When Will We Ever Learn?
The Wonder of Light
By Bill Chandler, Evangelist
A long time ago, God asked a wise man many questions that he could not answer. One of the questions he asked Job that he could not answer is recorded in Job 38:24. "By what way is light parted?" We still do not understand everything about light, but we do know some things both from the Bible and from science. For example, we know that material light has not always existed, for God spoke, and there was light (Gen. 1:3). Also, we know that light travels at a speed of over 186,000 miles a second. It takes about eight minutes for light to reach the earth from the sun. When an object provides its own light, it is called self-luminous. The sun is a self luminous body. Some other objects in space, such as the moon, only reflect light. Moonlight is merely reflected sunlight. When you see a person in the moonlight, you see light that has been reflected twice. Of course, people in very ancient times did not understand the difference in the kinds of light provided by the sun and the moon. We, as Christians, are interested in the spiritual sense. Jesus Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12). His own divine nature supplies that light (spiritual teachings). On the other hand, when we live like Jesus wants us to, we become lights which show his wonderful teachings to others. In Matthew 5:14, 16, Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Paul said in Philippians 2:15 "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." We have seen from the word that Jesus is the light of the world. If we are to be the light of the world, then when do we become such and under what conditions? We must be in Christ. In 2 Cor. 5:17, Paul said, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new." Paul also said in Gal 3:27, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." So we cannot reflect light if we are not in Christ. Now that we are in Christ, what constitutes reflected light? When the world sees the Lord Jesus Christ living in us. When the world sees a sermon in us rather than hearing a sermon. When the world can know us by our fruits. When brothers and sisters in Chnst can observe our faithfulness in attendance, in giving, in service, and in our conduct of living. We come up short in any of the above, we do not reflect the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. If that be the case, then the statement that Jesus made in Matt 5:14 was said in vain, that we are the light of the world. It is my sincere hope and prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ does not say to any of us in judgment, "depart from me, I never knew you." "Your light just did not illuminate."