ye are the light of the world.”  In our last blog, I emphasized being the salt of the earth.  Now, I want to turn our attention to being the light of the world.

That we are to be the light of the world is seen, not only by the teaching of our Lord, Himself, but also by inspired statements of New Testament writers.

Ephesians 5:8 (ESV)
⁸  For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

Philippians 2:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

What do Christians have in common with light?  First, light is active.  Light moves at the astounding speed of 186,000 miles per second.  True Christians are active.  They move swiftly to perform the good works commanded by God.  How active are you in doing the work of the Lord?  Being a Christian is not for lazy people.  There is work to be done in the kingdom of God, and He expects us to do it.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)
⁵⁸  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

Philippians 2:12 (ESV)
¹²  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

Work!  That is the message of God to citizens of the kingdom.  Let us not hesitate in carrying out our responsibilities in Christ.  Like light, we must always remain active in the work of the Lord.

Light is reflective.  Our solar system is so arranged that all our planets revolve around the sun as its center.  From that marvelous mass of burning matter, other planets receive and reflect light.  So then, the earth receives light directly from the sun and, reflectively, from the moon.  The moon, in turn, receives light from the sun and reflectively from the earth.  That’s the nature of light.

If you are a Christian, you are to be the light of the world, but the light that shines from us is not ours; it is the light of Christ that bounces off us and reflects upon those with whom we come into contact.  For this to be the case, we must develop the characteristics of Christ and walk in the newness of life.  When this is done, the world sees Christ living in us and His light is shining through us, making us the light of the world.

Light is also revealing.  It enables people to see in places of darkness.  Spiritually speaking, the source of God’s light is His Word.  The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path” (Psalms 119:105).  As Christians, we become the light of the world when we carry the gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world, revealing to people the sin that they are captured by, and showing them the way of escape.

What are we?  We are the light of the world, but only if we are active in the work of the Lord, reflecting the character of Christ, and revealing the gospel to a world overcome by darkness.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.