184 - Let the Light of Christ Shine Forth and Be an Example to the World#
184 - Be an Example to the World
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Lord's Grace)
Today we share a topic called: Let the Light of Christ Shine Forth and Be an Example to the World
Matthew 5:13-16
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 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. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
Let us first pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You for preparing this time for us to share Your words together. Today is a day that You have set apart as holy, and Your children enjoy Your rest before You. As a new week begins, we come to look up to You, fully entrusting this time to the hands of the Holy Spirit. Please personally guide us in our hearts and help us during this time, so that we may all gain something here today. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Let’s look at today’s scripture, which mentions some things: Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world." In the past, many of us have been taught: you must be light, you must be salt. Have you heard someone write a couplet like that? In fact, we are not to become light or salt; we are inherently light and salt.
We are one person; how can we possibly become light or salt? So you cannot become light or salt; you simply emit the light of Jesus and the salt of Jesus.
In today’s scripture, it says, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?"
So how does salt lose its flavor? Speaking of China, does salt lose its taste? It seems that for us, if you put it in water, it doesn’t lose its taste. But what does this refer to?
Originally, this is about the salt of Israel. We had a sermon that particularly mentioned this: the Israelites used rock salt, which is different from the salt we have today. In the past, they would lick a piece of rock salt while eating. But that salt, once licked, would lose its flavor, and what would happen to the remaining rock? It could only be thrown away.
After being thrown away, you cannot use it for anything else, so it can only be left outside to be trampled by people. Therefore, later on, those flavorless rocks were everywhere in Israel, and do you know what they used those rocks for? To execute those who broke the law.
So for us, if salt loses its flavor, what use does it have? It is only good to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Then Jesus goes on to say, "You are the light of the world." So what is the purpose of light? It is to bring brightness to people, to provide direction and guidance. Therefore, it says, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
The Jerusalem temple is the holy temple of God, and this city is built on a hill. Everyone can easily see this city. In fact, we are like this; we possess the salt of Jesus Christ within us. The characteristic of salt is that it is a preservative; it does not lose its flavor. For us, as Christians, we should not lose our flavor in this world.
Just like when we cook, you can omit other ingredients, but if you don’t add salt, the taste is immediately different, even to the point of being inedible. You can say that other things can be more or less, but salt is an indispensable ingredient. Isn’t light the same?
For us, if there is no light in the world, we cannot live; without light, we cannot survive. So it goes on to say, "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." Isn’t it true that our light should not be hidden under a basket, but placed on a lampstand?
For us, the lampstand symbolizes the church; we are the lamps that shine. Therefore, when we are in the church today, we should bring light to our family and to the world. It also says, "Let your light so shine before men." This "men" does not necessarily refer to believers, so we need to have good behavior not only in front of our brothers and sisters but also in front of non-believers, right?
We share the first point: The light of Jesus Christ is the true light.
Let’s look at a passage in Isaiah 9:1-2.
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time, He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
This is a prophetic book written by Isaiah. At that time, this region was indeed oppressed, and many people were in pain and could not see the light. But God gave them a promise, saying: In the end, I will let this place of suffering receive glory. So we see that later on, along the road beyond the Jordan and in Galilee of the nations, it was precisely the place where Jesus preached the gospel.
In the past, this place was where the people suffered and could not see the light, but in the end, God allowed those who had suffered and were in darkness to see the true light of God! So why did Jesus work precisely in these places? Because there were prophecies here; the people in this region had suffered in the past, so God wanted to give them glory.
For us, if you have suffered in the past, God wants to give you glory. If you have been in darkness and cannot see the light or direction, God wants to shine His light into your darkness! Hallelujah! So it goes on to say, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light."
This light does not refer to sunlight; it does not mean that the people in Galilee and beyond the Jordan could not see the sun. It means they lacked the light of life, so this great light refers to Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters, it refers to Jesus Christ. The people at that time were under oppression, judgment, and curse; they were like those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, and in their view, they had no way out and no hope.
But thank God. In verse 6, it immediately tells us that they saw a great light. What does this great light refer to? It says, "Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone." Let’s look at verse 6; it tells us what this light is:
Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Earlier, it was mentioned that this group of people saw a great light; they were in deep darkness and had light shine upon them. It then tells us that this prophecy refers to our Lord Jesus, Amen! So Jesus Christ is the light of the world, and it is precisely in that region, the Galilee region, that Jesus brought this great light.
