The Believers Influence In The World: Light - Part 5

The Three Fold Application Of Light
We looked at light's position and light's nature today we look at:

Light’s purpose — “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven” (v.16).

The purpose of being light is to shine before men, the objects of shining. The only purpose of lighting a lamp is in order to give light to all in the house. We are to shine in the world of men, human beings just like us who need the redemption Jesus provided. We cannot force them to believe but we want them to see something in us.

Light gives direction, like a airport beacon guide planes, light does not shine for itself but for others. The light is not to spotlight self but to show others the way. Our goal is that people will see God, that they will see our heavenly father, and glorify Him.

Men should see your good works. In the Greek there are two words for good: 1) “agathos” — which defines a thing as good in quality. 2) “Kalos” — used here and means that something is not only good but beautiful and attractive. There is to be something attractive about the good works we do. I believe its not just the attractiveness of the works but the spiritual attractiveness of the person doing the works.

Light can also be used to warn, like a lighthouse warns ships of the danger of hidden rocks and helps them avoid shipwreck, believers are to warn unbelievers about the danger of sin. The light can't stop people from doing things that are harmful to them but it can expose the lies and darkness behind what there doing. We are not to shine in a controlling and condemning way but we are to expose the hidden works of darkness.

There is nothing so useless in God’s universe as a formal Christian who has the name but not the life. Some people know just enough about Christianity to spoil everything else but not enough to be of any positive value. People like this don’t think of themselves as worldly or heathen but never really enter into the life of the church. To their amazement, they will eventually find themselves shut outside the door. History proves this out. There are places where there were once strong churches and they are there no more. Jesus warned of this in Revelations 2 & 3. A hidden light is a useless light. If we hide our light because we’re afraid of offending others or because we’re indifferent and lacking in love or for any other reason, we are being unfaithful to the Lord.