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Last week, we talked about the blessings that we receive when God shines his face on us. Through God’s light, we can know God’s glory in Christ. God’s light gives us salvation, grace, restoration, and so much more. So now, what do we do with that? What do we do with the blessings we receive when God shines his light on us? That’s what this final lesson in this series is about. When God shines his light on us, we then reflect that light out into the world.
Psalm 37:5-6: 5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.
Proverbs 13:9: The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.
Results of Receiving God’s Light
When God’s light shines on us, our lives change because we have received the light of the gospel. What changes inside of us when we receive God’s light?
1. Our eyes are opened to the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we become his servants. This is in contrast to those who are blind and cannot see the light of the gospel.
2 Corinthians 4:4-6: 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2. We receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can know God better, which provides us hope, power, and an eternal inheritance.
Ephesians 1:17-21: 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
3. We receive holiness, life, and immortality through God’s grace and purpose.
2 Timothy 1:9-10: 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
4. Our shame is removed.
Psalm 34:5: Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
These things provide evidence that we no longer live in darkness but instead live under the light of the gospel.
Characteristics of Those Who Shines God’s Light
When we are changed inside by the light of the gospel, that change is reflected outwardly in our actions.
1. We show love to other people rather than hate.
1 John 2:8-11: 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
2. We do not misuse positions of authority.
2 Samuel 23:2-4: 2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,
4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth.’
3. Our lives will be healthy.
Luke 11:33-36: 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.”
4. We will bear the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth, and we will please the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10: 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
Shining God’s Light to the World
As Christians who have received God’s light, we now have the responsibility to shine that light out into the world.
1. When we shine God’s light into the world, our lives look different than those who live in darkness, and people will take notice.
Philippians 2:14-16: 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
2. When God’s light shines through us out into the world, it provides a way for others to have their eyes opened so they can also receive salvation.
Isaiah 42:6-7: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Acts 13:47: For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
3. When we shine God’s light into the world, this encourages other people to glorify God.
Matthew 5:14-16: 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Conclusion
I hope this series on God is Light has helped you see the importance of the imagery of light throughout the Bible. God is light, God created light, and God controls light. God uses light to guide us, and he shines his light on us to lead us out of the darkness. Once we are in God’s light, we can use light to worship God and to reflect God’s light out into the world.
Where are you at in your path? Are you still in darkness? Have you stepped out of darkness and into God’s light? Do you need to work on how you reflect God’s light to the world? I know I can always improve on that one! Let’s shine God’s light together.
Premium Resources
Each individual characteristic of God study will come with two resources: a word search just for fun (including an answer key), and a list of verses for if you want to investigate that individual characteristic of God more completely.
You can access these resources by clicking here: God Is Light Resources
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