Luke 4:18-19
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Jesus came to bring this good news to those who were in darkness and in the land of deep darkness without hope. So God sent His Son to proclaim these things: liberty to the captives; in the past, they were bound, but now they can be set free, Amen! This is why many people, after believing in Jesus, can be set free, because they encountered Jesus, Amen!
The blind receive sight, which does not necessarily mean that their physical eyes cannot see, but perhaps it means they cannot see the way out; they have no direction, and they do not know the purpose of their lives. The blind receiving sight means that Jesus is their direction and their way out. Amen!
Then it says, the oppressed are set free; there are some things that cause them great pain, and now Jesus says: you are free, Hallelujah! So Jesus brings freedom to people.
If you see the light but reject the light, that person is very pitiful. Why? Because they have experienced darkness, they know what light is like, yet they reject the light. Such a person will fall into even greater darkness. For us, if we do not know Jesus, it may be fine, but if you clearly know that Jesus is your way out and you still refuse Him, isn’t that a pity?
So if we do not know, we feel it is not a big deal, but if we know and still reject Him, that is a very regrettable thing. Now, this passage in Isaiah tells us that you see in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, those people were despised, but God wants to set them free again. They had not heard the gospel in the past, but today God allows them to hear the gospel, "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
So brothers and sisters, this biblical letter indeed contains some serious warnings, not aimed at those who have not heard the gospel, but precisely at those who have heard the gospel but rejected it. Such people are in darkness and even deeper darkness. Some people clearly know that Jesus is such a Savior, but they still do not want Jesus. In such a situation, this person’s end will be even worse.
Do you remember that the Bible mentions an example where a person had a demon, and after being cleansed, that unclean spirit wandered around looking for a place to go. It said, "I will return to my house from which I came." When it entered, it found the house swept clean but unoccupied, so what did the demon do? It brought seven other spirits more wicked than itself and entered in.
The Bible says: that person's last state was worse than the first. Worse than before. So for us, if you clearly know that Jesus is the Lord of life, but many people seek Jesus just to be healed; they receive healing and then do not want Jesus anymore. In fact, such people are very pitiful.
Some people reject God's grace, reject the grace of Jesus, and they fall into even greater darkness, because those who bear witness for Jesus will find that they enter into greater light, while those who reject Jesus will enter into greater darkness. You will find that the more you communicate about Jesus, the more joyful your heart becomes; the more you experience the grace of Jesus, the more testimonies you have. Conversely, those who do not want Jesus have many problems.
You will find that in some families, we feel that the saying "misfortunes never come singly" is not without reason, right? One bad thing happens, and then another bad thing follows. We know that those who are in curses and darkness have bad things happening one after another in their homes. Many people say, "This family is so pitiful; how can they have such a fate?" In fact, it is not like that. When a person rejects the light of Jesus, they fall into greater darkness.
But conversely, if today we understand the grace of Jesus and know that Jesus is that greater light, when we enter into His light, the more we understand God's grace, the more grateful we become.
The more we understand the grace of Jesus, the more joyful our lives become, and the more we want to know Jesus. Have you noticed? That is the situation, right? Conversely, those who are quick to condemn others feel that others are not good enough. This is the difference between two kinds of lives because they are still in darkness.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
In the beginning of Genesis, God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. But do not misunderstand; that is not sunlight, because later it talks about Him creating two great lights. Do you understand? That is not sunlight. When God said, "Let there be light," what did He separate? He separated light from darkness. So brothers and sisters, what is that light? The light of life. Amen!
That is God's light, but that light is not sunlight. When God said, "Let there be light," there was light, and He separated light from darkness. You must understand that this light is God's light. If a doctor tells you: you have something wrong with your body, the result is not good; or if a bad habit is getting worse, that is like darkness overshadowing you.
For example, some people want to quit drinking or smoking, but no matter how many methods they try, they cannot do it; they are bound by something. You could say they are overshadowed by darkness. So what should we do at this time? Some people say we must try harder. In fact, you must remember: when a person is in darkness, the harder they try, the more they remain in darkness. That is not the best method. So what is the best method? You must know who the light is. Since we are talking about Jesus as the light, let Jesus enter into your darkness, rather than saying, "Lord, it is so dark! It is so dark!" That is useless!
Does God do things differently from us? When God sees darkness, He does not say, "It is so dark." Is it still dark? When God sees darkness, what does He see? He says, "Let there be light," and then the darkness disappears, separating light from darkness. Amen!
