Light

Light!

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14 KJV

First of all, the world is in darkness. You can couch it in favourable language, or seek to water down the severity of the condition of the world, but God's verdict is that the world is in darkness. And lest I think it is about physical darkness, the world has found ways of generating light. We have harassed the power of the sun to do great things, but we have not found a way to deal with the darkness of the human soul, brought on by sin. The solution to this darkness is nothing that the world can provide, because it is the problem. It is not subject to the authority of the True Light, so any impact on the world would have to be from outside the world. That's where all who bear allegiance to the true Light come in.

Who is this piece addressed to: YOU. Yes, if you are one of the followers of Jesus, subject to His Lordship and Authority. Light can only be produced by anything that has light in itself. You cannot give what you don't have. It also means that if I will impact the world as light, I cannot do the things the world does. Whatever makes the people of the world comfortable cannot be my own practice. If I find myself comfortable with the standards of the world, then maybe I do not have the light in myself. If I find compromise and blending in easy, then maybe I do not fully understand what I have been called out of and called into. I cannot sit on the fence; the fence is too thin and too high  to stand indecision. I am either in as light or part of the furniture.

I do not see where my consent is required before Jesus makes the declaration here. My choice has publicly defined my allegiance. The day I took Jesus as Lord and Saviour was the day I took in His light. Imagine then the insult to His name I claim to bear if there is still no difference between the usual practices of the world and the things I engage in. I am in the world to impact it as light, not to be part of the rot I was planted to address. I am in the world, and I need to get things done, but I must be careful that my actions reflect my ownership and allegiance. If men cannot see the difference, just as the Christians in Antioch in the days of Paul stood out, then maybe I do not yet understand what exactly I have been called into.

There is no hiding place for all who bear allegiance to Jesus. Your life is opposed to the standards of the world, so if you do not expect opposition or resistance, then you may not fit into this description. All who bear light are like a city set on a hill: no room to hide, constant attention and both true and false statements spread about you. That is the price to be paid for the choice you have made. How would you stand for something that the world opposes and expect no pushback? How would I take a position against what is popular with the world and expect applause?

If you are looking for the path of least resistance, the world is your playground. It loves and supports its own and will not resist anything that aligns with its mode of operation. However, if heaven is your ultimate goal and Godly impact your earthly desire, then allegiance to Christ is the key. Just as you cannot hide from the world, you also cannot hide in Christ. Who you are will shine through; my choice of allegiance is made plain in my daily interactions. Am I light or am I part of the darkness that the light of Christ has come to eradicate? Where do you stand? His time of favour is here.