The Church Defined预览

A City on a Hill

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (NKJV)

Jesus declared in John 9:5, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” However, Jesus also reminded his disciples in Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world." We therefore, as the body of Christ, have a two-fold responsibility. Firstly, to walk with Jesus, who is the light, and secondly, to be those who will shine His light to the world around us.

1 John 1:5-9 says it this way, “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.” (NKJV) God is light implies that He is holy and hence, there is no way we can claim to be His children and continue in a life of sin. It is only when we walk consistently with God, will we have true fellowship with one another. 

Another important aspect of this fellowship is mentioned in 1 John 2:9 “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” (NKJV) As a community of believers, we are called to love one another just the way Jesus loved us, and there is no place for hatred, bitterness or discord in the family of God.

If we desire to walk in the light, we must also allow God’s word to take deep root in our lives. It is only when we spend time with God and His word will we be able to walk in the right path. Psalm 119:105 reminds us: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (NKJV)

As we go through these perilous times, the Lord alerts us from Romans 13:12: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” (NKJV) 

For too long we as the body of Christ, have hidden our light, and forgotten the very purpose of our existence here on earth. The words of Jesus from Matthew 5:16 admonishes us, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)

All of us as believers are sojourners here on earth and we are journeying toward our eternal home in heaven. That is an amazing destination, for Revelation 21:23 says, “And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.” (NLT)