So brothers and sisters, if something bad happens to you now, you should speak good things out of your mouth! Do not repeat the bad things; let Jesus enter into your situation. He is the light of the world! He can also be the light of your life. Amen!
Because the scripture we just read also says that God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who made this light enter into darkness? It is our God, who has already shone in our hearts. So God today wants you to believe in Jesus, not to make you more directionless, more confused, and more hopeless. It is not like that. He puts this light in your heart to let you know that you are a person with a way out, to let you know what your true identity is.
So it goes on to say: this light has shone in our hearts, making us know the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So when you look at the face of Jesus, it always brings forgiveness, peace, joy, and hope to people. That face should be our face. Because that light has already shone into our hearts. Remember: when your heart is bright, you are bright all over.
You will find that some people are filled with darkness in their hearts, such as bitterness and complaints; you will find that their faces are very grim. Have you noticed that some elderly people, when they grow old, have very kind faces? It is as if you do not know why, but when you see this elderly person, you feel they are very kind.
However, there are some people who, when they grow old, we feel that this person is not approachable. Why is this the case? There is a saying in China: "The face reflects the heart." This saying actually has some truth to it. It is somewhat related to what we are talking about today. You see, when the light of Jesus Christ shines in our hearts, we know that the light of Jesus in our hearts will also be manifested on our faces. Because God’s light shines in the heart of Jesus, and then the glory of God is manifested on the face of Jesus.
Today, when we are often filled with Jesus Christ in our hearts, our faces are filled with glory, joy, and peace! When we grow old, our faces will also reveal a kind of radiance, and people will be willing to approach the Lord. Wow, I want to be with you! Thank the Lord, this is a kind of light! It radiates from within. Amen!
So no matter what your problem is now, do not use your strength to fight against your problem; that is darkness. The way to overcome darkness is very simple: let the light enter inside. Amen! What do we need? We need to understand more light and let it shine into our darkness, rather than understanding how much darkness we have.
Today, many people have reversed this situation. We understand where we went wrong today; we understand how many sins we have committed. The important thing is that when you see these shortcomings today, you should say: Lord Jesus, let Your light shine here, and my shortcomings can be changed. That is the issue we should care about. If you want to overcome your bad habits, let Jesus enter more into your life and get to know Jesus more.
We have been emphasizing that Jesus is the answer to all our problems. In the Old Testament, there are many types of Jesus Christ. For example, once Moses led the Israelites on the road, the people were thirsty, and they found a place with water, but the water was bitter, called Marah.
At that time, after Moses prayed to God, God told him about a tree. He threw that tree into the water, and the water became sweet! For us, that is a type of our Jesus Christ. Today, you will find that wherever in your family needs Jesus, you just need to put Jesus in there, let Him enter into your problem, and your problem will be solved. It is the same.
For example, if we have a bad relationship with our children, let Jesus enter into your midst. If both you and your child know Jesus, your relationship will definitely improve. The same goes for marital relationships. If your relationship with your family is not good, let Jesus enter into your midst; let Jesus enter into both of your hearts, and then the problems between the two will be resolved. Amen! Wherever there is a problem, you should pray: Lord Jesus, please enter into my problem. Then He can change that problem.
We share the second point: Let the light of Christ shine upon you.
In the Old Testament, there was something called the tabernacle. The tabernacle was not something that could be entered casually; only the priests could enter it. But those of us who have read Exodus know that in the tabernacle, there is a golden lampstand and a table of showbread. I am talking about the Holy Place. In this Holy Place, there is a golden lampstand and a table of showbread. What is the purpose of the golden lampstand? The tabernacle has no windows; when you go in, it is actually dark, so light is needed to guide where to go. Therefore, the golden lampstand has olive oil, and the lamp wicks must always be lit. The priests have a function that is specifically responsible for this lamp.
The descendants of Aaron are specifically responsible: if the lamp is about to go out, what should they do? They must trim the wick and clean the soot to keep the lamp burning. This is something that must always be present in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. It is a sealed space, so they need light to fill the room, and the golden lampstand is needed to do this.
Brothers and sisters, we just mentioned that the lampstand symbolizes the church. If there is no light in the church, then what happens to the church? It has no testimony to speak of and cannot bring true guidance to people.
