Be a shining light- Part 2

The challenge to all children of God is to live as lights in the world. To shine as light in the world, every believer must be blameless, harmless, irreproachable and without rebuke. This purpose of Christ is realisable in every believer, who seeks to be a help and not a hindrance in His Church. The Lord desires that we should be blameless. This experience comes through cleansing by the blood, which Christ shed on the Cross for all humanity. Thus, blamelessness is not an experience meant for a few people, but for all that believe the gospel. Christ’s death is also to make the church spotless and ready for the rapture. Christ died “That He might sanctify and cleanse [the church]” and make it spotlessly “holy and without blemish”.

The main goal and pursuit of every believer is to be holy and blameless, as the signs of Christ’s coming are increasingly being fulfilled. The blameless life will also be harmless, irreproachable and without rebuke. It will make such a believer “sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:11). It is this gracious lifestyle, which Christ wants believers to live so that they can shine in this dark world. As “the light of the world”, Christ’s purpose is to make ungodly people see and know about righteousness and truth from the Christ-like lifestyle of His children. We are His representatives in the world, who show light through good works to dispel the darkness of evil works such as bribery, defilement, corruption, lying and stealing. We must live to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Believers need courage to live as lights in their dark world while “Holding forth the word of life”. The world is sinful and would want believers to compromise the righteous standard of the gospel. So, we must withstand the pressure from the world with requisite courage, commitment and consecration founded upon genuine conversion. The apostle demonstrated this courage, when he responded to the Macedonian call and preached the gospel to the Philippians in spite of severe persecution. He, therefore, passed the baton to recipients of the gospel to gratefully and courageously bear witness of the same. So, we must reject sin and preach the gospel to all those who do not know Christ, with courage, strength of character and boldness.

Christ infused His boldness into His disciples, as seen in the evangelistic activities of the Early Church that could not be hindered by opposition and persecution. Though Paul the apostle was imprisoned, his confidence and boldness also robbed off on the Philippian believers, who became “much more bold to speak the word without fear”. Preaching the gospel with courage is actually the great commission from the Lord that every believer must carry out.

When Christ gave the command to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”, His disciples promptly obeyed and “went forth”. Having been reached and saved with the gospel through their obedience, we must gratefully reciprocate by ‘going forth’ to win others for Christ with similar boldness and courage that made the apostles continue to preach the gospel in spite of opposition. God has given us the gospel and we will not hide it under any bushel, but beam its light to brighten our world.

Further reading (King James Version): Philippians 2:14-16; Philippians 2:14,15; 1:27; 1 Corinthians 10:1-12; Exodus 15:1,2,22-24; 16:1-3; Numbers 14:1-4,11,12,27,28,36,37; 16:1-4,10,11,41-43,49; Psalm 106:23-25; Jude 12-16; Philippians 2:15; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24; 2 Peter 3:11-14; Hebrews 7:25,26; Philippians 1:10,11; Matthew 5:14-16; 1 Peter 2:9; Philippians 2:16; Acts 4:12,13,31; Philippians 1:14; Mark 16:15-20; Acts 14:1-3; 19:10,18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20.