Shine Your Light Before You

 (Mark 4:21-25)

Jesus made the point to his disciples saying, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed and not on a stand?” (Mark 4:21) His point here is that you should shine your light before you. People should be able to see from your speech and behaviour that you stand for what is good and right and true. They should recognise in the ways of your life that you are a Christian.

The truth of Christianity is not in words alone but in how we live our lives. It is about following the ways of Christ and learning to live as he lived. We see in other places when he speaks of false prophets that you will know them by their fruits. Well the same test applies for those who are in Jesus Christ. You will know them too by their fruits. You will know them by their good deeds and their assistance for those in need and their help to the helpless and so on.

Salvation does not rest on works of law but on faith in Jesus Christ. However as James 2:18 shows us, our faith is shown by our works of love toward our brethren and neighbours.

Jesus showed that there is nothing that is hidden which will not be revealed. All things whether good or evil will come to light in the light of the Lord. There are no secrets that will not be revealed. Thus it is important that what we do in secret matches what we do in public.

Our lives must be a mirror of our belief in Jesus Christ whether in public or in secret for all will be revealed. No one can live a life of sin and depravity in secret and think it will not be revealed. All things will be revealed in due course for a lie cannot go unnoticed or unpunished.

Consider for a moment a person who is living a lie. Their life depends on their ability to keep the lie going. And to keep a lie going requires further lies until they are trapped in a web of lies that is like a house of cards. When one of the lies is exposed, and they will be exposed, the whole house comes tumbling down and they suffer ruin. As Jesus said in this section, “For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.” (Verse 22)

But a person who lives according to the truth does not fall for there is no precipice of lies to fall from. When we live according to the truth there is nothing to fear. As Jesus said, “The truth will make you free” (John 8:32) and in his truth there is always freedom. Christ came that we may be free and so let us live our lives in the freedom of Jesus Christ. Free to do what is good and right and true.

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