The Light of the World – Part Two

Understanding your true identity is critical to your victory in this life.

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John 8:12 – 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.

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I become more grateful every day for who the Lord has made me to be IN Him.  At the same time, if I allowed myself to be moved by what I see, I could become more saddened daily by how Christians I encounter see themselves.  I am not referring to the outward appearance of how the world sees them, but of the inward self-perception of who the Lord has made them to be, the blessing He has already imparted to them, the fulfilled promises belonging to them of which they are unaware.  And the question seems to always arise in my thinking, “Why is it so?  Why don’t God’s people know what already belongs to them?”

Of course, the answer, sadly, is almost universally the same.  I realize that there are people who have heard the truth but will not receive it, or who have turned from it.  But on a larger scale, I am convinced that the answer lies in the fact that the church, in large proportion is UNTAUGHT.  They are preached to, preached at, and preached about, but largely untaught.  And it occurs too commonly that when someone anointed to teach truth speaks the truth he/she is anointed to teach, people don’t want to receive it because it doesn’t match the tradition with which their lives have become so loaded.  And this is not just true for the church members; it can be especially true with ministers of the Gospel.  But why?  If the minister hears a truth that is contrary to the message he has traditionally ministered, he is obligated by integrity to acknowledge the truth, turn from what he has traditionally said, and correct it from that point on to those to whom he ministers.  And that, my friend, is a major battle in overcoming pride.  Still, the oblig-tion is his.

The Word covers this well in John 1:5, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehen-ded it not.”  Darkness is not a matter against which the unbeliever alone fights.  Many believers fight against the same darkness because of their refusal to receive the truth, turn from their traditions, and walk and speak in an enlightened manner.  The words I write are not popular, but they are, nonetheless, TRUE.  Open your heart, my friend.  You are the light of the world.  Choose to live a live that dispels dark-ness, accepts and embraces truth, and puts Jesus first, not the opinions of how others feel about us.  Jesus is Lord; I am not.  Let God be true and every man a liar.

Manna for Today – John 8:12-30; Matthew 5:14; John 9:5; 1 John 1:7; Matthew 5:16; Matthew 12:37; Romans 3:4

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