“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.”
– Matthew 5:14-15

About two thousand years ago the brilliance of an extraordinary star directed some wise men to the feet of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, wise men and women are still drawn by the light that leads to Christ. That light is no longer the radiance of an awesome star, but the light of Christ shining through His followers. Jesus never challenged us (as Christians) to become light. He simply said that we are. We are not only light-receivers, but also light-givers, and we are either fulfilling or failing that given responsibility. Being a true disciple of Christ is being a light-giver, and that means to be concerned about those lost in the darkness of this world according to the command of our LORD:

“For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” – Acts 13:47

If there is an electrical power-cut in your home during the night, the first thing that you grope for in the darkness is the flashlight or the matches, unless you are asleep and unaware of the problem. We are commanded by our LORD to be readily available flashlights to assist those around us. We should be prominent like a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. It is hard to take your eyes off a light shining in pitch darkness, even from a distance. In the same way, Jesus wants His followers to live visible lives that attract attention to the beauty of God’s work in their lives.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

The goal of our shining is never so that people may see us, but that they may see the grace of God in us and His work through us, so that they may glorify Him. Because many in the world are sound asleep, unaware of the problem on sin and death (that’ll lead them to eternal hell) they are comfortable in the darkness. The purpose of light is to illuminate and expose what is there.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.” – Ephesians 5:8-13

Light is needed because the world is in darkness, and if our Christianity imitates the darkness, we have nothing to show the world. We are called to be lighthouses, shining the light of Christ and warning (in love) those who are about to crash into the rocky shores ahead of them. A lighthouse without light is useless. We can never affect the world for Jesus by becoming like the world.

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.” – Luke 11:33-36

To be effective in shining the true light of Christ, we must consecrate ourselves to Christ and live holy lives in humility and dependency upon God. If we compromise and conform to the world around us, we’ll be unnoticed and ineffective in the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). God never intended for us to be secret servants, but active agents. Don’t be deceived by our ruthless enemy, Satan, who can appear like an angel of light while still being in total darkness.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” – 2 Corinthians 11:13-14

Don’t be fooled, light and darkness cannot mix because God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. You are either for Him or against Him and not even postmodern thinking can create shades of grey between this Light and darkness.

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
– 1 John 1:5-7

The message is clear, if you truly love Christ, you’ll walk in the light and not in the darkness. And, you’ll shine the love of Christ to those in the darkness. It is also important to realize that not all those in the darkness are asleep. Besides the sleepers, there are many who thrive in the darkness and are scared of what the light may reveal about their lives or situations. They have an unnatural love for the darkness.

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” – John 3:19-20

There is good news for those who walk in the light: the Light can never be overpowered by the darkness. No matter how much darkness, it takes only one little match’s light to thrust it into submission.

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” – John 1:4-5

Because those in the darkness can neither obtain nor understand the things of the light, we need to fight against the temptation to hide or dim our lights. For the eternal sakes of the lost, we need to shine the light of Christ, with the love of God, by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, holding fast to the truth in His Word (Romans 10:14-17).

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.” – Philippians 2:14-16

In Christ,
The Searchlight team