You are the light of the world

Mat 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.


A city on a hill. Have you ever seen one? I've seen mansions built on a hilltop and littering the hillside other homes. The mansion most assuredly could not be hidden.


Balestrino, Italy
Craco, Italy
Monteriggioni, Italy
Gangtok, India
Kirkuk, Iraq


These are just a few cities on a hill.


When you place something on a hill top it's in a position of prominence, it is MEANT to be seen. WE are meant to be seen. We are the light of the world. The ONLY way we are the light of the world is if the light in us is of Jesus, He is the light of the world.


Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.


Jesus has been teaching us this whole time that life is found in HIM and only in HIM. In Jesus we are blessed not in ourselves and not in any other. When Jesus tells us we are the light of the world He is talking to the same people He has taught about being blessed. They aren't the elite of the world, these are ordinary people who place their trust wholly in the Lord. We are ONLY blessed in the Lord there is no other way whatsoever to be blessed. We ARE the light of the world when we live in Jesus. Unfortunately there are many pretend lights, many false lights in our world too.


2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.


Jesus wants us to learn that we are the light of the world and because we are the light of the world we have a purpose as that light. We are to SHINE brightly before all men.


Mat 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


We are to let our light shine- we are to let our Jesus be seen in us!


Anything good that is in us we cannot lay claim to, Christ in us lives and any good *work* we do is done to glorify God the Father, NOT us!


Satan would have us desire to be given pats on the back for doing good. We grow up learning that we supposedly deserve rewards when we excel at things. We think we deserve recognition for jobs well done. You know what… it is good to be recognized for doing good but ONLY when we shine the light upon our Savior, the Savior in us that enables us to do the least bit of good to the greatest bit of good. All the recognition we can garner is wonderful as long as the true recognition goes to God.


Do people automatically glorify God our Father in heaven?


That's an easy answer isn't it? No, they don't.


You hear an occasionally- 'Thank God.' And sometimes you might hear a huge- 'Thank God!' from sports players or tv contest winners and even then it's good to hear because it's not common.


All glory is to go to God the Father! We are to Glorify our Father in Heaven. Glorifying the Father in heaven must be something we do all the time! Our light which is Jesus in us and visible to others must be such a reality that people KNOW we are Jesus'. Jesus is our light, our life! We must be recognized as belonging to Jesus. These are Jesus' words--


' Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. '


People say we are not to worry about 'good works' because we are saved by grace not works but they have to realize that a NATURAL result of being saved by grace is accepting Jesus into your life and Him becoming the light in you that will shine through in your good works. Is it any wonder why people will make fun of *Jesus freaks*, or make jokes about someone refraining from questionable behavior by calling them *saint* . People try to make us feel bad for being good. People try to make us feel as if we don't fit in quite right or that we are taking on airs, thinking we are better than they are. They want us to do things questionable to prove to them we aren't taking on airs. We have to be so incredibly careful because when we worry at all about fitting in we leave ourselves wide open for evil-spirit attacks. We have to worry about fitting in HEAVEN and NO where else. Our good works must be seen and in being seen glorify the Father in heaven. We have no clue whatsoever how our actions affect other peoples lives. We can't know that someone might see our good works and be led to the Lord, led to glorify the Father in heaven.


Jesus wants us to live for Him. Jesus wants to live in us.


Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.


Jesus would have our lights shine!


By His grace may our light forever shine and shine and shine!


Amen.