The book of Revelation tells us that Jesus is in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, and those seven golden lampstands represent seven churches. In other words, as long as the Holy Spirit is in the church, this church has light; therefore, this church is not a dead church but a living church, and it can bring light to people. Whenever you are in a gathering, you should hear the words of God, hear the words about the Holy Spirit, and then you will have light in your heart. So the more this light enters your life, the less darkness there will be!
Take our current room as an example. If such a large room has only one light, isn’t there more darkness? But on the other hand, if there are two lights every so often, and you turn on all the lights, then doesn’t the darkness disappear?
So this is a very simple way: when there is darkness in the room, you just need to let more light in. You do not stand there and say, "Ah! Darkness, please disappear!" Shouting like that is useless; let Jesus enter into your problem. Just like today in this room, you just need to bring in more light, and the darkness will naturally disappear without you saying anything. Hallelujah!
Today, for us, some people feel fear, feel depressed, feel down. What is the reason? There is darkness in their hearts. Fear, dread, curses, and oppression are actually the darkness in your heart. But what should you do at this time? You say: I don’t want to be like this; I have no way. Indeed, if there is no electricity, you say the room is dark, what can I do? At most, I can use a flashlight, but can it drive away all the darkness? No! So when there is some darkness in your heart and life, you must know that the more you let Jesus enter into you, the less darkness there will be! Amen! So do not define yourself by saying: "Oh, look at me, I am such a bad person; God will not listen to me!" Do not jump to such conclusions; you just need to continue to listen to the word, let the light of Christ enter, and the darkness will disappear.
Earlier, we mentioned the Holy Place. When you enter the Most Holy Place, there is the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark symbolizes God’s presence with us, but there is no lamp in the Most Holy Place. You see, there is a golden lampstand in the Holy Place to illuminate them, and they can provide nourishment for others because there is a table of showbread to supply others. But in the Most Holy Place, there is no light. If there is no lamp in the Most Holy Place, how can people see what is inside? Originally, although there is no lamp shining in the Most Holy Place, there is the glory of God, and that is the best light. Amen! So for us, you will find that everything in the Most Holy Place is made of pure gold. Amen!
Although there is no light from the golden lampstand, the light radiating from God’s glory is even brighter than what is outside! Do you understand, brothers and sisters? Today we say that this light is already very good; there is a kind of light called the light of Jesus Christ, which can directly illuminate our hearts. So let the light of Christ shine upon you, and many of your problems will naturally disappear.
In Hebrews 1:3, it tells us: He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature. This refers to our Jesus; Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. You must know that our God Himself is glorious; He is the one who shines. This explains another question: At the beginning, why did Adam and Eve not wear clothes and not feel ashamed? It was because they had the radiance of God’s glory upon them, but after they fell, after they sinned, that light disappeared.
But in Jesus, we see that Jesus also shines, doesn’t He? After He went up the mountain of transfiguration, three disciples went with Him and saw that Jesus was shining all over, and they said that the light was brighter than any white garment. Because that is the light of God, Amen! So Jesus Christ is the radiance of God’s glory.
Many people ask me a question: "Teacher Ren, can I do this today? Can I do that?" In fact, this question is easy to answer. You only need to ask yourself one question: Can what I do glorify Jesus, or can it bring glory to Jesus? For example, today someone says, "Can we kill and set fires?" In fact, you do not need to ask this question; can this glorify Jesus? No! For example, can we curse? Can we drink? The important thing is not whether to do this or that; the important thing is whether you can glorify Jesus after doing this.
For us, how do we glorify Jesus? By our behavior in this world today, we glorify Jesus! Hallelujah! So you must live out the glorious life of Jesus Christ because Jesus has placed His life within us. Remember: every time you glorify Jesus, He will also glorify you through you! Every time God is glorified, healing will happen! Every time God is glorified, miracles will happen.
So today, when we look at it, especially last Friday night when the disciples performed many miracles, they did so in the name of Jesus Christ, which actually lifted Jesus up; the name of Jesus was exalted, and as a result, many miracles occurred. Today it is the same; if we exalt Jesus in our homes, your entire family will be glorified by Jesus.
When Jesus is glorified, the Bible records that the blind see, many lame walk, and these miracles will happen. In fact, it has always been like this: when you glorify God, good things will come to you and your family! Therefore, this is the meaningful life we should live in this world!
Many people do not know what the meaning of their life in this world is. Many people say, "I live for my children," but you find that when the children disappoint you, you cry more miserably than anyone else. Some people say, "I live for money," but you will find that money is unreliable. Brothers and sisters, we live to glorify Jesus Christ! Hallelujah! Other things besides Jesus may seem useful now, but in the end, they are all empty.
