Matthew 5:14-16
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
In yesterday’s blog was all about Unlit Candles and today I want to expand on that thought…
While a candle remains unlit, it remains in the dark, just like its surroundings. Once again this is this same with us – If we have no light for others to see, then we too live in darkness and no-one will see God’s light shining within us.
In John 1:5-6, John said:
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
Therefore, how can we claim to love and serve God while at the same time walk in darkness? If we claim to be Christians and yet remain as unlit candles, we do not know God’s truth. We not only contradict God’s message but also deny it’s truth because of the way we are living.
We are living in dark times, but this is nothing new, throughout the New Testament, we’re told how darkness stands for the opposite of the Christian life. The dark is hostile to the light – Light and darkness are natural enemies.
The darkness of this world represents those who are ignorant of the love of God. This is why in John 12:35, Jesus summoned His friends to:
Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going.
Jesus Christ is the Light and He shares this light with every born again Christian.
Christians are candles for the Lord. We must remember that we never shine of ourselves, that we are only a light in this world while we live in the Light of Christ Jesus. By shining our light we give light to other, and make every place we go brighter with love and grace.
I read the following somewhere recently, and felt it applicable to today’s blog post:
Great lighthouse lamps pours beams far out to sea, but it does not lighten the space around its base. Some people send brightness far away while failing to brighten their own homes and the lives of those around them. Though it is incumbent upon us to influence as far as possible, let us not forget to be a benediction to those nearest to us.
So in conclusion, think about your own life:
- Are you a Christian?
- Are you a lighted candle?
- Or are you an unlit candle?
Be a candle of the Lord today and help bring light into this world that is so full of darkness.
One of my favourite Salvation Army Songster songs is The Candle of The Lord. I hope you enjoy the following version of this song performed by Richard Phillips (piano):
The Distinct Dot 