April 17, 2013
Philippians 2:14-16
Most people are familiar with black lights which emit ultraviolet light resulting in fluorescence when the light hits certain surfaces. Pure ultraviolet light is invisible to humans. It is so-named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet. Black lights emit some visible light as well as pure black light.
Ok, enough of the science lesson! Now for the spiritual application. There is a condition affecting some people, which results in them being what I call Black Light Christians. To understand the idea of this concept, we have to look at several scriptures. The first is Philippians 2:14 through 16 (NKJV):
Do all things without murmuring 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 forth
the word of life….
Notice there is no qualifying factor regarding the statement, “…among whom you shine as lights in the world….” In other words, you will shine!
Now look at Matthew 5:14 through 16 (NKJV):
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on an 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. Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.
Again, there is no qualifier here. It simply says, “You ARE the light of the world.” You will emit light!
Think about it. Simply by the fact of you being human, you have all the necessary equipment to shine, to give forth energy. All living beings give forth energy. And that energy can deliver sometimes subtle, sometimes very bold messages. Have you ever been in the presence of a person who is in a bad mood? Before they said or did anything to give their mood away, have you sensed the dark cloud around them? How about someone who is happy and joyful? Did you ‘feel’ that joy even before they gave you a cheerful smile?
I know that sensing and feeling are rather subjective. But you surely can tell pretty quickly what is motivating that person by what they say and do. As Jesus said, “…for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). He could well have said, “Out of the heart, the hands move, the feet walk, the whole body operates!”
So you give off energy from what you are within. You give off light whether you want to or not. This brings us to a warning Jesus gave us in Luke 11:34 through 36 (NKJV):
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 will be full
of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.
Did you get that? Your “light” can be darkness! Now, according to Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven.” You are supposed to point people to the Father, adding your words to your works. And that pointing must be through the Son (John 14:6). The light emitting from your life can either turn people off toward God or turn people on. What is your life saying about Jesus Christ?
Further applying this – those who call themselves Christians, but only carry that name as a designation and not in actual conversion, do a disservice to others. All they have to shine forth from their lives is their own human nature. And, according to the Bible, that natural human nature is at complete odds with God and a lousy witness to Him!
But people who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior but don’t follow Him in obedience as their Lord, put forth a similar witness as the unbeliever to others. They are living out of their own soul, and not the Spirit. The “…light which is in [them is]… darkness.” It is hard to tell the unbeliever and the back-slidden Christian apart. Both emit Black Light!
Take heed that you are not a Black Light Christian! Make sure you have Jesus Christ as your Savior and you are following Him as Lord of your life. As it says in Philippians 2:16, “…hold… forth the word of life….” Hold forth Jesus! He is “…the light of the world.” (John 9:5).