Ye Are The Light Of The World

"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee" (Isaiah 60:1). Our opening scripture tells us to arise and shine, for our light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon us. Is it necessary to shine, and do we really have what it takes to do it? Adam lost everything including the glory and power that God gave him to the devil. That affected us all because we were in him; we're his offspring (Romans 5:12). Since the first Adam lost everything, there was the need for a new Adam who would restore everything back. Bible declares: "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:18-19).

And "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (Romans 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:22). So Christ, who's the last Adam, has become the solution to man's problem. But it's not everybody who's yet in the last Adam and that's why we've got to preach the gospel to them. We have to make them aware they're not to bear the consequences of their sins anymore for Christ has paid them off. The only thing they need do is to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour; that's all! "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45).

We're quickened in Christ and no wonder He said, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. I am the vine, ye are the branches..." (John 14:20; 15:5). The life that flows through the vine goes through the branches! Jesus obeyed God in our stead and Peter testified of the gift He received from the Father: "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17). Oh, so the glory with which we're to shine was given to Jesus by the Father. As long as the glory was given to Jesus, He had the right to give it to whoever He willed. Jesus made a remarkable statement as He prayed to the Father before His arrest: "I have given to them the glory and honor which you have given me..." (John 17:22 AMP). Hallelujah!

You may ask, "Was it not to the disciples only that Jesus gave this glory?" As you read the whole chapter of this verse, you'll realise that Jesus was praying for His disciples but then He also made it clear to His Father, "Neither pray I for these (disciples) alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word" (verse 20). So we're included! We now know this glory's been given to us by Christ; but what is it? Concerning Jesus, Bible says "He is the sole expression of the glory of God the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine, and He is the perfect imprint and very image of God's nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3 AMP).

We come to know through this verse that Jesus lived the heavenly life; He lived the God-kind of life here on earth. That's why He defied nature by talking to the boisterous wind, cleansing the maimed, feeding five thousand men (women and children not counted) with five loaves of bread and two fishes, raising the dead and so on and so forth. As the radiance of God's glory, Jesus lived the godly life here on earth. Back in the Old Testament the glory of God was associated with his presence. When Solomon had built the temple for the Lord wherein was the ark of the covenant, he prayed to God and Bible says, "...when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house" (2 Chronicles 7:1-2).

This means that the presence of the Lord was so strong in the temple. Take notice the Hebrew word doesn't mean "presence," it means "splendour." So the glory of God is His splendour. John described the great city, the holy Jerusalem that God has prepared for His children. He said concerning it, "And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof" (Revelation 21:23). We can also learn from another instance in the Bible where Moses asked God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18). Moses wanted to see God's glory, he wanted to comprehend it.

For that matter God told him, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy" (Exodus 33:19). From this statement we learn that God's glory is comprised of all His goodness (His moral excellence): love, purity, holiness, forgiveness, faithfulness and so on. It's interesting to note that mercy and compassion, which are important for our salvation (Romans 9:10-18) are also included in the glory of God. All of God's moral and spiritual qualities make Him glorious and worthy to be praised. The Greek word translated "glory" in the New Testament is "doxa," which means "splendour." It also means "light," "brilliance," "great brightness," as the splendour of the sun and we can see why that is so.

The Bible says that "...God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5); He is "...the Father of lights" (James 1:17). His habitation is light: "...who (God) is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:15-16). All that God is - His moral and spiritual excellence - is manifested as light. When Moses desired to see God's glory, He (God) told him no one could see His face and live so He gave him a few instructions as to what to do and where to meet Him. So Moses moved to Mount Sinai to see God's glory as He had promised. As he was there, "...the LORD passed by before him..." (Exodus 34:6).

Remember Moses didn't see God's face because He had already told him that no one sees His face and lives (Exodus 33:20). For that reason God told him, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:22-23). Moses was with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights without bread and water (Exodus 34:28); he neither ate nor drank. And as he came down from Mount Sinai "...he did not know that the skin of his face shone and sent forth beams by reason of his speaking with the Lord" (Exodus 34:29 AMP).

Because he had been in the presence of God and saw His back (not even His face), "when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him" (Exodus 34:30). Moses had to put a veil on his face in order to communicate with them. He returned to speak to the Lord again and when he came back, he still had to put a veil on his face because the skin of his face shone (Exodus 34:32-35).This reminds me of Jesus. When He went up the mount of transfiguration, the appearance of His face changed. Matthew tells us that His face shone like the sun - it emitted a brilliant light (Matthew 17:2). And Luke tells us that Peter and his companions saw His glory (Luke 9:32). The light that shone from our Lord's face was the glory of God, and it was the same with Moses.

We learnt earlier that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. To radiate means to emit light, heat or energy. Jesus radiated God's glory; He radiated His light (His moral and spiritual excellence) on earth. Let's look at an important scenario in the Bible where Jesus testified of Himself in front of His disciples: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:1-10). Not that Jesus was the Father, but that He was the exact representation of the Father in human form. Jesus told Philip: "How can you say I should show you the Father while you're seeing me?"