So John 8:12, Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus said to the people, "Who is the light?" Jesus is the light of the world! Jesus is that light of the world! Whoever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Please listen carefully; there is a special phrase here: "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness." How do we get out of darkness today? In other words, how does a Christian overcome sin? By following Jesus. How do you overcome your bad habits? By following Jesus!
You will find that it is a simple matter. It is not about trying hard not to do this; you will find that trying hard does not work. Many people have tried and still failed. What is the easiest way today? Just follow Jesus. So Jesus said: "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life."
In the Greek, this is a double negative: cannot, cannot. The meaning is that once you follow Jesus, you will not walk in darkness. In other words, when a person truly understands Jesus and follows Jesus, that person does not want to sin.
Many people do not understand Christ and say: "Oh, this is dangerous; you see these people will fall." It is not like that; those who follow Jesus and truly understand Jesus Christ do not want to sin because they are not in darkness; they are in the light of God's life. Amen!
1 John 1:5-6, today we need to solve a key issue, let’s read it aloud together:
5 God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you. 6 If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Many people do not understand this verse and say: "Look, God is light, and in Him is no darkness." That is correct; this statement is true. We have been emphasizing that Jesus Christ is light; our God is light, and in Him is no darkness. The next sentence has tripped many people: "If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth."
Today many people say: "Look, if you believe in Jesus, do you still sin? Will you still sin?" Yes, you will. So are you in darkness? Therefore, many people deduce from this that "you see, you are still sinning, so you are in darkness; if you dare to say you are righteous, you are lying." Following this reasoning, no one dares to say they are in the light.
But the problem is "not about what you do." This passage keeps mentioning what God is like: "God is light, and in Him is no darkness. This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you." "If we say we have fellowship with Him." What is fellowship with God?
Many people say: "Fellowship with God means you believe in Jesus today. If you still sin, you are in darkness; you are not practicing the truth; you are not saved." In fact, this is completely wrong. This connects salvation with behavior.
In fact, this is not talking about human behavior; it is not about how we walk in the light. What does it mean to walk in the light? It means not to sin! In this world, even if you believe in Jesus, can you find a person who does not sin? You cannot find one, right? According to this verse, what is the real meaning? If we walk in the light, the focus is not on your behavior but on where you are! Do you understand, brothers and sisters? The focus is not on what you do; the focus is on where you are! Hallelujah!
If you have believed in Jesus today, I mean you have accepted Jesus Christ in your heart, you are in Christ. Is Christ light? Then you are in the light, Hallelujah! Even if you are in the light, you may sin; are you still not in the light?
In other words, you see, today we are in this room, right? If today we have light in this room, when we are under this light, doesn’t the darkness disappear? That is not the result of your effort, is it? It is the effect of this light. So today, even if you tell me that you lost your temper and cursed, does that mean you are not under this light? No, you are still under this light.
The focus is not on what you do; it is not about how your behavior can change you; the focus is on where you are! When you are in the light of Jesus, you are always in His light! You absolutely cannot say that you are in darkness today; that is incorrect. You see, this place has light; if you stand in the light and say, "I am in darkness," that is a liar; that is a person who is lying.
Today we are in Jesus Christ, so we have fellowship with God. Fellowship means union. Brothers and sisters, we are united with God. If Jesus Christ is light, then are we not in the light? So this passage is very clear: when you follow Jesus in the light, you absolutely cannot be in darkness. You see, we just read that passage; Jesus clearly said: "I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness." Amen!
So the focus is not on you; it is on whether the light is bright enough. As long as you are in the light, you cannot be in darkness. So the focus is not on your effort to get rid of darkness; the focus is on where you are! If you are in the light, you are shining. For us, it is that simple.
So today we talk about letting the light of Christ shine upon you. Therefore, 2 Corinthians tells us: Now we are like mirrors reflecting glory, and in this way, we are being transformed into glory. Isn’t that simple? Jesus Christ is light; as long as you keep looking at this light, reflecting this light, you will find that you are also illuminated by the light. This is where the power for Christians to overcome all bad habits and not to sin comes from.
Today it is not about saying you should not sin; you will still sin. It is not about saying you should not curse; you will still have that bad habit. What should you do? The more you look at Jesus, the more His light shines upon you, and you will naturally overcome! Hallelujah! As long as you are in the light of Christ, He drives away all your darkness! For us, what does it mean? You just need to be in the light of Christ and follow Him. Amen!
