Follow The Light

Secular society exists in spiritual darkness. By elevating human accomplishments, celebrating pride, inclusion and tolerance, and embracing secular humanism, civilization has found itself without solutions and spiraling into delusional mystification. Paul describes this dysfunction in Romans 1:18-25 and in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, where he states, “For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

Today’s western culture has embraced subjective moral reasoning and subsequently has absolved itself from any biblical definition of sin. We are encouraged to follow our hearts rather than purify them through Christ. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). 

The idea of humanity having “good” as a default setting is unfortunately unfounded and wishful thinking. Jesus said, “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart comes evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19). All of these are very common when we survey the world we live in and are evidence enough that mankind is inherently sinful by nature. 

Sin separates us from God. Separation from God steals our joy, peace and hope. We lose the knowledge of the true purpose of our life. The Bible says, “just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgement, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27-28). This is our blessed hope. God also has hope in us. He wants us to choose him over the ways of the world.  Persistent unbelief in Christ is choosing the world. 

Smith Wigglesworth aptly said, “The reason the world is not seeing Jesus is that Christian people are not filled with Jesus. They are satisfied with attending meetings weekly, reading the Bible occasionally, and praying sometimes. It is an awful thing for me to see people who profess to be Christians lifeless, powerless, and in a place where their lives are so parallel to unbelievers’ lives that it is difficult to tell which place they are in, whether it be in the flesh or in the Spirit.”

It is our responsibility to draw near to God, not his to draw near to us. It was we who pulled away so it is we who must humble ourselves and in doing so we can draw near to him. By drawing close to God, we move further away from Satan. Jesus calls us to get off the broad road and take the narrow road. And once were on the narrow road, it is incumbent upon us to walk on it.

When you choose not to follow Christ – you reject God. He offers you love, and grace and you reject him.  How do you think that makes him feel? If God loves us so much that he offered his one and only Son, how great must be his sadness when we reject him! Jesus said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Luke 13:34). God knows fully what the destiny is for those who reject him. He knows fully what the punishment for sin is. He knows fully and completely what hell is. He can fully appreciate the gravity of our decision to not follow Christ, and it grieves him.

While God is love, he is also just. As a just judge, he cannot pardon sin apart from Christ. “As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). One cannot argue that a loving God would not condemn people to hell when he did not spare his own Son from crucifixion. You may say, ”I did not ask Jesus to die for me so why must I accept him?”  Well, you don’t have to accept him. We all have the free will to choose to accept Christ or deny Him but not the freedom from the consequences of that choice.

You might compare yourself to others and feel pretty good about yourself or watch the news or see all the terrible things happening all over the world and think you are not a bad person therefore why would you need redemption? The question that needs to be asked is not how do I compare with others, but how do I compare to a perfect and holy God? What does my sin look like from his perspective? We think of sin and how we may have wronged other people but what about our sin against God?

Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  (John 7:37-38). Even so, many people are not willing to forsake their social stature and endure as a Christian. When difficult choices must be made, a great many do not choose Jesus. This was the result two thousand years ago when many followers of Christ could not accept what Jesus required them to do to be true disciples. “From that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (John 6:66).

Store Up Treasures In Heaven

In western culture we are taught to succeed, not surrender. However, God’s point of view is substantially different. He sees things from a vastly different vantage point. One that includes a perspective of eternity. Jesus conveyed this message when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:19-21).

God’s definition of financial success is recognizing that everything belongs to him and we are called to help others by sharing with those less fortunate. Whether that takes the form of tithing or donations to organizations or giving personally to someone in need, the Bible says, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Rather than worrying about what others might think, or what friends might say, answer God’s calling on your life in a spirit of humility and accept the fact that God’s purpose for you is infinitely better than your own aspirations. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10).  Settle yourself and calm your spirit, then focus on God and trust and rest in him. There is no truth to the saying that God only helps those who help themselves. Put God first. 

Our Bodies Are Temples

Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. In reverence for God we must treat our bodies with this purpose in mind, not twisting the truth and using our bodies for sinful purposes but refraining from sin in obedience to the Lord. We cannot claim to know God and not obey him. If we continue to sin and claim to be in Christ, we show immaturity in our faith and a lack of understanding. The gate is narrow that leads to life and few find it. 

Self-ambition is at odds with surrendering your life to Christ. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37). There is no room for self in this equation. He also said, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39). We are called to die to self and live for Christ. We will never be filled with the Holy Spirit and bear the fruits of the Spirit if we are self-centered, self-righteous and self-determined. No man can make plans outside of the will of God and expect to be blessed. Rather than coming to God with your plan and asking him to bless it, come to God and ask for his plan and you will be blessed by it.

As long as our hearts and minds are set on the things of this world, we will never appreciate the extent of our depravity nor understand the depth of God’s mercy and grace. Unless we humble ourselves before God and admit to our immense sin, we will never truly experience the beauty of the love of God. Civilization has developed through the ages and likes to point to its own inventions and accomplishments and revel in its pride. Our perspective may be different from our ancestors however God does not change. He is as pure and holy today as he was in Jesus’ day or the days of Moses, Noah or Adam. The Bible says, “All of our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6).  

How much further removed from righteousness are our lives of sin?  Anything less than full and complete obedience is sin in the eyes of a holy and righteous God. Our relationship with God becomes compromised if there is sin that remains in our lives. When we confess our sins and repent, the healing and restoration of our hearts begins. Yet so many church congregations today continue to live in sin. They suffer from sin induced setbacks. They don’t preach Jesus, they don’t study Jesus and they don’t know Jesus.  And one day he will say, “I never knew you!” And they won’t be spending eternity in the presence of Jesus! If you are offended by this message, you should be, because it is directed at you. Christ laid his life down for you!

You Haven’t Got Jesus Until He Has You!

 “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” (Luke18:27). Allow God to take over the controls and he will accomplish through you, much more than you ever could imagine. Just as the Lord took Paul and utilized his unique skillset to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, he has a plan for you. He knows your strengths and weaknesses and he knows where and for what purpose they will have the greatest benefit. He knows you better than you do yourself and what it will take to have you walk the walk and talk the talk of a true disciple. By his wounds we are healed. By his strong, calloused carpenter hands we are redeemed. By his tender, pure heart we are loved. You haven’t got Christ until he has you! 

The only thing we can offer in exchange for our salvation is our sin. Being under grace, which is God’s unmerited favor, we must turn from our sins and leave them in our past. In God’s economy our works don’t make us any better or worse than any other human being. The only righteousness we have is the righteousness that Christ has given us. It is the cross that makes us flawless, so that no one can boast.

Paul wrote, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved. 

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:1-10).

And in Philippians, Paul says we are partners, “in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:5b-6). We must not become like the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-22) and risk being rejected by Christ. We are called to be light in a dark world, therefore, don’t live a life of lazy disregard for God.

The secular world lives in spiritual darkness and inhabits an existence devoid of light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). And Matthew 4:16 declares, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Praise the Lord!