He had such an audacity! John testified to this when he said, "No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom in the intimate presence of the Father, He has declared Him He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known" (John 1:18 AMP). Jesus testified of Himself again when He said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). In other words, "While I am in the world I manifest God's moral and spiritual qualities; His dominion in the world." But that was Jesus, what about us? He told His disciples that they also were the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).

We are the light of the world. In other words, we also, are to manifest God's moral and spiritual qualities. We're to exercise His dominion; we're to shine among the heathen! We're ambassadors (representatives) of God on earth (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus added, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). When we radiate God's light in the world - His moral and spiritual qualities (that is, when we allow God to live His life in and through us) - He manifests His glory through us and He is glorified through us. There's a higher life to live.

From the Amplified Bible, 2 Corinthians 3:18 states: "And all of us, as with unveiled face, because we continue to behold in the Word of God as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit." Praise God! The Holy Spirit is transforming us into the likeness of Jesus with ever-increasing glory. The Greek word translated "transfigured" is "metamorphoo" and it's the same Greek word used in Matthew and Mark's Gospels, where it says that Jesus went up the mountain and was transfigured (metamorphoo) before them. That means that God is transfiguring us also by His Spirit, so we can radiate His glory on earth like His Son did.

Take notice that when Philip asked Jesus to show him who the Father was, Jesus plainly declared that he that had seen Him has seen the Father. He said again that He's in the Father and the Father is in Him; and it's the Father that does the works (His own miracles and deeds of power). We also found out earlier where He said on that day (After His resurrection) we shall know that He is in His Father, and we in Him, and He in us. So together with Jesus we're also in Papa God! Jesus kept telling His disciples, "I will soon depart from you" but, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17). That comforter is the Holy Spirit.

The disciples were not happy when Jesus kept telling them He would be departing soon (John 16:6). But He said to them again, "...I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). Why did Jesus say this? When He was with the disciples, it was God with them because He represented God. But Jesus wanted God to be in them just like Him, that's why He promised to send the Holy Ghost to them after His ascension. Remember the Holy Ghost is God. But is there not one God? Yes there is one God (Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4, 5; Isaiah 43:10, 11; 45:5; 46:8-11), but He has revealed Himself through three manifestations: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The plural Hebrew word "Elohim" is translated "God" in the Bible. This plurality of God was revealed when God said in the beginning, "Let us" create man (Genesis 1:26). God could manifest Himself in many ways. But in the Bible it is recorded that He has manifested Himself in only three ways. When you get to heaven, you're not going to see the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost on separate thrones. It's only God you're going to see; He's all in one and that's why He's God! Bible telling us that God visited His people at certain times doesn't mean He left heaven, for God never leaves His throne! When He speaks, it's the Holy Spirit that moves into action. We cannot produce a complete understanding of God by human reasoning lest we create a god after our own imagination.

If we create a god in our minds that we can fully understand, then we know that such a god does not exist, for the nature and work of this god would be limited to our human thinking. The only God that exists is the one above our imagination and He exists in Spirit (John 4:24). During Jesus' ministry, the Jewish populace merely classed Him together with the great prophets of old like John, Elijah, and Jeremiah; they could not see that He was their promised Messiah. When Jesus asked the twelve, "But whom say ye that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). Peter gave an A+ answer, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). Jesus commended Peter for identifying Him as the Messiah who is the living and true God Himself. The Old Testament describes the Messiah in clear terms of deity (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6). Peter understood his Bible, and identified Jesus accurately.

How was it that Peter was able to see this while others could not? Jesus said this could only happen by divine illumination (Matthew 16:17). Human intelligence by itself is blind towards spiritual matters. Unless God opens our eyes, we cannot see Him (Matthew 11:25-27; 1 Corinthians 2:7-14). Just as the naked eye is blind towards micro-organisms without the help of a microscope, so is the sinful eye blind towards spiritual matters without the help of God's Spirit. This is even the main reason why you should find out if someone is preaching or teaching the Word of God from the Spirit or from his senses. God's Word puts it plain that "...the carnal mind is enmity against God..." (Romans 8:7). We now come to the conclusion that God the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost are one. We also come to the realization that the Father now dwells in us through the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 John 4:12-15; Ephesians 2:18-22).

The Spirit does not dwell in everybody but believers (Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). The Holy Ghost living in us is God living in us. It's the Holy Ghost who makes God and His Word real to us. This is the reason why the Christian life or church in general is impossible without the Holy Ghost; the church cannot grow without Him. The Word says, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38). Every child of God who's indwelt by the Holy Ghost is anointed and endued with the power to cause changes! It's very important to receive the Holy Spirit because "...if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9). This is because "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).

Every born again Christian has the Holy Spirit in him, even though he might not have received the Holy Ghost baptism. Some people think they have to see or feel the Holy Spirit with them before they believe they've received Him. It's not so! The safe way to receive the Holy Spirit is to believe that He lives in you and seek to spend time with Him. Ask for His guidance as you study the Word of God. Have fellowship with Him in prayer so as to develop an intimate relationship with Him. As you do, He'll begin to reveal more of Himself to you and lead you in life, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

It's very important to recognize His presence because the Holy Spirit living in you is God living in you.