Q1. True Light

[Krissi]

I'm not certain why people resist the light/truth of Christ. I do know that the more secular a person is, that is, the less aware he or she is of the gospel, the more adamantly the gospel is rejected. It's almost as if some people hate God. When they see the light of the gospel, their hearts darken and they fight it bitterly.

The idea that light and darkness are antithetical is true.  Darkness is Satan but it's also the human determination to NOT believe. I've noticed that people who are adamantly atheistic also vehemently spread their atheism as well as their sick morality. They're not contented with being quietly atheistic, but are also determined that Christian people around them suffer and are mocked for their faith. Atheism is always aggressive -- it's darkness trying to overpower light.

Those of us who are light have no choice but to shine. We shine even when we don't want to because our light can't be "turned off." For non-believers, this alone is offensive. It's not that we are condemning them, but rather that the gospel itself presents a stark choice -- light or darkness. Many try to fudge or deny this choice.

They cannot.

 

[Niyonka16]

Q1. (John 1:9; 8:12) In what sense is Jesus the True Light?

ANSWER: Jesus is the real thing, the authentic Light from God (the genuine article, God in the flesh). He alone reveals God’s glory in the world because He is God incarnate who “became flesh and made His dwelling among us. Jesus gave spiritual illumination that dispels sinful darkness and unbelief. Jesus is the true light of God for those who partake of His salvation. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, He makes God’s “light shine in our hearts” so we can “know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Several elements are necessary to sustain human life: light, air, water, and food are among the most critical. Jesus is the true light means He is our essential source of life . Without light, it is impossible to sustain life of any kind on earth. If the sun ceases to shine, everything will die. Not only is Jesus our light, but He is also the spiritual air we breathe. By His Holy Spirit, He breathes on us the “breath of life”. Jesus is also the “living water” who, by His Holy Spirit, becomes in us “a spring of water welling up to eternal life”. Jesus Christ is the true light of God sent into the world to pierce through the darkness. Through His life, ministry, and message, Jesus brought the light and life of God to bear on everyone He encountered. That light continues to shine on earth through His Church.

In what sense is He the Light of the World?

ANSWER: Jesus is the Light of the world, our world, and in the world. Like God is omnipresent, so Jesus is Light. Through Him and His sacrificial death on the cross, we are exposed to the light and of our sins. “I am the Light of the world” (John 8:12) is the second of seven “I AM” declarations of Jesus, recorded only in John’s gospel, that point to His unique divine identity and purpose. In declaring Himself to be the Light of the world, Jesus was claiming that He is the exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual truth is available to mankind. In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.” The metaphor used by the Lord in this verse speaks of the light of His Truth, the light of His Word, the light of eternal Life. Those who perceive the true Light will never walk in spiritual darkness. “I am the light of the world,” is rooted in Jesus’ relationship with His Father.

In what sense are you the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)?

ANSWER: Being the "light of the world" goes beyond being morally upright. It entails actively shining in a way that dispels darkness and illuminates the path to God. It means living out the teachings of Jesus with integrity and authenticity. Therefore by being a Christ-follower, I am to give light to those around me by doing and saying what Jesus did. Also by growing in relationship with Jesus every day, following Him step by step, I partner with Him in spreading the truth. Christ is the Light; therefore, I must reflect the light He gives me. My circumstances are an opportunity to shine brightly for the Lord and to share God's overcoming truth with those around me. My family, friends and community can tell what I believe by how I live. Being a light in the world I am to draw those I encounter to God by my words and actions. The functions of my light as a believer and follower of Christ are as follows.

AS LIGHT …

1. I am to expose darkness - (expose darkness indirectly simply by living a moral life, but I also expose it directly by calling sin as it is).
2. I should give off light - (due to my light illumination people should transforms (convert and change) thereby as sin is exposed and righteousness replaces it, individuals should repent and give their lives to Christ, in which their lives are changed).
3. I am to help others grow - (because my light shines it should cause, friends, family, and others to grow by getting to know God more, changing their language, attitudes, and actions).
4. I must strive to wake people out of slumber - (stir spiritual zeal in those who are spiritually lazy and help awaken those who are spiritually dead).
5. I should warm those who are cold - (warm people’s hearts, provoking them to love God and others).

Why do you think people resist Jesus' light, His truth, His view of the Father, our world, and eternal life?

