Let me begin by saying that I do not believe Christianity is a silent faith. God wants us to talk about Him with other people and show the world that Jesus has changed us. Changed us in ways that rub off on others. Changed us in ways that we could not accomplish on our own steam. Indeed, the Bible isn't just another self-help book, like some fad diet where we need to just try really hard to focus our will power, and then we might lose some weight. No, it is much more than that. It is a religion that does something, that moves inside of us in a way that translates out from the overflow in our hearts to those around us.
With this idea firmly in view, I want to discuss two Scriptures today. The first comes to us as part of the famous Sermon on the Mount section of the Gospel of Matthew. Chapter 5, verses 14-16 says, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Similarly, in Luke 11:33,
we get the curious statement: "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."
I believe that it can be
plainly said, that the light of this world we inhabit comes from Jesus
Christ. But what about the darkness? What about all of the sin that
transpires on our planet every day? This is a more difficult question to
think about.
In order for sin to exist
and thrive, it must be kept in the dark. You may have noticed in your own
life, that keeping secrets is a great way to build up animosity. Nothing
deflates trust between two people more than finding out that you have been lied
to, or that someone withheld information from you longer than they should
have. It makes it that much harder to trust again.
The catch, however, comes
from the fact that in order to purge ourselves of sin and begin our journey
down the path of righteousness - we must bring that thing we regret into the
light. Evil cannot stand or survive in the light, much less the light of
Christ. In this glow, there is only room for confession, repentance, and
healing. Secret keeping goes out the window. You will note that in
this way, the light of Jesus will edge out sin (both yours and mine).
It's painful at first - I'm not saying it isn't - but ultimately it is the only
way to permanently kick a bad habit. There is something about illumination
and confession that resets the spirit I think.
In this same way, I am
imploring the reader not to hide away your faith. Resist the urge to
shelve away your personal belief system into the darkness. If we look at
the sentence immediately preceding Matthew 5:14, it says "You are the
salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be
made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown
out and trampled underfoot."
The Bible tells us to be
salt and light. Allow your faith to shine. Don't treat your
religion as a forty-hour-per-week job, where you act one way at the office and
another way at home. Christianity asks more than that from us (and we
should be grateful for that I think). Otherwise, it would be just another
social club or mundane organization.
Jesus is ultimately the
judge, and we must be careful also that we don't become arrogant in our
spiritual assessment of others. Someone's eternal salvation isn't secured
by what we think of them, but rather by whether or not they are born
again. That is the light of God. So
often it is human nature to forget that fact, I think.
As I said a moment ago; Christianity is not a silent faith. It is too important for that. If you
are loved by God, and you love God back, then good luck containing the light
that abides inside of you! It will spill out. If others don't see
this light, then it's time to take stock and examine your walk with God.
Don't keep the things that God has done in your life quiet. And if you
boast about it, then boast for His glory, not your own. For it is Jesus
that saves each of us, and who lights the flame which can never be
extinguished.
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