We share the third point: Be an Example to the World.
Let’s look at a passage in Isaiah 60:3. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
The emphasis of our message today is: God hopes His people will receive this glorious light. God also hopes His light will shine upon you and be seen.
In other words, Jesus Himself is light, so He hopes His children are children of light; Jesus is full of joy, and He hopes His friends and children are also full of joy; our God is full of glory, so He hopes His children are also full of glory.
So what should the light of a Christian shining before the world look like? It does not mean that we all become suns; it is not like that. He is the light of life. What do people in the world envy? Peace, joy, gentleness, self-control—these are things that the world does not have. You find that you cannot buy these things with money; they are all with God. These lights must shine through us, so you will find that some Christians are particularly enviable.
Originally, I met a sister who was a teacher at a school. She did not preach Jesus to others every day, urging them to believe in Jesus. She used to be a very serious depression patient, but later she believed in Jesus, and every day she was cheerful. Others said to her: "What has changed you? Why do you seem carefree every day? Why are you always so joyful?" She said: "Because Jesus changed me!" Many people said: "Can I believe in Jesus with you?" Others particularly envy her state of life! We call this the light of life! Amen!
God hopes you are radiant, especially in this dark world. God hopes you can shine His light. So at the beginning, Jesus made it very clear to us: You are the light of the world; do not hide yourself. "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. Let your light so shine before men." Then how do we do this?
"So that they may see your good works." Brothers and sisters, should we Christians have good works? Yes! But good works are not emphasized; it is not: "Wow, you who believe in Jesus must have good works!" It is not like shouting at him that he will have good works. So what should we do? How can we make the bad things disappear? In fact, it is very simple. We just mentioned that you just need to follow Jesus, and in His light, your dark things will decrease and eventually disappear!
So the scripture here just mentioned, "Nations shall come to your light; nations shall come to your light," what does it mean? Many people see your state of life and are willing to follow you! You see, they are both light, but the results are different. In the Old Testament, when Moses was with God, didn’t his face shine? But how did the people see Moses’ light? They were afraid! Because that was the light of condemnation.
You will see that some pastors or some people are quick to condemn others, so you see them and want to stay far away. If you talk to them, they will point out your problems and criticize you. You say, "I’d better stay away from this person." When you see Jesus in the New Testament, didn’t He shine? After He went up the mountain of transfiguration and came down, did the people see His light? But did the people fear Jesus? Instead, they followed Jesus.
We are disciples of Christ; you are disciples of Christ. So when the world sees you, they should be willing to be with you because you can always bring them comfort. People are always willing to talk to you because you can always bring comfort to others. Hallelujah!
When others say something bad about someone, you can find the good in them and encourage them. This is the light we should radiate. Hallelujah!
So it says, "Nations shall come to your light." What does it refer to? Today we can tell them the light of salvation. So do you know? The best way to evangelize is for your life to radiate such light, for your face to shine. Amen!
It is absolutely not about saying to others: "Believe in Jesus! If you don’t believe in Jesus, you will go to hell." Some people will say: "Say whatever you want; no matter how loud you shout, I will not believe." So we are not scaring others into believing in Jesus. The best way to evangelize is to let the light of Christ shine through you!
Others will find: "What makes you worry-free? You don’t seem to sigh like us." They will say that it seems nothing can overwhelm you. They will envy your strength. At this time, you tell them: "Come believe in Jesus with me; you can be the same because our God loves you like this!" Isn’t it much easier? Don’t say to someone: "Believe in Jesus," while also saying that this person is worthless, and so on. They will say: "Oh, look at these Christians."
When we do not have good behavior, how do the world see us? The world will feel: "Their God may have taught them to be like this!" So for us, we need to radiate a kind of life light, just like the light of Jesus. Therefore, God not only hopes that we believe in Jesus and be saved today, but He also hopes that we can live out the glory of God. Then, in this way, the nations will come close to our light. Amen!
So I hope that we brothers and sisters do not emit a light of condemnation. Because today there are indeed too many Christians who emit a light of condemnation, not only condemning brothers and sisters but also condemning those who do not believe: "They are demons!" How can we describe others like this? Even if they are indeed under the control of demons, you cannot say: "Ah, you demons! If you do not believe in Jesus, you are under the control of demons." Saying this will hurt their hearts! This is a kind of condemnation, you know?