ANSWER: The four reasons below are perhaps the most prominent of reasons why people fail to begin a relationship with Jesus.

1. Some people do not think they need a savior.
2. The fear of social rejection or persecution deters some people from receiving Christ as Savior.
3. For some people, the things that the present world has to offer are more appealing than eternal things.
4. Many people are simply resisting the Holy Spirit’s attempts to draw them to faith in Christ.

Whatever the reasons why people reject Jesus Christ, their rejection of Him, for whatever reason, face an eternity in the “outer darkness” of hell where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).

How does the world's so-called "light" differ from Jesus' light?

ANSWER: 1. Believers are light because they know God, and the world is dark because they reject the true God. 2. Believers are light because they know the gospel and Scripture in general, and the world is darkness because they reject revelation. 3. Believers are light because they practice righteousness, and the world is darkness because it doesn’t.

Believers are called to put aside the deeds of darkness and to clothe themselves with Christ.

Essentially, to be in darkness is to be ignorant of God and his Word and to rebel against both. The world is darkness, but believers are light. They know the truth about creation, the gospel, and God, and they live in view of these realities. But the world rejects these things.

What can obstruct Jesus' light in this world?

ANSWER: There are five things that can obstruct Jesus’ light in the world.

1. Secret sin hinders His presence. When there’s no communion with God, our lives are spent in the darkness. We see nothing. We hear nothing. Hidden sin deeply affects and quenches our relationship with our Savior.
2. The fullness of the flesh hinders His presence. It’s impossible to be full of the world and full of Christ. We can’t be consumed with worldly pursuits as our main focus and be consumed with pursuing Christ, one or the other will prevail. 
3. A lack of desperation hinders His presence. When we lack desperation about pursuing God, we are demonstrating that the pursuit is not important enough to make it a priority. 
4. A lack of fervency hinders His presence. The spiritual battle in which the Christian is engaged is fierce.
5. Being too busy hinders His presence. If you’re too busy to wait, too preoccupied to pursue God, and too wrapped up to worship Him, your relationship with Him will definitely be hindered. Once God lights the fire of the Spirit in our hearts, we must do our part to keep Him burning through fervent prayer: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” James 5:16.

What can obstruct our light (in this world)?

ANSWER: When we let the world get between us and God, our light diminishes and can go out. We can be so obsessed with things of this world: money, entertainment, sports, pleasure, work, etc. that we have little time to be enlightened by God’s word or shine that light for others. Sometimes we will not give up habits, attitudes, or thoughts that are ungodly and diminish the light that does shine from our lives. Pure lives reflect the most light. We need to remove anything from our lives that inhibits the full glory of God from being reflected onto the dark world and let God illuminate us on the inside and before others.

Let God illuminate your life and transform it into glory through Jesus. If we want to grow closer to Christ we need to let go of our own will and hold on to God's will. You were made to reflect His light. So, in a strange way you were made to be transparent, a transporter of God’s glory, shining his light through you as his child. Any place the light within you is darkness, it blocks Jesus from shining through. It casts a shadow. That’s where the darkness lies.

Where there is light darkness cannot comprehend it, then why is that some persons light still do not shine? Here are five basic reasons that hinders your light from shining. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” (Matthew 5:14).

1. IGNORANCE: Many people are ignorant of the fact that they are the light of the word, not to talk of the fact that they are the light of the world. people are ignorant mostly because they refuse to search to know who they are. Ignorant is a shrewdly disease.

2. FEAR: Never be afraid of your light. Never think less of yourself and never be afraid of what you carry. You are a powerful light!

3. DISCOURAGE: Discouragement of a thing is one of the basic strategy devil uses to kill people’s light. We must be focused. Discouragement also comes when you tend not to see the active and instant result of what you are doing. Be wise!

4. LACK: Don’t lack any thing. Lack is recorded as poverty. When you lack the relevant things needed to make your light shine, then you are poor and it will surely hinders your light from shining. Go for knowledge. Learn thing that will bring out your light. Don’t lack any thing especially knowledge.

5. ACTION: All things boil down to action. Action as often quoted speaks louder than voice. If you know you have a light, you show never refuse to take action in bring it into a shining state for the world to see. You are the light of the world. You can’t be hidden when your light is shining. Work on yourself.