Bible Ballistics: BBs #253 Who Turned Off The Light???

Sometimes it’s easy to get a bit discouraged when we look around us at all the darkness and corruption. But we who follow Jesus, are called to be light in the darkness—

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 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.” Matthew 5:13-15

We can observe that when light shines, darkness must flee and that is why darkness hates the light. We also observe in this passage that a light that is hidden “under a bushel” isn’t doing what it is intended to do. A light is to dispel the darkness by “shining”, so it “giveth light unto all that are in the house”!!! Where light shines, the darkness cannot abide. But we also must remember that we are not the “source” of the light, but our Lord Jesus is, and we are simply to reflect His light and glory.

“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12

“That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” Philippians 2:15

Our job is to “shine” the light of Jesus on a dark, lost and dying world. Jesus is “the light” and the only hope of real “abundant life”!!! Yet the world hates Him, because He is who He said He is, and ever shall be, and “SIN” is the issue!. Only Jesus can deliver us from the penalty and power of sin, and He alone will deliver us from the very presence of sin when HE returns. But, He hasn’t come yet, and we are to “Occupy till I come” (See Luke 19:13). Occupy can mean, dwell, possess, fill, or take up. And it most certainly doesn’t mean, “give up”!!! We are called to hold fast:

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” Hebrews 10:23

And we must not only “hold fast”, but we must hold fast with the knowledge and understanding that things aren’t going to get better, but will get progressively worse and worse. Jesus also told us they would treat us in the same way that they treated Him. If we are following Him, we can expect the same treatment that He received—and they “loved” Him to “death”. What are we prepared to endure for our Lord? We must recognize the dark, and “shine”!

“This know also,

that in the last days

perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be

lovers of their own selves,

covetous,

boasters,

proud,

blasphemers,

disobedient to parents,

unthankful,

unholy,

3 Without natural affection,

trucebreakers,

false accusers,

incontinent,

fierce,

despisers of those that are good,

4 Traitors,

heady,

highminded,

lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

5 Having a form of godliness,

but denying the power thereof:

from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

And in all reality, if we proclaim the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they will turn away from us, and even on occasion turn against us, at the very least, considering our devotion and holiness strange, to the point of ridicule.

“Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:” 1 Peter 4:4

As we observe all that is going on around us, it’s almost as if Paul wrote this list yesterday, in light of events going on around us; but he was simply revealing what God said would come– A time when men would go so far from God that they not only seek and embrace wickedness, but delight in it, accept it, promote it, and support those that join in these wicked and ungodly behaviors.

So what can we do? Simply put, just follow Jesus and shine, reflecting His light!!! Don’t hide under a bushel!

“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” Ephesians 5:8

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7