Brothers and sisters, although this is the case, did Jesus ever say: "Wow! You son of a demon!"? Did He ever say this to us? He only gave us good things; He radiated the glory of light, not a light of condemnation. Amen!
Although many of us have been saved, many times we do not live out the glorious light. What do we live out? You will find that many Christians have faces worse than those who do not believe. In such a case, do you think people will still want to believe in Jesus?
For example, when Christians attack each other, condemn each other, and blame each other, do you think that the non-believers will go to believe in your Lord? They will say: "Look, let’s go see those two people at the church door fighting again. Look, they fight the hardest every week, and the words they curse are quite fresh; we have never heard them before." Do you think that such a testimony will lead people to believe in Jesus? So brothers and sisters, our good behavior today is also crucial!
Today we are under grace; we do not emphasize that we must have good behavior. I just tell you that under grace, it is very important to produce good behavior that people can see! This is the fruit we bear. Amen! Just as Jesus said: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works."
This good behavior is before men; please remember: we are not judged by our behavior before God. Today many people mix these together: "Oh, anyway, God does not remember my sins; God does not condemn me; God does not look at my behavior."
That is correct; indeed, God does not look at your behavior; He still loves you as before. But do not forget where you live. You live in front of people, and can they see what is inside you? They cannot see! So do not expect people to become like God and forgive you like that; it is impossible.
So our good behavior is lived before whom? Before men! Amen! So can we distinguish this clearly? God does not love us based on our good behavior; even if you do not have good behavior, God still loves you. But today we live among people, and for the non-believers, we must live for them to see. They cannot see; their eyes cannot see, so do not expect them to have spiritual eyes; they cannot see. They can only see your behavior, and through your behavior, they can know this God.
So when we have bad behavior in front of people, they will say: "Oh, look at this person who believes in Jesus." They will feel that our God is like this.
For example, we talk about (heresy); isn’t it very detestable? Lightning, that female Christ, is fake! She does bad things under the name of Christianity. Such behavior has caused a very bad influence in our country. In such a case, how do others view believers in Jesus? They say that this Jesus cannot be trusted; look at these people who are deceived and have killed people. This is why when we preach the gospel today, many ruling officials cannot understand us.
Especially today, when we talk to others about the grace of Jesus Christ, they say that this way may lead people to deliberately indulge. The reason is that these people do not have good behavior. So the ruling authorities say: "These people are too dangerous; look, they can disregard their lives and kill others." So this way of letting them continue to believe is a very dangerous thing. But today we want to say that they do not know the gospel of Jesus Christ!
A person who truly understands the life of Jesus, a person who truly understands the grace of Jesus, will absolutely not do this because we will absolutely not condone anyone to sin. What kind of people do we want to be?
For example, when we live in this country, we who are under grace should be law-abiding people! What kind of people are we? We are people who are willing to help others. Let others see that we are blameless; this is a life that manifests under grace. Hallelujah!
We cannot say we are believers in Jesus while killing, setting fires, deceiving, and doing all kinds of evil. In such a case, we will not have good behavior for the world to see, but rather we will tarnish the name of Christ. But a person who truly understands the grace of Jesus will have good behavior, and this good behavior comes from the fruit produced after understanding Christ. Do you understand? It means that you are originally a healthy tree, and you can bear good fruit. Hallelujah!
So a person who truly believes in Jesus Christ has a mission: to let the world see Jesus through us and understand Jesus through us.
In fact, I am really grateful to God. Over the years in our country, our ruling authorities, many non-believers, have increasingly recognized Jesus due to the beautiful testimonies of so many Christians. Now at least very few people say that believing in Jesus is superstition, right? But it was not like this in the past; indeed, many people said that believing in Jesus was superstition. Why is that?
Because many beautiful testimonies have emerged, and they have seen through these people's testimonies: "Wow, it turns out that believing in Jesus is really not superstition; Jesus does not lead people to do evil but to do good." Amen!
I hope that our brothers and sisters, after understanding the grace of Jesus, let the world see the glory of Christ through our good behavior! Because we are all children of light; we are already in the light of God. Hallelujah! When others see your good behavior, they will say: "This is a believer in Jesus; indeed, it is different!" Amen!
You see, when the world helps others, they expect a return, right? When we truly help others without expecting anything in return, we are willing to help you willingly. So when they feel: "Wow, why do they help me like this?" You tell them: "Because Jesus loves me like this! So I am also willing to love you." Hallelujah!
