“Living in the Light”

“Living in the Light”

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

Last week we talked about being lost in the darkness and I pray that you received that message in the spirit it was meant to be given.  Now, I pray you will catch hold of the concept of living in the light.

The Bible tells us much about ‘walking in the light’, and we should be doing that, but ‘living in the light’ is necessary to being a steadfast Christian in an unholy world.  Walking in the light is growing and maturing in holiness as we follow Jesus.  Living in the light is being in such a close relationship with God that it shines out of you and others around you can see that light.

In the book of Daniel 5:14, the king of Persia, Belshazzar said to Daniel, “I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”  You see, the LIGHT of God in Daniel could be seen by others.  That is ‘living in the light.  Have you ever seen that light in another person?  I did and let me tell you about it.

Some of you know this story or have read about it in Guideposts magazine about my daughter, Sheryl Ann when she was four years old.  [She was in the hospital and the doctor told us she was gone and he left the room.  The pastor from our small-town church just walked in and began to pray for her. He was from the Netherlands and he began praying in broken English.  He reached under the oxygen tent; took my daughters hand lifted his face toward heaven. I looked at this man calling on God to bring life back into my child.  It was then I saw a glow around his head and over his tear-soaked face.]  She miraculously came back to life and began talking.

I will never forget that light shining on this pastor’s face and knew he and God had a connection that I didn’t understand at that time. He was truly ‘living in the light’. 

I am reminded that when Moses had been with God and when he came out of the temple, the light of God was so bright on him that he had to cover his face with a veil. His face actually glowed and the people knew he had been communing with God.

We find in 1 Peter 2:9, that we believers should all have that glorious light shining on our faces; “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”.  If we are spending time with the Lord in praise and prayer, the light of God should be all over us so that others could see it in the spiritual realm, if not in reality.

We might not feel very holy, but it isn’t about how you feel, it’s about what God has done in you.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”  [Ephesians 5:8] It isn’t anything you can make happen yourself, but is what God does in you.  The Bible explains it further, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”  2 Corinthians 4:7

Yes, we must walk in the light in order to grow in the Lord, but we must commune with God in order to live in light. Set aside a certain time to meet with Him if we are too busy.  You don’t have to make an appointment with God; he is always ready to listen and to talk with you.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."  Matthew 5:14-16