Light is absolutely essential to life. And to appreciate the importance of light, let’s go back to God’s marvelous creation.
The Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ”Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:1-4).
It is interesting to observe that light was an integral part of Creation, because God created light before He created anything else. Note, “And God separated the light from the darkness” on the first day. God as Supreme Creator of the universe, spoke the existence of light into being.
Light is also a source of spiritual enlightenment in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus declared: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus also said, ”As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).
Not only does Christ declare Himself to be the light of the world, He also refers to Christians as being the light of the world. In His Sermon on the mount, Jesus told His disciples: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Since Christ has designated believers as “the light of the world, and a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden;” it is therefore expected that His followers must live “as children of light,” in this dark and evil world.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul said “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). That was so because the light of the glorious gospel had not yet shined into our hearts to make us children of light in the Lord. This also means we now live daily as children of light.
We can also see in the text that Jesus expects believers to represent Him on earth by letting our lights shine before others who will see how we live in a dark world. And they will give glory to our Father in heaven.”
By being ambassadors for Christ, it is also essential that Christians shine forth as lights in the world because God’s presence and power will be evident in our lives.
The world desperately needs the light of the good news of salvation, and Christians have that good news. Darkness is associated with sin, evil, hopelessness, immorality, and that which separates man from God.
The Lord Jesus said: “People love the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who loves wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19,20).
It was God’s intent and purpose that after salvation, believers in Christ should continue to live in this present world, and be witnesses for Him. He said, “You are my witnesses” (Isaiah 43:10). Otherwise, God would have taken us to heaven immediately after saving us.
This is confirmed in Christ’s intercessory prayer to the Father when He said, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:15,16).
In order to maintain a good standing before the Lord, the Scripture warns, ”Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible” (Ephesians 5:11-13).
Endeavoring to live a Godly life in a topsy-turvy, confused world is not easy. And God is fully aware of that. However, we must “keep on, keeping on” in a world where people stand for nothing and fall for everything. The indwelling Holy Spirit will lead and direct us in pathways of righteousness. God honors those who honor Him.