For example, when we work in a company, others are all clock-watching; they come late if they can, slack off if they can, and do not do anything if they can. But you? At that time, you say: "Lord, I am doing this for Your glory." Amen! You are not doing it to gain the boss's favor; you are doing it to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! So in this way, we will become an example to the world! Amen!
Isaiah 60:3, Nations shall come to your light. They know that there is something in you that others do not have. Let me share a testimony that happened in Genesis:
In Genesis, there was a man named Joseph. He was a very wise person. After he interpreted Pharaoh's dream, Pharaoh said, "What do you want?" He said: "I want nothing; I just interpreted the dream for you." He said: "You must arrange for someone to manage these years of abundance." Joseph did not say: "Immediately during the seven years of abundance, make me the prime minister; I will manage it." Did he say that? No, he said: "I just interpreted the dream for you; my God told me, and I just told you. You arrange for your people to do it."
I just told you that after seven years of abundance, there will be seven years of famine. So during these seven years, let a person who understands management manage it and prepare for the seven years of famine. Then he said, "I have finished interpreting the dream." Is that the end? But you see, when he helped Pharaoh without asking for anything in return, wasn’t he glorifying God?
Then Pharaoh said: "Wow, where can I find someone like him who has the spirit of God and such wisdom?" Do you see? If at this time Joseph had said: "Pharaoh, there will be seven years of abundance; you must prepare someone as smart as me, who understands everything, to manage your country," what would Pharaoh have said? "You little brat, this might be a bit exaggerated; this matter may not be true." Because your purpose is not pure, do you understand, brothers and sisters? If he wanted to glorify himself, he might not receive that glory.
He really did not want anything for himself; he just wanted to be free. Wasn’t that Joseph's heart? In fact, Joseph only wanted to gain his freedom because he was wronged and imprisoned. He was just interpreting a dream for Pharaoh to gain freedom; he did not think about becoming prime minister, did he? No, but you see, when he helped others like this, God raised him up. Hallelujah!
So today it is the same; when our good behavior is done before people, we help these people without asking for anything in return, letting our ruling authorities and non-believers see that this is a believer in Jesus, letting them no longer feel that we are dangerous or have ulterior motives. We help them just to glorify Jesus. In other words, we do not seek glory and return from the world because God gives us more than this. Hallelujah!
So when it says, Nations shall come to your light, it is because you have the light of Christ, so they are willing to come close to you, willing to listen to you preach, willing to listen to you help them with difficulties because you are not using your wisdom but God’s wisdom. Amen! Sometimes it seems that this wisdom is indeed worse and less wise than that of the world, but God’s wisdom is like this: what people consider foolishness, God uses to accomplish all His things.
It goes on to say, Kings shall come to the brightness of your rising. What kind of people are kings? They are today’s rulers. You see, was Joseph discovered by the king? So does the king seek his opinion? What should he do? Kings shall come to the brightness of your rising. So today we must pray for our ruling authorities. Amen! Let them see through us that we who believe in Jesus are not the dangers of the world, not the scum of the world; we are a very important and harmonious part of the world. Amen!
This is the group of people we believe in Jesus today. We indeed need good behavior to be lived before people, so that they can see and give glory to our Father in heaven. Hallelujah! So I hope that each of us today can have such a determination.
Make a determination and say: "Lord, You put this power in us to change us first, and then let the world see our change." You will find that many testimonies are like this: In the past, this person was notorious, but after believing in Jesus, this person became better. Isn’t such a testimony more influential? Because the world cannot see what God is like inside you, but they can see the glory of Jesus manifested through us. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Jesus, thank You for loving us like this. You are the light of the world; Your light shines into us. So You say we are also the light of the world. This light cannot be hidden; it is not put under a basket but on a lampstand to give light to all who are in the house.
Lord, please let me see more of Your light. Let us see more of Your brightness when we read the Bible. Let us see more of Your brightness in our lives. Let me act with Your wisdom and give me the strength to bear the fruit of good behavior among people! Continuously renew me, let me grow in Your words every day, and let Your glory be manifested in me more and more. From today on, let me not live for myself but for the glory of Jesus, because when I know I am willing to humble myself, You, God, will lift me up! Just like Joseph.
Lord, thank You. May You grant me such strength today in this new week to live out such good behavior and become an example for those around me! Let the love of Christ be lived out. Thank You and praise You! In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!